“The Evolving Health Needs of the Post-9/11 Veteran Community”

On May 10, 2018, NYHealth hosted a conference to highlight the changes our country has experienced over the nearly 17 years it has been at war and discuss how those changes have impacted the health needs of the post-9/11 military and veteran communities.

Phillip Carter, J.D., Senior Policy Researcher at RAND Corporation, delivered the keynote speech, addressing the changing demographics of the post-9/11 generation of veterans; how these changes have impacted the health of veterans and their families; and what needs are still unmet within this community.

During a Q&A session, moderated by David Sandman, President and CEO of NYHealth, Mr. Carter weighed in on recent leadership changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), how philanthropy addresses the unmet needs of returning veterans, the role of private health care at VA, and the impact of an increasingly diverse military.

Following the keynote, the first panel, “Diversity and The Evolving Veterans Community,” discussed changing demographics within the veteran community, focusing on the specific roles and challenges of female veterans. Speakers discussed how the military and veteran communities have responded to the changing demographics, the specific obstacles and barriers to care experienced by these communities, and what has been working so far to meet these evolving needs. Melissa Bryant, Chief Policy Officer, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, moderated the panel of experts on military families and minority and women veterans:

• Danielle Corazza, National Outreach Coordinator, VA Center For Women Veterans
• Kathy Roth-Douquet, CEO, Blue Star Families
• Elizabeth Perez, Deputy Secretary for Minority Veterans Affairs, California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet)

Panelists shared their personal stories about navigating the military and veteran communities as women and minority veterans. They discussed the services offered by their respective organizations and addressed what else still needs to be done—and by whom—to ensure that the current and future health needs of an evolving veteran community are met.

The second panel, “Legal Resources and Challenges Facing the Newest Generation of Veterans,” explored how veterans are affected by new changes in the justice system, what resources are available to them, and what is needed to address unmet legal needs for veterans. Derek Coy, Veterans’ Health Officer, NYHealth, moderated the panel:

• Samantha Kubek, Equal Justice Works Fellow, LegalHealth
• Major General Butch Tate, Chief Counsel, Justice for Vets
• Kristopher Goldsmith, Founder and Chair, High Ground Veterans Advocacy

The panelists shared a combination of personal stories and expertise on the impact of military justice on the veteran community, how certain discharges prevent veterans from receiving benefits, what legal resources are available to women veterans, and how new innovations in the court system, such as Veterans Treatment Courts, are having a positive impact on veterans’ health.

Read the speaker biographies here.

Read an NYHealth-produced issue brief on Veterans Treatment Courts.

See an NYHealth-produced snapshot of New York State’s veteran population.