Trinity Health Grand Rapids is First in State to Host Onsite Veteran Service Officer
June 19, 2023Categories: Health & Wellness
Pilot program focused on providing veterans better access to health services
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (June 20, 2023) – Trinity Health Grand Rapids is hosting an onsite Veteran Service Officer, former U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Mike Franks from the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA), to assist patients who are military veterans or family members with Veterans Administration (VA) benefits information. This one-year pilot program is the first in the state, with the goal of providing better access to care for military veterans and their families.
“We are grateful to partner with the MVAA and Mike Franks to provide high quality, culturally competent care for veterans and their families. Having Mike here on our campus will be a huge blessing and benefit to our own veteran colleagues and patients,” said Trinity Health Grand Rapids President Matt Biersack, MD. “Our team has started collaborating with Mike to learn about processes and connections we can make together to improve experience and patient care. We are eager to work together to help veterans and their families in our community.”
Franks was born at Trinity Health Grand Rapids and grew up in Cutlerville, Michigan. He served five years in the Marine Corps after graduating high school. He received his MBA in strategic management from Davenport University and is an accredited Veteran Service Officer.
“Trinity Health is growing their veterans’ program,” explained Franks. “They would like to provide better services, not only for their veteran employees but also their veteran patients that are here getting treatment.
“I will serve as a resource for people who need to check into their veteran benefits while one of their loved one is seeking treatment. I counsel and guide veterans on their eligibility for service-connected compensation benefits or non-service-connected pension benefits.”
One aspect of the benefits equation is called non-service-connected pensions for wartime-era veterans.
“They don’t necessarily need to have gone to war,” said Franks. “Maybe they find themselves with severe out-of-pocket medical expenses or maybe they’re in a skilled nursing facility or assisted living and have to pay out of pocket for in-home care.”
In those circumstances, Franks will counsel the veteran on what documents the VA needs to see and help them navigate the financial parameters and the application process, so that the VA can help pay for some of that cost of care.
There are more than 650,000 veterans in the State of Michigan. It’s estimated they miss out on $1.5 billion in unclaimed benefits they may not be aware they are qualified for due to their military service. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, just a little more than 20% of veterans in Michigan receive disability benefits. The goal of this pilot program is to connect veterans with the benefits they may have otherwise missed and to help remove barriers to accessing health care.
Franks encourages any patient or family member with questions about VA benefits or their military service to talk with him one-on-one. “Every case is different, and every question is different,” he said. “There are always multiple approaches to getting benefits.”
To learn more about services Trinity Health Michigan offers to veterans and their families, please visit our website.
About Trinity Health Michigan
Trinity Health Michigan is a leading health care provider and one of the state’s largest employers. With more than 24,000 full-time employees serving 29 counties, Trinity Health Michigan operates nine hospitals located in Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Howell, Livonia, Muskegon, Pontiac and Shelby, and two medical groups. The health system has 2,314 beds and 5,446 physicians and advanced practice providers. With operating revenues of $4.16 billion, Trinity Health Michigan returns $184 million back to their local communities each year. Together with numerous ambulatory care locations, home health and hospice agencies and 23 senior living communities owned and/or operated by Trinity Health, Trinity Health Michigan provides the full continuum of care for Michigan residents. Trinity Health Michigan is a member of Trinity Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the country serving more than 30 million people across 22 states. www.trinityhealthmichigan.org
About the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency
Created by Executive Order in 2013, MVAA’s mission is to be the central coordinating agency, providing support, care, advocacy and service to veterans and their families. The agency works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, state departments, county agencies, and community and veterans service organizations throughout the state. The agency operates the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center, a 24/7/365 call center in partnership with Michigan 211. By calling 1-800-MICH-VET (1-800-642-4838) veterans, family members and service providers can get information and access a comprehensive network of resources and services. Learn more at Michigan.gov/MVAA.