Disability Rights North Carolina (DRNC) welcomes North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s (NCIOM’s) timely new report with recommendations to strengthen health care and support for North Carolina’s approximately 615,000 veterans. As a member of an advisory group to the NCIOM Task Force, DRNC provided detailed input and recommendations on addressing the needs of veterans with disabilities, including behavioral health needs.
Veterans can face health challenges shaped by their military service, including PTSD, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, military sexual trauma, substance use disorders, chronic pain, toxic exposure, and other physical and mental health conditions. Many don’t always identify themselves as veterans in community-based health care settings. When providers don’t know about a veteran’s service, important context may be missing from the clinical picture. Plus, veterans might miss out on connection to veteran-specific resources or benefits.
As community-based care continues to grow, ensuring veterans are able to receive care that is accessible, coordinated, high-quality, and responsive to their unique experiences is an increasingly important health care priority. DRNC thanks NCIOM for convening this Task Force and bringing together veterans, policymakers, health care professionals, and veteran service providers to identify opportunities to strengthen care. We hope to continue working closely with our partners to improve access to care and support for veterans across the state.
Read the full report on the NICOM website https://nciom.org/the-nciom-task force-on-veterans-health/