Since the very beginning of the pandemic, VA has been on the front lines, caring for Veterans and non-Veterans. In addition to treating Veterans in the hospital and as outpatients, VA staff also included encouraged and administered COVID-19 vaccines to Veterans, caregivers and immediate family members.
Because COVID’s impact varied by location and time period, as the nation’s largest integrated health care delivery system, VA deployed doctors, nurses and other staff to medical centers with the greatest need.
We believe it is important to learn from this experience and share our successes and challenges with the public. We hope that the lessons learned will benefit individuals, medical providers and hospital systems.
VA’s efforts to combat COVID-19 while providing care
Here is Annex C, the third addendum to our initial COVID-19 Response Report. This covers the period from August 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022, and describes VA’s efforts to combat COVID-19 while providing ongoing care for Veterans. During this period the nation was impacted by two important variants of the COVID-19 Virus, Delta and Omicron.
Both variants challenged our system, but the impact of Omicron with respect to deaths and staff unable to work was far more dramatic than for Delta.
Testing demand tripled from November 2021 through January 2022 as Omicron swept through the nation. Despite staffing shortages, VA worked hard to process tests quickly, in response to the high demand. Through preparation, monitoring and increased staff, VA was able to process 95% of tests within two days.
During this period, starting in December 2021, the availability and use of home tests changed the dynamics of case identification.
VA on the front lines of the pandemic
Committed to sharing lessons learned
We are committed to the forthright sharing of lessons learned and continuous improvement. The work conducted during the Annex C reporting period included COVID-19 research, treatment of COVID-19, testing for variants and vaccinations for Veterans, families and community members throughout the United States.
This annex includes an analysis of COVID-19 mortality and infection among Veterans by race, ethnicity, gender and rurality. The analysis was conducted for differing periods of the pandemic, showing how disparities among Veterans changed as the pandemic progressed.
While the analysis shows that Veterans are subject to the factors contributing to health disparities in their communities, it also shows the mitigating impact of VA’s outreach as the pandemic progressed.
The annex describes VA’s outreach across the spectrum of the Veteran population with information, vaccination, access to care and other forms of support. The analysis showed some evidence of persisting disparities, highlighting the importance of continued actions to achieve health equity.
Challenges addressed in the annex
Annex C also presents COVID-19 vaccination rates for Veterans receiving VA services by race, ethnicity and rurality with updates on our efforts to help Veterans catch up on deferred care, including elective surgeries, preventive screening and follow-up care for chronic medical conditions.
Some of the challenges addressed in Annex C include staff shortages, supply disruptions and surges in hospitalization rates driven by COVID-19 variants.
Although health care systems across the United States faced many of these same challenges, VA continued to pursue and implement solutions to support Veterans into the future and enhance VA’s capacity to support national health emergencies under VA’s Fourth Mission.
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VA health care has been screwing me for years . They pay me nothing , but I must be getting great reviews , more and more want to screw me . Like tennis players , love means nothing to them . I told them about the rules that veterans affairs sent me . They said those rules were for participating locations , and they were not participating . I tried giving my life to Christ . He gave it back . Some thing about a back ground check . RN keeps blocking me from my DR . Admin say’s stop complaining about my RN . Patient advocate says Admin complained about you . Asked patient advocate if he could get my message to my DR . He said no , try calling her . I have the heart of a lion , and a life time ban from the zoo . I was wondering why the ball was getting bigger , than it hit me .
I went to see my Dr.for a 7am appointment. When I asked if they had the latest vaccine they did but only give it out one day a week between 9 and 11. I work and have to take time off to come in those hours. I was there it would have take only few minutes to give me the shot and there was only one other vet waiting to see the Dr. once again no flexibility to accomadate a vet.
I have made numerous comments that are not being published. Can whomever is moderatiing this site, give me some insight?
I’ve contacted my senator to introduce a Pandemic communable disease bill of rights bill. My dad a 88 year old atomic war veteran was admitted for pancreatitis and he tested positive for Covid no symptoms. Spent seven days there was able to see him once because of there bs policies. Got him home know pain meds he is still sick and in pain. But he begged me not to take him back because of the isolation he was fine mentally when he went in but being in that much pain and drugged and not having contact with family has taken its toll. So please drop your mask and isolation policies, if you’re scared where a mask or find another job. It’s a Virus so is the flue and a hundred more like it and it’s not going anywhere the majority of people are done and god help you if your loved goes through what my dad has.
What about the Veteran who is it caregiver for his wife who has dementia?
I tested positive for COVID on 24 October, 2022. With testing performed via a drive up, hastily made appointment the very same day I notified my PCP that I felt really ill. The VA OPC in Sayre Pa, kept me in mind daily, with multiple phone calls, and messages. It made all the difference in the world to me. Living alone and elderly, but knowing I wasn’t alone. I’m now recovered and will be forever grateful to the Sayre OPC and it’s medical staff. Thank you!
It’s time for the VA Healthcare to do away with the mask requirement for appointments. These masks never create the perfect seal needed for viruses and the Coronavirus has been with us now for millennia. Let this be a lesson for posterity that all the canceled in person VA appointments were for naught and the missed preventive care caused more death than Covid-19. We are Veterans and we do not live in fear.
Exactly! I feel the VA did an extremely poor job. They actually cancelled my physical therapy for an entire year. Please tell your employees we are their customers. Re-education is needed in this arena. Treating people with dignity and respect should be required. I have witnessed some horrible situations where the VA employees think they can actually yell at the veterans coming there for care. Shameless
I’ve been very satisfied with my Covid care from the VA.
Why are you satisfied? I’m interested.