Signed MOU to Collaboratively Serve Rural Veterans
Veterans in Northeast Louisiana will now have better access to mental health care because of an agreement between Northeast Delta Human Services Authority (Northeast Delta HSA) and Volunteers of America of North Louisiana (VOANLA).
An estimated 22,000 Veterans live in Northeast Louisiana, and many are miles away from the nearest treatment facility. The two organizations will work together to ensure Veterans receive care quickly and from the best source.
“Working with NE Delta HSA will ensure that veterans throughout northern portions of the state will receive sustained, quality outpatient care if they need it,” said Andrew Twyman, Consultant for Health Care Services, Volunteers of America of North Louisiana.
NE Delta HSA brings behavioral health expertise and the availability of sustained follow-up outpatient care, and VOANLA brings military and Veteran services expertise, as well as a new mobile clinic eliminating transportation barriers for many rural Veterans. The mobile clinic is an initiative of a new VOANLA program, Rural Veterans Health Outreach, funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of Rural Health. Together, Northeast Delta HSA and VOANLA will have the ability to share treatment and health records to support an integration of care for citizens.
“These types of public-private partnerships are critical to caring for the state’s most vulnerable citizens,” said Dr. Monteic A. Sizer, Northeast Delta HSA Executive Director.
“With tight budgets across state agencies, this MOU is an example of how NE Delta HSA and our regional partners must leverage existing resources and find innovative ways to meet the needs of our citizens,” Sizer said. “We are excited to partner with an organization that shares our vision for providing integrated healthcare services and has a track record of administering meaningful services for Veterans who have served our country.”
“The integrated behavioral and primary healthcare network we have developed with regional providers makes it possible to offer these services throughout our region without any additional cost,” said Dr. Sizer. “We are keeping the promise to provide access to critical services for our veterans.”
To enroll or learn more about Rural Veterans Health Outreach, visit voanorthla.org/ruralvets.