Report to the Advisory Committee - June 2022

REPORT TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS’ AFFAIRS | JUNE 1, 2022

OREGON INTERNATIONAL AIRSHOW: Capt. Andrew "Dojo" Olson, F-35 Demonstration Team pilot and commander performs a high-speed pass during the Oregon International Airshow in McMinnville, Oregon. The F-35 Demo Team co-headlined the show with the Royal Air Force Red Arrows.

MCMINNVILLE, OR, UNITED STATES JUNE 7, 2017 Photo by Senior Airman Alexander Cook F-35A Demo Team Public Affairs

ADVISORY COMMITTEE June 1, 2022 ADVISORY COMMITTEE James Gardner, USA, Chair ................................................................................. Eugene Christine Gittins, USA, Vice Chair ..................................................................... Redmond Robert “Bob” Van Voorhis, USA, Secretary ..................................................... John Day John Howard, USN ............................................................................................ Medford Reynold “Reyn” Leno, USMC ..................................................................... Grand Ronde Nell Stamper, USCG………………………………………………………………………………………...Astoria Christina Wood, USAF…………………………………..………………………………………….…..Portland Micah Ashby, USN………………………….......................................................................Bend Christopher Waine, USA………………………….………………................................... Hermiston ODVA STAFF Kelly Fitzpatrick, USA ......................................................................................... Director Martha-Estela Garcia, USA ........................................... Special Assistant to the Director Michelle Lovejoy .......................................................................Interim Deputy Director Vacant .............................................................................................. Legislative Director Vacant ....................................................................................................Internal Auditor Rebecca Cameron ............................................................... Human Resources Manager Ana Potter ...................................................... Aging Veteran Services Division Director Kelly Breshears.……………………………….…. Aging Veteran Services Division Asst. Director Helen Ireland………………………………………………………………………. Conservatorship Manger Sheronne Blasi, USN................................ Statewide Veteran Services Division Director Joseph Glover, USN ....................... Statewide Veterans Services Division Asst. Director Martin Ornelas, USCG….……………………………………………………...ODVA Portland Manager Kim Douthit….……………………………………………………...........Veteran’s Education Manager Donna Haole-Valenuela ............................................................... Chief Financial Officer Derek Simmons.………………………………………………………………………………………… Controller Cody Cox ........................................................ Veteran’s Home Loan Program Manager Troy Croff .............................................................. Facilities and Construction Manager Nicole Hoeft ............................................................ Communications Division Director David Kampff ........................................................................... Chief Information Officer

ADVISORY COMMITTEE

Quarterly Meeting Agenda Wednesday, June 1, 2022 | 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM Join by Zoom via Videoconference: You may pre-register for the meeting by clicking on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88321312686?pwd=SHN6U1dUd0loTUk1YldEVlBKK2lYUT09 Once pre-registered you will receive a link to the meeting. The virtual room will be opened at 9 am and the meeting will begin at 9:30 am. To prevent background noise, all attendees will be muted upon joining the meeting. To improve bandwidth during the meeting, only members of the Committee and Department staff will appear on video feed. We ask the public to turn their cameras off.

Join by Zoom via Telephone: You may join the meeting by dialing 1 (253) 215-8782. When prompted, enter the meeting ID: 883 2131 2686# and password/participant ID: 708263# To prevent background noise, all callers will be muted upon joining the meeting.

Meeting Materials: Staff reports for individual agenda items, when available, can be found on the Committee’s website by clicking on the following link: https://issuu.com/odva/stacks/38107bb40c054695831edf5634865ca4 I. WELCOME AND ADMINISTRATION – Business Meeting • Call to Order – Chair James Gardner • Pledge of Allegiance – Chair James Gardner • Moment of Silence – Chair James Gardner • Meeting Rules – Vice Chair Christine Gittins • Committee Member Introductions II. ODVA DIRECTOR’S REPORT • ODVA Director, Kelly Fitzpatrick III. REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS • VA Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Report Recommendations – Dr. Teresa D. Boyd, DO • Campus Veteran Resource Center Grants – Sheronne Blasi IV. OLD BUSINESS ITEMS • Discuss updating By-Laws o Sub-Committees • Continue to share with veterans that they can apply at any time to be an Advisory Committee member through the ODVA website. Applications remain in the queue for consideration for two years.

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Open for Committee Members

V. NEW BUSINESS • Locations for the next years meetings • Topics for the next years meetings o Homelessness o VHA in Roseburg o VA updates from Bosie, ID and Walla Walla, WA • Open for Committee Members • Next Advisory Committee Quarterly Meeting: Date: Wednesday, September 14, 2022| Time: 9:30 – Noon Location: TBD VI. BUSINESS MEETING ADJOURNED TOWN HALL (Speakers Limited to 3 Minutes) The town hall time is for individuals to bring up broader veteran community issues. Members of the community may also submit written public comments to the Committee at the following email address: vaac@odva.state.or.us CONNECT WITH ODVA WEBSITE www.oregon.gov/odva BLOG www.oregondva.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/odvavet TWITTER @oregondva or www.twitter.com/OregonDVA ADVISORY COMMITTEE vaac@odva.state.or.us PUBLIC INFORMATION ODVAinformation@odva.state.or.us SUBMIT AN EVENT www.oregon.gov/odva/Connect/Pages/Events.aspx SUBMIT A STORY VetsNews@odva.state.or.us EMAIL SUBSCRIBE & Vets News www.oregon.gov/odva (Under “Connect with ODVA then Agency Publications”) LEGISLATIVE Page www.oregon.gov/odva/Connect/Pages/Legislation.aspx

Director’s Message Kelly Fitzpatrick

As we now approach the summer months, I hope that the members of our Veterans Advisory Committee remain safe and well. I would like to touch on just a few of the many wonderful activities ODVA has been and will be engaged in as we continue to serve and honor Oregon veterans.

VA’s Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) VISN 20 Director, Dr. Teresa Boyd from the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) is joining the June VAC Quarterly meeting to provide an overview the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission recommendations to modernize and realign the VA health care system. She will address the potential impact of the recommendations on Oregon in particular. To inform the recommendations, VA conducted a multi-year large-scale assessment of VA’s health care system, analyzed extensive data, conducted interviews with leaders at every VA medical center (VAMC) across the country, conducted listening sessions with veterans and other stakeholders, and consulted with Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs).

VA’s stated intent with its recommendations to the AIR Commission is to help ensure VA is the primary, world-class provider, and coordinator of Veterans’ health care for generations to come, build a health care network with the right facilities, in the right places, to provide the right care for all Veterans, including underserved and at-risk Veteran populations in every part of the country, ensure that the infrastructure that makes up VA in the decades ahead reflects the needs of 21st century Veterans, and strengthen VA’s roles as the leading health care researchers in America.

June Legislative Days I will give agency briefings to both the Senate and House veterans committees during Legislative Days to update the legislature about ODVA’s Home Loan Servicing IT Modernization project. These informational hearings will inform both committees about the progress the agency has made toward procuring a new Home Loan Servicing system. This priority work will not only secure successful future program operations, but also be a first step toward maturing the agency’s approach to updating and maintaining critical IT systems.

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) ODVA continues efforts to ensure ODVA programs focus on DEI, putting equity at the center of

Director’s Message Kelly Fitzpatrick program activity. As an agency, ODVA has made some major inroads on this effort, particularly with tribal veterans. For example in May, ODVA partnered with Washington Department of Veterans Affairs and multiple tribes in hosting the Tribal Veteran Advocate Conference. The event marked the first time the two states’ veterans’ affairs departments partnered together with multiple host tribes to better serve tribal veterans. The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde served as Oregon’s host tribal nation. More than 160 individuals from across the country registered for the two-day conference, which featured presenters from the federal VA, Washington Department of Veterans Affairs, ODVA, and tribal nations on veterans health and benefits topics. In addition to outreach events like this one, ODVA will also work to improve our internal capacity for understanding what it means to be equity centered by having training events for ODVA employees over the balance of the calendar year.

State Reopening On May 1st the state government buildings reopened to the public for in-office visitors and clients. Like most state agencies at this point, ODVA will continue to serve veterans and their families in a hybrid capacity, with most ODVA employees continuing to work remotely, with minimal need to be in ODVA work spaces. As many public and private organizations have experienced, the vast majority of workers prefer to work in a hybrid environment because this approach better supports work-life balance. Recognizing the flexibility that remote work brings, it is a means of attracting new talent and retaining incumbent employees , ODVA will continue to work in a mostly hybrid state, with some positions, like facilities, reception and some programs staff, remaining 100% in-office due to the nature of their work. Veterans and their families will continue to receive the same excellent customer services they enjoyed before and throughout the pandemic.

Memorial Day On May 30, ODVA conducted the second in-person event since the start of COVID and the first in-person Memorial Day ceremony in three years. This year’s event was held at the Oregon WWII Memorial located on the Oregon State Capital grounds. ODVA’s Women Veterans Coordinator and Marine veteran, Jessica Bradley, was the event’s MC. The day featured state leadership speakers, an all-women color guard, and a tribal blessing and warrior song

Director’s Message Kelly Fitzpatrick performed by Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs member and Commander of the VFW Post 4217 Tamera Calhoun Coffee.

New Staff On April 1, Derek Simmons joined the finance team as the agency’s new Controller. The combined experience of our new CFO Donna Haole-Valenzuela and Derek brings decades of state experience in finance, budgeting, legislative work to ODVA. They have already begun to put us in a strong position as we develop our 2023-2025 Agency Request Budget.

I’m very proud of the work the entire ODVA team continues to do every single day. They continue to show great resilience and rise to every challenge in order to continue to serve and advocate for Oregon veterans and their families.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICES Nicole Hoeft, Director Communications In March, ODVA celebrated Oregon Women Military History Week with a series of Oregon women veteran profiles, highlighting their military contributions and their continued service today. On March 31, ODVA published a Welcome Home Vietnam Veteran video message and informational blog post geared to inform and educate aging veterans about benefits, presumptives, mental health resources and other veteran specific programs to assist then as they age.

The 2022 Veteran Benefits Magazine was updated and release this April.

Published annually, the magazine introduces readers to the services and benefits available to veterans and their families in Oregon. This free magazine containing federal and state information is available free to the public. Order Magazine: Order copies of the Veteran Benefits Magazine to be mailed to your home or office. Orders are shipped at no cost. You can read the issue online and share broadly.

Other activities included assisting the Czech Republic to honor Oregon WWII veteran George Thompson, engaging with media to help return framed medals to the family of a WWII veteran.

On May 30, ODVA held the second in-person event since COVID and the first in-person Memorial Day ceremony in three years. This year’s event was held at the Oregon WWII Memorial located on the Oregon State Capital grounds. ODVA’s Women Veterans Coordinator and Marine veteran, Jessica Bradley, was the event’s MC and the day featured state leadership speakers, an all women color guard, and a tribal blessing and warrior song performed by Confederated Tribe of Warm Springs member and Commander of the VFW Post 4217 Tamera Calhoun Coffee.

The communications team welcomed a new team member, William McLaughlin, who joins us as the agency’s new digital content coordinator. Will’s primary role is day-to-day development of the agency’s website, blog, social media of content and technical oversight.

Information Services This quarter Information Services continued on-boarding of new team members and recruiting efforts to fill key technical support positions with an eye toward the modernization of core systems within the agency.

COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION SERVICES Nicole Hoeft, Director IT Projects: IT Modernization project and business solution work to support modernization efforts to the Home Loans servicing system continues to progress.

Cyber Security: As part of an on-going statewide initiative to modernize the state’s technology, the agency participated in a Cyber Security Assessment by the states Cyber Security Services Division under Enterprise Information Services. This engagement assessed the agency’s technology securities and the practices in place to best protect the agency’s data. ODVA is working in partnership with CSS to plan for and implement best practices and technology needed to continue to improve the overall security of the State of Oregon’s technology.

Records and Information Management Services Records and Information Management Services continues to support the agency’s records functions and mandates including the management of more than 100,000 military service discharge records for Oregon veterans. Requests for records can be made online or by calling ODVA.

Aging Veterans Services Ana Potter, Director Veteran Volunteer Program The Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs (ODVA) Veteran Volunteer Program is one example of the agency’s commitment to ensure every Oregon veteran is connected to the benefits they have earned. The role of the volunteer is to help aging veterans and their family members learn about county, state and federal veteran benefits to which they may be entitled.

Working through ODVA and in collaboration with our community partners, volunteers work to locate veterans who have not accessed all of their veteran benefits.

After the initial success of the pilot program in three counties and with 17 volunteers, we expanded the program with the goal of opening it up statewide. We held our first statewide training for Washington, Multnomah, Columbia, Marion, and Yamhill counties on January 20, 2020. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the portion of the program that involved visiting with seniors in person was put on hold. During the pandemic, the Volunteer Program continued to reach out in different ways to help connect with veterans. ODVA developed and sent out brochures to several different organizations including food banks and meals on wheels to remind recipients that ODVA is here to help connect them to resources during the pandemic.

Now that the State has reopened, we are excited to share with the Committee that the outreach portion of the program is being reinstated. We have spoken with the majority of the prior certified volunteers and are currently aware of twenty-five (25) volunteers who are able to resume their prior activities after receiving a refresher training regarding the program.

These volunteers are located in Multnomah, Washington, Clackamas, Yamhill and Polk counties.

This refresher course will review program goals and policies, including new policies implemented to address COVID-19 safety precautions. ODVA is looking to have this training towards the end of May. In addition to the already trained volunteers, we will be sending out a survey to the people who have been waiting for the program to be reinstated. This survey will ask the prospective volunteers regarding their preference for when to hold the trainings (i.e. morning, afternoon, evening, or weekend) and what method of training is available to them. The survey will also ask about their access to the internet in order to evaluate whether web-based trainings is an option in their area.

Since the start of this program, ODVA has strived to leave no one behind in our efforts to reach veterans. We have included representations of Oregon’s diverse population when creating brochures and media releases for the program. The volunteers are asked is to gather information about people who attended their presentation regarding race and gender to see what populations we are communicating with.

The charts below reflect the race and gender of the members in the audience.

Aging Veterans Services Ana Potter, Director Pre-Pandemic Race Information Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

2

Latinex or Hispanic

8

Black or African American

2

Asian

0

American Indian/Alaskan Native

6

White

176 0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

number

Pre-Pandemic Gender Information 3

282

559

Male

Female

LGBTQ

As we once again start to move forward in our endeavor to connect veterans with their benefits and other resources, we have added additional steps to connect with black, indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) organizations in an effort to increase the outreach to these populations about the agency’s mission. We will be sharing with these organizations’ information about the volunteer program and trainings, as well as gather any information that can be shared about the BIPOC veterans in their community. Of particular interest will be recommendations for where the volunteers may be able to connect with BIPOC veterans, or any veterans in their community.

Aging Veterans Services Ana Potter, Director Aging Veteran Outreach The goal of the Aging Veteran Outreach program is to ensure aging veterans and their families receive information, support and services at the local, state and federal levels. This is achieved through collaboration with other government partners, non-profits, and community stakeholders and by being the subject-matter-expert on aging as it specifically relates to veteran issues.

Lacey Carter, ODVA Aging Veteran Outreach Coordinator, has been helping to provide both distance and in person training to the newly hired Program Director for The Dalles, Sarah Reed.

In addition to helping train Sarah, Lacey is also been helping provide coverage for The Dalles Veterans’ Home while Sarah has been out of the office on Family Leave.

Another aspect of Lacey’s position is to work in close collaboration with ODVA Conservatorship Trust Officers, Trust Officer Assistants, and Representative Payees, to maximize compensation and benefits claims with the USDVA, on behalf of clients served in our two fiduciary programs.

Recently Lacey sent a request for reconsideration on behalf of one of ODVA’s conservatorship clients. The request was based on Clear and Unmistakable Error (CUE) of a 2012 USDVA decision regarding the evaluation rate of a veteran’s disability compensation. The USDVA agreed that a CUE was made and the VA awarded a higher disability compensation evaluation dating back to May 2012. This decision ultimately has resulted in the retroactive award of disability compensation benefits owed to the veteran in the amount of $326,682.08 as well as a higher monthly disability compensation rate, from $5,511.35 to $8,313.61, for the veteran going forward. This position is a newer position within ODVA and highlights the successful teamwork between the conservatorship staff and the outreach coordinator, as well as the importance of the outreach coordinator’s position.

Statewide Veterans Services Sheronne Blasi, Director Education Programs The ODVA Education Team administers three programs – the State Approving Agency (SAA), Veterans Educational Bridge Grant (VEBG), and Campus Veteran Coordinator program.

The State Approving Agency operates under a contract with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to review and approve new programs in Oregon for administration of GI Bill® benefits. The SAA also completes regular reviews of academic and training materials at approved facilities, to ensure ongoing compliance with current federal regulations. The SAA provides technical assistance, training, and support to approved facilities and conducts compliance surveys as assigned by VA. The Veterans Educational Bridge Grant (VEBG) offers grants of up to $5,000 to veterans in GI Bill® approved programs of study or training when their progress in their program is interrupted due to unavailability of needed courses or training hours. Veterans in degree programs, certificate or license programs, apprenticeship or other on-the-job training programs are eligible to apply for VEBG. The Campus Veteran Coordinator works directly with Veteran Resource Coordinators at public universities and community colleges to help build a supportive community for campus professionals through advocacy, training, and regular meetings. The Campus Veteran Coordinator facilitates connections between campus partners and regional resources such as County and Tribal VSO’s, VA Health and Behavioral Healthcare services, employment services for student veterans, and others.

The SAA has been operating at ODVA since Fall 2019 and the staff has accomplished a great deal thanks to the hardworking team of Eboni Frederick-Pettway and Lisa Deneen who have earned the VA’s highest rating on all their SAA evaluations. Eboni and Lisa have leveraged participation in committee work and conference attendance for the National Association of State Approving Agencies (NASAA) to build a network with colleagues in other states and ensure that Oregon’s interests are represented in NASAA’s negotiations with VA partners. Lisa has even taken on chairperson duties for NASAA’s History & Archives committee, an effort that was recognized with a Certificate of Appreciation at NASAA’s Mid-Winter 2022 Conference in February. In addition to the approval and compliance work of the SAA, the team has initiated a series of virtual trainings for Oregon’s School Certifying Officials (SCO’s) helping to address gaps in SCO training that can cause certification errors or missed submission deadlines that result in debts to veterans or compliance issues with facilities.

The VEBG was funded again for the 2021 – 2023 biennium and Joe Mah, filling dual roles as both VEBG Coordinator and Campus Veteran Coordinator, has been using every opportunity to promote the grant to raise awareness of its availability. Joe works with each applicant to

Statewide Veterans Services Sheronne Blasi, Director ensure they have a completed application for the best chance of being approved quickly on submission. Completed applications are reviewed on a continual basis and a decision is typically made on a grant award within three days of receipt, ensuring that grant funds get quickly into the hands of those who need them. While the need for the VEBG was high at the beginning of the pandemic, when schools had to shut down in-person instruction and training hours, the need has dwindled with the resumption of on-campus learning, in-person labs, and training.

While most academic programs have resumed pre-COVID schedules, our partners at the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) shared that one group, veteran apprentices, continues to experience delays to training availability due to ongoing supply chain issues. A lack of training hours not only affects the GI Bill® benefit payments to veteran apprentices but their training wages and progress to journey worker status as well. With this in mind, the VEBG Coordinator has been working with ODVA’s Communications Team to target some outreach to veteran apprentices so they’re informed about their eligibility for VEBG and encouraged to send and inquiry and/or application.

In the Campus Veteran Coordinator program, Joe Mah works at innovative ways to connect with Campus Veteran Resource Coordinators while in-person outreach and meetings have remained largely unavailable. Joe used the momentum and feedback from his successful Virtual Campus Veteran Coordinator Summit in August 2021 to continue virtual quarterly group meetings for Campus Veteran Resource Coordinators and, based on survey responses, has added topics and presenters to meeting agendas to share information that campus coordinators requested. Joe has also been following the work of the Joint Task Force on Underrepresented Student Success in Higher Education, formed in 2021, which seeks to learn about and address the challenges that underrepresented populations, including veterans, experience on campus. Joe has been able to attend campus listening sessions and encourage Campus Veteran Resource Coordinators in his network to attend as available to help amplify the student veteran voice in the work of the Joint Task Force.

Education Team Veteran Success Story An Army Veteran and mother of four was looking for a way to continue her degree progress when she realized that the remaining courses needed for her Master’s Degree program were only offered once per year during different terms. This not only delayed her expected graduation but meant she wouldn’t be able to register for a full-time course schedule and wouldn’t receive her full-time benefit payments which she relied on to sustain her household while she attended school. The Veteran thought she would have to take a leave of absence from school to work full-time to save funds so she could make up the difference between her reduced benefit payments and the financial needs of her household. A leave of absence would further delay her graduation and could jeopardize her return to school.

Statewide Veterans Services Sheronne Blasi, Director Fortunately, the veteran heard about the Veterans Educational Bridge Grant (VEBG) at ODVA and submitted an application on the website. On initial review, the application seemed to be missing key information so the VEBG Coordinator, reached out to see if he could assist the applicant in gathering supplemental information needed for a complete and eligible application.

With Joe’s assistance, the applicant was able to supplement her initial application with information that showed she did meet the eligibility requirements for the maximum grant amount of $5,000. Her updated application was approved the same day it was submitted and she received the funds quickly. This allowed her to continue her progress to degree completion without interruption.

Department of Veterans Affairs Senior Executive Biography

Teresa Boyd, D.O. Network Director, VISN20 VHA Teresa D. Boyd, D.O., is Network Director for VISN20. Dr. Boyd represents the VA workforce serving the states of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as a small area of both California and Montana. Over 25% of the more than 1 million Veterans living in this catchment area receive VA services in our 8 facilities that include 2 tertiary care hospitals, 3 facilities with acute care inpatient services, and more than 50 outpatient clinics.

Given that our Veterans reside in some of the most geographically challenging country in our nation covering almost 25% of the US land mass, maintaining oversight of operations requires an experienced and talented team. Dr. Boyd is a diplomat of the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians. She has attended various VA training seminars and received numerous certifications, including System Wide Ongoing Assessment & Review Strategy (SOARS) consultant training, Administrative Investigation Board (AIB) Training, and HCLI. Dr. Boyd is a member of a variety of society memberships, including American College of Healthcare Executives, American Osteopathic Association, Texas Osteopathic Medical Association, American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians and Mensa. She is married to Jack Mynier and they have three adult children. Her hobbies are hiking, cooking, gardening, music, and photography.

CAREER CHRONOLOGY: 2020-Present 2018 - 2020

2017 -2018 2016-2017 2012-2016 2011-2012 2009-2011 2008-2009 2007-2008 2004-2007

Network Director, VISN 20 AUSH for Clinical Services/CMO.

Senior Medical Advisor for the ADUSH/Clinical Operations (detail) Chief Medical Officer, VISN20 Chief of Staff, Boise VAMC, Boise, ID Physician/Systems Redesign Director, Puget Sound HCS, Seattle, WA Deputy Chief of Staff, STVHCS, San Antonio, TX Chief, Emergency Medicine/Department, STVHCS, San Antonio, TX Chief Medical Officer, FTOPC, STVHCS, San Antonio, TX Staff Attending, Emergency Medicine/Department, San Antonio, TX

EDUCATION: 1986-1987 1982-1986 1980-1982

Osteopathic Internship (rotating), Brighton Medical Center, Portland, ME Doctor of Osteopathy, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth, TX Undergraduate studies, North Texas State University, Denton, TX

VISN 20 Market Assessment ODVA Advisory Committee Meeting Teresa D. Boyd, D.O. Network Director, VISN 20

June 1, 2022

Alaska Market Facilities: The market has one VAMC (Anchorage), four community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), and one other outpatient services (OOS) facility.

Enrollees: In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the market had 33,979 enrollees and is projected to experience a 9.7% increase in enrolled Veterans by FY 2029. The largest enrollee populations are in the counties of Anchorage, Matanuska-Susitna, and Fairbanks North Star, Alaska.

Demand: Demand in the market for inpatient medical and surgical services is projected to increase by 21.5% and demand for inpatient mental health services is projected to increase 21.9% between FY 2019 and FY 2029. Demand for long-term care3 is projected to increase 78.1%. Demand for all outpatient services,4 including primary care, mental health, specialty care, dental care, and rehabilitation therapies, is projected to increase.

Rurality: The Alaska Market is highly rural. 53.4% of enrollees in the market live in rural areas compared to the VA national average of 32.5%.

Access: 77.7% of Veterans in the market live within a 30-minute drive time of a VA primary care site, and 0.0% of Veterans live within a 60minute drive time of a VA secondary care site. Note: Secondary care sites include health care centers (HCCs), VAMCs, and VA Hospitals only. Enrollees have access to outpatient specialty care services in this market, including at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and multispecialty community-based outpatient clinics (MS CBOCs).

Community Capacity: As of 2019, community providers in the market within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMC had an inpatient acute occupancy rate of 69.3% (92 available beds). There are no inpatient mental health service beds available at community providers within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMC. Community nursing homes within a 30-minute drive time of the VAMC were operating at an occupancy rate of 91.4%, indicating limited community availability. Community residential rehabilitation programs8 that match the breadth of services provided by VA are not widely available in the market.

Mission: VA has educational affiliations that include nursing and allied health programs in the market. The Anchorage VAMC conducts limited or no research and has no emergency designation.

Recommendations/Complementary Strategy Recommendations 1. Modernize and realign by closing the existing Anchorage RRTP and relocating those services to a new site in the vicinity of the Anchorage VAMC 2. Modernize and realign by establishing a CLC in the vicinity of the Anchorage VAMC Complementary Strategy Alaska Market • Approach Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) leadership to improve on existing partnerships and expand resource sharing to provide seamless access to mental health, specialty, procedural, and inpatient services for all Alaska federal beneficiaries Anchorage VAMC • Establish a strategic collaboration with DoD at the existing Anchorage VAMC that integrates care in a Federal health care facility • Increase availability of ophthalmology across the Alaska Market to address the potential lack of high-quality ophthalmologists • Relocate space for administrative functions to an off-site lease to provide more clinical space at the Anchorage VAMC

Alaska Future Market Map

Western Washington Market Enrollees: In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the market had 150,917 enrollees and is projected to experience a 9.6% increase in enrolled Veterans by FY 2029. The largest enrollee populations are in the counties of Pierce, King, and Snohomish, Washington.

Demand: Demand in the market for inpatient medical and surgical services is projected to increase by 1.8% and demand for inpatient mental health services is projected to increase by 6.0% between FY 2019 and FY 2029. Demand for long-term care is projected to increase by 76.3%.

Demand for all outpatient services, including primary care, mental health, specialty care, dental care, and rehabilitation therapies, is projected to increase.

Rurality: 25.7% of enrollees in the market live in rural areas compared to the VA national average of 32.5%.

Access: 64.7% of enrollees in the market live within a 30-minute drive time of a VA primary care site, and 76.1% of enrollees live within a 60minute drive time of a VA secondary care site. The market currently does not offer urgent care services. The market also includes national programs for liver and bone marrow transplants. There are centers of excellence for substance abuse treatment and spinal cord injuries/disorders, which includes multiple sclerosis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Community Capacity: As of 2019, community providers in the market within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMCs had an inpatient medical and surgical occupancy rate of 73.7% (528 available beds) and an inpatient mental health occupancy rate of 85.2% (5 available beds).

Community nursing homes within a 30-minute drive time of the VAMC were operating at an occupancy rate of 77.3% (871 available beds).

Community residential rehabilitation programs that match the breadth of services provided by VA are not widely available in the market.

Mission: VA has academic affiliations in the market that include the University of Washington. The Seattle VAMC is ranked 25 out of 154 VA training sites based on the number of trainees and the American Lake VAMC is ranked 144 out of 154. The Seattle VAMC is ranked 6 out of 103 VAMCs with research programs and the American Lake VAMC conducts limited or no research. Neither VAMC has an emergency designation.

Recommendations Modernize and realign the Seattle VAMC by: • Modernizing inpatient medical and surgical space at the Seattle VAMC • Relocating CLC services provided at the Seattle VAMC to current or future VA facilities and discontinuing those services at the Seattle VAMC • Expanding the partnership between the Seattle and American Lake VAMCs and DoD’s Madigan Army Medical Center Modernize and realign services by constructing a new VAMC with CLC and outpatient services in the vicinity of Everett, Washington Modernize and realign outpatient facilities in the market by: • Relocating the Olympia CBOC to a new site in the vicinity of Olympia, Washington, and closing the existing Olympia CBOC

Complementary Strategy Western Washington Market • Expand VISN-wide Clinical Resource telehealth hub for specialty care services in Seattle, Washington for high demand/low supply specialties in rural areas and smaller markets Seattle VAMC • Relocate dental services currently provided at the Mount Vernon MS CBOC to the new proposed Everett VAMC; discontinue dental services at the Mount Vernon MS CBOC • Expand remote (telework) opportunities due to limited square footage for direct patient care American Lake VAMC • Create facility strategy and building master plan

Western Washington Market Future Map

South Cascades Market Facilities: The market has four VAMCs (Portland, Portland-Vancouver, Roseburg, and White City), one health care center (HCC), four multispecialty community-based outpatient clinics (MS CBOCs), nine CBOCs, and two other outpatient services (OOS) sites.

Enrollees: In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the market had 156,287 enrollees and is projected to experience a 2.5% decrease in enrolled Veterans by FY 2029. The largest enrollee populations are in the counties of Multnomah and Lane, Oregon; and Clark County, Washington.

Demand: Demand in the market for inpatient medical and surgical services is projected to increase by 6.5% and demand for inpatient mental health services is projected to increase by 0.6% between FY 2019 and FY 2029. Demand for long-term care is projected to increase by 33.7%.

Demand for all outpatient services, including primary care, mental health, specialty care, dental care, and rehabilitation therapies, is projected to increase.

Rurality: 42.7% of enrollees in the market live in rural areas compared to the VA national average of 32.5%.

Access: 75.8% of Veterans in the market live within a 30-minute drive time of a VA primary care site and 64.2% of Veterans live within a 60minute drive time of a VA secondary care site.

Community Capacity: As of 2019, community providers in the market within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMCs had an inpatient acute occupancy rate of 67.5% (918 available beds) and an inpatient mental health occupancy rate of 72.0% (9 available beds). Community nursing homes within a 30-minute drive time of the VAMCs were operating at an occupancy rate of 72.1% (944 available beds). Community residential rehabilitation programs that match the breadth of services provided by VA are not widely available in the market.

Mission: VA has academic affiliations in the market that include the Oregon Health & Science University and Western University of Health Sciences. The Portland VAMC is ranked 13 out of 154 VA training sites based on the number of trainees, the White City VAMC is ranked 143, and the Roseburg VAMC is ranked 131. The Portland VAMC is ranked 4 out of 103 VAMCs with research programs; the White City and Roseburg VAMCs conduct limited or no research. The Portland VAMC is a Federal Coordinating Center and is the only facility with an emergency designation in the market.

Recommendations 1. Modernize and realign the Roseburg VAMC by: 1. Relocating outpatient surgery and RRTP services to current or future VA facilities and discontinuing those services at the Roseburg VAMC 2. Modernize and realign the Portland VAMC by: 1. Modernizing clinical spaces and addressing seismic issues at the Portland VAMC 3. Modernize and realign the Portland Vancouver VAMC by: 1. Adding additional specialty services at the Portland-Vancouver VAMC 2. Adding urgent care services at the Portland-Vancouver VAMC: The closest VA point of care for urgent care services from the Portland-Vancouver VAMC is the Portland VAMC in Portland, Oregon (Multnomah County), which is 30 minutes (12 miles) away.

Establishing an urgent care center can mitigate the inappropriate or over-use of community emergency department (ED) services, prevent the overwhelming of same-day primary care appointments, decrease low acuity emergency department utilization at the Portland VAMC, and expand access to Veterans.

4. Modernize and realign outpatient facilities in the market by: 1. Relocating the West Linn CBOC to a new site in the vicinity of West Linn, Oregon, and closing the existing West Linn CBOC 2. Establishing a new CBOC in the vicinity of Longview, Washington 3. Establishing a new CBOC in the vicinity of Albany, Oregon

Complementary Strategy South Cascades Market • Realign the Bend MS CBOC from the Portland VAMC in the Portland Submarket to the Eugene HCC in the Roseburg Submarket • Realign the Brookings CBOC to the White City VAMC and Curry County, Oregon and Del Norte County, California in the VISN 20 South Cascades Market from the Roseburg Submarket to the White City Submarket • Realign Benton, Linn, Deschutes, Jefferson, Wheeler, and Crook counties in the VISN 20 South Cascades Market from the Portland Submarket to the Roseburg Submarket • Increase availability of ophthalmology across the South Cascades Market to address the potential lack of high-quality ophthalmologists Portland VAMC • Add audiology and podiatry services to the Fairview MS CBOC • Add podiatry services to the Hillsboro MS CBOC • Expand access to Veterans in rural areas of VISN 20 by facilitating referrals to the Portland VAMC for complex surgery and inpatient care, since they have limited options in their local community Portland-Vancouver VAMC • Establish a dedicated women’s health clinic space to support a women’s health Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) at the PortlandVancouver VAMC • Develop a long-term Facility Master Plan for the Portland-Vancouver VAMC based on an updated service plan Roseburg VAMC • Add podiatry services to the Bend MS CBOC. • Add a geriatric PACT to the Roseburg VAMC. • Designate the Eugene HCC as the Roseburg Submarket hub for outpatient specialty care services • Develop a Facility Master Plan for the Roseburg VAMC • Establish a training program at the Eugene HCC White City VAMC • Add a geriatric PACT to the White City VAMC. • Reduce RRTP capacity at the White City VAMC RRTP to align with Veteran demand

South Cascades Future Market Map

Inland South Idaho Market Facilities: The market has one VA medical center (Boise), one MS CBOC, three CBOCs, and one other outpatient services (OOS) site.

Enrollees: In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the market had 39,294 enrollees and is projected to experience a 2.7% increase in enrolled Veterans by FY 2029. The largest enrollee populations are in the counties of Ada, Canyon, and Elmore, Idaho.

Demand: Demand in the market for inpatient medical and surgical services is projected to increase by 5.1% and demand for inpatient mental health services is projected to increase by 4.2% between FY 2019 and FY 2029. Demand for long-term care is projected to increase by 32.5%.

Demand for all outpatient services, including primary care, mental health, specialty care, dental care, and rehabilitation therapies, is projected to increase.

Rurality: 45.1% of enrollees in the market live in rural areas compared to the VA national average of 32.5%.

Access: 77.0% of enrollees in the market live within a 30-minute drive time of a VA primary care site, and 74.0% of enrollees live within a 60minute drive time of a VA secondary care site.

Community Capacity: As of 2019, community providers in the market within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMCs had an inpatient acute occupancy rate of 55.6% (366 available beds). There are no inpatient mental health service beds available at community providers within 60 minutes of the VAMC. Community nursing homes within a 30-minute drive time of the VAMC were operating at an occupancy rate of 66.6% (418 available beds). Community residential rehabilitation programs that match the breadth of services provided by VA are not widely available in the market.

Mission: VA has academic affiliations in the market that include the University of Washington. The Boise VAMC is ranked 96 out of 154 VA training sites based on the number of trainees and is ranked 69 out of 103 VAMCs with research programs. The VAMC is designated as a Federal Coordinating Center.

Recommendations/Complementary Strategy Recommendations 1. Relocating the Twin Falls CBOC to a new site in the vicinity of Twin Falls, Idaho, and closing the existing Twin Falls CBOC Complementary Strategy Inland South Idaho Market • Expand Care Coordination Home Telehealth (CCHT) program with a focus on chronic disease management • Expand VISN-wide Clinical Resource telehealth hub for primary care and psychiatry services in Boise, Idaho for high demand/low supply services in rural areas and smaller markets Boise VAMC • Partner with Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) facilities in the Ontario/Weiser areas to increase Veteran access to primary care and outpatient mental health services • Add physical therapy and audiology services to the Caldwell MS CBOC • Expand the dental clinic at the Boise VAMC • Increase availability of ophthalmology across the Inland South Idaho Market to address the potential lack of high-quality ophthalmologists • Reclassify the Salmon CBOC as an OOS. Continue to study the sustainability of the site

Inland South Idaho Future Market Map

Inland North Market Facilities: The market has two VAMCs (Walla Walla and Spokane), two multi-specialty community-based outpatient clinics (MS CBOCs), five CBOCs, and five other outpatient services (OOS) sites.

Enrollees: In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the market had 71,630 enrollees and is projected to experience a 0.9% decrease in enrolled Veterans by FY 2029. The largest enrollee populations are in the counties of Spokane and Benton, Washington; and Kootenai County, Idaho.

Demand: Demand in the market for inpatient medical and surgical services is projected to increase by 15.1% and demand for inpatient mental health services is projected to increase by 8.2% between FY 2019 and FY 2029. Demand for long-term care is projected to increase by 61.3%.

Demand for all outpatient services, including primary care, mental health, specialty care, dental care, and rehabilitation therapies, is projected to increase.

Rurality: 44.2% of enrollees in the market live in rural areas compared to the VA national average of 32.5%.

Access: 62.9% of enrollees in the market live within a 30-minute drive time of a VA primary care site and 40.3% of enrollees live within a 60minute drive time of a VA secondary care site.

Community Capacity: As of 2019, community providers in the market within a 60-minute drive time of the VAMCs had an inpatient acute occupancy rate of 62.0% (408 available beds) and an inpatient mental health occupancy rate of 97.4%, indicating limited community availability for inpatient mental health services. Community nursing homes within a 30-minute drive time of the VAMCs were operating at an occupancy rate of 81.9% (167 available beds), indicating limited community availability of extended care services. Community residential rehabilitation programs that match the breadth of services provided by VA are not widely available in the market.

Mission: VA has academic affiliations in the market that include Washington State University-Spokane, University of Washington, Pacific Northwest University, and Spokane Teaching Health Center. The Walla Walla VAMC is ranked 146 out of 154 VA training sites based on the number of trainees, and the Spokane VAMC is ranked 102. Both VAMCs conduct limited or no research and neither has an emergency designation.

Recommendations 1.

Modernize and realign the Spokane VAMC by: 1. Establishing a strategic collaboration to provide inpatient medical and surgical services and discontinuing those services at the Spokane VAMC. If unable to enter into a strategic collaboration, utilize community providers 2. Establishing a new RRTP

2.

Modernize and realign the Walla Walla VAMC by: 1. Relocating RRTP and outpatient specialty care services to current or future VA facilities and discontinuing those services at the Walla Walla VAMC

3.

Modernize and realign outpatient facilities in the market by: 1. Relocating the Richland CBOC to a new site in the vicinity of Richland, Washington, and closing the existing Richland CBOC

Complementary Strategy Inland North Market • Consolidate the administrative teams from the Walla Walla VAMC and the Spokane VAMC into a single administrative team for the Inland North Market • Increase availability of ophthalmology across the Inland North Market to address the potential lack of high-quality ophthalmologists • Increase availability of neurosurgery services across the Inland North Market to address the potential lack of high-quality neurosurgeons Spokane VAMC • Establish a strategic collaboration with the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Northport Community Health Center (CHC) to provide primary care and outpatient mental health services in Stevens and Pend Orelle counties • Add audiology services to the Coeur d‘Alene MS CBOC • Create a facility master plan for modernizing the infrastructure at the Spokane VAMC Walla Walla VAMC • Add optometry and physical therapy services to the Yakima CBOC, which may result in the classification of the facility as an MS CBOC • Develop a robust case management program to coordinate the transition of patients into the community

Inland North Future Market Map

ODVA Campus Veteran Resource Center Grants Presented by Sheronne Blasi, Statewide Veteran Services June 2022

Serving Oregon’s Student Veterans

2 This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

History and Funding • 2017 - SB 143 established the Campus Veteran Resource Center Grant program at ODVA • Legislature provided $1,000,000 for 2017-19 • 2019 - Legislature provided $900,000 for 2019-21 • 2021 – Legislature provided $600,000 for 2021-23 • Current biennium

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Purpose of Campus Veteran Grants • One-time, competitive grants to augment existing campus programs that: • Help veterans successfully transition from military service to college life, • Succeed in college/complete educational goals, and • Transition from college to the workforce and the community

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Eligibility Criteria • Oregon’s Community Colleges and Public Universities • At time of application, school must have: • A Campus Veteran Resource Center, or • A Campus Veteran Resource Center Coordinator (or intends to hire one before distribution of grant funds), or • Both a Resource Center and a Coordinator • School must provide resources to support the Center and staff

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Grant Process • Competitive grant process • Training on how to apply • • • •

Review & scoring of applications by evaluation committees Funding recommendations to Director Award notifications Grant agreements signed

• Regular reporting and monitoring • Monthly reimbursements • Quarterly reporting based on grant application – Outcomes • Training on how to report & apply for reimbursements • Final reports •

ODVA Campus Veteran Coordinator also works closely with grantees

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2017-19 Grant Highlights • Created a veteran-specific campus orientation and welcome program each academic term for student veterans and their families • Trained academic faculty and staff in military culture and unique needs of student veterans • Purchased tutorial software for veterans in the areas of college-level writing skills and math • Connected student veterans with workforce and employment resources, by working with potential employers and hosting “Hiring Veterans” events • Expanded small resource centers and moved them to a central location, including study areas and desks, computer printers, etc. and space for the 7 veterans coordinator

2019-21 Grant Highlights • Grant projects were impacted by COVID 19 school closures • Planned in-person outreach activities shifted to remote and other work • In-person outreach resumed, as campuses re-opened • Purchases of computers, printers and other items to support studying and a welcoming environment for student veterans • Non-perishable food items, as veterans may have limited incomes •

Alumni Mentoring Program – support for workshops

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2021-23 Grant Highlights • Blue Mountain Community College *Chemeketa Community College • Central Oregon Community College *Clackamas Community College • Klamath Community College

*Lane Community College

• Linn-Benton Community College • • Oregon State University

*Mount Hood Community College *Portland State University

• Rogue Community College

*Southern Oregon University

• Southwestern Oregon Community College • • University of Oregon *Western Oregon University

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2021-23 Grant Highlights • Support of Campus Veteran Coordinator positions, who work to ensure student veterans have access to benefits they have earned • Establishment of peer mentor programs (PAVE & alumni) and other support services to foster deeper connections among other student veterans •

Purchase of technology and electronic equipment for student use

• Hiring a part-time tutor to assist with academics • My Math Lab – online learning platform • Outreach events to highlight Resource Centers and services

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N e w O D VA G r a n t s C o o r d i n a t o r B r e n n a B a n d s t r a ( 971 ) 3 8 8 - 8 2 0 4 Brenna.Bandstra@ODVA.Oregon.gov

Proudly serving veterans since 1945

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Proudly serving veterans since 1945