Foundation Overview
The Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation (VHWF) is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 charitable entity established by military Veterans with expertise in the areas of health, wellness, and healthcare delivery. Serving our military men and women nationwide, the organization focuses on addressing systemic inequities regarding access to and quality of care for Veterans and their families. Since 2014, VHWF has touched more than 40,000 Veterans and countless family members, assisting with their mental and physical healthcare needs.
Mission
To build, educate, and maintain resource networks to support the complex physical, social, and emotional health needs of Veteran communities across the nation.
Vision
VHWF envisions communities that possess the knowledge and capacity to not only identify and address service-related health challenges, but also to embrace, support, and empower veterans and their families who experience them.
VHWF Team
Evelyn L. Lewis, MD, MA, FAAFP, DABDA, President and Board Chair, Capt(Sel), US Navy (Ret)
Shirley M. Bowens, Director of Operations, US Navy (ret)
Denise Stackhouse, Director of Finance
Capri Fowler, Senior Director, Impact and Development, Veteran Advocate
Flagship Programs
Community Health and Wellness Events and Town Halls
VHWF empowers Veterans and community members to become part of the solution by hosting and partnering to bring free healthcare screenings, vaccinations, benefits, disability claim navigation, as well as medical appointments to Veterans and those in the community. VHWF also provides event speakers from our national network who are versed in the areas of Veteran health and wellness.
Veteran and Family-Centered Health Education Forums
The audience for these events are businesses, employers, nonprofit leaders, and healthcare professionals at every level. These forums help break through misconceptions regarding the unique healthcare needs of Veterans and their families by increasing awareness and augmenting knowledge.
Healthcare Education on Veteran Culture and Military Environments
There is a pressing need for physicians to care for our nation's Veterans now and in the future. However, they must be knowledgeable about the injuries, illnesses, diseases, and exposures that impact the health of Veterans. These free, CME accredited presentations are developed for physicians and other healthcare professionals by subject matter experts and are available on demand. Our training provides an opportunity for practicing professionals to enhance their knowledge and understanding of Veteran culture in addition to its impact on healthcare delivery and health outcomes.
Resource Search Center Technology Platform
The Resource Search Center Technology Platform connects Veterans and their families to a comprehensive network of verified social care programs at local and national levels across all counties in the nation. Resources cover areas such as food, housing, transportation, health, finance, education, employment, and legal assistance. Use of the platform is free and open to all, so Veterans and their families can search independently with ease and dignity to help sustain their own wellbeing and bypass barriers.
The Veterans Lived Experience Series (VLES)
The VLES events are conversations with Veterans (or Veterans with their family) about service-related experiences that had a significant impact on their health status and livelihood. Topics have included military sexual trauma (MST), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), chronic pain and homelessness, among others. Veteran voices are joined by input from participating healthcare professionals and conclude with a discussion about related resources. These events are recorded for the future viewing of those with similar experiences and for use during educational sessions with professionals in the healthcare industry.
Veteran and Family Health Interprofessional Joining Forces Education Program
This program provides a multidisciplinary training curriculum for healthcare professionals learning about the unique burdens borne by Veterans and their families. The full-day or half-day curriculum design includes an overview of Veteran unique health issues, panel discussion, collaborative case study sessions, and small group breakout and report periods. Discussion prompts assist physicians and other members of the healthcare team to contemplate key questions that will strengthen their ability to accurately identify health challenges, their causes, and the best possible outcomes.
Strategic Pillars for Success
Academic
We educate civilian healthcare professionals about the unique healthcare needs of our Veterans and their families. In addition, we educate and provide health resources and service-connected healthcare benefits to Veteran communities.
Access
We provide Veterans seeking trustworthy and credible resources, that may be difficult to locate, with more direct pathways to the information or persons needed to resolve their concerns.
Advocate
We are committed to creating a world where Veterans and their families live healthily and well lives undiminished by their service-related health concerns. This means equitable healthcare for the Veteran community. The battles they fought for our freedoms in foreign lands should not transition to a fight for healthcare at home.
Amplify
We are passionate about raising awareness regarding Veteran health concerns at all levels: locally, regionally, and nationally through our Flagship Programs, partnerships, and other pathways. Veterans and their families have a platform to enhance their voices where they know they can be heard.