Veterans, Part of the Net: Trends in Community Health Programs

Abstract

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) has moved from being a provider of primary health care, through ownership of Repatriation General Hospitals in each state, to being a major purchaser of community-based health care services. Departmental programs are more outwardly focussed than in the past and are more stringently evaluated to ensure the effective delivery of best practice standard services. DVA is committed to recognising the nation's special debt to the veteran community through appropriate compensation and health care programs. In this paper, the range of Departmental community health care programs, including those which focus on the innovative delivery of services through joint initiatives with community self help organisations, are discussed.