VHA
says on web site
(va.gov)
"We want to provide you with
world-class
veteran customer service
and this is just one
important way
in which we do that!"
says on web site
(va.gov)
"We want to provide you with
world-class
veteran customer service
and this is just one
important way
in which we do that!"
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ants to make
sure you get the best care possible.
You would think...considering you placed your life on the line to serve and protect - should equate to high standards upon receipt of services rendered.
VA
is a leader in treating mental health issues, including PTSD, and
employs a number of different types of mental health providers.
Becoming
a PTSD therapist within the VA first requires training and license as a
psychiatrist, psychiatric nurse, psychologist, clinical social worker,
or master's level clinician as described above.
ALL WORDS! You know, 'lip service'......
As they say, 'history has a way of repeating itself'
AGAIN, VA is NOT stepping up to the plate across our Country !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"best care possible"
If NOT satisfied with the services received
at VA Medical Centers
contact a Patient Advocate immediately!
As of today, 9 FEB 2016, I have reached the Patient Advocate at the Memphis VA Medical Center. This took more than two wllokrk for over two weeks, leaving multiple vm, more than one number for the person to call me back and I've received NO call back!
If NOT satisfied with the services received
at VA Medical Centers
contact a Patient Advocate immediately!
As of today, 9 FEB 2016, I have reached the Patient Advocate at the Memphis VA Medical Center. This took more than two wllokrk for over two weeks, leaving multiple vm, more than one number for the person to call me back and I've received NO call back!
The Patient Advocacy Program is for all who receive
care at Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
facilities and clinics.
(Good luck with this effort!)
If you feel your concerns are not being addressed by all means -
As of today, 10/16/2015, although I have received several calls,
NO ACTION, NO FOLLOW UP!
Please note: "These patients are at high risk for deteriorating health!!!"
ReplyDeleteIndependent Study Course, Released: March 2002, Sponsored by Department of Veterans Affairs, Employee Education System and The National Center for PTSD, Employee Education System
This is a Veterans Health Administration System-Wide Training Program, sponsored by the Employee Education System, the Office of Public Health and Environmental Hazards, and the National Center for PTSD, Department of Veterans Affairs.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Implications for Primary Care
Please note: "These patients are at high risk for deteriorating health!!!"
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Have you ever encountered patients who are...
1. irritable or hostile?
2. avoidant of medical appointments?
3. chronically poor in self-care health habits?
4. exhibiting confusion or poor memory when being interviewed about health?
5. stoic and reluctant to admit to health problems, or extremely needy and/or demanding?
6. extremely reluctant to follow up on any intrusive or gynecological examinations?
7. more likely to present in emergency than for regularly scheduled appointments?
8. presenting with a history of alcohol/substance abuse, depressive symptoms, chronic relationship difficulties and/or intermittent employment history?
9.Presenting with hypertension and atherosclerotic heart disease, abnormalities in thyroid and other hormone functions, frequent infections and immunologic disorders, and/or problems with pain perception, pain tolerance and chronic pain syndrome?
Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or histories of trauma are likely to present to primary care with some (or many) of these characteristics.
Their behavior can interfere with patient-provider communication, impede compliance with treatment regimens, and generally, frustrate the practitioner. These patients are at high risk for deteriorating health.
"These patients are at high risk for deteriorating health!!!"
Yes, it says: "These patients are at high risk for deteriorating health!!!"
Continued:
ReplyDeleteMost trauma victims do not seek mental health services. Instead, they look for assistance and care in the primary care setting.
Medical providers in VA frequently encounter patients with PTSD (often undiagnosed) related to severe prior traumas (especially combat, sexual assault while in the military, prisoner-of-war experiences or childhood physical and sexual abuse).
PTSD has profound effects on physical and emotional health and social functioning; it also influences health care utilization and a patient’s ability to interact effectively with the health care system.
To increase the identification of PTSD, medical providers should routinely screen for PTSD, using simple available instruments. Medical providers also should routinely screen for exposure to traumas, including combat, sexual assault and domestic violence.
Effective treatments for PTSD (both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy) are available, so most patients should be referred to mental health to confirm the diagnosis and initiate treatment. Being able to help those with PTSD better understand their problems and find real help in addressing them can be very gratifying for the practitioner.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Implications for Primary Care
Most trauma victims do not seek mental health services. Rather, they look for assistance and care in the primary care setting. In fact, most mental health treatment is delivered bynon-psychiatrist physicians or nurses. Research suggests that most previously traumatized patients do not object to being queried about their trauma history in a primary care setting.While treatment-seeking patients do not typically disclose personal trauma histories spontaneously, they usually will provide this information if queried directly.
WHAT PRIMARY CARE PRACTITIONERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PTSD
This manual describes why routine screening for traumatic stress symptoms is crucial in the primary care setting, how often the primary care provider should screen for PTSD and other trauma-related conditions, and how screening in the primary care setting can have an impact on both physical and emotional/behavioral/social health.