The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected Planetree to collaborate with the new VA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation in the development of the VA’s own patient-centered care model for Veterans who receive health care services at VA’s more than 1,000 points of care across the nation.
Founded in 1978, Planetree is an internationally recognized leader in developing and implementing patient-centered care practices, utilizing a comprehensive model and philosophy. “VHA is launching a transformational effort to provide patient-centered care as a key part of its commitment to excellence in serving Veterans,” said Dr. Tracy Gaudet, Director of the newly established VA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. “We are especially pleased to partner with Planetree to implement patient-centered care throughout the VHA health care system.”
“Planetree is honored to partner with the VA to realize its vision of a 21st century VA. The implementation of a proven, patient-centered approach to achieve comprehensive change within each VA community will improve the health care experience for our nation’s Veterans,” said Planetree President Susan Frampton, PhD. The Veterans Health Administration is home to the largest integrated health care system consisting of six VISNs throughout the country. Together these health care facilities provide comprehensive care to more than 5.5 million veterans each year.
“Planetree is connecting the VA and the private sector to fuel innovation in healthcare that ultimately leads to healing partnerships with caregivers and patients and Veterans leading healthy lives,” said Planetree Senior Vice President Randall Carter who is leading the effort.
The VA Office of Patient Centered Care is led by Office Director Dr. Tracy Williams Gaudet who came to VA from Duke University Medical Center where she served as the executive director of Duke Integrated Medicine since 2001. The office will have regional implementation teams of specially trained VA staff members in patient-centered care. Planetree consultants will collaborate with these regional teams, who will be responsible for facilitating culture change at all VA facilities.
VA’s Universal Services Task Force Report (April 2009) expanded upon Secretary Shinseki’s vision for patient-centered care by focusing on the partnership of veteran, family and health care team. It described a “fully engaged partnership of veteran, family and healthcare team, established through continuous healing relationships and provided in optimal healing environments, in order to improve health outcomes and the veteran’s experience of care.” This vision is in concert with Planetree’s mission and vision.
A growing body of literature demonstrates that adopting a patient-centered approach is the foundation for delivering high quality and safe clinical care. Seminal patient-centered practices will position the VA, already recognized for clinical excellence, as documented in the book, “The Best Care Anywhere,” to take quality and safety to new heights by strengthening partner ships and enhancing communication between patients, residents and caregivers.
The Planetree philosophy supports a holistic approach to care, promoting emotional, spiritual, psychological, social, and physical healing. This philosophy transcends the specifics of a place-model such as hospital or home, and uses a broad set of principles informed by thousands of focus groups with patients, residents, family members and health care professionals. These principles are portable across the full continuum of care and living settings, and thus can improve the consistency as well as the quality of the experiences of the patient/resident/family across different settings.
Planetree was founded in 1978 by a San Francisco patient who endured a traumatic hospitalization. Planetree has been at the forefront of the effort to personalize, humanize and demystify the healthcare system for more than three decades. Today, the Planetree membership network is a global community of more than of 500 acute care hospitals, continuing care communities, ambulatory care centers, community health centers, retail pharmacies and health libraries, each at various phases of the journey to transform their health care by considering every aspect of the health care experience from the perspective of their patients, and reconnecting staff to their passion for caring for others. Planetree is an international organization with member hospitals in Canada, The Netherlands, Japan and Brazil.
Patient-centered care is not only an empowering philosophy, but a viable, vital and cost-effective model. The Planetree national headquarters is based at Griffin Hospital in Derby, CT. Planetree is a subsidiary of Griffin Health Services Corporation. Additional details are available about Planetree at www.planetree.org.
