Page 19 - Desert Oracle March 2021

• Safe care is our priority. All visitors will be screened according to CDC guidelines, and always
wear a face covering
• Over 160 vaccinations for homeless Veterans in transitional housing.

Access to Care:

• Tele urgent care – Phoenix VA Tele-Urgent Care Pilot has been adopted for VISN 22. With this
program 750,000 Veterans in 3 states (AZ, CA, NM) will have VHA Tele-urgent care available.
• We will continue to maximize telehealth where clinically appropriate. Over 140,000 telehealth
appointments in FY2020

Veteran Experience and Outreach:

• Drive Thru Baby Shower - On 2/27/2021 the Women Veterans Program hosted its second
quarterly Drive Thru Baby Shower. Each expectant mother receives a large gift box of newborn
essentials, as well as a gift bag of pampering products for the mom-to-be! News report coverage
can be seen here - Veteran moms-to-be receive gifts at Phoenix VA drive-thru baby shower |
12news.com
• Veterans Court- On 2/1/21 the Northwest Regional Veterans Court with the Superior Court of the
State of Arizona for the County of Maricopa was established to provide an avenue for Veterans on
the West side of the Valley to participate in the Veterans Justice Outreach program.
• Community Resources and Referral Center (CRRC) is conducting biweekly meetings with the VA
Supportive Services for Veterans Families (SSVF) Regional Coordinator to review SSVF referrals,
Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA), City of Phoenix Emergency Solutions Grant, and
Navigation in the community. There are approximately 4000 total services provided at CRRC (ex.
Social Work, Addiction Therapy, Peer Support, Eligibility/Registration, Health Care, Employment,
Veterans Benefit Administration, Community Partners).

Other Veteran Information:

• Great American Spit Out – To observe this year’s Great American Spit Out on Feb 25, the
Tobacco and Health program encouraged Veterans to enjoy a life free from smokeless tobacco –
and provided a variety of resources to support Veterans in making the first steps to stop using dip
or chew. Dip and chewing tobacco contain 2,000 chemical compounds, including 30 that can
cause cancer. In fact, the level of cancer-causing agents is as much as 100 times higher in
smokeless tobacco than in other tobacco products. On top of that, smokeless tobacco contains
more nicotine than cigarettes, which may cause an even stronger dependence.
o Veterans can call VA’s Quitline – 1-855-QUIT-VET (1-855-784-8838) – for free tobacco
cessation counseling before and during the quitting process, offered in English or Spanish.
o Veterans can text SmokefreeVET, VA’s text messaging program that provides extra
encouragement to smokeless tobacco users as they stop using tobacco products.
o To enroll, text VET to 47848 or visit smokefree.gov/VET. Para inscribirse en
SmokefreeVET en español, manda el texto VETesp al 47848.
o For more information on the Great American Spit Out and tobacco cessation please go to
https://www.mentalhealth.va.gov/quit-tobacco/index.asp

PVAHCS Update (March 5, 2021)
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