Onvida Health and Veterans Affairs Office announce new collaboration
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Onvida Health and the Veterans Affairs (VA) Office announced a new collaboration.
KYMA spoke with both parties who shared how new doctors and local VA patients can both benefit.
The new partnership will allow recently graduated physicians in the hospital's "Family and Community Medicine Residency Program to attend clinical rotations at the Yuma Vet Center.
Jennifer Gutowski, the CEO of Southern AZ VA Healthcare, says "We're really excited to cultivate a new generation of providers and expose them to the great care that we provide at the VA And how we do primary care aligned teams and putting the Veteran at the center of it all,".
The connection will also offer new educational opportunities with the VA of Southern Arizona Healthcare System in Tucson.
Gutowski shares more about this partnership from a broader perspective: "The Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System has a long history of partnering with academic affiliations and academic partners. So, this is a continuation of that mission, but really brings it home to Yuma. So, we're very excited about this new partnership."
KYMA also spoke with the President of the Onvida Health Medical Group, Dr. Kristina Diaz.
Dr. Diaz has played a huge role in the growth and success of the hospital's residency program while previously serving as the program director.
She says the decision to collaborate with the VA will benefit all of those involved.
"It's another opportunity for them to learn another modality of care. The VA has their very unique team-based primary care process and how great will it be that our residents will be able to care of the men and women who have served our country," says Diaz.
She shares what the residents will be doing during their clinical rotations and what she hopes they will gain.
"We're allowing our residents with 2-3 days a week to one, take care of those patients and two, to really learn that system, and for them to understand the unique needs that those who have served may have. I'm hopeful that a couple of them will eventually want to stay in the VA, whether it be here in Yuma or elsewhere," she adds.
While speaking with Gutowski, she touched on one very important matter that she would like all Veterans to know.
"We want to let veterans know about the new Pact Act legislation and being screened for toxic exposure. So, we want to encourage veterans who are out there, you may have not been eligible for veteran services before but you may be now," says Gutowski.
The new partners say the first clinical rotations will begin in the Spring of 2025.
If you or someone you know would like to know more about the Pact Act and the available resources, click here.
