Saluting Service: Bridging Gaps in Veteran Healthcare Access
Perhaps no group deserves care and respect more than those who have risked their lives to serve our country. Tennessee ranks fourteenth in the nation in total veteran population, home to nearly half a million veterans. Over 9% of Tennessee adults are veterans, with East Tennessee having the densest veteran population anywhere in our state. While veterans are often regarded with honor and esteem in our society, our region often lacks the resources to meet the practical needs of this large and vulnerable population. Services like preventive health care, treatment for acute and chronic health conditions, dental care, medication access, and mental health counseling are all areas of need within our community’s veteran population. Even with the broad network of services the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs provides, there are not enough healthcare providers to provide timely, comprehensive, and patient-centered care to veterans in our area. InterFaith Health Center aims to explore the possibility of implementing a new infrastructure that would allow InterFaith to partner with the VA to provide comprehensive healthcare homes to veterans in East Tennessee. This expansion of services will improve access and reduce barriers to qualified health care for veterans in East Tennessee, thus contributing to the improved overall health of our community.