For the last several years, Christine Erspamer has worked for Optum Serve to support veterans and the federal agencies that in turn assist the military community.

 

Erspamer is attending TotalForce+, MOAA’s inaugural people-focused conference taking place Oct. 28-29 in National Harbor, Md. She’ll be a speaker on a panel about the health and wellness of military families and veterans. 

 

She spoke to MOAA ahead of the event about the importance of getting stakeholders in the same room, and how a healthy force is a ready force.

 

This interview was edited for length and clarity.

 

Q. What made you want to participate in TotalForce+?

A. Optum Serve is honored to be able to support the mission and objectives of MOAA and the TotalForce+ event. When we first heard about the event and what it would be about, we were really excited to support the people in our military and their families. We knew it was well-aligned with our mission —supporting the health and well-being of those that serve or have served — and so we knew that we wanted to be a part of the impactful event.

 

I’m excited to see how TotalForce+ can bring together stakeholders to think about how we can collectively provide better solutions and outcomes for servicemembers and their families. We have a great opportunity to learn from one another.

 

 

Q. How does Optum Serve support behavioral health solutions for servicemembers and veterans?

A. Optum Serve is proud to be able to support the VA with the administration of the Community Care Network in the eastern half of the country, which includes providing behavioral health care services.

 

We also support the Military Health System Nurse Advice Line to be a resource for triage and navigation 24/7 around the globe.

 

We also work to bring forward the industry’s best practices into the federal market.

 

Q. How does health care affect readiness among the all-volunteer force?

A. It’s really paramount. If a servicemember or their family members are experiencing any health issues, that servicemember is never going be their best selves and be ready if and when they get the call. Ensuring our force is medically ready is paramount to overall readiness and resilience.

 

We’re excited to learn more at TotalForce+ about how we can all work together to support the health and wellness of servicemembers and their families because of the impact that it will have on readiness.

 

[SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT: Special Forces Veteran, Former NFL Player Nate Boyer on Tackling the Transition]

 

Q. What big project is Optum Serve working on?

A. Optum Serve is focused on how we can help support the delivery of federal health care services. As a result, we did something we’re really excited about in the past year: We completed the second fielding of an ethnographic research project that explored how existing services for military [personnel] impact the health and health-seeking behaviors of servicemembers, their families, and veterans.

 

We want to share what we learn with all stakeholders that have a role in supporting this population so we can collectively develop solutions for their needs, and TotalForce+ is a great place to be able to share that information. We’re excited to bring that message about how health care extends beyond the doctor’s office and how it’s important to design health care solutions that center on the servicemember.