FY2020
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES During Fiscal Year 2020, Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System’s (GCVHCS)’s leadership team decided to focus the efforts of our future toward three specific goals. During this year, we embarked on a new journey for excellence. In doing that, we wanted to emphasize the importance of this way forward.
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The executive leadership team, in collaboration with many service chiefs, met and finalized our three strategic goals that became be the driving goals for our facility.
ACCESS
These goals include Access, Quality of Care, and Veteran Experience. Throughout the year, we focused on aligning and integrating each of the strategic priorities into the way we do things at GCVHCS. Some of the immediate actions that were taken include revising our morning report and evaluating each of our meetings to ensure they were value added to the organization. This is only the beginning of our new journey.
QUALITY OF CARE
VETERAN EXPERIENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 3 4 5 6 7 8-9 10-11 12-13 13 14 15 16-17 18 19 20 21 22 24-25 26-27
GCVHCS Strategic Priorities Table of Contents Director’s Message Executive Leadership Donations Overview Budget FY 2020 Photo Collage GCVHCS Fact Sheet Veteran Fact Sheet Panama City Highlight Story 2020 Year in Review Year in Review: October VCS Facility Opens Year in Review: November Veterans Experience Expo Year in Review: December Year in Review: January Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Women’s Night Out Year in Review: February
28-29 30-31 32 33 34 35 36-37 38-39 40 41 42-43 44 45-47 48-49 50-51 52 53 54-55
Puerto Rican relief effort Veteran Patients Program week Year in Review: March Creative Arts Competition Year in Review: April Year in Review: May National Nurses Week CLC Parade Year in Review: June MRI magnets Year in Review: July Mobile food pantry Year in Review: August I Am Invisible campaign Biloxi VAMC 87th Birthday Greening the operating room Year in Review: September GCVHCS earns LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation Faces of GCVHCS
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Director’s Message Despite ongoing challenges impacting the Gulf Coast, the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) has continued providing quality care at our facilities in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida to more than 75,000 Veterans. Throughout a global health crisis and extreme weather events, we have maintained our commitment and dedication to those who have served, and have leveraged technology to ensure the quality of care we’re able to provide remains top notch. These opportunities have strengthened our resolve – not only to the Veteran, but to the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) ideals and values; our staff of more than 2,600 is committed to providing care with integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. This can be seen through GCVHCS trust scores, a demonstration of the upswing in our ability to connect with the Veteran and maintain continuity of care despite the environmental influences which have caused a marked shift in the manner we have traditionally operated. We’re accomplishing this through leveraging technology, effectively integrating more robust telehealth services into our capabilities to ensure our Veterans’ needs are met, and have implemented more robust hiring procedures – using avenues of virtual recruitment to ensure our staffing remains consistent and we’re meeting the needs of the growing Veteran population along the Gulf Coast. Our commitment to the Veterans we serve is also evident in the close-knit bonds we share with the communities in which we operate; the partnership we share with local, region and state civic leaders has never been better, and we continue to look for methods to further integrate these partnerships into our capabilities, furthering our vision of a patient centered care culture through which Veterans maintain control of their health care. Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System’s staff remains the driving force of our organizational success, with every employee committed to the VHA values, ideals and vision in upholding the sacred bond we share with Veterans. We have striven to ensure the responsibilities each of us have accepted are reinforced and transparent
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through every service and program we offer – providing a safe, caring and respectful environment through which our Veterans can continue their health care and recovery. It remains our honor to serve those who have served, and our continued resolve of providing the best possible care for the men and women who have borne the battle is evident in all we say and do, a credo through which we demonstrate the integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence our Veterans deserve. BRYAN C. MATTHEWS, MBA Director Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System
Executive Leadership
BRYAN C. MATTHEWS, MBA Director
MICHAEL D. PAYNE JR., MSP, CLSSBB, ACHE Associate Medical Center Director
NICHOLAS M. MASOZERA, MD, MPH Deputy Chief of Staff
BRIAN H. FORESMAN, DO, MS Chief of Staff
LORETTA ELEUTERIUS, PHD, RN Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services
M. CHRISTOPHER SASLO DNS, ARNP-BC, FAANP Associate Director for Patient Care Services
ALICIA C. MILLER, MHA Associate Director for Outpatient Operations
DEATOSHA HAYNES, MHA, BSN, RN, VA-CM Deputy Associate Director for Patient Care Services, Outpatient Operations
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FY 2020 Voluntary Services Statistics:
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Monetary Donations
$35,130
Non-monetary Donations
$297,486
Total Donations
$332,616
FY2020 Volunteer Hours
$25,017
Value per Volunteer hour
$25.43
Total Value of Volunteer Hours
$636,182
Total Value of Volunteer hours
$636,182
Total Donations
$332,616
Total Voluntary Services Impact
$968,798
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES $31,613,030
PROSTHETICS $25,544,009 4%
5%
CARE IN THE COMMUNITY $181,593,266
TOTAL BUDGET
44%
SALARY $293,300,232
$671,036,956
27% 8% 13% CONSOLIDATED MAIL-OUT PHARMACY $54,455,015
SUPPLIES / MISC. $84,531,404 Total Yearly Projection = $671,036,956
Dec FLASH
FY20
Medical Service Medical Facilities Medical Support and Compliance TOTAL
Actual Spent to Date
$597,915,597 $39,193,522
$33,927,837
$671,036,956
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FACES OF GULF COAST VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
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GULF COAST VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
PROVIDES CARE TO MORE THAN 75,000 UNIQUE VETERANS Spans more than three states: Mississippi, Alabama and Florida Total number of Veterans residing in our catchment area—228,318 Total number of enrolled Veterans—106,497
BILOXI VA MEDICAL CENTER
400 Veterans Avenue Biloxi, MS 39532 (228) 523-5000 │ (800) 296-8872
4444 Demetropolis Road Mobile, AL 36619 (228) 523-5000 │ (800) 296-8872
790 Veterans Way Pensacola, FL 32507 (850) 912-2000 │ (866) 927-1420
PROGRAM AND SERVICES EMPLOYS OVER 2,600 FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OPERATES 248 BEDS • 30 Medical/Surgical Beds • 22 Psychiatric Beds • 96 Community Living Center Beds • 26 Blind Rehabilitation Beds • 74 Domiciliary Beds (includes Inpatient Substance Abuse Program)
THE JOINT COMMISSION, CARF AND CAP ACCREDITED 32 ACTIVE HEALTH AFFILIATION AGREEMENTS
100 Veterans Avenue Eglin Air Force Base, FL 32542 (850) 609-2600 │ (866) 520-7359
2600 Veterans Way Panama City Beach, FL 32408 (850) 636-7000 │ (888) 231-5047
• Guest Wifi • Optical Shop (Biloxi) • New Patient Orientation • VCS Retail Store (Biloxi and JACC) • VCS Patriot Café (Biloxi and JACC)
VETERAN SERVICES • VA Video Connect/Telehealth visits • Veteran Transportation Service provides shuttle services to assist Veterans in rural communities near Biloxi, Mobile, and Pensacola, with transportation to their scheduled appointments • Whole Health • Valet Parking (Biloxi) • Red Coat Ambassador Program
140 Richard Jackson Boulevard Panama City Beach, FL 32407 (850) 636-7000 │ (888) 231-5047
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FY20 Operating Budget:
$697,181,756
2,601
Total Veterans Enrolled (FY20):
Total Inpatient Admissions (FY20):
Total Outpatient Appointments (FY20):
106,497
1,830
408,413
Total Telephone Visits (FY20):
88,559
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Total number of employees:
Total VA Video Connect Visits (FY20):
16,565
Inpatient Beds:
248
Total Primary Care Appointments (FY20):
130,280
Overall Total Women Veterans Enrolled (FY20):
Total Prescriptions Filled (FY20) (Local and CMOP):
13,123
1,610,467
Counties:
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Total Specialty Appointments (FY20):
117,226
Total Incoming Calls (Call Center) (FY20):
488,225
SERVICE ERA VETERANS IN 2020: UNKNOWN: 46 – 0.043%
WWI: 5 – 0.005%
OTHER: 1,044 – 1%
WWII: 915 – 1%
Total Mental Health Appointments (FY20):
100,907
ACTIVE DUTY: 26 – 0.024%
KOREA: 2,863 – 3%
SPANISH AMERICAN: 2 – 0.002% Total Inpatient Meals Served (FY20):
298,033
PERSIAN GULF: 55,781 – 52%
POST-KOREA: 1,979 – 2%
POSTVIETNAM: 11,521- 11%
VIETNAM: 32,278 – 30%
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YEAR IN REVIEW 14
Daily Dose In October, GCVHCS created and implemented an electronic newsletter called the Daily Dose. The Daily Dose was created based on 2019 All Employee Survey data that showed employees wanted to see increased communication and visibility between leadership and various offices and staff throughout GCVHCS.
OCTOBER Innovators Network Spark/Seed/Spread Innovation Investment Three projects submitted by GCVHCS employees to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Innovators Network program were selected for investment Oct. 8. The projects – a prototype for consolidated appointments for veterans with chronic kidney disease (submitted by Cynthia Atwell, RN); a pilot program which could use gamified therapy and/or virtual reality as a technological therapy in the Biloxi VA Medical Center’s community living center (submitted by Dr. Leslie
Winning Bid For Tele-Dentistry Program On October 22-23, 2019, the annual VHA Innovation Experience (iEx) and Shark Tank Competition hosted by VHA Diffusion of Excellence and VHA Innovators Network took place at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. During the Shark Tank Competition, GCVHCS won the bid to implement the Gold Status Practice, Tele-Dentistry –
Store and Forward (SFT) – Community Living Center (CLC) Project from Lisa Heck at the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System. The practice improves access to dental services and improves the experience to all Veterans in the CLC. The practice delegates the task of image capturing for the oral cavity to dental assistants.
Carnahan); and a potential solution to potential issues of waste and employee exposure to operating room hazards (submitted by Kristin Mate, RN and Sheena Strong, RN) – were all part of the VHA Innovators Network’s (iNET) SparkSeed-Spread Innovation Investment Program, an initiative designed to employ a diverse range of practices using innovation to deliver a better experience for Veterans, their families and VA employees.
New Veterans Canteen Service Facility Opens (Full article on page 16) Veterans, employees and local community leaders attended a ceremony opening a new dining and retail facility on October 18. The new VCS space took two years to complete at a cost of six million dollars. The new VCS facility measures 20,000 square feet.
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OCTOBER
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Biloxi VA Medical Center’s New VCS Facility Opens Nearly 200 Veterans and GCVHCS employees attended a brief ceremony opening a new dining and retail facility Oct. 18 at the Biloxi VA Medical Center. The Veteran Canteen Service’s (VCS) Patriot Store and Café, centrally located on the newly renovated Bldg. 21 on the Biloxi VA Medical Center campus, officially opened during the ceremony, something GCVHCS Director Bryan Matthews said is a welcome addition to the sprawling campus.
“The new VCS space took two years to complete at a cost of six million dollars,” said Mr. Matthews. He added, “The VCS has been a gathering point for our Veterans and their families, our employees and our volunteers; I am happy that this can continue in this new facility.” The new VCS facility measures 20,000 square feet. “This new VCS facility features more space, twice the size of the previous VCS facility, bringing the VCS’ food service and retail store
together in one central location,” said GCVHCS Engineering Service Chief Jay Tripp. “Every effort was taken to ensure the historical preservation of the building – originally called the Mess Hall, – during the two-year renovation process.” The 1937 structure initially served as housing for Veterans of that era, but after a significant overhaul of the Nutrition and Food Service kitchen in 2015 (Bldg. 31), plans to modernize and incorporate the VCS
functions on the Biloxi VA Medical Center campus were put into motion. Also attending the ceremony were VCS Region Manager Joe Kimes; Biloxi Mayor Andrew Gilich; Biloxi Economic Director Cliff Kirkland; Constituent Liaison for Congressman Steven Palazzo – Kathy Thomas and District Director for Congressman Matt Gaetz – Dawn McArdle.
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NOVEMBER ‘You Said, We Did’ Initiative In November, FY20 Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP) fellow Camille Weston developed and implemented the You Said, We Did initiative. The purpose of this initiative was to close the loop on feedback/comments received in the 2019 AES data.
Innovation Specialist Of The Year GCVHCS Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams received top honors during the Veterans Health Administration Innovators Network (iNET) Bookcamp on November 21 in Washington, DC. Williams was awarded VHA iNET 2019 Innovation Specialist of the Year. Presentation of the award marked the organization’s inaugural outing, something Williams said is important not
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only to her, but to the GCVHCS community. According to the award citation, Williams was lauded for her efforts in helping the VHA’s Human-Centered Design (HCD) national programming accreditation process, leading numerous HCD trainings throughout GCVHCS, as well as at other sites throughout the country.
NOVEMBER
Veterans Experience Expo Held At Biloxi VA Medical Center GCVHCS hosted a five-hour event Nov. 14 during which Veterans and their caregivers were able to become more familiar with Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare services, Veteran agencies and community support partners at the organization’s Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi. The Veterans Experience Expo took place Nov. 14, featuring an interactive overview of the Veterans experience. The event showcased numerous information booths and tables at high trafficked areas in the Biloxi VA Medical Center, with individuals manning these tables experts in their particular areas and providing information on access and quality of care to the hundreds of attendees. “Helping veterans learn first-hand the wonderful strides we are taking toward the care of our American heroes is our top priority,” said Dr. M. Christopher, Saslo, the
associate director for Patient Care Services/ Nurse Executive. “The Veterans Experience Expo is the first of many opportunities for Veterans to see and learn the services we offer and how we ensure the care we deliver is the best care anywhere.” The event, centered in the Biloxi VA Medical Center’s first and second floor foyers, was designed to provide useful information to the thousands of Veterans visiting the organization and other GCVHCS facilities. “Every Veteran matters and we are proud to serve those who served,” said event organizer Kristin Mate, a GCVHCS Surgical Services operating room circulator. “VA healthcare services, Veteran agencies, and community support partners had representatives on hand to provide information and answer questions about accessing and navigating healthcare options in the VA system.”
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DECEMBER “Whole Health” Facilitator Training Workshop Twenty-four GCVHCS and other Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees from across the nation attended a workshop December 10-12 designed to assist them in effectively incorporating the VHA’s Whole Health approach to care into practice. The course is designed to teach veterans and VHA staff the skills necessary to become group
facilitators capable of leading the whole health group-based program Taking Charge of My Life and Health (TCMLH). The course also provided the opportunity for the GCVHCS employees and volunteers, who will ultimately engage veterans through the VHA-wide program, to experience the VHA’s Whole Health concept first-hand.
Employee Retires After 50 Years Of Service On December 19, GCVHCS Physician’s Assistant (PA) Murl Dotson, (pictured on the left), a United States Air Force (USAF) Veteran and longtime Biloxi VA Medical Center employee, was honored during the ceremony, receiving a proclamation from the City of Biloxi recognizing his efforts throughout the Gulf Coast. PA Dotson retired after more than 50 years of federal service.
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JANUARY Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration (Full article on page 22) Director Presents Outstanding Service Award To Student Volunteer Gulfport High School 2019 graduate Mary Elizabeth Entrekin was presented the VA Outstanding Service award by GCVHCS Director Bryan Matthews during the short ceremony, which DAV Chapter 5 Representative Bryan Batulis also attended during a Jan. 7 ceremony. Entrekin has volunteered more than 500 hours since 2015 through Social Work Service and with Recreational Therapy.
More than 100 Veterans and Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) employees attended a Jan. 16 observance at the Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center designed to recognize the life of one of the most influential Americans of the past century. The GCVHCS’ Equal Employment Opportunity office hosted (EEO) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, an hour-long event held in the organization’s recreation hall,
served to highlight the importance of the minister and activist who ultimately became the face of the American Civil Rights Movement until his death in 1968. Clemon P. Jimerson Sr. served as the event’s guest speaker, at which GCVHCS Director Bryan Matthews offered opening remarks, reflecting on how King’s words – written and spoken more than 50 years ago – remain an integral part of the American ideal.
Women’s Night Out (Full article on page 24) The GCVHCS’ Women Veterans Program hosted “It’s Your Night to Shine,” a threehour event designed to highlight women Veterans and showcase exclusive VA medical services available to women
Veterans from all eras hosted at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center. More than 120 GCVHCS women Veterans attended the January 31 event. .
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Biloxi VA Medical Center Hosts Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration More than 100 Veterans and GCVHCS employees attended a Jan. 16 observance at the Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center designed to recognize the life of one of the most influential Americans of the past century. The GCVHCS’ Equal Employment Opportunity Office hosted (EEO) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration, an hour-long event held in the organization’s recreation hall, served to highlight the importance of the minister and activist who ultimately became the face of the American Civil Rights Movement until his death in 1968. Clemon Jimerson, (pictured second from the left), a lifelong Biloxi, Mississippi, native and guest speaker at GCVHCS Biloxi VA Medical Center’s Jan. 16 Martin Luther King Day observance, shows a photograph of the Biloxi Wade-ins, a 1960 civil rights effort to desegregate the Biloxi beaches. Jimerson was a participant in that local civil rights movement and spoke of his experiences to the more than 100 Veterans and Biloxi VA Medical Center employees who attended the event. Clemon P. Jimerson Sr. served as the event’s guest speaker,
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at which GCVHCS Director Bryan Matthews offered opening remarks, reflecting on how King’s words – written and spoken more than 50 years ago – remain an integral part of the American ideal. “As we observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, remember that each of us are indebted to the ideals he presented and should be forever grateful to those who lived through times in our country which so many of us could only read about,” Matthews said. The event was held in recognition of Martin Luther King Day, a federal holiday held annually since 1986 on the third Monday of January, this year Jan. 20. The holiday is designed to celebrate the life and achievements of the influential civil rights leader. Jimerson, a lifelong Biloxi, Mississippi, native, and participant at the 1960 Biloxi wade-ins, spoke on the Civil Rights movement along the Gulf Coast. Jimerson was one of the 125 African Americans participating in the April 24, 1960, wade-in on Biloxi Beach in Biloxi, Mississippi. This peaceful civil rights effort to draw attention to local segregation issues resulted in mobs attacking the demonstrators, producing the largest ever race riot in Mississippi at the time. Dozens were injured during the incident, and two individuals were killed.
JANUARY
“Not many people are aware of the Wade-in and the courage and sacrifices this group of individuals made,” Matthews said. “In what was an overwhelmingly adverse situation, these men and women were able to stand for their rights as Americans, eventually accomplishing the desegregation of the of Biloxi beaches.” Also, during the ceremony, GCVHCS Payroll Technician Bryant White sang the National Anthem while GCVHCS Chaplain Chad Maxey provided an invocation. United States Air Force Tech. Sgt. (ret.) Michael Goodwin served as the event’s master of ceremonies. “We couldn’t operate here at the GCVHCS without that simple concept,” Matthews added. “The team here is a shining example of what it means to be intertwined with those we serve, and I’m honored and privileged to work with the hundreds of professionals at our sites who have embraced our differences and created an atmosphere of caring, trust and mutual respect.”
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Joint Ambulatory Care Center Hosts Women’s Night Out In Pensacola More than 120 GCVHCS women Veterans attended a Jan. 31 event at the Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in Pensacola, Florida, designed to highlight female Veterans and services specific to women. The GCVHCS’ Women Veterans Program hosted “It’s Your Night to Shine,” a three-hour event designed to highlight women Veterans and showcase exclusive VA medical services available to women Veterans from all eras hosted at the JACC, also referred to as the Pensacola VA Clinic. University of West Florida (UWF) Military and Veterans Resource Center Interim Director Lori Milkeris served as the event’s guest speaker, following
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GCVHCS Associate Director of Outpatient Operations Alicia Miller’s opening remarks. The Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Performing Arts Unit served as the color guard for the ceremonies, with four women Sailors from nearby Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola presenting the colors to open the event. Pensacola, Florida-area musical group the Blue Anchor Belles sang the National Anthem during the event, as well as provided musical entertainment throughout the evening. Milkeris, an Air Force Woman Veteran and advocate for Veterans, spoke on her military experience, her work with Veterans and personal experiences that
emphasized the need of women-specific services at Veterans Affairs clinics. “Tonight, thanks to the VA, we are sisters, we are sitting or standing strong,” she said. “As women, we learn when we’re in the military that we must suppress some of our emotions – you must put your country and your duty above all else, even family. I didn’t have a lot of guidance about the VA once I was transitioning to being a civilian again, but a fellow woman Veteran helped me through the process and it was invigorating to realize the new family I had gained within the VA.” Donna Maxwell, the GCVHCS Women Veterans Program manager, said that services including the GCVHCS Health Promotion/Disease Prevention, the
Whole Health Program, the Women Veterans Network (WoVeN), the Veterans Lactation Program, the Intimate Partner Violence Program and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Program and others all had information tables set up at the event, with subject matter experts on hand to explain services offered. “There are so many women Veterans throughout the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System who are unaware of the services to which they are entitled – the services they have earned,” Maxwell said. “This night was designed to show these women Veterans not
JANUARY
only the services the VA offers them but also to provide a sense of camaraderie.” Also, during the event, GCVHCS Associate Director of Outpatient Operations Alicia Miller said that creating an awareness of VHA womenspecific services is an important part of every VHA facility. “A national survey of Women Veterans in 2010 showed a majority of Women Veterans have no knowledge of available benefits,” she said. “Every [VA] health Care System has a Women Veterans Program manager tasked with implementing positive changes in the provision of care for all Women Veterans, and Pensacola has the largest Women Veteran population in the GCVHCS. Tonight is designed to improve on that.”
The event served to emphasize the importance and the difference in the Women Veteran experience. As women Veterans learned of the services they have access to, they also had the opportunity to network with other women Veterans and share their stories. The Pensacola Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic, along with women Veterans from along the Gulf Coast to include Mobile, Biloxi, Eglin and Panama City VA Clinics are all part of the GCVHCS. The Pensacola VA Clinic has the largest women Veteran population of the 5 facilities within the GCVHCS, with 3,506 women enrolled for care.
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Nurses Support Puerto Rican Relief Effort (Full article on page 28) Three GCVHCS registered nurses returned from Puerto Rico Feb. 1 after a two-week volunteer effort supporting Caribbean Veterans Health Care System (VACHS) personnel and facilities after a rash of earthquakes struck the island in January. Registered Nurses Marguerita Pena-Agressott, Lucy Martin, and Betzimarie Solla spent two weeks in Puerto Rico, volunteering through the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program, joining other Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) medical professionals from across the United States to augment VACHS staff at the island nation’s Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital.
African American History Month Celebration More than 100 Veterans and GCVHCS employees attended a Feb. 21 observance at the Biloxi VA Medical Center recognizing African American History Month.
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FEBRUARY Veteran Family Expo
Leadership Summit
More than 400 GCVHCS Veterans and their families attended a Feb. 11 informational and awareness event. The GCVHCS’ firstever Veteran Family Expo, designed to bring awareness of services available to Veterans and their family members, was organized by the GCVHCS Behavioral Health Service’s Marriage and Family Counselor Theresa Gaser and Angelique Walker, GCVHCS Social Work Fellow. The four-hour event not only served to inform Veterans and their families about services, education and assistance available but was also an opportunity to meet other Veterans and family members who could be faced with similar situations.
An off-site Leadership Summit in February 12-14 where facility- and service-level leaders collaborated to develop a set of organizational strategies for continued adaptation to the MISSION Act. Focus included assessing and adjusting to the transformation since implementation in FY 2019 and identifying solutions to challenges and barriers faced in the months since. During the event Veterans from the community and VA staff focused on improving workplace collaboration to provide better service to our customers and stakeholders.
GCVHCS Mardi Gras Parade (Full article on page 30) Patients and employees participated in a culturally unique event Feb 13 at the Biloxi VA Medical Center, providing Veterans in the facilities’ clinics the opportunity to participate in a Mississippi Gulf Coast tradition. The annual Mardi Gras parade, hosted by GCVHCS’ Recreation Therapy, rolled through the
Biloxi VA Medical Center’s campus. The parade was a part of National Salute to Veteran Patients Program week, a nationwide series of events designed to pay tribute to Veterans, increase knowledge at the community level of the role of the VA and to inspire the community to visit and volunteer at VA facilities.
2020 LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
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Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Nurses Support Puerto Rican Relief Effort Three GCVHCS registered nurses returned from Puerto Rico Feb. 1 after a two-week volunteer effort supporting Caribbean Veterans Health Care System (VACHS) personnel and facilities after a rash of earthquakes struck the island in January. Registered Nurses Marguerita Pena-Agressott, Lucy Martin, and Betzimarie Solla spent two weeks in Puerto Rico, volunteering through the Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) program, joining other Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) medical professionals from across the United States to augment VACHS staff at the island nation’s Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital. All three GCVHCS nurses worked 12-hour shifts for the duration of their stay. According to Pena-Aggressot, while none of the GCVHCS nurses worked directly in earthquake impacted areas, the effects of the more than 950 earthquakes that struck the island since December 2019 were apparent. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, while the majority of the earthquakes were minor, more than 500 were of a magnitude of 2 or higher, including the Jan. 10 magnitude 6.4 earthquake which caused islandwide power outages and destruction. “Although we were not in the immediate vicinity of the earthquake, the aftershocks were still felt,” Pensa-Aggressot said. “I first thought there might
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have been loose tiles as I walked across the courtyard of the hospital, but residents there told me otherwise.” Pena-Agressott, Martin, and Solla temporarily housed at an undamaged hotel in Condado – a few miles from the VACHS main facility in San Juan, Puerto Rico – arrived on the island Jan. 18, a week after the worst of the earthquakes. According to Solla, many VACHS employees were deployed to clinics and shelters on the south of the island, with DEMPS volunteers staffing the VACHS hospital to provide coverage. Martin, a Destin, Florida, native, and nurse manager at the GCVHCS Eglin VA Clinic, was assigned rotations in the hospital’s emergency room, triaging emergencies, placing IVs and catheters, drawing blood and stabilizing patients. Despite the twelve-hour rotation, however, she said the similarities to other natural disasters she encountered forged her desire to provide direct assistance to the employees and Veterans in another Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN). “I love to help people,” she said. “I went through [Hurricane] Katrina and know what it is to lose everything. Every day they [VACHS staff] thanked us and said if we were not there, they would have been short-staffed and would not be able to care for the Veterans.”
Pena-Agressott, a New York native whose parents are natives of Puerto Rico, has been a registered nurse for nearly 35 years with the past five at the Panama City Beach VA Clinic. She was assigned to the VACHS Hospital’s Medical/Surgical floor as a staff nurse for the two-week assignment, something she said that, while difficult, remained a positive experience. “We worked 12-hour days and Medical Surgery is still as hard as it was when I was doing it 20 years ago,” she said. “But the staff and the Veterans were so grateful for our support and all those nights of swollen feet and late dinners didn’t matter – I would do this again in a heartbeat, because it’s my parent’s home, because there was a need and because I am a nurse.” Solla, a Puerto Rico native and Skilled Home Health and Hospice coordinator for the GCVHCS Office of Community Care, worked in the Medicine/Hematology/Oncology Unit while in Puerto Rico. Now living in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Solla has worked as a registered nurse for twelve years and maintains close ties to the home she knows. “[Puerto Ricans] have been hit with natural disasters since Hurricane Maria,” she said. “They just recovered from that and have now been impacted by another. My people, my family, are
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Betzimarie Solla
Marguerita Pena-Agressott
being impacted by these earthquakes and I felt the need to be there for them and be part of helping them. As a nurse in the GCVHCS I have the duty to take care of Veterans, and as DEMPS volunteer I am able to go serve and utilize my professional and personal skills to serve our nation’s heroes, our Veterans and their families.” The Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) is the Veterans Health Administration’s main deployment program for clinical and non-clinical staff to an emergency or disaster. The DEMPS Program may be used for an internal VA mission, as well as supporting a mission after a Presidential Disaster Declaration under the National Response Frameworks Emergency Support Function #8 (Public Health and Medical Services). The three GCVHCS nurses most recently activated through the DEMPS program said the short-fused nature of an emergency requires advanced planning, and programs such as DEMPS ensure continuity of care for individuals in impacted areas. “DEMPS is very important for the VA Health Care as it is a
Lucy Martin
resource available to ensure that Veterans in a facility which has gone through a natural disaster or emergency can continue to receive the care they need,” Solla said. “By sending support staff providing the best quality and access to care ensures Veterans don’t need to sacrifice more than they already have.” Pena-Agressott added that the inconveniences faced during the two-week deployment paled in comparison to the sacrifices Veterans have made. “I am humbled by this experience and have more awareness now of what it must’ve taken to serve our country and what it still takes in serving our country,” she said. “Nothing could ever compare to the years of service they [Veterans] have put in for me, for us, for our nation.” The VA Caribbean Health Care System provides services to a population of 150,000 Veterans in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition to its main facility in San Juan, the VACHS offers services in ten clinics.
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Biloxi VA Medical Center Celebrates Mardi Gras During National Salute To Veteran Patients Program Week GCVHCS Biloxi VA Medical Center patients and employees participated in a culturally unique event Feb 13 at the Biloxi VA Medical Center, providing Veterans in the facilities’ clinics the opportunity to participate in a Mississippi Gulf Coast tradition. The annual Mardi Gras parade, hosted by GCVHCS’ Recreation Therapy, rolled through the Biloxi VA Medical Center’s campus. The parade was a part of National Salute to Veteran Patients Program week, a nation-wide series of events designed to pay tribute to Veterans, increase knowledge at the community level of the role of the VA and to inspire the community to visit and volunteer at VA facilities. GCVHCS Recreation Therapy Supervisor Laura Throop organized the parade in collaboration with other departments and said that events such as this can help a Veteran feel part of the local community. “The Mardi Gras parade gives the Veteran patients a chance to experience local events that
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they may not otherwise be able to attend,” Throop said. “Our Veterans are our main priority and including this unique event during the National Salute to Veteran Patients Program is one way they can interact with the community and we can show our appreciation to our Veterans.” The Mardi Gras parade included the Gulfport, Mississippi-based Krewe of Gemini, a nonprofit organization serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Also included in the parade was the Mississippi Gulf Coast Corvette Club, the Biloxi Police Department Honor Guard, VA Police Department, the Naval Construction Battalion Center (NCBC) Gulfport Fire Department. Additionally, Veteran patients also walked in the parade, throwing beads and candy to spectators. Following the parade, the GCVHCS Recreation Department hosted a Mardi Gras ceremony in the organizations’ Recreation Hall. Ceremony attendees celebrated Mardi Gras and the announcement of the GCVHCS 2020 Mardi Gras
King and Queen and court members. The St. Patrick Catholic High School band also provided musical entertainment during the ceremony, which was also attended by the Biloxi-area Soldiers’ Angels, as well as the St. Martin U.S. Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC). GCVHCS Chaplain Phil Audet, referred to by GCVHCS employees and Veterans, as “Father Phil,” served as the ceremony emcee, thanking parade organizers for their efforts. “Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the good times roll!),” Audet said, receiving cheers from the crowd. “All the people that helped put this together played a huge part in making these Veterans – the single most important aspect in what we do – feel part of one of the Mississippi Gulf Coasts’ traditions. Improving the patient experience here at GCVHCS is one of our top priorities and seeing how much these men and women enjoyed today’s festivities is something we can all appreciate and love being a part of.”
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MARCH Virtual Employee Town Halls
All Employee Survey Check-In: Best Places To Work Efforts such as the You Said, We Did Initiative and the Daily Dose led to a 47% increase in participation, 12-point increase in data sharing, and 15-point increase in data use from the November 2019 AES Check-In administration.
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Weekly town halls were implemented on March 17, to increase communication and transparency with all GCVHCS staff. A SurveyMonkey account was created for staff to submit anonymous questions for the Pentad, HR, Infection Control, and the Emergency Management Team that were answered live during
each town hall. Staff receive COVID related guidance and updates as well. In response to employee feedback, Gulf Coast has implemented a COVID recognition/award program for employees who have gone above and beyond in support of the COVID pandemic.
Virtual New Employee Orientation In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, GCVHCS transition to a virtual new employee orientation (NEO) on March 30. Workforce Development (WFD)
created a single SharePoint page that contains electronic copies of all mandatory training, to include NEO.
Biloxi VA Medical Center Hosts Creative Arts Competition Nearly fifty area GCVHCS Veterans participated in the Creative Arts Competition at the Biloxi Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center Recreation Hall last week as a part of the nationwide VA creative arts competitions. GCVHCS displayed 86 entries of Veterancreated artwork, including paintings and drawings, crafts and creative writing samples. The center also hosted music, singing and dramatic performances Artwork and performances were judged by Biloxi, Mississippi-area artists. Biloxi VA Medical Center Chief of Staff Reginald Labossiere provided opening remarks for the Creative Arts Competition, emphasizing the importance of the annual event. “I want to thank our Recreation Department for doing a fantastic job in organizing this event and in providing new and creative outlets for our Veterans,” he said. “It is important for Veterans to have ways of expressing themselves, creatively or otherwise, and our Recreation Therapy Department is doing such an outstanding job providing outlets for our Veterans to further their rehabilitation and therapy.” Veronica Myers is a GCVHCS-area U.S. Army Veteran who entered multiple items in the Creative Arts Competition, taking first place in Patriotic Poetry, Other Poetry, Short, Short Story, Assemblage, Vocal Solo Jazz, Vocal Solo
Spiritual and Original Vocal, as well as a thirdplace recognition in Color Photography. “When you go through things and you come home and can’t talk about them with family and friends who have no frame of reference for what you’ve seen and what you’ve experienced, you take it and you put it in a box and the years go on and eventually the box can’t hold it all,” Myers said. “Going to the Vet Center in Pensacola led me to begin writing and it helped with the healing and provided me with an outlet to put words to the experiences that you cannot articulate to other people.” Some first-place finishers could be eligible for the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival Nov. 28 through Dec. 5. Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) Recreation Therapy Supervisor, Laura Throop organized the event to incorporate arts into Veterans therapy programs to further the rehabilitation for both inpatients and outpatients. “This annual competition recognizes the progress and recovery made through this type of therapy and raises the visibility of the creative achievements of our Veterans,” she said. “This competition provides Veterans receiving treatment at VA facilities the opportunity to participate in creative selfexpression and gain recognition for their artistic accomplishments.”
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APRIL Brave Mind Virtual Reality PTSD Immersion Therapy Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams coordinated a Brave Mind Virtual Reality PTSD Immersion Therapy System donation through Soldier Strong, a non-profit organization, on April 29. GCVHCS was one of twelve VA facilities to receive the donation valued at $10,000.
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Keesler Air Force Base Flyover In Support Of VA Medical Personnel
MAY Family Cruising The VA Parade (Full article on page 38)
GCVHCS Fourth Mission Response
The Biloxi VA Medical Center’s Community Living Center (CLC) hosted the “CLC Family Cruising the VA Parade” May 11 through the facility’s campus. The brief parade was designed to allow Veterans the opportunity to see family members and friends during the ongoing global health crisis, something event co-organizers CLC nurse managers Holli Bolton and Tonya Fountain-Adams said was critical to the ongoing care Veterans at the facility receive.
In May 2020 a Gulf Coast DEMPS Nursing team was sent to VISN 8 territory in Lake City, FL to assist at a private nursing home including a team that transported and set up a Work and Play unit for the effort. The team was sent in support of the 4th Mission and after successfully assisting the Lake City nursing home went on to assist at a nursing home in Pahokee, FL on Lake Okeechobee.
VA Employees Recognized For Quick Response In a brief reception on May 8, Director Bryan C. Matthews recognized Joint Ambulatory Care Center employees Delores Miller, Donald Bassett and
Kevin Moy for their heroic response to a May 6 incident involving an individual attempting to enter the facility with a loaded weapon.
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Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Celebrates Nurses During National Nurses Week GCVHCS nurses – along with nurses around the world – celebrated National Nurses Week May 6 through 12th despite an unprecedented health care crisis challenging traditional gatherings and observances. Nurses at the Biloxi VA Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi; the Mobile Community-based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Mobile, Alabama; the Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in Pensacola, Florida; the Eglin CBOC at Eglin Air Force Base in Crestview, Florida; and the Panama City Beach CBOC in Panama City Beach, Florida, have traditionally celebrated National Nurses Week with gatherings, but the ongoing COVID-19 global health crisis has mitigated local celebrations, as reliance on individuals in the profession has become increasingly more in demand. According to Dr. M. Christopher Saslo, the GCVHCS Associate Director for Patient Care Services and the organization’s Nurse Executive, nurses have historically embraced challenges, all while maintaining a high standard of care and willingness to provide assistance to those in need. “Nurses have met this challenge head-on despite the risks to the healthcare teams,” Saslo said. “Our nursing heroes have worked side by side with their healthcare partners to maximize the care delivery to those areas hardest hit. In addition, [the GCVHCS] Nursing Service has actively engaged in the VA’s 4th Mission – aiding community long-term care facilities in collaboration with Department of Defense and Federal Emergency Management Agency employees to Gulf Coast areas hardest hit during this current global health crisis.” National Nurse’s Day is annually celebrated May 6 in the United States, with May 12 recognized as International Nurse’s day across the world and Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Weeklong celebrations of the event have historically included conferences, appreciation events organized by community partners and luncheons. According to the American Nurses Association (ANA), the first Nurses Week was observed between October 11 through 16, 1954, but it wasn’t until 1974 when President Nixon issued a proclamation that a week would be designated by the White House as National Nurse Week. May 6 was recognized as National Recognition Day for Nurses in 1982, and in 1993, the
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ANA designated National Nurses Week May 6 through 12. Additionally, this year, in honor of Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday, National Nurses Week was also part of the World Health Organization’s “Year of the Nurse and Midwife,” recognizing the hard work of the world’s nurses. Saslo said that nurses are a critical element of a Veteran’s health care process, directly impacting patient care in a variety of scenarios and roles and embracing the changing methods of care delivery. “Nurses provide an incredible variety of skills in so many aspects of care in the VA Healthcare system,” he said. “This includes direct care, managing complex care, outpatient, surgical, virtual care, case management and so much more. These roles only continue to evolve as technology evolves at a rapid rate, and nurses accept these challenges head-on, not shying away from new and innovative challenges.” Saslo added that the recent push toward virtual health care tools – including the VA’s telephone and video appointments and secure messaging options which can put a Veteran in direct contact with a health care provider from home – require nurses to continue advancing their skills and keeping abreast of changes. “Since Florence Nightingale gave face to the profession of nursing as one of research and prevention, the profession has evolved to be more and more complex each year,” Saslo said. “In the past decade alone, technology has progressed so rapidly that the need to change our delivery of care requires incredible flexibility and adaptability.” An estimated 100,000 nurses staff the VA nursing corps, providing care and impacting the lives of Veterans at facilities across the United States. Saslo said the teamwork demonstrated through the GCVHCS Nursing Service is unparalleled. “The sense of belonging, collegiality and camaraderie in the GCVHCS has been an incredible experience for me,” he said. “Our sense of kindness, commitment and compassion in nursing is one that makes us strong and unified no matter what the challenge and I could not be more fortunate to be part of this incredible team which contributes to the GCVHCS being a shining beacon of strength to America’s heroes.”
Nursing Assistant of the Year Natasha Moultrie
Registered Nurse Expanded Role of the Year Ashley Bouchillon
Licensed Practical Nurse of the Year Rhonda Harigle
Registered Nurse of the Year Kristin Mate
Honorary Nurse of the Year Bryan C. Matthews
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Biloxi VA Community Living Center Hosts Parade Biloxi VA Medical Center’s Community Living Center (CLC) hosted the “CLC Family Cruising the VA Parade” May 11 through the facility’s campus. The brief parade was designed to allow Veterans the opportunity to see family members and friends during the ongoing global health crisis, something event coorganizer Biloxi VA Medical Center CLC Nurse Manager Holli Bolton said is critical to the ongoing care Veterans at the facility receive. “These Veterans have had no visitors for weeks because of the health crisis we’re all experiencing,” Bolton said. “This gave our Veterans the chance to see their loved ones and friends while maintaining physical distancing and gave them a chance for interaction – if only from a distance – with the community we all call home.” VA is currently following Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and limiting visitors for patients in VA facilities,
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as well as observing physical distancing recommendations. Several families of Veterans at the Biloxi VA Medical Center CLC drove through the campus, holding up signs of support for their family members. Additionally, Mississippi Gulf Coast Corvette Club also participated in the event, as well as numerous Gulf Coast area motorcycle clubs. Event co-organizer Tonya FountainAdams, also a nurse manager at the Biloxi VA Medical Center CLC, said that while much of what the CLC staff does involves hands-on care, ensuring Veterans’ morale remains high is another aspect of what they do each day. “These Veterans haven’t had a chance to have visitors since March because of the ongoing health care crisis,” she said. “This is a chance for not only them to see family and friends, but to celebrate them, to let them know that they are always appreciated.”
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Biloxi VA’s New MRI Magnets
JUNE Moving Forward Plan – Phase 1 Through collaborative effort amongst all clinical and administrative services, developed a solid ‘moving forward’ or recovery plan for re-opening in a phased approach. In addition, monitoring of all necessary PPE based on the phased reopening to ensure sustainability across clinical and administrative functions. The plan was successfully submitted to the VISN for approval and launched on June 22. A virtual Moving Forward Plan: Phase 1 Training for all staff to be aware of how the plan will affect them and the facility.
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We installed the first ever MRI magnet to be installed inside our facility. This magnet is a Siemens Magnetom Sola 1.5T MRI System. This project broke ground on March 2, 2020 and is ongoing. There are several benefits to you with this new equipment such as using the latest in MRI technology and no longer having to use the previous MRI located in the trailer on the back dock of building 3. In addition, the new MRI is located inside Radiology and will reduce foot traffic due to the close proximity. There are also associated cost-savings in regards to the lease of the previous trailer.
Solar-Powered Parking Canopy Biloxi VA Medical Center opened a solar-powered parking canopy in July after a nearly three-month installation. The project, consisting of three solar photovoltaic arrays situated on the newly constructed canopy, the roof of the electric service vehicle charging station and on the roof of the organization’s Blind Rehabilitation Clinic, was designed to augment the Biloxi VA Medical Center’s electrical system, potentially reducing power usage from Mississippi Power.
Drive-Thru Food Pantry Event (Full article on page 42) Employees at the Biloxi VA Medical Center distributed more than 200 boxes of non-perishable food and other goods during a July 29 event designed to support Veterans and their families during the on-going global health crisis.
JULY Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Recognized For Environmental Efforts GCVHCS was recognized in May by one of the leading memberships and networking organizations for sustainable health care. Practice Greenhealth, an organization designed to deliver environmental solutions to hospitals and health systems across the United States, named the GCVHCS a 2020 Greenhealth Emerald Award recipient, a designation recognizing outstanding medical organizations from within the Partner for Change applicants.
Jason Mangum, a GCVHCS industrial hygienist and Green Environmental Management Systems (GEMS) manager, said that GCVHCS initiatives such as photovoltaic panels on roof-tops, water reduction devices on sinks, departmental electric vehicles and the recycling of resources such as metals, wood, plastics, electronics and construction debris were all contributing factors in the organization being recognized for its environmental sustainability.
Whole Health Initiative Seminar CVHCS Whole Health Champions Tara Martine and Ray Bowne hosted a four-hour seminar designed to increase awareness of VA’s Whole Health initiative. The goal of the Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Programs Domiciliary (RRTP-DOM) Whole Health Day 2020 held on July 29 was to introduce staff to Whole Health concepts and practical applications
of the innovative program. The event featured interactive presentations and demonstrations from the GCVHCS Whole Health team. Participants also enjoyed a tai chi demonstration from MOVE! and Wellness Coordinator Robert Krause and a Healing Touch demonstration from Mental Health RRTP Licensed Practical Nurse Kenya Crear.
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Biloxi VA Hosts Mobile Food Pantry To Assist Veterans During Difficult Time Employees at the Biloxi VA Medical Center distributed more than 200 boxes of non-perishable food and other goods during a July 29 event designed to support Veterans and their families during the on-going global health crisis. The Mobile Food Pantry, spearheaded by the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System (GCVHCS) Homeless Veterans Program, provided a contact-free, drivethrough experience, with GCVHCS employees distributing pre-loaded bags to Veterans, caregivers and other eligible individuals who remained in their vehicles. “The safety and well-being of the Veterans we serve is our utmost consideration,” said Health Care System
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Director Bryan C. Matthews (pictured above distributing food). “And even while observing CDC [Center for Disease Control and Prevention] recommendations, we’re still providing – and will always provide – care and assistance to the Veterans we are here to serve.” Homeless Veterans Program Manager Jodi Picciano-Swanson prepares bags of non-perishable goods during the July 29 Mobile Food Pantry at the Biloxi VA Medical Center. Two hundred boxes of goods were donated to Veterans and their families during the ongoing health crisis. Organized by Homeless Veterans Program and Voluntary Services The GCVHCS Homeless program distributed the non-perishable items
primarily donated by Feeding the Gulf Coast, a Feeding America regional member. Additional items donated directly to the GCVHCS’ Voluntary Services were also included in the effort, according to GCVHCS Homeless Veterans Program Manager Jodi Picciano-Swanson. “Many people have lost their jobs, adding additional stressors like how utilities, rent or a mortgage would be paid and how they are going to keep food on the table,” Picciano-Swanson said. “While the Homeless Program maintains a food pantry for homeless Veterans, the goal of partnering with Feeding the Gulf Coast is to serve other Veterans experiencing food shortages.” Picciano-Swanson added, however, that
GCVHCS Volunteer Services continuously accepts donations of non-perishable items, including toiletries, for the more than 700 homeless and at-risk Veterans – with more than 200 of them in Biloxi, Mississippi, alone – along the Gulf Coast. The Biloxi VA Medical Center’s Mobile Food Pantry was an all-volunteer effort, Picciano-Swanson said, with Biloxi VA Medical Center employees volunteering to fill bags the morning of July 29 and distribute those during the drive-through. This effort, she added, is indicative of the organization’s
ongoing mission. “Some of our nation’s Veterans may be particularly at risk, and ensuring they have basic necessities like food and toiletries is one of our top considerations,” said Picciano-Swanson. “These Veterans have already endured so much, and the GCVHCS is always here to help.” GCVHCS Voluntary Services Officer Robert Davis said the community has historically donated goods for Veterans in need. This event – at the height of the ongoing global pandemic – continues
to demonstrate the sense of community the organization maintains with area individuals and organizations. “Our Veterans are our top priority, and the community here has always been an integral part of our mission,” Davis said. “The Mobile Food Pantry is always looking for ways to work with our community to provide assistance to our Veterans, and the donations we received for this event, will definitely provide assistance to those who have served our country.”
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AUGUST Biloxi VA Medical Center Celebrates 87Th Birthday (Full article on page 48) Employees at the GCVHCS gathered – with appropriate physical distancing and masks, of course – at the Biloxi VA Medical Center on August 10 to celebrate the facility’s 87th birthday. Construction of the Biloxi VA Medical Center began in 1932 on a 640-acre site consisting of mostly undeveloped land with
dense Which ever is most convenient for u stands of oak and pine trees. Demand for hospital care grew dramatically in the Depression years. The Biloxi VA Medical Center was one of 50 medical centers constructed from the 1920s to the 1940s.
GCVHCS Acquires 3D Printers Two 3D printers were acquired to manufacture personal protective equipment (PPE) for clinicians at the organization’s five facilities along the Gulf Coast. GCVHCS Innovation Specialist Elizabeth Williams worked with the VHA Procurement and Logistics office and the VHA 3D Printing Network to obtain materials and supplies to print items. The printers were obtained through a partnership with GCVHCS joining the Veterans
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Health Administration’s (VHA) 3D Printing Network, an organization which has collaborated with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 3D Print Exchange and America Makes, using their combined expertise in the medical and public health fields to test and validate newly developed 3D-printed personal protective equipment (PPE) products.
Biloxi VA Recognizes Contributions Of Women Veterans With ‘I AM NOT INVISIBLE’ Photo Campaign More than 90 GCVHCS Women Veterans, who are also VA employees, participated in a recent virtual photo exhibit recognizing their military service contributions. A video of the photo shoot at the GCVHCS is also available on its Facebook page. The ‘I Am Not Invisible’ exhibit was on display at the Biloxi VA Medical Center in Biloxi, Mississippi and the Joint Ambulatory Care Center (JACC) in Pensacola, Florida. Spearheaded by the VA’s Center for Women Veterans, this national campaign is designed to increase awareness and dialogue about Women Veterans as well as open viewers’ eyes to the contributions, needs and experiences of women who have served during all eras of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Gene Russell, photographer for the VA Secretary and official ‘I Am Not Invisible’ campaign photographer, has traveled to more than 40 states to complete the three-year project. The day-long photo shoots provided the opportunity to participate in an initiative that GCVHCS Women Veterans Program Manager Donna Maxwell said is important to the changing perception of women who have military service. “Women Veterans have served since the Revolutionary War,” said Maxwell. “Most people don’t realize there are two million Women Veterans today. That number increases daily. Projects such as this highlight the fact that women are not only daughters, mothers, sisters, wives, and girlfriends. They
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I AM NOT INVISIBLE are Veterans who have made important contributions to this country, and we are not invisible.” Participation in the photo shoot was staggered to observe physical distancing guidelines. Some women Veterans brought mementos including uniform items, photographs, and other military memorabilia for inclusion in their photographs. Event participant Yolonda Robert, an Oncology-licensed practical nurse at the JACC, said the project serves two purposes. “I think it’s very important for women to be acknowledged for their service,” said Robert. “Projects such as this, help highlight the role Women Veterans have played throughout our history, and also bring to light the fact that the VA has health care services for women.” Russell says that each photograph included in the
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project features a brief biography of the Veteran and their thoughts on their service. It also brings attention to the importance of both the project and the changing perception of Women Veterans. “We’ve photographed 2,600 Women Veterans who have served America,” said Russell.
“And one of the most amazing things about this project is that we take their information and put it on the poster. We share that through the Center for Women Veterans Facebook page. I think we need to teach America how these women served their country and the various ways they served their country.”
Russell added that completed photographs of GCVHCS Women Veterans – as well as other ‘I Am Not Invisible’ campaign participants – are available on the Center for Women Veterans website. A video of the GCVHCS photo shoot is also available on the GCVHCS Facebook page. The Center for Women Veterans, established by the U.S. Congress in 1994, is designed to monitor and coordinate the VA’s administration of health care and benefits services and programs for women Veterans; serve as an advocate for a cultural transformation (both within VA and in the general public) in recognizing the service and contributions of women Veterans and women in the military; and raise awareness of the responsibility to treat women Veterans with dignity and respect.
AUGUST
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Biloxi VA Medical Center Celebrates 87th Birthday
BILOXI, Miss. – GCVHCS employees gathered virtually in the Biloxi VA Medical Center Aug. 10 to celebrate the facility’s 87th birthday with a brief ceremony and cake-cutting. During the celebration, GCVHCS Director Bryan C. Matthews said the organization’s dedicated staff, continued facility improvements and adherence to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) principles have all contributed to the facility’s nearly ninedecade success. “This facility has embodied the values we strive to uphold for thousands of men and
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women who have chosen to wear the cloth of our nation,” he said. “For 87 years, the Biloxi VA Medical Center has been here to ensure our nation’s Veterans continue receiving the care they deserve, regardless of race, gender, age or orientation, and the 2,500 staff members working here are continuing that tradition – to provide our Veterans with the respect, care and compassion they rightly deserve.” Matthews also led a cakecutting during GCVHCS’ regularly scheduled morning meeting, virtually attended by representatives from the GCVHCS’ community-based
outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Mobile, Alabama; Pensacola, Florida; Eglin, Florida; and Panama City Beach, Florida. Construction of the Biloxi VA Medical Center began in 1932 on an initial 640acre site consisting of mostly undeveloped land with dense stands of oak and pine trees. He said that VA architects created a picturesque setting for the hospital campus by integrating the distinctive natural sub-tropic environment of the Mississippi Gulf Coast with elements of formal landscape and building design. The Biloxi VA Medical Center is one of 50 medical centers constructed from the 1920s through the early 1940s through a prototype plan which VA architects adapted for each specific hospital site. In 1980, the Biloxi Veterans Medical Center Historic District was determined eligible for listing in National Register of Historic Places and was formally listed in 2002.
AUGUST
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GREENING THE OPERATING ROOM: ONE WRAPPER AT A TIME (SEED PROJECT)
Sheena Strong and Kristin Mate are two maverick innovators advocating for transformation in the operating room at GCVHCS in Biloxi, Mississippi. Strong and Mate are operating room nurses who have taken on the mission to help GCVHCS become a High Reliability Organization (HRO) specifically through increased patient/employee safety products, processes, and programs. In February 2019, they attended a Human-
Centered Design workshop powered by VHA Innovators Network in which they worked through the a problem, discover, and design phase. Their problem focus was on finding a solution to the problem of incredible waste in the form of recyclable materials and unnecessary employee exposure to hazardous things such as surgical smoke and bodily fluids in the operating room. Their project, Greening the Operating
Room: One Wrapper at a Time, has evolved into a major mindset, cultural, and practice change at GCVHCS. Strong and Mate assembled a team and created a three-tiered approach for implementation of the Greening the Operating Room project: implementation of recycling for paper and plastic in the operating room, expansion of the utilization of bodily fluid management systems, and initiation of smoke evacuator
PHASE 1 COMPLETED Recycling of paper and plastic in operating rooms
PHASE 3 IN PROGRESS Installing smoke evacuators in operating rooms
PHASE 2 IN PROGRESS Installing body fluid management systems
systems. Currently, GCVHCS averages around $48,000 per year in excess trash pickups (additional trash pickups that exceed the established number of contractually obligated trash pickups). At present only two operating rooms have bodily fluid management systems. Bodily fluid management systems discharge bodily fluids directly into the sanitary sewer. The operating rooms without these systems collect bodily fluids in single-use disposable plastic suction canisters with chemical solidifiers before being sent to bio-hazard waste disposal, creating numerous opportunities for accidental employee exposure. Prior to the launch of this project, there was no separation or recycling of recyclable materials such as paper or plastic in the operating room, resulting in these materials being disposed of in the regular trash. Surgical smoke is created during surgical procedures in which electrocautery or the use of ultrasonic scalpels are used. This creates a gaseous byproduct composed of 95% water vapor and 5% combustion by-products and cellular debris. The cellular debris in the by-products pose a significant health risk as a pulmonary irritant, carcinogen, and vector for transmitting infectious particles. Currently, no operating room at GCVHCS utilizes smoke evacuation systems. By implementing recycling of operating room plastic and paper Strong and Mate’s recycling program has the potential to save the facility approximately 294 yd3 of waste and an estimated $60,000 in unnecessary waste expenses. Additionally, by eliminating the use of suction canisters for bodily fluid disposal and establishing the use of surgical smoke evacuation systems, the program will decrease the risks of employee exposures associated with bodily fluids and surgical smoke dramatically. It is estimated that an employee exposure health work-up cost approximately $700-$1600.
AUGUST
On August 1, 2019, the team lead by Strong and Mate launched Phase 1 (recycling of paper and plastic in the operating room). Phase 2, currently pending contracting, will consist of installment of bodily fluid management systems and smoke evacuators in all operating rooms. In the first month and a half of Phase 1 recycling, the GCVHCS has already recycled 252.96 pounds of paper and plastic that would have otherwise been disposed of in the regular trash. Strong and Mate recently applied for a SEED investment for their project through VHA’s Innovators Network. The SEED investment is aimed at supporting employees in the implementation and testing of a prototype in the form of a pilot. This platform would provide the duo access to an immense network of innovators and leaders across the enterprise. Award notifications are expected to be announced October 2019. Team Leads: Sheena Strong and Kristin Mate Team Members: Jason Magnum, Ray Price, Willie Anderson, Dennis Hughes, Billy Schmidt, Frank Bridges, Wes Alspaugh, and Michael Atkinson, and of course, the entire OR staff without whom this project would not be possible.
Sheena Strong and Kristin Mate
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SEPTEMBER Virtual Job Fair
Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System hosted a virtual job fair on September 28.
Hurricane Sally Drive-Thru Flu Clinics At the beginning of flu season, GCVHCS opened drive-thru flu clinics at each GCVHCS location.
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Hurricane Sally made landfall in Alabama on September 16. The Category 2 storm caused significant damage throughout the GCVHCS area. Thankfully, our medical center facility in Biloxi, Mississippi, the Joint Ambulatory Care Center in Pensacola, Florida, and the community-based outpatient clinics in Mobile, Alabama; and Eglin, and Panama City Beach, Florida, were spared significant
damage. While the buildings were spared, the communities in which our Veterans and employees reside suffered quite a bit of damage. 2020 became a record breaking hurricane season with at least one of our facilities being in the ‘cone of uncertainty’ seven times.
Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System Earns LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader Designation GCVHCS was designated an LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) during the 12th edition of HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index (HEI). A record 680 health care facilities actively participated in the HEI 2019 survey, with the HRC Foundation researching key policies at 1,000 additional non-participating hospitals. Of those included in the HEI, 406 institutions earned the LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader designation. “The need for VHA to embrace, recognize and support out LGBTQ community is critical to success of our mission,” said Dr. Christopher Saslo, the GCVHCS associate director of Patient Care Services. “Without these brave men and women who sacrificed both past and present, our community of Veterans and healthcare workers would not be nearly as rich as it is today. No longer will we, as a community, be content to hide in the shadows or shy away from being true to who we are, as we move into the next decade with pride and purpose.” The 12th edition of the HEI report assesses participants on four criteria: Non-Discrimination and Staff Training, Patient Services and Support, Employee Benefits and Policies, and Patient and Community Engagement. A remarkable 406 facilities earned the HRC’s “LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader” designation, receiving the maximum score
in each of the criteria, earning an overall score of 100. Furthermore, 148 facilities earned the “Top Performer” designation for scoring 80 to 95 points. With 81 percent of participating facilities scoring 80 points or higher, health care facilities are demonstrating concretely that they are going beyond the basics when it comes to adopting policies and practices in LGBTQ care. “The health care facilities that participate in HRC’s Healthcare Equality Index are making it clear they stand on the side of fairness and are committed to providing inclusive care to their LGBTQ patients,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “Going beyond inclusive nondiscrimination policies, these health care facilities are adopting best practices in the areas of LGBTQ patient care and support, employee policies and benefits, and LGBTQ patient and community engagement. We commend all of the HEI participants for their commitment to providing inclusive care for all.” Progress reflected in the 2019 HEI report shows the undertaking of LGBTQ practices and policies. Over half of the HEI participants now have written gender transition guidelines; 75 percent of hospitals surveyed offer trans-inclusive benefits, which is an eight percent increase from the previous year; a 35 percent increase in training hours with more than 94,000 hours of LGBTQ care training provided; and a 60 percent increase in the number of HEI participants whose electronic health records capture a patient’s sexual orientation, as well as a 40 percent increase in the number of HEI participants whose electronic health records capture a patient’s gender identity. “Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System is committed to providing excellent healthcare in a welcoming environment to our Veterans with LGBTQ and related identities,” said LGBTQ Veteran Care Coordinator Kelly Russo. “We are honored to serve all who served.”
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GULF COAST VETERANS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM 400 Veterans Ave. Biloxi, MS 39531
Twitter http://twitter.com/vagulfcoast
EDITORIAL: Vernon Stewart, Chief of Community and Public Affairs Camille Weston, Public Affairs Specialist Bruce Cummins, Public Affairs Specialist
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vagulfcoast
PHOTO CREDITS: Wayne Alley, Chief of Medical Media Service Curtis Martin, Supervisory Visual Information Specialist VA official staff photos Stock images: Thinkstock/Getty Images
Biloxi VA website www.biloxi.va.gov
GRAPHIC DESIGN: Curtis Martin, Supervisory Visual Information Specialist MMS, 21-228B, 10/2020CM