Health

In the aftermath of World War One the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was truly conceived as a population health system, not just a clinical system, but a system that provided jobs and vocational training and help for families and help for military children.  It was really trying to get at that larger vision of “this is how you help Veterans re-adjust and how you build stronger families.  This works across generations”. says Dr Kudler.  But in the years since WW1, the US has stepped away from that broader vision.

On average 20 American Veterans die by suicide every day.  14 of those 20 are not in the VA health system.  So what is going wrong?    Dr Kudler says…   “No matter how good our clinical services are, we’re not going to solve the problem of Veteran suicide in a clinical mode.  Can’t do it. So what’s needed is a population health approach to Veteran Mental Health”.

In this very engaging talk with Service Voices, Dr Kudler covers many issues of Veteran Health… issues that have a resounding similarity to Australian Veterans.

Note:     Associate Professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University, USA, Harold Kudler MD is Adelaide’s Northern Communities Health Foundation Visiting Professor of 2019, about veteran wellbeing.

Producer Helen Meyer

Be listening at 6pm on Monday 25.11.19 when we play the last part of Dr Kudler’s talk:  Creating connecting points in the Community to improve Veteran Health.

Photo:

Dr Harold Kudler   Photo obtained from Veterans SA

Remembrance Day, Shrine of Remembrance, Melbourne, on 11 November 2019, to commemorate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Defence Image Library  Remembrance Day is a time to not only commemorate those killed in the First World War, but all Australian servicemen and women who have fought and died in war, conflict and peacekeeping missions.  Australian Defence Force personnel continue to serve on operations serving Australia’s national interests at home and in many countries around the world.