Providing care for our nation’s veterans is the shared responsibility of many institutions throughout the country. Veterans receive care from both the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and community-based providers in the private sector, forming a complex but symbiotic relationship that can foster innovation and high-quality care for our nation’s 20 million veterans.

The current debate on whether veterans should receive care from the VA or the private sector offers a false choice.

Rather, the debate should address questions such as: How can the public and private sectors better collaborate? What can they learn from each other? How do veterans feel about receiving care in both settings?

Please join NYSHealth for a conference on veterans' health, “Can the VA and Community-Based Care Coexist?” to explore these issues, as well as promising solutions, through the lens of both veterans themselves and the caregivers who are dedicated to providing them with high-quality health care. The keynote speaker will be the Honorable Robert A. McDonald, former VA Secretary.

Please R.S.V.P. by May 3, 2019. The conference is free for attendees, but registration is required.

AGENDA

8:30 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
Registration and Breakfast

9:00 a.m.–9:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
David Sandman, Ph.D., President and CEO, NYSHealth

9:15 a.m.–10:15 a.m.
Keynote Address
The Honorable Robert A. McDonald., Former U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs

10:15 a.m.–11:15 a.m.
Panel—Straight From the Source: Veterans’ Experiences Using VA and Private Care
Moderator: Derek Coy (former U.S. Marine Sergeant), Veterans’ Health Officer, NYSHealth
Panelists:

Roger Misso (U.S. Navy veteran), local leader of Veterans Organize CNY and Co-host of 2 Vets Upstate podcast
Anuradha Bhagwati (former U.S. Marine Captain), founder of the Service Women’s Action Network and author of Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience
Molly Pearl (post-9/11 veteran caregiver), Student Veteran Advisor, Baruch College

11:15 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Panel—One Team, One Fight: The Public and Private Providers That Care For Our Returning Veterans
Moderator: Jennifer Steinhauer, Washington correspondent focusing on veteran affairs, The New York Times
Panelists:

Joe Quinn, Executive Director, The Headstrong Project
Juan Serrano, Director, Military and Veterans Liaison Services, Northwell Health
Martina A. Parauda, Director, VA New York Harbor Healthcare System

12:15 p.m.–12:30 p.m.
Closing Remarks
David Sandman, Ph.D.