In a report released recently from the Joint Commission, zero requirements for improvement were identified in an August unannounced visit to assess heath care access at the Salisbury VA Medical Center.

The surveyor spoke to many veterans throughout the facility, and by and large, veterans reported they were pleased with their care, their providers and the facility overall. The surveyor also made specific mention of all the continuous improvement work going on throughout the Salisbury VA.

“The positive results of the recent Joint Commission report are a testament to the hard work and dedication of all of our employees here at Salisbury, Charlotte and Winston-Salem,” said Kaye Green, Medical Center director. “We are continually striving to provide the best care we possibly can to our veterans, and we take that obligation and privilege to heart.”

One consultative opportunity for improvement identified by the Joint Commission was related to the coordination of care through the telephone system.

Salisbury VA leadership had already established a team to address telephone issues, and improvement efforts are ongoing.  While veterans who choose to communicate with their VA providers through Secure Messaging (e-mail) generally praise the responsive emails from their care teams, we “recognize some veterans are more comfortable using the telephone and we are trying to improve that experience.”

The Joint Commission Access visits were announced by VA Secretary Robert McDonald in August 2014 to provide continued transparency of VA health care access.