VA patient advocate getting things done for Veterans

Working as a VA patient advocate, you need great listening skills, patience and the ability to empathize. Working with Veterans, it helps if you’ve had the same type of experiences as your customers. You need to understand how to navigate not only the VA health care system but also the wide array of VA benefits and services.

Air Force Veteran Ricky Lattimore, a patient advocate at Overton Brooks VA in Shreveport, has worked hard to develop just those skills.

“About ten years ago, I watched a patient advocate here,” said Lattimore. “I noticed how she interacted with Veterans, how she talked with them and how they respected her. I asked her what she did and she told me she solved problems and gets things done.”

“I just focus on solving the problem.”

A patient advocate at the Shreveport VA since 2014 with a good deal of in-depth training under his belt, Lattimore admits the job does have its challenges.

“Many times, patients are upset when I see them. I understand they are not angry with me but the situation. Sometimes, it’s the process they don’t understand, how things were communicated, or a misstep was made. I just focus on solving the problem and turning things around.”

Lattimore learned many of his people skills from his parents. His mother was a social worker, his father a minister and a barber.

“I’m thankful for my parents. They taught me a lot when it comes to talking and dealing with others and showing respect,” said Lattimore, who served nine years in the military. “When I joined the Air Force, I was taught how to deal with tough situations and keep my cool.”

Lattimore’s last duty station was Barksdale Air Force Base where he was the Support Squadron sports director.

“It’s about working together as a team.”

“Working with people of so many different backgrounds in the military, I learned it’s usually not the person. It’s something else pushing the behavior. I also realized after you do the best you can, sometimes you need to pull in others for help. It’s about working together as a team.”

A patient advocate works closely with staff at all levels in departments across the health care system.

“I consider myself the Veteran’s echo. After I understand the Veteran’s issue, I echo it back to the department manager or staff to fix the problem. I have built a lot of trust with the various departments here and I can get a lot of issues cleared up quickly.”

Shreveport VA offers health care services at five locations in Louisiana, southern Arkansas and east Texas. Facilities include the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center and four community-based outpatient clinics in Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana; Longview, Texas; and Texarkana, Arkansas.

Relationship with VA makes good things happen

“VA does a lot of good, but we are all humans, so it’s not perfect,” said Latimore. “It’s the relationship between VA and the Veteran that makes good things happen. As for me, VA has been a saving grace for me and other Veterans. I get great health care here and would definitely recommend VA to any Veteran.”

Lattimore has been invited to attend the 65th Grammy Awards nominations on November 15 where he will find out if he’s been nominated for Best New Album. He has an extensive musical background and, VA, providing a flexible work schedule, has helped him achieve this milestone.