• Roughly 74 percent of veterans in North Carolina seek care from private sector health care providers or facilities.
  • Program offers free training for North Carolina health care professionals who may care for veterans.
  • BCBSNC rewards community-based primary care practices for taking the courses, which also count toward achieving continuing education credits.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) recognizes that service men, women and their families have unique health care needs, and is doing its part to ensure that veterans receive the tools, resources and treatment to tackle many common issues they face through its Red White and Blue NC program.

Nearly 74 percent of North Carolina veterans seek treatment at non-Veterans Affairs facilities[1], and medical professionals may not be aware of their patients’ military backgrounds. The program, which launched in 2014, is an educational effort that takes a two-part approach through the website RedWhiteandBlueNC.com. The website shares trusted resources and tools available to veterans and their families, and offers free training to the health care professionals across North Carolina. BCBSNC training opportunities teach doctors and hospitals how to better understand a patient’s military history and how to provide or direct appropriate care for veteran patients.

For veterans and their families: RedWhiteandBlueNC.com promoted to BCBSNC customers offers a comprehensive list of third-party-endorsed toolkits and resources for health care, living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other life issues like education, finding employment, parenting, and much more.

For health care professionals: BCBSNC collaborated with North Carolina Focus on Service Members, Veterans and their Families to develop a course curriculum that helps doctors and nurses better understand the common issues and health care concerns that veterans face. The military courses also count toward achieving continuing education credits.

 “Many of our service members, veterans and their families experience things we can’t anticipate or imagine, and they have needs others may not consider. Red White and Blue NC courses offer a perspective that health care professionals will find helpful to provide high quality care for our veterans across the state,” said Laurie Champagne, senior strategic advisor for BCBSNC and former Air Force nurse during the Gulf War. Laurie has participated in the program’s development since 2013.

Available course topics

 

 

Taking a Military History

 

Traumatic Brain Injury

Veterans Affairs 101

Assisting Veterans in Crisis

 

These trainings are online, require only basic computer skills, and are provided at no cost. Additional course topics currently in development include Military Family Issues, Issues Affecting Women and Do’s and Don’ts.

Community-based primary care practices are rewarded for taking the courses through BCBSNC’s value-based program, the Blue Quality Physicians Program. The program offers increased payments to practices for meeting a comprehensive set of high quality standards.

BCBSNC courses are available online on RedWhiteandBlueNC.com.


About BCBSNC:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is a leader in delivering innovative health care products, services and information to more than 3.84 million members, including approximately 1 million served on behalf of other Blue Plans. Since 1933, the company has served its customers by offering health insurance at a competitive price and has served the people of North Carolina through support of community organizations, programs and events that promote good health. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Visit BCBSNC online at bcbsnc.com. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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