Hospitals in pursuit of excellence

Quality Care for Veterans

After more than a decade of war, many U.S. military service members have experienced an unprecedented number of combat deployments. Representing about 25 percent of the U.S. population, service members, veterans and their families face the consequences of war's invisible wounds. This group has experienced clinically significant episodes related to post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental and behavioral health conditions. Careful cultural considerations between military and veteran patients and their caregivers are important for improved diagnosis and treatment. A recent Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence webinar, presented in conjunction with the Institute for Diversity in Health Management, addressed the skills necessary for integrating military culture, cultural competency and patient-centered communication when treating service men and women, veterans and their families. The slide presentation “Warrior-Centric Health Care: The Need for Cultural Competency Training for Military and Veteran Communities” is available on HPOE.org.

HPOE.org features webinars, guides and case studies from AHA resources and other groups.