What is PACT?
At the VA, we want our Veterans to get the best care possible.
Getting healthy starts with having a supportive health care team.
That's where your Patient Aligned Care Team, or PACT, comes in.
The PACT model was first introduced in 2010, at a time when the VA was looking for ways to transform how it provided care to Veterans.
To make it more proactive and patient-driven, they knew it had to start with how each patient received care.
And that's how the PACT model was born.
When you're a part of a PACT, you're in the driver's seat.
You work with a team of health care professionals to find the best treatment plans and whole-person care that fit you and your lifestyle
The PACT model focuses on four different components of care. These are:
Partnerships with Veterans.
Access to care.
Team-based care.
And, coordinated care among team members.
All four of these areas work together to make sure Veterans get the help they deserve as well as a plan for life-long health and wellness.
You are assigned to a PACT once you become a patient of any VA Sunshine Healthcare Network medical center or clinic.
Your PACT team includes a Primary Care Provider.
That might be a physician, advanced registered nurse practitioner or physician assistant.
A registered nurse care manager and other clinicians will also be on-hand to help.
Depending on the type of care you need, you may also work with a dietitian,
social workers, a pharmacist and/or a mental health professional.
Perhaps you're wondering: how is having a PACT better than working with just one doctor?
Having a team of people on your side means you have many people to talk to and go to with questions.
For instance, if you have a question about your medications, you don't have to see your Primary Care Provider.
You can speak with the pharmacist assigned to your team.
Or, if you have a mental health question, you can talk to the therapist who works with you.
If you need to see a specialist about a health concern, your PACT can find one that fits your needs.
Your team can also help you set appointments. They can arrange it so you see multiple providers in one day,
rather than having to spread them out over many days.
For that reason and many others, it's important to stay in close contact with your PACT.
You can reach any member of your PACT by phone.
Many VISN 8 facilities have business cards that list each team member's name and direct phone extension.
Ask for one. In many cases, patients can leave voicemails on the nurse line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Another way to chat with your PACT is through Secure Messaging on the MyHealtheVet website.
If you haven't registered for MyHealtheVet, go to www.myhealth.va.gov.
Click on the "register" button on the right-hand side.
Once you're registered, you can also use this secure website to see test results and other personal information.
You can request referrals and medication renewals.
You can also ask non-urgent, health-related questions.
If you're a Veteran and you haven't enrolled for VA health care, now's the time!
Go online to explore.va.gov/health-care. There you can find the VA medical center nearest you.
You can enroll online, in person, by phone or by mail.
Once enrolled and determined eligible, you will be assigned a PACT to help coordinate your care.
Get ready! You're on your way to personalized, whole-person care that will last throughout your lifetime.