During the NAACP National Convention in Boston, the organization signed a memorandum of agreement with the United States Department of Veterans Affair's Center for Minority Affairs. The ceremony commemorated the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of the U.S. Armed Forces and outlined a plan to improve the quality of life for all our nation's veterans, including minorities. On the day of the signing, GBH's All Things Considered host Arun Rath spoke with Veteran's Affairs Press Secretary Terrance Hayes. This transcript has been lightly edited.
Arun Rath: So tell us a bit more about this memorandum of agreement. You've just signed this today, right?
Terrance Hayes: Absolutely. It was a historic signing ceremony, and it's something that we call a first step in a collaboration between our two great organizations that will help us increase the number of Black veterans enrolled in VA health care, increase awareness of VA benefits and services among Black veterans, and increase recruitment of culturally competent providers at VA.
Rath: I'd like you to talk a bit more about the VA's efforts to improve the quality of life for minority soldiers. You know, the armed forces were one of the first institutions to integrate, but obviously the integration was problematic. Tell me about where we have been and where we need to go.
Hayes: Yes. Just this past week, we commemorated the 75th anniversary of the integration of our armed forces. So this is very important to us. One of the things that we have historically been challenged with is the disparities of benefits for Black and brown veterans. Again, this agreement between VA and the NAACP will only help us collaborate together to ensure that we are delivering on our promise to every single veteran who comes to VA, and that's to receive equitable care and benefits that they have earned.
Rath: How does the collaboration work? Is it simply a matter of getting word out to the veterans of what they are entitled to?
Hayes: Yeah, I think it's much more than that. This is a partnership and it's going to be a critical partnership that will allow us to hear from the NAACP leadership, but also veterans who go to the NAACP, or the NAACP serves as their advocates. It's going to help us eliminate these barriers and inequities in care for these historically underserved individuals. This is big time. I'm a Black veteran myself and this is very personal to me. To be able to collaborate and work lockstep with the NAACP is only going to strengthen our relationship with all Black veterans and brown veterans across this country, because we know that they have served our country exceptionally well and now it's our turn in the VA to ensure that we deliver the benefits and health care that they deserve.
Rath: There's one of the particulars of this, which is fascinating: Can you talk a bit about how the diverse makeup of hospital staff has an effect on the quality of care patients receive, and what you're trying to do there?
Hayes: Absolutely. We know data shows this, and this is across every single hospital system across this country: When a patient receives care from an individual who may look like them, their care is better. So what we are trying to do, again, is work with organizations like the NAACP to help us be able to identify ways that we can hire the best of the best across this country so we can fill in those gaps for every single veteran who comes to VA for their health care. At the end of the day, we know that when veterans come to VA for their health care, their outcomes are better. So what we want to do is ensure that our staff, our frontline clinicians, and our frontline workers at our hospitals represent everything that our veterans represent. We want to make sure that our veterans have that fully available to them each and every time they come to visit.
Rath: You mentioned that you're a Black veteran yourself, and I'm curious to know about your own experience when you were discharged. How much of a sense did you have of your benefits, and how much have you seen things change over the years?
Hayes: Yes, sir. I departed the military in 2016 when I retired after 20 years. It's definitely a learning curve once you actually take the uniform off. I'm continuing to learn the wealth of things that are available at VA and I'm a consumer of VA health care. I truly believe that we have some exceptional physicians, clinicians, nurses and frontline workers at our facilities. What I want to do is educate as many veterans as possible of what is available to them. So again, to any veteran listening to this program and you may have an interest in VA health care, please go to va.gov To find out more information on how you may be able to enroll in our health care system.
Rath: Terrance, it's been a pleasure talking with you about this. Thank you so much.
Hayes: Thank you for having me again, Arun.
