Dept. of VA ‘Whole Health’ program aims to improve quality of life for veterans

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Department of Veteran Affairs is taking steps for better mental health in veterans, and that is with a program called Whole Health.

“Seeking to empower and equip people to live their life to the fullest, to feel that they are able to meet their health and well-being goals,” said Kavitha Reddy, Associate Director of Patient Care for the Dept. of VA. “It is really shifting from only thinking about what is the matter with you to thinking about what matters to you.”

The goal is to bring everything that a veteran needs for health care all under one umbrella. And Reddy says they can help veterans get started.

“Set goals that are going to help their quality of life,” Reddy said. “They can meet with trained health coaches to think about the challenges and obstacles that stand in the way of them meeting their goals. That is their healthcare team and they can partner with them to think about what long term success would look like for their well-being.”

Reddy says they have seen over 900,000 veterans use the Whole Health program, and after listening to testimonials, she says they have seen a drastic improvement on quality of life.

“People feeling more activated and engaged around their goals, and what is even more interesting to see is that we have seen a reduction in opioid use in those with chronic pain,” Reddy said.

She says veterans can contact their local VA office and talk with their providers, or visit the Department of Veteran Affairs website to get started.

The goal for the program is to change the way we look at healthcare.

“Instead of looking at our healthcare as bits and pieces or fragments of diseases, symptoms and problems, really looking at the whole person, and what that allows us to do is set a course for long-term success for our veterans, families, and caregivers,” said Reddy.

Click here for more information.

For more news across the U.S., click here.