Jolene is the RN Nurse Manager of Primary Care & Specialty Clinics at the Syracuse VA. One evening as she was leaving work, Jolene started to pass the Pharmacy, where she observed a Veteran who appeared upset, agitated, and was loudly yelling at staff. Since it was the end of the day, there was minimal staff in the Pharmacy, so she stopped to see if she could help.  

Jolene was able to sit down with the Veteran and, using a calming voice, was able to determine that the reason behind his being upset and angry was that after being discharged from the Emergency Department, he was picking up his medications and was told to follow up with a Primary Care Provider. He informed Jolene that he no longer had a Primary Care Provider as he was homeless and did not have an address or cell phone, therefore, he was not receiving any phone calls or mail in regards to his appointments that had been scheduled for him. Due to the amount of missed appointments that were marked as “No shows” he needed to re-establish care with a primary care provider.  He also expressed his concerns over not being able to get his medications mailed to him without a permanent address. Since he currently did not have a specific Primary Care Provider, the Veteran was using the Emergency Department continuously for non-emergent visits. 

After Jolene had conversed with the Veteran and de-escalated the situation, she took the time and responsibility to walk him over to Team Blue and then assisted the Veteran in discussing with the MSA that he needed to re-establish care, however, he would need to make all arrangements in person as he had no address or phone to contact him with. Jolene was then able to contact a Social Worker to have the Veteran enrolled in the Homeless Veteran Program, to find a place for him to stay, and to arrange transportation. 

Jolene exemplifies all the “I CARE” values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence. Jolene demonstrated care and compassion while actively listening to the frustrations, needs, and concerns of one of our Veterans. She respectfully prioritized the needs of this Veteran and swiftly initiated an action plan, ultimately ensuring that he would receive the most appropriate care that every Veteran deserves. Jolene’s day-to-day actions and interactions at the Syracuse VAMC with our Veterans, VA employees, and other customers make her a valuable role model for our organization.