The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) in collaboration with the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) has chosen Hope Network Rehabilitation Services as a contractor for their “Assisted Living Traumatic Brain Injury Pilot Program.” Implemented in 2008, the VA’s AL-TBI Pilot Program was developed to assess the effectiveness of providing assisted living (AL) services to eligible veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) by identifying private health care agencies to join the continuum of existing VA services.
“We are honored to be one of the selected by the Veterans Health Administration for such an important purpose,” says
Margaret Kroese, Vice President and Executive Director of Hope Network Rehabilitation Services. “Traumatic brain injury is a significant diagnosis that is most successfully treated in one’s community. We are excited that the VA is making so many efforts to help brain injured veterans to find services close to home.”
Hope Network’s agreement with the VA allows them to provide brain injury services to veterans at their Coldwater, East Lansing, Grand Rapids, and Kalamazoo locations. Each campus offers a
spectrum of expert care appropriate for each veteran’s needs; from comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation services to periodic support at home.
Prior to the AL-TBI Pilot Program, many veterans would have to travel far from home and family to receive the care they need. With the impact of traumatic brain injury, this often compounded an already disruptive circumstance. The AL-TBI Pilot Program now gives access to specialized providers across the country, allowing more opportunities for veterans to find care they need much closer to home and family.
“This is an opportunity for us to give back to individuals who’ve given so much for our country,” says Kroese. “I can’t think of a better way to show them our thanks than to help them overcome the impact of their brain injury and help them reintegrate back into civilian life with their loved ones. They deserve nothing less than the best care that can be provided.”