About

Mission

Penn Medicine is privileged to deliver excellent care to our nation’s veterans. We are committed to ensuring that these employees and patients are aware of and have access to the special services Penn Medicine offers in support of a personalized health care experience and have support navigating the complex Veterans Affairs healthcare system.

Charter

Establish governance to guide the existing and continued growth and development of Penn Medicine’s programs and services for veterans.

Goals

  1. Ensure Consistency: Create a consistent intake process to understand specific veteran needs to ensure they are connected with appropriate resources.
  2. Enhance Access: Provide awareness of available key programs and services.
  3. Facilitate Navigation: Develop relationships and provide connections for veteran employees and patients to programs across Penn Medicine.
  4. Support Communication and Community Building: Develop a community of veteran employees through regular communication.

Veterans Care Excellence Program Liaison

Meet Paula Crawford Gamble, CRNP, CAPT, NC, USN (Ret.)

Paula Crawford Gamble posing with service dog Dollie, a black lab

As the Veterans Care Excellence Program Liaison, CAPT Paula Crawford Gamble reviews the Veterans Care Program services and answers any questions that you might have. Her goal is to help veterans understand what services are available so that they can take advantage of these programs.

CAPT Crawford is a native of Philadelphia, PA. She received her BSN from Sonoma State University in 1978 and her MSN from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 1985. She earned her post-master's in Nursing in 1993. She completed Flight Nursing at the School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas, in 1996.

CAPT Crawford has been an adult nurse practitioner since 1993. Her professional experience includes Director of Perioperative Services, Operating Room Nurse Manager, and Nursing Faculty. Her most recent assignment, prior to serving as the Penn Medicine Veterans Care Excellence Liaison, was as a nurse practitioner and Director of Advanced Practice and Education on the trauma team at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health.

Contact CAPT Crawford by emailing Paula.Crawford-Gamble@pennmedicine.upenn.edu or calling 215-804-6362.

VCEP Advisory Board

The VCEP Advisory Board works alongside the VCEP Steering Committee to provide broad perspective on veterans’ issues—including health issues and government policies and procedures—to promote the alignment of VCEP and VA activities, programs, and initiatives. Meet additional members of the VCEP team.