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Patient-Centered Care Is All About YOU!
 As we become a more people-centric organization, patient-centered care will be emphasized. It is not a fixed set of guidelines, but rather an approach that recognizes your unique needs, preferences, and wishes.
Patient-centered care means:
- You will be treated with dignity and respect.
- You will be actively involved in all aspects of your care.
- You will receive treatment from a highly trained staff, who are experts in their respective fields.
- You will be provided with and encouraged to seek information about your illness and treatment options.
- We will respect your right to make informed decisions regarding treatment options and outcomes.
- We will strive to maximize your comfort and privacy in waiting and treatment rooms and to minimize outside distractions and noise.
- We will openly communicate with you and your family everything that pertains to your health and well-being, and address any questions and concerns you may have.
A key feature of providing patient-centered care is implementation of our Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT). Partnering together to plan and make decisions that focus on whole-person care is the first step towards life-long health and wellness. This is personalized care to meet your individual health care goals. It is comprehensive, as it looks at all aspects of health. It is positive, as it focuses on health as opposed to disease. It is proactive, as it emphasizes wellness, prevention, and health promotion.
With PACT, you have many ways to access VA health care. In addition to personal visits with your primary health care provider, you may schedule visits with other members of your team such as the nurse, clinical pharmacist, behavioral health specialist, and social worker. You also have access to a wealth of information on the Internet through My HealtheVet (www.myhealth.va.gov).
In short, a PACT is a partnership between you and your VA health care team to make sure you receive whole-person, personalized care that meets your individual health care goals. This is our PACT with you —to deliver excellence in every aspect of your care. Patient-centered care and Patient Aligned Care Teams are just a couple of the many ways VA is "Defining EXCELLENCE in the 21st Century."
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