Analysis of a Joint Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense Intensive Care Unit

摘要

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) and Wilford Hall Medical Center (WHMC) submitted a concept-proposal requesting funds from the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for a jointly staffed six-bed intensive care unit (ICU) at WHMC. The STVHCS can recruit and hire critical care nurses but has inadequate ICU bed capacity while WHMC has available ICU beds but insufficient nursing staff due to military deployments. The purpose of the research project was to analyze the ICU proposal to determine if it would meet the objectives outlined in the incentive fund concept-proposal. The researcher completed a detailed narrative business plan and business case analysis, which demonstrated that the project would be financially self-sustaining by the end of the 2-year funding. The STVHCS and WHMC should implement the joint ICU if incentive funds are awarded. The addition of a joint VA and DoD ICU at WHMC can meet the objectives of the incentive fund proposal by reducing diversions to community hospitals, maintaining the status of WHMC as a Level I Trauma Center, optimizing graduate medical education opportunities, and improving continuity of care for VA and DoD patients.