Contributing to our culture of excellence—Beth Venugopal

Intrinsically motivated by our VHA mission to care for our veterans, Ms. Venugopal identified a knowledge deficit among her nursing peers related to their integral role in the identification and documentation of military exposures and service-related disabilities. Based on her critical assessment, she identified the need for proactive identification and documentation in the patient record of military service health-related issues to validate service connection. This documentation is a crucial component in promoting seamless integration between VHA and VBA services and improving patient outcomes.

To address this concern, she developed an educational overview for nursing staff to increase their personal knowledge and awareness, and disseminated this information during the 2024 Nursing Fair. She also maintains collegial relationships with community partners, which is crucial to the understanding and awareness of issues impacting our patient population, as well as knowledge of resources. Her extensive research has made her a subject matter expert and enables her to be a strong advocate for her patients.

Ms. Venugopal’s efforts with her own patients have resulted in increased service connection ratings for several of her patients. Service connection ratings can dramatically impact patient care outcomes by increasing patient access to care while decreasing out-of-pocket expenses, such as access to dental care services, which can otherwise be cost-prohibitive. Ms. Venugopal exemplifies the I CARE standards, and her efforts demonstrate the impact one person can have on the lives of many patients. As the daughter, wife, and mother of veterans, I am grateful for the wisdom she so readily shares, and for the care and compassion that guide her actions.

As the wife and mother of veterans, I deeply appreciate when our VA staff go above and beyond to impact the care our veterans receive significantly.