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Q&A
Council member inquires about VNS Health's veteran services and funding
2:06:22
ยท
97 sec
Council Member Robert Holden engages in a Q&A session with Contessa Officer about VNS Health's veteran services. They discuss the current funding, number of veterans served, and the potential impact of increased funding.
- VNS Health currently serves 1,500 veterans with $170,000 in funding
- Officer suggests they could double their impact with $500,000 in funding
- Discussion highlights the need for more resources to expand their team and services
Robert Holden
2:06:22
Thank you, Contessa.
2:06:23
By by the way, you you said you served 1,500 veterans
Vickie Paladino
2:06:27
Yes.
Robert Holden
2:06:27
With a with a funding of a hundred and 70,000.
Contessa Officer
2:06:30
Yes.
2:06:31
We make it work.
Robert Holden
2:06:32
I don't know how.
2:06:33
So how many could you serve for 500,000?
Contessa Officer
2:06:39
I would say we could serve, you know, double that.
2:06:44
You know, we have a small team of five.
2:06:47
However, we're tenacious, we're ambitious, and we're always looking at ways to be more effective.
2:06:54
We reach out to all the veterans that are identified at VNS Health.
2:06:58
We call them, we speak with either the veteran or their caregiver and we really assess what their needs are, not just connecting them to the VA but to health care, right?
2:07:10
So if we had more funding, we would be able to build our team, we would be able to do more projects.
2:07:17
We go to the homes, we have care packages, that we give to the veterans, we spend time with them, but we're such a small team that we can't do that, you know, at the at the in the capacity that we would
Vickie Paladino
2:07:30
want Yeah.
Robert Holden
2:07:31
It's obvious.
2:07:32
So so So
Contessa Officer
2:07:32
the will is there.
2:07:33
We just need the money.
Robert Holden
2:07:36
Show me the money.
2:07:37
Right.
Contessa Officer
2:07:37
Show me the money.
Robert Holden
2:07:38
Well, that's what again, that's it with all the wide ranging services you're offering our veterans, it seems to me like a good investment.
Contessa Officer
2:07:48
Absolutely.
2:07:49
It's the best investment.
2:07:50
The veterans would say so as well.
2:07:52
They they cannot believe that when they're getting health care, somebody actually cares about the fact that they were a veteran.
Robert Holden
2:07:59
Right.