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Patient advocates

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VA Black Hills Health Care patient advocates help Veterans resolve problems and get the care they deserve. Find out how to connect with a patient advocate.
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The patient advocates at VA Black Hills are specially trained to help you resolve issues with your care. If you've experienced any problems that you haven't been able to resolve by talking with your care team, please reach out to one of our patient advocates. The Patient Advocate and Veteran Experience Program is established to promote positive experiences for all our Veterans. A fundamental value in VHA is for all Veterans and their families, who are served in or through VHA facilities and clinics, to have their priorities and needs addressed in a proactive, convenient, and timely manner.
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Connect with a patient advocate

Antonio Kelly
Fort Meade Patient Advocate
605-720-7179

Victor Irizarry
Hot Springs Patient Advocate
605-745-2060

Alternatively, you may contact us through e-mail using the VA National Inquiry Routing & Information System (IRIS).

Care we provide at VA Black Hills Health Care System

Our patient advocates work hard to make sure you receive the best possible care. They offer help with:

  • Patient concerns with the care team
  • Advocating for patient and family rights

Our Patient Advocate program seeks to personally give you and your family the security of knowing someone is available to focus on your individual concerns and rights as a patient. We work directly with all departments on your behalf and can address your questions, problems or special needs quicker. If you, or a Veteran you care for has not been able to resolve important issues related to VA through other means of communications, please contact one of our highly-skilled patient advocates listed below who will be eager to help you with your concern in a timely manner.

Patient Feedback Tools

VA Black Hills Heath Care System offers a number of feedback tools for you to provide information about your experience.  If you had an appointment with us, you may be selected to receive a questionnaire in the mail asking for your input.  The survey will come from Press Ganey. VSignals or the Survey of Health Experience of Patients (SHEP).  If you receive the survey, please take a moment to fill it out to let us know your concerns or questions you have about your care so that we may resolve them.  We also appreciate any compliments about what we are doing right.

We value your honest and constructive comments and use them to continuously improve our services. 

At VA Black Hills Health Care System, we care about all aspects of your care.  It is our goal to provide you with the exceptional care that you have earned and deserve.

Related Links
Related information
VA's patient advocacy program
Learn more about how patient advocates support Veterans at VA and what the process of working with one is like.
Patient rights and responsibilities
Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a patient at VA.
Rights and responsibilities of family members of Veteran patients
Learn about your rights and responsibilities as a family member who may be helping a Veteran make decisions about their care.