Challenge
Women Veterans represent the fastest growing cohort of patients for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Atlas Research is supporting VHA and its Women’s Health Services (WHS) in conducting an assessment of care for women Veterans at each VA Medical Center (VAMC) to better understand the current state of resources and delivery of care.
Solution
For 24 VAMCs each year, Atlas Research teamed with Booz Allen Hamilton to collect data that can be used to identify trends and systemic opportunities for improvement and document promising approaches that can be disseminated across VHA.
As the lead contractor, Atlas is responsible for optimizing assessment tools and processes for data management; coordinating site visit logistics; leading the onlocation assessment visits; developing summary reports of assessment findings; presenting summary site findings and project progress to the internal WHS team; and creating an aggregate report summarizing contract year activities including a summary of analytic findings and trends associated with WHS objectives.
Result
Since the contract initiation, Atlas has led full-scale revisions of the assessment tools using two pilot site visits to refine processes and content. These revisions have led to increased time efficiencies in the site visits and an enhanced focus on current priorities of WHS. Each site visited to date has been provided verification of service strengths and has been given evidence-based recommendations for improving the timeliness and quality of services delivered. Leadership groups within these facilities and within the VISN offices have been very pleased with the increased exposure that these site visits bring to their programs and the opportunity to share best practices among similar institutions. Closing conference reports have been provided to the executive leadership at each facility followed by a comprehensive summary outlining a path forward to continued effective service for the region’s women Veterans.