The Non-Veteran Experience at Veterans Affairs Medical Centers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Survey-Based Study

Gupta, Ashwin; Brown, Patricia D.; Houchens, Nathan; Harrod, Molly; Ridenour, Jennifer; Hausman, Mark S.; Saint, Sanjay

doi:10.1007/s11606-021-06643-6

Cited by 2 publications

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“…5 Of note, non-Veterans were generally satisfied with the care received at VA hospitals during the COVID pandemic. 6 VA hospitals also performed favorably when queried about medical supply shortages, particularly for N95 masks, powered air-purifying respirators, gowns, and face shields-all key articles of personal protective equipment. In addition, the percentage of VA hospitals reporting "no experienced shortages" was more than double that of non-federal hospitals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-the largest integrated healthcare system in the US consisting of more than 120 acute care hospitals-was called upon to provide support not only to Veterans, but also to overwhelmed communities as part of its "Fourth Mission." 5 Specifically, the VA's Fourth Mission entailed opening its hospitals to non-Veteran patient admissions and transfers from community hospitals, 6 along with providing personal protective equipment and personnel support to community, state, and federal healthcare facilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparison of the Impact of COVID-19 on Veterans Affairs and Non-federal Hospitals: a Survey of Infection Prevention Specialists

et al. 2022

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Background As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, it is critical to understand characteristics that have allowed US healthcare systems, including the Veterans Affairs (VA) and non-federal hospitals, to mount an effective response in the setting of limited resources and unpredictable clinical demands generated by this system shock. Objective To compare the impact of and response to resource shortages to both VA and non-federal healthcare systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design Cross-sectional national survey administered April 2021 through May 2022. Participants Lead infection preventionists from VA and non-federal hospitals across the US. Main Measures Surveys collected hospital demographic factors along with 11 questions aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the hospital’s COVID response. Key Results The response rate was 56% (71/127) from VA and 47% (415/881) from non-federal hospitals. Compared to VA hospitals, non-federal hospitals had a larger average number of acute care (214 vs. 103 beds, p<.001) and intensive care unit (24 vs. 16, p<.001) beds. VA hospitals were more likely to report no shortages of personal protective equipment or medical supplies during the pandemic (17% vs. 9%, p=.03) and more frequently opened new units to care specifically for COVID patients (71% vs. 49%, p<.001) compared with non-federal hospitals. Non-federal hospitals more frequently experienced increased loss of staff due to resignations (76% vs. 53%, p=.001) and financial hardships stemming from the pandemic (58% vs. 7%, p<0.001). Conclusions In our survey-based national study, lead infection preventionists noted several distinct advantages in VA versus non-federal hospitals in their ability to expand bed capacity, retain staff, mitigate supply shortages, and avoid financial hardship. While these benefits appear to be inherent to the VA’s structure, non-federal hospitals can adapt their infrastructure to better weather future system shocks.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%