The first step in forming a Hospice-Veteran Partnership (HVP) is to identify your potential partners. In this section of the toolkit, you will learn about the various stakeholders who can play a role in increasing veterans' access to hospice and palliative care.
Rallying Points coalitions are statewide or community-based coalitions dedicated to improving care and caring for those nearing the end of life. Their members include representatives from hospices, long-term care facilities, hospitals, and other organizations. To find Rallying Points coalitions in your area, call 800-341-0050 or visit the Rallying Points Web site (http://www.rallyingpoints.org). Click on Where Coalitions are Located and use the map to produce a list of contacts.
State hospice organizations are statewide membership organizations dedicated to improving end-of-life care and expanding access to hospice care. Their members include hospices as well as individuals and corporations. To find the state hospice organization in your area, call 800-658-8898 or visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Web site (http://www.nhpco.org). Go to the Inside NHPCO/Login section, select Council of States Home, and click on Council of States Contact Information.
Community hospice agencies provide medical care, pain management, and emotional and spiritual support to terminally ill patients and their families. While all community hospice agencies will come into contact with veterans through their general work, some agencies have also developed formal relationships with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers. To locate community hospice agencies in your area, call 800-658-8898 or visit the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization Web site (http://www.nhpco.org). Go to the Hospice and Palliative Care Information section and select Find a Provider.
State veterans homes are special long-term care facilities that serve qualified veterans and their spouses. These homes are owned and operated by the state, but the VA is responsible for their oversight. To locate state veterans homes in your area, call 631-444-VETS or visit the National Association of State Veterans Homes Web site (http://www.nasvh.com). Click on Directory of State Veterans Homes and use the map to produce a list of contacts.
VISNs are VA integrated networks of care that are focused on pooling and aligning resources to better meet veterans' health care needs. The VA medical system consists of 21 VISNs. Although VISNs are organized geographically, some VISNs cover more than one state, and some states are covered by more than one VISN. To find the VISN(s) that covers your area, visit the VA Web site (http://www.va.gov). Enter the Health Benefits and Services section and click on VHA Facilities Locator. Once you are in that section, click on the map. You will be taken to a second map that contains numbers. Click on the number that is covering your area, and you will find contact information for the appropriate VISN. You may also click on a specific state to produce a list of all the VA medical centers, outpatient clinics, and Vet Centers located within that state.
AACT Teams are VISN-based interdisciplinary teams that provide leadership in hospice and palliative care program development to VA facilities. They were created through the Accelerated Administrative and Clinical Training Program for Palliative Care (AACT), a national program of the VA Hospice and Palliative Care Initiative. Ask the VISN in your area to put you in touch with a representative from its AACT Team.
VA medical centers are hospital systems that serve veterans. Although the exact makeup of these systems will vary, they often include ambulatory care and out-patient clinics, nursing home care programs, home care programs, and long-term care domiciliaries. VA medical centers are organized under VISNs. It is recommended that HVPs include a representative from each of the VA medical centers in their region or state. To locate VA medical centers in your area, visit the VA Web site (http://www.va.gov). Enter the Health Benefits & Services section and click on VHA Facilities Locator.
VA community-based outpatient clinics provide outpatient medical care to veterans. They are organized under VA medical centers. To locate community-based outpatient clinics in your area, visit the VA Web site (http://www.va.gov). Enter the Health Benefits and Services section and click on VHA Facilities Locator.
Veterans service organizations (VSOs) are non-government organizations that advocate for and assist veterans, while also providing opportunities for veterans to get involved in the larger community. Their particular roles and activities will vary. Three of the largest VSOs are Disabled American Veterans (http://www.dav.org), the American Legion (http://www.legion.org), and Veterans of Foreign Wars (http://www.vfw.org). You can visit their national Web sites to find local contacts. Other VSOs, such as the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (http://usfilvets.tripod.com), serve veterans who have traditionally been underrepresented. A directory of VSOs is available on the VA Web site (http://www.va.gov/vso).
The National Association for Black Veterans (NABVETS) provides direct services to 65,000 veterans and advocacy on behalf of 240,000. The association has regional and state commands, as well as designated state chapters. NABVETS accomplishes its goals through partnerships with community-based and veterans organizations; federal, state and local governments; human service agencies and concerned citizens. To locate a chapter in your area, visit the NABVETS Web site http://www.nabvets.com and click on Chapters and Regions.
Veteran alumni organizations are groups of veterans who share common interests and experiences. The structure and activities of these organizations will vary. To find veteran alumni groups in your area, visit Vet Friends (http://www.vetfriends.com/organizations). Click on your state to produce a list of contacts.
Military treatment facilities (MTFs) include military hospitals and clinics that provide primary and specialty care. They are designed to serve active duty and retired members of the uniformed services as well as their families. To find MTFs in your area, use the online TRICARE Military Treatment Facilities Locator (http://www.tricare.osd.mil/mtf/Main.cfm).
Each state has a Department of Veterans Affairs, although the exact structure and services of the department will vary. You can usually locate a contact person by visiting your state's official Web site, which can be found at http://www.[STATE].gov.
When considering potential partners, it's important to think about other groups that have contact with veterans. You may want to reach out to government agencies, universities, or military bases. Consider contacting your local AARP and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapters, or one of the many other organizations that serve seniors. Remember, each HVP is unique, so you should strive to include whatever partners can best reach veterans in your area.
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You can download Chapter 1 of the HVP Toolkit as a Microsoft Word file. Allow time for the download to complete. Your screen may be blank while download is in progress. After download completes you can save a copy of the file to your own computer for detailed study. |
This toolkit is provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs National Hospice-Veteran Partnership (HVP) Program. Development of the toolkit was made possible through support by Rallying Points, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, the Center for Advanced Illness Coordinated Care, and other end-of-life care advocates. Information about VAHPC initiatives is made available for use within the Inter-Institutional Collaborating Network on End-of-life Care (IICN) with the assistance of Growth House, Inc.