From: Freeman, Elizabeth Joyce (SES)
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2014 8:51 AM
To: V21PAL ALL USERS
Subject: VA Continues to Provide Quality Care to Veterans

VA Palo Alto Health Care System takes any allegations about patient care or employee misconduct very seriously. The Department’s most important mission is to make sure Veterans know VA is here to care for them – to provide the high quality care they have earned and deserve.
Veterans must feel safe walking into our VA facilities, and VA employees must work continuously to provide them with the highest quality care. That is our standard—Veterans deserve to have full faith in their VA care.
Where we have failed to meet those commitments we will redouble our efforts to deliver timely care to patients with compassion and integrity. We will identify problems and resolve these issues expediently. Together with VSOs, Congress and all VA stakeholders we will act with the best interests of Veterans at heart. As the Secretary said this morning, VA is taking concrete steps towards that end – including initiation of accountability for senior leadership and elimination of performance awards for senior VHA leaders for Fiscal Year 2014.
Lisa Freeman
Director

From: Freeman, Elizabeth Joyce (SES)
Sent: Monday, May 19, 2014 2:40 PM
To: V21PAL ALL USERS; V21PAL VFC
Subject: VAPAHCS Dedicated to Access for Our Veterans

To all VA Palo Alto Health Care System Veterans, Family Members, Employees, and Volunteers:

In light of the recent media coverage regarding scheduling practices at VA medical centers in other parts of the country, I want to assure you that the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) is committed to providing the highest quality, safe and compassionate care to our Veterans. We are proud of our talented and dedicated employees, incredible community and volunteer support, state-of-the-art technology, wonderful academic affiliations, pioneering research, and world class patient care. Veterans in our health care system are treated as individuals with clinical leadership reviewing, evaluating, and prioritizing patient needs on a daily basis. If clinical services cannot be provided to a Veteran within the health care system within a reasonable time, we collaborate with community resources to provide the necessary services.
Veterans are surveyed on their satisfaction with the care we provide. Consistently, VAPAHCS scores above the national average for all VA medical centers. We score in the top 25 percent in the area of access to outpatient care and in the top 10 percent for satisfaction with our providers.
We strive to see patients within 14 days of the date they would like to be seen. If a Veteran has an emergent or urgent need, they are triaged by the appropriate service to be seen sooner. Our Telephone Care Program serves as a valuable partner in this process. There are other options to meeting Veteran’s needs such as fee basis care or other virtual modalities such as telehealth and electronic consults. Veterans may also directly reach their providers and care teams by using secure messaging through myHealtheVet. Our goal is to provide the right care at the right place, in the right time to Veterans.
In order to obtain scheduling access, staff must complete mandatory training modules that includes education on the business rules of scheduling, capturing the correct date for which a Veteran desires their appointment, use of electronic wait lists and use of the recall system.Schedulers are regularly audited to ensure compliance with scheduling protocols. We are proud of our hard-working, dedicated medical support assistants as their role in scheduling is an important factor in providing Veterans care.
I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our employees, the sacrifices of our Veterans’ family members, our selfless community partners, and our dedicated VA volunteers. VAPAHCS is focused on continuously improving the care we provide to our Nation’s Veterans in order to better Serve those who Served.
Elizabeth Joyce Freeman
Director, VA Palo Alto Health Care System

From: Freeman, Elizabeth Joyce (SES)
Sent: Thursday, May 15, 2014 12:18 PM
To: V21PAL ALL USERS
Subject: Associate Director for Patient Care & Nursing Services and Staff Receive VA Secretary’s Top Award!

Associate Director for Patient Care & Nursing Services and Staff Receive VA Secretary’s Top Award
Last week, we celebrated our nurses during National Nurses Week. I am thrilled to announce two of our staff are receiving VA Secretary Shinseki’s highest award for excellence in nursing programs!
Our very own Gloria Martinez,Associate Director for Patient Care & Nursing Services, will be receiving the 2014 Nurse Executive-Secretary’s Award for the Advancement of Nursing Programs.
This award program not only honors leadership but various nursing staff roles that make Serving Those Who Served possible.
I am incredibly pleased to also announce Mr.Steven Becraft, Health Care Technician at our Fremont Clinic, for receiving the 2014 Nursing Assistant Role-Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Nursing.
The Secretary's Award for Excellence in Nursing and Advancement of Nursing Programs is given to individuals who have been nominated by their colleagues for outstanding service to our Veterans and the Department of Veterans Affairs. They have displayed the best characteristics and the highest level of dedication to their profession. Chosen from individual medical centers, the nominees go through a rigorous review before the final selection is made.
On behalf of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, I want to congratulate Ms. Martinez and Mr. Becraft on this highly deserved honor. These awards are a testament of their dedication to our health care system and our nation’s Veterans while Serving Those Who Served.
Elizabeth Joyce Freeman
Director

From: Dannenberg, Walt C.
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2014 11:50 AM
Subject: Congratulations! VAPAHCS Honored with 2013 “Leadership in Excellence” Award

Congratulations! It is my pleasure to announce that the VA Palo Alto Health Care System was awarded the 2013 “Leadership in Excellence” Secretary of Veterans Affairs’ Robert W. Carey Performance Excellence Award!
This award is presented annually by the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary to recognize organizations within VA that have implemented management approaches that result in sustained high levels of performance and service to the Veterans we serve.
Undoubtedly, you are the reason we were selected for this honor. While this is absolutely a great milestone on our continuous journey to improve our health care system, it is due to your flexibility and embracement of change that made this accomplishment possible. Make no doubt about it, nothing compares to the dedication you show while Serving Those Who Served.
Soon, we will be presented the award at VA Palo Alto division, and you will be receiving a personal invitation to this great event. In the meantime, this is truly a testament to all the hard work you do for our Veterans, every day!
Thank you for always “Serving those who Served!”
Walt C. Dannenberg, FACHE
Associate Director