Upmc altoona and james e. Van zandt va medical center announce launch of community nurse liaison program to assist veterans | va altoona health care | veterans affairs

PITTSBURGH , PA — Today, leaders from UPMC Altoona and the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center signed a veterans’ care pledge recognizing the start of the VA-UPMC Community Nurse Liaison

Program at UPMC Altoona. The Community Nurse Liaison Program model consists of embedding VA registered nurses into UPMC Altoona and seven other UPMC hospitals — to streamline the care of

veterans from admission to discharge. Coordinating continued care, including physical therapy, prescriptions, and follow-up appointments by working hand in hand with the community case

managers, is also part of the community nurse liaison’s role. This VA-UPMC Community Nurse Liaison Program launched in 2022 at UPMC Harrisburg, UPMC Community Osteopathic and UPMC West

Shore.  Then, in September 2024, UPMC and VA Healthcare–VISN 4 announced a Pennsylvania statewide rollout of the VA–UPMC Community Nurse Liaison Program to five additional UPMC hospitals

including UPMC Presbyterian, UPMC Montefiore, and UPMC Passavant in Pittsburgh, UPMC Altoona and UPMC Hamot in Erie. This extends services to veterans by offering care coordination, better

hospital admission and discharge planning and improved inpatient experiences. Community nurse liaisons help improve care provision and ensure that post-emergency follow-up care is directed

in a way that best meets veterans' needs, including identifying veterans who are not in the VA system and enrolling new veterans into VA health care.  “The signing of this pledge

signifies a joint effort between the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center and UPMC Altoona to improve the quality of life for our nation’s Veterans through this VA-Community Care

Coordination Program,” said Derek Coughenour, medical care director of James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center. “This partnership is intended to assist with improving the provision of care

across the care continuum and ensuring that post-emergency follow-up care is directed in a manner that best meets the needs of our Veterans.” “We are thrilled that our veterans in the

Altoona region have local access to this innovative care coordination plan right here at UPMC Altoona,” said Michael Corso, president of UPMC Altoona and UPMC Bedford. “Our veterans have

done so much for others, and this is our opportunity to ensure they are provided with the best care and experience possible when they need our services. We are grateful for the opportunity

to partner with the James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center to make this happen.” ABOUT UPMC    UPMC is a world-renowned, nonprofit health care provider and insurer committed to delivering

exceptional, people-centered care and community services. Headquartered in Pittsburgh and affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC is shaping the

future of health through clinical and technological innovation, research, and education. Dedicated to advancing the well-being of our diverse communities, we provide nearly $2 billion

annually in community benefits, more than any other health system in Pennsylvania. Our 100,000 employees — including more than 5,000 physicians — care for patients across more than 40

hospitals and 800 outpatient sites in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, as well as overseas. UPMC Insurance Services covers more than 4 million members, providing the highest-quality

care at the most affordable price. To learn more, visit UPMC.com. ABOUT JAMES E. VAN ZANDT VA MEDICAL CENTER The James E. Van Zandt  VA Medical Center (JEVZVAMC) is dedicated to improving

the lives of Veterans and their families every day. With a 97.5 percent trust score among the Veterans that we serve, our Veterans appreciate the care that we provide. In 2024, we served

more than 27,000 Veterans in our 14-county service area with over 525,000 outpatient visits. This includes our main facility in Altoona and Outpatient Clinics in Dubois, Huntingdon, Indiana,

Johnstown and State College. We are accredited by The Joint Commission and Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. JEVZVAMC is part of the Veterans Integrated Service

Network 4 (VISN 4). VISN 4 includes medical centers in Altoona, Butler, Coatesville, Erie, Lebanon, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Wilkes Barre in Pennsylvania and Wilmington in Delaware; and

44 VA Outpatient Clinics in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Ohio.