ERIE, Pa. - Today, leaders from UPMC Hamot and the Erie VA Medical Center signed a veterans' care pledge recognizing the start of the VA-UPMC Community Nurse Liaison Program at UPMC Hamot.
The Community Nurse Liaison Program model consists of embedding VA registered nurses into UPMC Hamot and seven other UPMC hospitals - to streamline the care of veterans from admission to discharge. Coordinating continued care, including physical therapy, prescriptions and follow-up appointments by working hand in hand with the community case managers is also part of the community nurse liaison role.
This VA-UPMC Community Nurse Liaison Program launched in 2022 at UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Community Osteopathic and UPMC West Shore.
In September 2024, UPMC and VA Healthcare-Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 4 announced a Pennsylvania statewide rollout of the VA-UPMC Community Nurse Liaison Program to five additional UPMC hospitals including Pittsburgh's UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Montefiore and UPMC Passavant, as well as UPMC Altoona and UPMC Hamot. This extends services to veterans by offering care coordination, better hospital admission and discharge planning and improved inpatient experiences. Community nurse liaisons help improve care provision and ensure that post-emergency follow-up care is directed in a way that best meets veterans' needs, including identifying veterans who are not in the VA system and enrolling new veterans into VA health care.
"The signing of this pledge signifies a joint effort between the Erie VA Medical Center and UPMC Hamot to improve the quality of life for our nation's veterans through this VA-Community Care Coordination Program," said John Gennaro, executive director, Erie VA Medical Center. "This partnership is intended to assist with improving the provision of care across the care continuum and ensuring that post-emergency follow-up care is directed in a manner that best meets the needs of our veterans."
"We are thrilled that our veterans in the Erie region have local access to this innovative care coordination plan right here at UPMC Hamot," said Brian Durniok, president, UPMC Hamot. "Our veterans have done so much for others, and this is our opportunity to ensure they are provided with the best care and experience possible when they need our services. We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the Erie VA Medical Center to make this happen."
