Addressing Needs of Homeless Veterans; LV Health Network Gets Involved

Cpl Anthony Pearson — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:12:05 -0500

We make time to watch silly videos often, I'm hoping you will find 3 minutes today to watch this video. If it moves you at all, please share it and the message it delivers. Health care organizations in the United States should look long and hard at this, and replicate it over and over again. IT MATTERS.

"To some of the 2,500 people in the Lehigh Valley who are homeless, Brett Feldman, PA-C, is an angel and a healer. His story and video was originally shared at the 2015 LVHN annual meeting." Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1XL64Hy

LVHN Street Medicine Program:
https://www.facebook.com/lvhealthnetwork/videos/ [login to see] 033960/?pnref=story

I'm so very proud that LVHN has created this program and is helping the homeless (including homeless VETERANS) in the greater Lehigh Valley area.

I have been volunteering (not nearly as much as I would like to) to help the VALOR CLINIC (homeless veteran outreach non-profit org) with their 'stand down' events to help homeless veterans in the greather Lehigh Valley, PA, region. Many of the locations seen in this video have been visited time and time again by volunteers via the Valor Clinic's efforts.

The Valor Clinic volunteers actually visit homeless veterans under bridges, deep in the woods, behind closed-down strip malls, at homeless shelters, and more - to offer their support. Support comes in the form of CARING, providing transportation to and from the 'stand down' events each month, helping to hand out food/clothing/blankets/etc., and also to help provide health checks if and when nurses/doctors are available.

Seeing the LVHN Street Medicine program video and knowing about the Valor Clinic has inspired me to share this information with ALL OF YOU, and to encourage you to absorb what you learned, take it to heart, promote the concepts, and MAYBE - just maybe - plant a seed in the mind and heart of someone else out there.

I cannot wait to talk with LVHN and Valor Clinic to see if they know about each other. To introduce them, and encourage them to join forces and see if they can make an even GREATER impact together. It seems like a good fit to me. I hope they will agree.

If you read this far, thank you.

Your SHARE could eventually lead to helping homelessness in your communities. One simple 'click' could profoundly change they way we view, address, and become involved in homelessness here in America.

Thank you.

Anthony Pearson,
President, PPLVETS
Volunteer for Valor Clinic
United States Marine - 1989-1993
[login to see]

LVHN President and CEO Shares How ‘We’re Creating a Better Health Care Experience’ at 2015 Annual...

Before an audience of about 300 community members and representatives from Lehigh Valley Health Network’s (LVHN’s) Board of Trustees, LVHN president and chief executive officer Brian Nester, DO, MBA, FACOEP, shared examples of how the health network “is creating a better health care experience throughout our community,” at last night’s 2015 Community Annual Meeting.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 11 at 2015 1:08 PM

PV2 Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 13:08:20 -0500

I do know from a recent visit to the VA hospital I go to (DCVAMC) that they do try. I witnessed a vet who was going up to folks myself included in the VA pharmacy while we were waiting for our prescriptions asking for money and that he was hungry. An employee came up and I overheard them direct him to the Cafeteria where they would feed him and give him a bag lunch to take with him. I thought that was pretty cool. I asked the employee and he said yes the cafeteria person gives away the food they usually have to throw out at the end of the day. I recognize that this may or may not be sanctioned across the larger system, but I thought it was pretty cool of them to do that. Here's something I found. http://www.va.gov/homeless/index.asp