Pennsylvania has the fourth largest veteran population in the nation, many of whom carry the invisible wounds of war. In July, St. Luke’s Carbon Campus opened its doors to the Carbon County Office of Veterans Affairs, providing space in the former emergency department of St. Luke’s Lehighton Campus. Here, veterans will receive needed behavioral health care and other services.

In August, St. Luke’s Psychiatric Associates - Bowmanstown opened offices in the former ER under the new name of St. Luke’s Psychiatric Associates - Lehighton. The proximity encourages and facilitates patients receiving the help they need.

The Veteran’s Affairs Office at the St. Luke’s Carbon Campus was dedicated in memory of combat veteran Chad Peyton, who served with Carbon County Office of Veterans Affairs Director Christine LeClair. Peyton died by suicide on May 17, 2021.

Military veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans. For female veterans, the risk factor is 2.2 times more. Carbon County with about 8% of the state’s veterans, has the highest veteran suicide rate in Pennsylvania, according to data provided by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Of the state’s 800,000 veterans, almost 300,000 are wartime veterans, and nearly three-quarters are 55 and older, reports the state Department of Human Services.

In 2020, 6,146 veterans committed suicide in the United States, an average of 16.8 per day. However, the number of veterans who died by suicide declined in 2020, with 343 fewer veteran suicide deaths than in 2019 and the lowest number of veteran suicides since 2006, states the National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report released in September.

Public health campaigns that increase awareness about suicide prevention and provide veterans with mental health services may be partly responsible for the decrease in veteran suicides. Among these programs is the Together With Veterans program. Launched by the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA), it is a community-based suicide prevention program that partners with rural veterans and community agencies to prevent veteran suicide in their communities.

The Veterans Affairs for Carbon County partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) to launch the Together With Veterans program locally. The plan’s key elements are identifying service members, veterans and family members; screening for suicide risk; promoting connectedness and improving care transitions; reducing access to lethal suicide methods and enhancing safety planning.

The Together With Veterans program prompted LeClair to reach out to St. Luke’s Carbon Campus President John Nespoli. She asked him if she could set up a booth at the hospital once a month to provide information about the Together With Veterans program. To her delight, he offered her permanent office space.

St. Luke’s welcomed the opportunity to help address veteran mental health and bolster efforts that take a holistic approach to their care in any way that it can, he said. “The veterans who served our country deserve the kind of care and attention that we at St. Luke’s are happy to help foster,” Nespoli said.

LeClair considers the Carbon County Veterans Affairs fortunate to partner with DMVA and St. Luke’s to empower community members, local leaders, organizations, family, and friends to take action against veteran suicide.

“Our partnership plans to equip our community with the tools and resources it needs to connect veterans experiencing emotional or mental health issues with lifesaving support,” she said. “We are committed to our veterans, and it is our hope that the TWV model will help to lessen the stigma that is associated with suicide and prevent another tragic death.”

Besides receiving information and referrals, veterans also will be able to meet with an accredited Veteran Service Officer to file claims for local, state, and federal veteran benefits at the St. Luke’s site.

Other behavioral services available to veterans include St. Luke’s recently opened 24/7 walk-in psychiatric center.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) strives to provide veterans with high-quality and timely services, said Lisa Moore, Coordinator, Managed Care Contracts, St. Luke’s University Health Network. To help reach this goal, it has developed the VA Community Care Network, which contracts with community-based hospitals and other healthcare providers, including St. Luke’s University Health Network, for the delivery of services.

To ensure timely care, veterans unable to get an appointment at a VA Medical Center or outpatient provider within 30 days may schedule an appointment through a participating Community Care Network, Moore said. Many veterans may find this option convenient because, depending on where they live, the nearest VA hospital could be more than an hour’s drive away. Nearby VA hospitals are in Wilkes-Barre, Coatesville, Philadelphia, Lebanon and Lyons, New Jersey.

“In the past, getting a referral to a community hospital could be complicated, but we have simplified the process,” Moore said. “These people have put their lives on the line for their country. The last thing we should do is to make it difficult for them to receive healthcare.” VA services include medical, behavioral health, surgical, and complementary and integrative health services. Durable medical equipment and pharmacy services may also be provided when an immediate need exists.

Each veteran’s level of coverage and their required co-pays vary based on several factors, such as military service history, disability, income level and whether they qualify for Medicaid. For example, a veteran with full coverage could receive services at a VA facility without any out-of-pocket costs or a VA Community Care Network hospital when there is an extended wait time for an appointment.

Now, if the veteran can’t get an appointment within 30 days, the VA scheduler will ask the veteran whether they would like to be seen at a community hospital and will refer to a list of providers, Moore explained. The patient may, however, request their preferred provider.

In addition to participating in the VA Community Care Network, St. Luke’s 14 hospital campuses recognize those who have served in the military in various ways, such as having reserved parking spaces for veterans and placing magnets identifying them on the doors of their hospital rooms. This alerts the hospital staff so they can extend their appreciation for the veteran’s service.

Veterans and their loved ones can call 988 and press 1, chat online, or send a text message to 838255 to receive confidential support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you just want to talk, call the 24/7 Veteran Combat Call Center at 1 (800) 927-8387 to talk to another combat veteran.