Story by Megan Cain
Transcript:
Marine Corps veteran Allen Smith has been at the Durham VA Medical Center for close to a week, recuperating from double knee replacement. But when he meets with his care team, they do more than just record his pulse or his blood pressure or the number of steps he takes in physical therapy. They also record his life story.
“I’m gonna get really close to you, if that’s okay with you.”
Just before lunch time, program coordinator Yves Marie-Dalley scooches her chair closer to Smith in his hospital room. He’s in his wheelchair. She holds a small audio recorder. He talks about fighting in the jungles of Vietnam and a close encounter with Agent Orange.
“Agent Orange about got me. They spray it on like mist in the rain. It about killed everybody over there. They’re still dying from it. But I’m still here. I don’t know for how long, but I’m still here. I’ll be 70 in December,” Smith said.
More than a thousand veterans are sharing stories like this as they pass through VA medical centers around the country. It’s part of a program called My Life, My Story. Dr. Christine Emler helps lead the project at the Durham VA. She says the project is all about creating connections similar to those made during active duty.
“And then when they come back, a lot of times that’s missing. And so how do we build that bond, that sense of belonging, and My Life, My Story is one way to do that.” Emler said.
The Durham VA has enlisted volunteers to ask veterans if they would like to tell their stories. They sit with patients in the VA for an hour and talk about their lives.
Mara Shurgot is one of the volunteers. In the eight months she’s been doing it, she’s heard stories of courage under fire, of lost comrades who never made it home and inspiration from a military pioneer who was one of the Army’s first African-American nurses.
“When you’re speaking with somebody who has jumped out of a plane, in the middle of the night, during a conflict, who left their family, left their friends, traveled all over the world, it’s just a very humbling experience,” Shurgot said.
But there’s more to this project than just recording these memories for posterity. The VA hopes that by hearing veterans stories, doctors can provide better care. The stories are transcribed, summarized and included in the patient’s medical record. There, doctors like Christine Emler can read it – and get to know the person they’re treating beyond a diagnosis.
“Did it change how I treated his blood pressure? Probably not. But it brought us closer,” Emler said.
Emler says a lot of patients are surprised when they’re asked about their life stories.
As the largest health system in the country, the VA isn’t known for personalized care. The agency has spent years trying to reform itself after revelations that some veterans waited months for appointments and had to jump through numerous hoops before receiving care. According to an official VA report released in 2015, nearly 300,000 veterans died before making it through the process.
Emler says My Life, My Story is a small part of the larger initiative to change the VA’s culture.
“These stories cause you to take a deep breath and look at the patient and really understand who they are and remember why most of us went into healthcare in the first place, which is to make a difference in people’s lives,” Emler said.
“I’ve got two daughters and a son. Each one of my daughters has got three children. So altogether there’s four boys and two girls,” Smith said.
By the time Allen Smith’s interview was done, he had spoken about his three marriages, years of work at a chemical company, and his transition back to civilian life while battling PTSD.
He also took the time to mention how interactions like these at the VA made him feel.
“I mean, they treat me good as gold,” Smith said.
My Life, My Story is active in 25 VAs and is expanding to all VAs across the country.
