The Oscar G. Johnson VA Medical Center has expanded its Home-based Primary Care program (HBPC), adding a team in the Marquette area.
Veterans receiving care through VA are assigned to Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT). These teams, comprised of a variety of clinical professionals, work together to provide care for the Veteran and support for caregivers and families. HBPC teams provide the same care as a clinic or medical center provides, only through the comfort of the Veteran’s home.
HBPC teams include a nurse practitioner, registered nurse, psychologist, social worker, occupational therapist, dietician and pharmacist. The goal of the HBPC team is to increase quality of life, potentially keep patients in their home longer, and provide family and caregiver support while encouraging independence and self-care management.
“The ability to care for a Veteran in their own home offers a sense of comfort and familiarity,” stated Associate Director of Nursing and Patient Care Service Tara Zoeller. “Being surrounded by loved ones in a common environment can have a positive impact on a Veteran’s emotional well-being and support improved health outcomes.”
To qualify for the HBPC program, Veterans must be eligible for and enrolled in VA care, live within a sixty-mile radius of Iron Mountain VA Medical Center or Marquette or Gladstone Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and be willing to accept the HBPC team as their primary care provider. Veterans must have a complex disease process or terminal diagnosis requiring multiple disciplines and have difficulty traveling to appointments, but do not need to be completely homebound. The home environment must be safe for both Veteran and staff.
Veterans wanting to know more about HBPC services or interested in enrolling in the program should speak with their current PACT provider.
Veterans who are not enrolled in VA should call 906-774-3300, ext. 32810, to check eligibility for services.
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