Starting this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching its Whole Health System in each of the 18 Veterans Integrative Service Networks (VISN). This will be done via one flagship site in each VISN to assist veterans through self-empowerment, self-care, and clinical treatment. As part of my residency, I’ve been introduced to the program and have attended an orientation. The process of whole health can begin at any point the veteran chooses, though typically it’s initiated when they seek to establish care within VA. First, they will be connected with a health coach who will sit down and discuss what the patient desires with regard to his specific needs.  Subsequently, the veteran will fill out a patient health inventory, a tool that’s designed to get to the heart of what matters most to him.

Whether your desire is to work in private practice or in an integrated setting such as a hospital, working with other health care providers is critical in the management of patient health and wellness. No one professional has all the answers and no one type of treatment will work for all people. Therefore, building professional relationships will help you to create a network for referral and to receive insight or feedback on specific patient conditions.  The following 10 tips will outline ways to cultivate these relationships, gain the trust of other providers and secure your place in the community health system.

*Member-Exclusive Content* In this first blog post in a series of three discussing how to be selected for one of the five VA residencies, I’ll be outlining the application process and providing an in-depth guide of how to write a solid personal statement. Subsequent blog posts will cover finding recommendations, completing the necessary application requirements and preparing yourself for an interview.  Some of the information will be from the VA’s residency website while other parts are based on the personal experiences and opinions of current VA residents.

To read, log into MyACA. 

In late October, three of the five chiropractic residents within the Veterans Administration (VA) health care system attended the North American Spine Society’s (NASS) annual symposium in Orlando, Fla.  Rachel Mooers from Los Angeles, Stephanie Halloran from West Haven, Conn., and I spent four days immersing ourselves in spine care from a (mostly) different perspective.

I’ve had more than a handful of family and friends ask me, “What’s it like working for the VA in St Louis?” and my response is always the same—“It’s great!”  I usually then proceed to give them a rundown of what a typical week looks like as my activities vary from day to day and sometimes from month to month.  An average week is broken down into four different segments: outpatient clinic, interdisciplinary pain rehabilitation (IPR) program, scholarly activities, and clinical rotations. The majority of my time is spent in clinic helping veterans manage their pain and develop healthy habits for self-care. However, the time spent outside the clinic has also been beneficial for personal development and education.