Robert j. Dole VAMC - Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center
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robert j. Dole VAMC
RN
RNBart
BartRidder
Ridder gets hishis
receives shot.
shot.
Veteran Bruce Watson prepares to receive the first Dole VA COVID-19 vaccine shot. A Hutchinson Veteran gets vaccinated.
Dole VA begins COVID-19 Vaccinations
The Dole VA has administered a WWII Veteran in the Dole VA
more than 5,000 doses of the Community Living Center.
Moderna COVID-19 vaccine to Corbett said the hard work has
Veterans and employees since been worth it. “The Veterans are
Robert J. Dole
the first shipment arrived in late thankful and excited,” she said. VA Medical Center
December 2020. Medical Center Director 5500 E. Kellogg
Dole VA nurses began Candace Ifabiyi said the Wichita, Kansas 67218
(316) 685-2221
vaccinating Veterans and staff speedy vaccine distribution so
within hours of the vaccine’s far is just the beginning. As Health Care Benefits
(316) 685-2221, Ext. 53132
arrival. Since then, a team of supplies increase, Dole VA care
four nurses has given up to 200 teams will contact an expanding Official Website
doses every weekday and during list of Veterans for vaccinations. www.wichita.va.gov
expanded Saturday clinics. “Our ultimate goal is to Official Facebook Page
RN Jessica Corbett offer the COVID-19 vaccine to @RobertJDoleVAMC
administered the first shot to all Veterans who want to be Official Twitter Account
96-year-old Bruce Watson, vaccinated,” Ifabiyi said. @RobertJDoleVAMC
The Official Veterans Newsletter of the Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center • February/March 2021
MEDICAL CENTER DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
Adapting to the COVID-19 Pandemic 2
has inspired our employees to security of their homes.
think on their feet, create novel We also bolstered our Home
solutions, and expand services. Based Primary Care (HBPC)
When all the usual sources of program to better serve Veterans
personal protective equipment receiving care at home, including
(PPE) dried up in early 2020 due delivering the first dose of the
to high demand, our Logistics Moderna vaccine to a Veteran
Department got creative. living in a Medical Foster Home.
They successfully kept clinical While weathering the
personnel stocked with crucial coronavirus crisis, the Dole
PPE such as masks, shields, VA has continued to grow and
gowns, and gloves. increase our Veterans’ access to
When on-site visits to the Dole superior health care. We proudly
VA were curtailed to minimize the opened a new, state-of-the-art
Candace Ifabiyi
MHA, MSBA, PMP spread of COVID-19 infections, Emergency Department, updated
we expanded our use of Telehealth our Surgery Center, and expanded
Welcome to the Dole Insider! services and strengthened our private inpatient rooms.
We will provide a behind-the- electronic communications with We provide exceptional care at
scenes tour of the Dole VA and our Veterans across the state. the Robert J. Dole VA Medical
highlight our programs and health Clinical staff harnessed the Center, and we are proud to share
care personnel. power of videoconferencing our accomplishments in this issue
COVID-19 dominated 2020, through computers and smart of the Dole Insider.
and the rigors of managing a phones to provide patients with We welcome your questions
full-blown global pandemic treatments from the comfort and about life at the Dole VA!
Dole va praised for covid response
Outgoing Chairman of the
Sedgwick County Board of
Commissioners (SCBC) Pete
Meitzner presented the Dole
VA with the Chairman’s Award in
recognition of the medical center’s
contributions to the community
during COVID-19.
Commissioner Jim Howell
said the Dole VA is a tremendous
asset to our community. “A lot of
states would love to have what we
(L-R): Medical Center Director Ifabiyi and SCBC Chairman Pete Meitzner.
have here in Wichita,” he said.
THE LOGISTICS TEAM GETS CREATIVE
3 ON THE HUNT FOR PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
(L-R): Material Handlers Keith Ming & Freddie Henderson and Supply Tech Laura Robinson prepare a shipment of supplies.
When COVID-19 spread into Logistics partnered with a local Dole VA manufactured 400
a worldwide pandemic in early welder who could manufacture gallons of hand sanitizer
2020, hospitals and clinics in the plastic items with 3D printing. and 12,000 face shields
United States began snapping “He was able to work up a when sources ran out.
up all the personal protective prototype, and we brought
equipment (PPE) they could find samples to the clinicians in the
to keep up with the rising number hospital to try,” said Supervisory
of coronavirus infections. Inventory Management Specialist
“The whole world was crazy for Mike Castillo. “They loved them,
PPE, and all the normal suppliers so we mass produced 12,000
ran out almost immediately,” said single-use face shields.”
Logistics Chief Ryan Kittrell. Surgical gowns were another
“PPE items couldn’t be found scarce item, but the inventory
at any price, so we had to think management team found
outside the box,” he said. smaller suppliers who hadn’t
Supervisory Inventory been emptied of their stock and
Management Specialist Vince managed to meet demand.
Hodgdon discovered the Wichita Last March seems like a blur,
Brewing Company had begun Hodgdon said.
making its own hand sanitizer. “Somehow, we always met our
“It was potent stuff, but it did needs, often by the skin of our
the job, so we managed to procure teeth, but we did it,” he said. “We
800 half-gallon jugs,” he said. always came through with what
When the usual supplier of was needed when it was needed.
Supply Tech Eric Gardner in PPE.
disposable face shields ran out, We can all be proud of that.”
HOME BASED PRIMARY CARE (HBPC)
DELIVERING QUALITY HEALTH CARE TO VETS at home 4
More than 300 Veterans
receive comprehensive
primary care delivered to
their homes with HBPC.
RN Claudia Hurst administers a shot to four-time Purple Heart recipient Buddy Yocam. An HBPC nurse comforts her patient.
Veterans in our Home Based a Physician, Nurse, Nurse HBPC provides long-term
Primary Care (HBPC) program Practitioner, Social Worker, health care and case management
have complex, chronic illnesses Rehab Specialist, Psychologist, of complex chronic illnesses.
that make it difficult for them Dietitian, and Pharmacist. It also connects providers with
to travel to the Robert J. Dole The PACT develops a plan of the Veteran’s in-home caretaker
VA Medical Center or one of our care for the Veteran, managing to meet the patient’s individual
Community-Based Outpatient health care in the home and health care needs.
Clinics (CBOCs). In these avoiding long-term care HBPC Program Manager
situations, it is preferred that institutions (i.e. nursing homes). Amber Vaughn said she feels
health care services are provided Home Based Primary Care is privileged to provide care directly
to patients in their homes. more than your typical home to Veterans in their home.
Over 300 Veterans have health care. Normally home health “You gain a lot of insight to a
enrolled into our program and care only provides short-term person’s health when you are in
are assigned a Patient-Aligned nursing care and specific services their living environment and can
Care Team (PACT) that includes such as wound care or IV therapy. see more of the picture,” she said.
CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION
5 BUILDING A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR QUALITY HEALTH CARE
NEW EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT EXPANDED private inpatient roomS
• $8 million construction • $14.6 million project over four phases
• Opened December 2019 • Opened December 2020 with 19 private
rooms with bathrooms (Phase One)
• Expanded from 5,400 sq. ft. to 9,200 sq. ft.
• Rooms are capable of providing cardiac
• Treatment capabilities grew from 10,000 monitoring and dialysis procedures
to 20,000 Veteran patients per year
• Heavy duty patient lifts in every room
• Eleven treatment beds • Two bariatric rooms and two isolation rooms
• Emergency decontamination space • Family spaces integrated into each room
updated SURGERY CENTER new substance abuse residential rehab facility
• $9.4 million in renovations • $5 million construction
• Sterile Processing Service expanded • Twelve beds in unit
from 1,800 sq. ft. to 4,500 sq. ft.
• Group counseling areas
• Two additional 700 sq. ft. Operating • Clinical treatment rooms
Rooms were constructed, bringing the
total at the facility to five. • Projected to open in August 2021
BUILDING COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
DOLE VA WORKS WITH AREA GROUPS TO SERVE VETERANS 6
In an effort to reach more she no longer needs to budget for helping the newly housed
Veterans, the Dole VA has a monthly bus pass, enabling her Our homeless program also
strengthened its collaborations to purchase more food. benefits from a partnership we
with numerous community Another Veteran who had been enjoy with KanVets and a local
organizations. homeless for thirty years was able American Legion Post to provide
to use the bus system to access household items for Veterans
veterans ride free program resources for mental health moving from homelessness into
The Dole VA worked with appointments, to find housing permanent housing.
Wichita Transit and United Way and to fill other critical needs.
of the Plains to implement a He has reintegrated fully taking in new volunteers
program allowing Veterans to into society and reconnected Daughters of the American
ride any city bus without charge. with family after 20 years of Revolution (DAR) has been an
In its debut year of 2020, the estrangement. invaluable source of volunteers
Veterans Ride Free Program and support for the Dole VA.
gave more than 15,000 free rides delivering food bank donations DAR members participate
on city buses to Veterans, and Working with Disabled in our Red Coat Ambassador
the ridership for January 2021 American Veterans, we have program, visit inpatient women
totaled nearly 3,000 Veterans. begun delivering monthly food Veterans and even make phone
The initiative provides a more bank items from two local food calls on behalf of our Women’s
important function than simply pantries to Veterans in our Health program. Their donations
ferrying Veterans from one housing programs. More than have impacted many programs
location to another. 100 Veterans have been served to ranging from our Medical Foster
One Veteran has eliminated date, and nearly 1,200 deliveries Homes to Veterans suffering
food insecurity from her life since are scheduled through 2021. from dementia and Alzheimer’s.
The Dole VA partnered with Wichita Transit and United Way of the Plains to provide free bus rides for all Veterans.
COMMUNICATION IN THE AGE OF COVID
7 MORE VETERANS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF TELEHEALTH
Army Veteran Jacob Furber chats with Dole VA Social Worker Teresa Boos.
When COVID-19 hit in March the link from the Dole VA, after Nearly 6,500 Veterans
2020, the Dole VA Behavioral which they will automatically — 23% of our patient
Health department went virtual. be placed in a virtual room with population — used some
When broaching the subject of their clinician. form of Telehealth in 2020.
digital communications, Social Telehealth Champion Cheri
Worker Teresa Boos said she Cell said the Veterans who have
first asks Veterans if they have a tried the new system seem to like
personal e-mail account. it so far, saying it is convenient
“If the answer is yes, then we and easy to use. They also said
can overcome other barriers such they feel safer by not exposing
as access to dependable Internet themselves to the coronavirus by
service,” Boos said. “If a Veteran leaving their own home.
does not have a smart device — “Telehealth has opened up
like a laptop, tablet, or smart more opportunities for the Dole
phone — we can provide the VA to reach Veterans, and it
device with built-in wifi through improves the continuum of care
the Digital Divide program.” for them,” Cell said. “The follow-
Boos said once Veterans have a through is better than face-to-
smart device, they need to simply face, and Veterans have less
open their email and click on anxiety about traveling.” PA Sam Palmer gives advice remotely.
ROBERT J. DOLE VA MEDICAL CENTER
CUTTING-EDGE CARE FOR KANSAS VETERANS SINCE 1933 8
The Wichita Veterans Hospital We also feature evidence-
opened on November 16, 1933. based services for Low Vision
Nationally Honored
The facility drew rave reviews Rehabilitation, Spinal Cord
Locally Respected
from The Wichita Morning Dysfunction, Traumatic Brain
Herald, which called it “the finest Injury, Pain Management, Post-
plant of its kind in America.” Traumatic Stress Disorder,
• Ranked #1 in the
Renamed in 1991, the Robert Homelessness, Mental Health
nation for measures
J. Dole VA Medical Center is Intensive Case Management,
reflecting compliance
a Joint Commission accredited Prosthetics/Orthotics, and
with care known
hospital with five Community Extended Care.
to improve patient
Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) In 2020, we served 30,000
outcomes.
in Dodge City, Hays, Hutchinson, Veterans and completed over
Parsons and Salina. 350,000 outpatient visits.
• Ranked #2 in the
The Medical Center is a teaching When it comes to customer
nation for patient
hospital that provides a full range service, our Trust Score exceeded
safety indicators, with
of patient care services with state- 90%, indicating the vast majority
very low complication
of-the-art technology, including: of Veterans visiting the Dole VA
rates for hospitalized
trust us for their care.
patients.
• Primary and Specialty Care
Our Community Living Center
• Surgery • Ranked #4 in the
received a 5-star rating for quality,
• Outpatient Psychiatry nation for preventative
the highest rating possible.
• Physical Rehabilitation
We are committed to providing
measures ensuring
• Cardiology the highest quality health care and
inpatient safety and
• Oncology superior customer service to our
wellbeing.
• Dentistry nation’s Veterans.
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