As a leader in your state’s rural health initiatives, you know that Veterans and Service members have unique experiences, which often lead to unique health needs.
Last week, RAND released a comprehensive report that found that few community-based providers met criteria for military cultural competency or used evidence-based approaches to treat problems commonly seen among our nation’s 20+ million veterans. Understanding military culture can greatly improve the treatment experience for Veterans and there is evidence demonstrating improved outcomes when Veterans believe a healthcare professional understands their military experience.
Having been aware of these issues, the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense developed and recently launched a free, online course entitled, Military Culture: Core Competencies for Healthcare Professionals to address these issues. Through the course, providers can:
· assess their own competence with military culture,
· educate themselves on military ethos and organizational structure,
· identify unique stressors and the impact on a patient’s health and assessment and treatment issues,
· access resources and tools for both providers and patients,
· and gain free Continuing Education Credit for the following: ACCME, ACCME-NP, ANCC, APA, ASWB, CA BBS, NBCC.
Information in the course stems from research, surveys and hundreds of hours of interviews with Service members and Veterans. It is designed as a comprehensive training in military culture for seasoned practitioners as well as for those less familiar with military populations. The interactive course includes a self-assessment, a variety of vignettes and candid video testimonials to highlight the meaning of military cultural competence.
We need your help to spread the word about this course to your members. We have developed a variety of materials including blog posts, social media posts, fact sheets and other promotional materials. Also, please consider adding the course to your resources section of your website.
