VA Montana Health Care System
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News VA Announces Health Services Contractor for Project ARCHPilot Program Brings Expanded Health Care Access to Local Communities
"Project ARCH will expand VA's ability to support our Veterans who live far from VA facilities," VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. "This new program allows us to maximize access while ensuring Veterans receive the quality of care they earned with their service." Specifically, Project ARCH intends to improve access for eligible Veterans by connecting them to health care services closer to their homes. Through Project ARCH, Veterans will gain local convenience without sacrificing any quality of care. VA will ensure that participating Veterans' treatment is closely coordinated between contracted providers and VA so Veterans in the program experience seamless and quality health care whether receiving that care in their communities or at VA health care facilities. VA Montana Health Care System will oversee Humana Veterans Healthcare Service activities through a rigorous monitoring program that tracks measures of clinical and administrative performance. Veterans are eligible to participate in the program if they reside in a location where a Project ARCH pilot site is located and are enrolled in VA health care when the program starts. In addition the law requires participating Veterans meet any of the following criteria: • Live more than 60 minutes drive time from the nearest VA health care facility providing primary care services, or Any Veteran who meets the eligibility criteria and wishes to participate in Project ARCH should discuss the program further during his or her next primary care clinic visit at a VA Montana Health Care System clinic. For additional information about Project ARCH or for information about Project ARCH eligibility, please contact Teresa Bell, Project Manager, 406-447-7454. VA Montana unveils inpatient mental health facilityBy Mike Molina Hundreds gathered for the dedication ceremony of a new inpatient mental health facility at the Department of Veterans Affairs' Fort Harrison campus on June 3. The more than $7 million, 24,000 square foot, 24-bed facility will allow Veterans who need acute psychiatric care and residential rehabilitation for post traumatic stress disorder or substance abuse to get care at the VA campus near Helena, Mont. Previously, Montana's Veterans in need of inpatient recovery care for PTSD, substance abuse, and acute psychiatric treatment travelled to VA facilities in North Dakota, Wyoming or Idaho. The new mental health facility allows VA Montana to provide the region's Veterans with a full array of comprehensive mental health care. "We have the best and the deepest breadth of integrated mental health services in the VA," said Dr. Robert Petzel, VA's under secretary for health, who served as the keynote speaker at the ceremony. "Every day the Veterans Health Administration is renewing its commitment to honor our brave men and women who have served." Eight of the 24 beds will be in a locked acute unit that will provide a safe, therapeutic environment for Veterans that need acute psychiatric stabilizations. The remaining 16 beds will be split between PTSD and substance abuse treatment beds. Staff for the new unit will include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, a licensed addiction counselor, a peer support technician, seven registered nurses and 12 licensed practical nurses. VA officials expect the new unit will begin accepting patients in July.
VA Montana celebrates Arbor DayBy Mike Molina
Robin Korogi, VA Montana director, and the other members of the quadrad, Dan Herrera, associate director; Dr. Kurt Werner, chief of staff; and Norlynn Nelson, associate director of Patient Care Services; planted trees near the Liberty House and outside the Emergency Department entrance. "By planting trees and recognizing Arbor Day we hope to support our Veterans' health, happiness and healing," said Leslie Holz, Green Environmental Management Systems coordinator at VA Montana, who planned the event. Arbor Day was first celebrated on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. In 1882, it became a formal school tradition throughout the United States. Planting trees can be used to set up memorials and provide celebration. Inpatient Mental health unit facility to open June 3
VA Montana Health Care System is set to unveil a 24-bed inpatient mental health facility at Fort Harrison on June 3. The nearly $7 million facility will allow Veterans who need acute psychiatric care and residential rehabilitation for post traumatic stress disorder or substance abuse to get care at the VA campus near Helena. Currently, Montana's Veterans in need of inpatient recovery care for PTSD, substance abuse, and acute psychiatric treatment must travel to VA facilities in North Dakota, Wyoming or Idaho. The new mental health facility allows VA Montana to provide the state's Veterans with a full array of comprehensive services, and continues the VA's commitment to expanding community partnerships for inpatient and outpatient mental health care. Eight of the 24 beds will be in a locked acute unit that will provide a safe therapeutic environment for Veterans that need acute psychiatric stabilizations. The remaining 16 beds will be split up for eight PTSD beds and eight substance abuse treatment beds. Staff for the new unit will include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, a licensed addiction counselor, a peer support technician, seven registered nurses and 12 licensed practical nurses. Family support is also an important part of recovery for the Veteran. The Liberty House allows family members to stay on campus for free. VA Taking Life-Saving Line to StreetsMISSOULA, Mont. – Starting Monday, October 18, Missoula buses will display a message of hope for those who have served their country and are undergoing an emotional crisis. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is advertising its Suicide Prevention Hotline through Jan. 9, 2011. Veterans are twice as likely to die from suicide as are non-veterans. Kellie LaFave, Suicide Prevention Coordinator for VA Montana said, "Montana supports one of the highest populations of veterans and sadly Montana ranks in the top three highest rates of suicide in the nation. VA Montana is committed to decreasing the number of veteran suicides through outreach activities; as well as providing education, training and distribution of suicide awareness materials to the communities. This is a statewide effort to increase awareness of signs and symptoms of suicidal thinking and the resources available for help." If you are interested in receiving information about Montana Suicide Prevention programs or would like someone to come and talk to your organization about suicide prevention, please contact a VA Montana Suicide Prevention team member: Kellie LaFave RN, Suicide Prevention Coordinator 406-447-6047, Tracy Zachmann RN Case Manager 406- 447-6034, Brenda Summerlin Administrative Assistant 406-447-6065. Since its inception in July 2007, VA's Suicide Prevention Hotline, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), has rescued more than 10,000 Veterans and provided counseling for more than 180,000 Veterans and their loved ones at home and overseas. The hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by trained mental health professionals prepared to deal with immediate crises. The hotline also offers an anonymous online chat feature available at www.suicidepreventionhotline.org. Look for the chat feature in the upper right hand box. VA has marketed the hotline through mass transit campaigns since summer of 2008, increasing the number of calls and lives saved with each city the campaign has reached. VA is partnering with Blue Line Media (www.BlueLineMedia.com) for the campaign, a transit advertising company that specializes in helping business and government tell their stories through transit advertising media, such as buses, bus shelters, benches, subways, trains, airports, billboards and more. VA has also promoted awareness of the hotline through national public service announcements featuring Gary Sinise and Deborah Norville. The transit advertisements and both PSAs are available for download via You Tube and at www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention. VA Announces Sites for “Project ARCH” - Pilot Program Brings Health Care Access to Local CommunityBillings, Montana was chosen as a pilot site for the newest Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to provide Veterans with greater access to quality health care. The pilot program, Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home), intends to improve access for eligible Veterans by connecting them to health care services closer to their home. Under this program, Veterans will gain local convenience without sacrificing the quality of care VA provides Veterans within its system. VA will ensure that participating Veterans’ medical records are shared between participating providers and VA so Veterans in the program experience seamless, quality health care whether receiving that care in their community “Project ARCH intends to expand VA’s ability to serve our Veterans who live far from VA facilities,” VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. “This pilot program will also provide critical information about the role of contracted care in the future of VA’s health care delivery system.”
The contractor will provide acute inpatient care for medical and surgical specialties for those Veterans living in highly rural counties in Eastern Montana. For additional information about Project ARCH, please contact VA Montana Health Care System Director, Robin Korogi, at 406-447-7300. In accordance with the law, the Project ARCH pilot will be operational for three years. “We at VA will continue to work diligently to implement this program and to find the best ways to improve access for eligible Veterans by connecting them to health care services closer to their homes,” Shinseki said. “Veterans traveled the globe in defense of this great Nation. They shouldn’t have to for the health care they earned with their service.” VA Montana Healthcare System and Billings Clinic Partner To Provide Program of All-inclusive Care for Elderly (PACE) to VeteransStarting July 1, 2010, Billings Clinic and VA Montana Healthcare System (VAMTHCS) will partner to offer Veterans the option to participate in the Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) with centers in Billings and Livingston, Montana. PACE is an innovative, team approach offered to an aging family member to remain at home by providing an alternative to nursing home care. Billings Clinic was selected by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to develop one of the first fourteen rural PACE programs in the nation. This resulted in the selection of Livingston as the rural PACE site and the creation of an integrated urban-rural partnership that will use a “hub-and-spoke” model, providing Livingston with a unique and independently functioning PACE center, supported and administered by the urban center in Billings. Billings Clinic opened the Billings and Livingston PACE sites in October, 2008. [June 29, 2010] US Department of Veterans Affairs, Montana Chief of Staff, Faust Alvarez, MD, will retire after 25 years of service to veteransAfter 25 great years VA Montana Chief of Staff, Dr. Faust Alvarez is retiring. Dr. Alvarez started working for the VA Health Care System, January 1, 1969. He started his career as a resident at the Hines, IL VA. He then transferred to VA Montana on June 10, 1984; after a short time of working with us he was appointed Chief of Staff on August 17th, 1986. Prior to joining the VA system he was engaged in his private practice in the city of Helena for 12 years, from 1972 to 1984. During that time, he was founder and Director of the first Montana Chronic Hemodialysis Unit and Renal Program at St. Peter’s Hospital. Dr. Alvarez is a retired Colonel from the U.S. Army Reserve where he served as Regional Flight Surgeon and State Medical Commander for the Montana National Guard as well as flight surgeon to the 189th Aviation Battalion. During his service he has received multiple decorations, including, five Commendation Medals and five Meritorious Service Medals by the U.S. Army Reserve for his distinguished service in the professional performance of all assigned duties. Upon his retirement he received the Legion of Merit. He is a member of various military professional societies, including, the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States and the Army Society of Flight Surgeons. While with the VA Montana HCS, Dr. Alvarez was an instrumental driving force behind providing primary care access to Veterans in or near their home community; most of this being accomplished when the VA philosophy did not support Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC). Today, the VA Montana HCS has 12 primary care sites and 2 more planned in Fiscal Year 2010. The first CBOC opened in 1992 and number 12 opened in January of 2009. In addition Dr. Alvarez introduced cardiac catheterization, polysomography, EKG stress testing, pulmonary function testing, audiology, optometry, podiatry, chiropractic, and many other services too numerous to list. He supported the concept of Tele-Medicine (1998) when only one other VA in the country was using Tele-Medicine. Dr. Alvarez is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the professional organization of internists. Fellowship in ACP is an honorary designation recognizing scholarly and professional achievements in internal medicine. Dr. Alvarez is also a 1989 graduate of Leadership VA. He enjoys restoring classic automobiles and is both a fixed and rotary wing pilot and also holds a commercial instrument rating. Dr. Alvarez has been a great asset to VA Montana, veterans and the community and he will truly be missed. VA Adult Day Care ServicesVA Montana is pleased to announce that Rocky Mountain Care Center, Helena, MT, has an exclusive contract with the Veterans Center at Fort Harrison to provide “VA Adult Day Care Services” If you qualify, the VA may pay for your loved one to stay with us during the day so you may go uptown or out of town knowing they are being taken care of. Some of our “VA Adult Day Care Services” include:
If this sounds like something that would fit your needs, please call Bill Powell at Rocky Mountain Care Center, (406)443-5880 or Ginney Gaschk at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center 406-447-7739 VA Montana TBI Screening Program Stands OutVA Montana Health Care System is a leader among VA facilities for screening veterans for Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). VA Montana ranks third out of 140 facilities for meeting and exceeding a performance measure that ensures veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan get high quality health care. VA Montana Health Care System Welcomes New DirectorOn January 29, 2010, the Secretary of the US Department of Veterans Affairs announced the appointment of Robin L. Korogi, MS HRM, as the new Director for the VA Montana Healthcare System. VA Montana is made up of 13 outpatient clinics, a 30-bed nursing home, and a 50-bed hospital and over 1000 employees located around the state. “I am humbled at this great opportunity to serve the staff and Veterans of the VA Montana Health Care System. I look forward to the new changes in VA which will provide opportunities to partner and collaborate with all our stakeholders. Equally, I’m excited to be a member of the VA team.” stated Ms. Korogi. Ms. Korogi was previously the Associate Director at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. She has a total of 30 years of federal service, with eleven years in the Veterans Health Administration. Ms. Korogi retired from the Air Force Reserves after 22 years and is a Veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Ms. Korogi graduated from Park College in March 1991 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and received a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Utah State University in June 1997. Ms. Korogi is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration. Ms. Korogi is a graduate of the VA Executive Career Field Development Program, Class of 2006 and is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Federal Executive Association, and Utah Society for HealthCare HR Administrators.
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Veterans in and around Billings may now be able to receive VA health care at Humana Veterans Healthcare Service Network Providers through a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program created by Congress and known as Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home). 
Officials at VA Montana Health Care System celebrated Arbor Day planting trees around the medical center's campus here April 29.
Veterans needing inpatient mental health treatment will soon have a place to get care in Montana.