VMNC
Warrior Centric Healthcare Foundation (WCHF)
and the Veteran Medical Neighborhood Consortium (VMNC)
The Warrior Centric Healthcare Foundation (WCHF) serves as the “veteran facing” primary hub of coordination for healthcare delivery. This is achieved via two pathways, 1) clinical - through WCH authorized clinics / hospitals and recognized providers, allied healthcare professionals and social support personnel and 2) non-clinical - WCHF VMNC members / partners (i.e. community centers and their leaders, clergy, faith-based organizations, employers, public health agencies, veteran centric businesses, etc.).
With the integration of WCHF as an essential core element within the medical neighborhood, the health needs of the individual (veteran), aspects of the population (their families) and overall community (where they live, work, play, and pray), the potential and opportunity for improved health and healthcare delivery (success), prompt and practical assessment and management of social determinants will increase significantly.
The “veteran medical neighborhood consortium” is a framework for structured bidirectional and cross functional relationships and partnerships (clinical and non-clinical) that integrate health / wellness, social determinants / support and medical partnerships critical to enhancing health, wellness and healthcare outcomes. The bidirectional / cross functional flow of information across and between all clinical providers and patients (i.e., primary and specialty care, physician extenders, hospitals/clinics, home health, long term care, behavioral health, etc.) provide the framework. Non-clinical partners (i.e., community centers, faith-based organizations, employers, public health agencies, food banks, schools, etc.) provide the additional components. When combined, these partnerships actively promote health, wellness and healthcare coordination.
Most of the barriers preventing veterans with complex needs from achieving better health engagement and health outcomes encompass social, mental/behavioral health, and economic factors. While providers can assess and identify these needs, the link between the veteran and the necessary resources often falls short underscoring the critical need for a resource network that includes communication between the veteran, the clinic/provider, and community organizations and businesses.
As the WCHF embeds itself more firmly in the VMNC and the health environment at large, veterans, their families and their advocates will become more savvy regarding their health, healthcare, and healthcare services and delivery. They expect high-quality, high-value, culturally appropriate and timely care. When this is not the case, they may become confused and/or frustrated which often leads a decrease in follow through with medications, recommendations, etc. and gaps in care ensue. It’s a similar experience noted across almost any industry providing services to consumers: the services are catered to the individual’s needs and available when the consumer needs/wants them. If not, the consumer finds a new service provider.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) articulates that a successful medical neighborhood will “focus on meeting the needs of the individual patient, but also incorporate aspects of population health and overall community health needs." The Warrior Centric Healthcare Foundation expands this definition to include services and businesses that also address social determinants and contributors.
The bi-directional and cross functionality of the model is what ensures the high, mid, and more direct levels of function of the veteran medical neighborhood consortium members. In essence, the veteran medical neighborhood consortium is a combination of the typical medical and geographic neighborhood integrated with collaborating partners and relationships where all participants (service members, veterans, their families, the community and its leaders, providers, allied healthcare professionals, pharmacy, labs, business owners, authorized WCH clinics and/or hospitals, etc.) must be educated to understand how to participate such that their participation optimizes their experience.
THE WCHF - VMNC PROCESS
I. Support WCH in its efforts to market WCH recognition for providers, allied health professionals, support services personnel and authorization for clinics and hospital systems. As more recognized providers and authorized facilities come on line they will be embedded in the WCHF-VMNC model where care is veteran-centered, comprehensive, and coordinated across the continuum.
II. Have payers incentivize patients to seek care at medical homes that have embedded the WCHF veteran health solution. Have providers and physician extenders seek to be recognized WCH providers so that payers will want them as a part of their network.
III. Have service members, veterans and their family actually going to offices/clinics/hospitals and asking if they are an authorized WCH facility and a member of a WCHF-VMNC. If not, take their healthcare needs elsewhere because it’s more cost-efficient and effective.
IV. Have the WCHF-VMNC set the standard by which all medical neighborhood models are measured and that patients expect.
INSIDE THE WCHF VETERAN
MEDICAL NEIGBOURHOOD
THE WCHF - VMNC MODEL
AND ELEMENTS
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Connectedness
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Convenience
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Continuity
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Care
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Health Records
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Neighborhood
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Accessibility
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Value
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High Quality Care
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Prevention
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Relationship/Partnership
REGIONAL OFFICES
PACIFIC - ROCKY MOUNTAIN - SOUTHWEST - MIDWEST - NORTHEAST - SOUTHEAST
Each regional office (these offices can be virtual) educates, trains and endorses community leaders, advocates, veterans, educators, employers etc. using content developed by the Foundation that is congruent with the content developed for WCH solutions for corporate companies, organizations and hospital systems.
Training and classes are held quarterly. Certified leaders must hold a minimum of 2 town hall meetings/yr in their communities (this could be in concert with a WCH recognized clinic or hospital.
Each regional office also collates the data from the community resource referral tool (i.e., AUNT BERTHA, HEALTHYFI, UNITE US, etc.). This is analyzed by region and in aggregate by the main office. Reports are provided to all veteran medical neighborhood consortium members and to each WCH recognized hospital connected to that neighborhood.
Aggregated data generated by the six regions are analyzed and published in the WCHF Annual Report. The WCHF will also conduct education and training “endorsement” at conferences and independent Town Hall meetings across the US. authorized.
