Home Based Primary Care offers Veterans unique services

Bring care right to Veterans’ doorsteps as a member of our Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) program.

These groups of experienced health care professionals help Veterans dealing with ongoing diseases and illnesses or who may simply feel isolated. Their care can be lifesaving for Veterans who have complex health care needs and may not have access to facility-based treatment.

Opportunities to serve

We’re looking for a variety of health care professionals to work together to review a Veteran’s health care needs and offer treatments and support.

1. Physicians
As a VA physician, you would supervise the health care team that provides the services. Often, you would be the first to make a home-based visit to a new patient. After this, you would then build a team suited to the Veteran’s health care needs, whether those are physical, mental or some combination. You’ll need to be comfortable in a leadership role and designing treatment plans.

2. Nurses
In a HBPC setting, nurses are responsible for patient assessments, developing and coordinating the plan of care, and monitoring and evaluating clinical outcomes with the physician to make sure that health care needs are being met. You also would provide education and support to the Veteran, as well as any home caregivers, to help the patient overcome any challenges in their recovery.

3. Physical therapists
If a specialist is needed, the primary physician might call in a VA physical therapist. Then, you would receive the patient’s referral and schedule evaluation and treatment. You would be responsible for implementing a treatment plan with the patient, as well as the Veteran’s family, caregivers and the rest of the HBPC team.

4. Psychologists
A VA psychologist may be called in to support the HBPC team. Whether for prevention services, treatment plans or providing assistance with long-term mental health issues like dementia, you would work with team members to provide care. Also, you would train the Veteran, their caregivers and even the other HBPC participants in successful treatment strategies.

5. Social workers
As a VA social worker, you would provide Veterans in the HBPC program with assessments and clinical treatment in the home. For a Veteran new to VA, your duties would include education and support, assisting long-term patients as an advocate, and working with other VA departments or community agencies to provide the services necessary to make life better for the Veteran.

More roles, more services

These are just some potential combinations of a HBPC team. Physician’s assistants, nutritionists and even pharmacists can also help Veterans in their homes.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, teams have even taken up the cause of providing COVID-19 vaccinations to Veterans. While visiting the homes of patients enrolled in HBPC services, health care professionals offer inoculations right in their own homes. For many, this would be the only way they could get access to the vaccine, making the work of the HBPC program all the more important.

Work at VA

If you have an interest in getting out on the road and meeting Veterans in their own homes, a career in the HBPC program may be for you.

• READ about the HBPC program.
• LEARN more about home- and community-based services.
• EXPLORE our hiring incentives.
• APPLY for a VA career.

NOTE: Positions listed in this post were open at the time of publication. All current available positions are listed at USAJobs.gov.