May 2020

In This Issue: Advancements in VA Primary Care
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Overview: Community Care

VA provides care to Veterans through community providers when VA cannot provide the care needed. The recently passed MISSION Act gives Veterans even greater access to healthcare in both VA facilities and the community – and establishes a new Veterans Community Care Program. Under this new Program, Veterans can work with their VA healthcare provider or other VA staff to see if they are eligible to receive community care based on new criteria. Eligibility for community care does not require a Veteran to receive that care in the community; Veterans can still choose to have VA provide their care.

Within HSR&D, the goals of care coordination research are to understand those factors that contribute to effectively organized patient care and the sharing of information among all patient caregivers. Ideally, care coordination research results in evidence that helps healthcare systems and providers achieve safer, higher quality, and more effective care for our nation's Veterans. HSR&D supports a broad spectrum of ongoing research studies on community care, including: Understanding the Role of VA Specialty Care Resource Hubs and Their Potential Impact on Access in the Era of Community Care; Optimizing the Value of Community Care for Veterans with Advanced Kidney Disease; and Veteran Prescription Use in Private Sector Community Pharmacies, to name a few.

Projects such as these – and the ongoing HSR&D studies featured in this issue– will help VA continue to improve care coordination outcomes for all Veterans.