What are Hospice-Veteran Partnerships?
Hospice-Veteran Partnerships (HVP) are coalitions of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, community hospices, State Hospice Organizations, and others working together to ensure that excellent care at the end of life is available for our nation’s Veterans and their families. These coalitions may be community-based or statewide and may function independently or within an existing structure. HVP is a national program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospice and Palliative Care Initiative.
Why form HVPs?
The mission of HVP is to establish an enduring network of hospice and VA professionals, Veterans, volunteers, and other interested organizations working together to provide quality services through the end of life for Veterans. The purpose of HVP is to provide leadership, technical assistance, and program development recommendations aimed at:
- Improving Veterans’ access to hospice and palliative care across all sites and levels of care to assure that every Veteran is able to receive hospice care at the time and place of need
- Strengthening the relationships between community hospice and VA facilities
- Initiating comprehensive end-of-life community engagement plans designed to reach Veterans
Who should be a member of HVP?
Suggested members of HVP include:
- State Hospice Organizations
- community hospices
- VA facilities
- State Veterans Homes
- Veterans Service Organizations
- Veterans
- military hospitals
- established end-of-life coalitions in the state
- other national and community organizations interested in improving care through the end of life for Veterans
What activities can help HVP realize its mission?
Some of these may include:
- Conduct an assessment to determine what the needs of local Veterans
- Hold a statewide educational event to provide information on hospice and the VA healthcare system to hospices and VA facilities
- Conduct community outreach educational programs for Veterans’ groups about advance care planning, available resources, and care options
- Educate community agencies about Veterans’ issues and benefits
What help is available to start or locate existing HVPs?
To get more information about starting an HVP or about existing HVPs and request technical assistance contact:
- Your State Hospice Organization
- For assistance with locating your State Hospice Organization contact NHPCO by email at Veterans@nhpco.org
Building Community Connections
Below are a variety of resources and best practices offered by VA facilitates who participated in the “Building Community Connections” Initiative. While many include HVP region-specific contact information, our hope is that you will take these resources back to your own Hospice-Veteran Partnerships and communities as templates to strengthen your VA & community provider connections.
