Information provided by the Department of Public Affairs:
A new public service campaign to ensure eligible Veterans are aware of the health care benefits they have earned through their service is being launched by the VISN 4 – VA Healthcare Network of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
The campaign features three 30-second Public Service Announcements (PSAs), which are being distributed to television and cable stations throughout the network’s service area, which includes Delaware, Pennsylvania, and parts of West Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio.
“We want our Veterans and their family members to know that we are there for them,” said network director Michael E. Moreland. In particular, VA wants area Veterans who served in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to know that they are eligible to receive cost-free medical care for any condition related to their service in those countries for five years after the date of their discharge or release from service.
“Veterans who are having difficulties in readjusting to civilian life will find that our world-class mental and behavioral programs support recovery”, said Moreland. “They can help them to live a meaningful life in their communities and achieve their full potential. We hope these PSAs will help us spread the word.”
With more than 13,000 employees and 6,500 Volunteers, VA Healthcare- VISN 4 served more than 318,500 Veterans in 2011 at its ten medical centers and 44 community-based outpatient clinics. Recently, the Network used statistics collected from various sources to compare its performance metrics with the Nation’s four finest health care facilities, as ranked in U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Hospitals for 2010-11” survey.
In every measure of health care quality, VISN 4 matched—and even surpassed—the achievements of these outstanding hospitals. The network’s “Better than the Best” campaign is based on those results, and serves as a centerpiece of VISN 4’s commitment to transparency and public reporting of results.
The current Public Service Announcements can be seen at www.visn4.va.gov/voices/. Veterans seeking additional information about enrolling with VA for care can visit www.va.gov/healthbenefits/.