Provided by Northern Virginia Veterans Association (NOVA Veterans)
Northern Virginia Veterans Association (NOVA Veterans) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit devoted to improving at-risk veterans’ quality of life and well-being by eliminating the barriers that prevent them from accessing critical healthcare and support services.
The latest research, Understanding Barriers to Accessing Healthcare & Associated Suicide Risk Factors for Vulnerable Veterans (June 2025), found that veterans—especially those who are elderly, disabled, low-income, or otherwise underserved—face both individual-level barriers (stigma, lack of information, technology challenges, physical limitations, social determinants of health) and systems-level barriers (transportation, appointment logistics, cost of care, complex registration, lack of education about services). These obstacles can compound over time, leading to hopelessness, declining health, and tragically, an increased risk of suicide.
In the last two years, with targeted grant support, NOVA Veterans:
- Supported over 525 veterans and family members, managing 1,926 veteran cases in healthcare, food, housing, transportation, utilities, and benefits.
- Delivered 3,480 hours of direct support through our holistic personalized care coordination model.
- Coordinated safe, reliable, and free transportation for medical and essential services.
- Partnered with 68 organizations and 131 community leaders to create system-wide solutions for healthcare access, technology, and transportation.
Nova Veterans’ Quality of Life Outcomes Survey shows that the veterans they serve report improved well-being, peace of mind, and the ability to access services they previously could not reach. But the organization needs to reach more veterans who don’t know about the organization, and secure financial support to expand life-saving programs.
Their holistic, personalized approach removes barriers such as stigma, transportation, cost, and complex systems, while reducing suicide risk and improving quality of life. Veterans in need, or community members wishing to support, can visit novavets.org or call (703) 659-0788.
