Joseph Buais onboarded as a Red Coat Ambassador in 2019 during the early inception of the program. He has been instrumental in recognizing opportunities and process improvements related to connecting and caring for Veterans.

 

Joseph collaborated with leadership and his co-workers to create a pocket phone roster to assist in maintaining connections with departments and locations.Implementing the pocket phone roster has allowed the Red Coat Ambassador staff to assist Veterans more efficiently resulting in a 70% reduction of late arrivals to their appointments. 

 

He also has been instrumental in assisting Veterans who present in severe crisis or need, and when Veterans arrive to the clinic, he greets each one with a friendly smile, warm reception, and a willingness to assist. He personifies the VA “Own the Moment” values. As an example, when a quadriplegic patient arrived at the facility in soiled clothing, Joseph intuitively notified the proper personnel, coordinated with the appropriate staff to secure a room with a shower and ensured clean clothing was provided to the Veteran. Then, he “Guided the Veterans Journey” by escorting the Veteran to scheduled appointments, ensuring clinical visits were an exceptional experience. 

 

During his entire time as a Red Coat Ambassador at the Columbia VA Health Care System, he has set the standard for his peers and has made countless positive impacts on our Veterans. His continued demonstration of the ICARE values leaves a lasting and positive impression of the VA for Veterans, family members, employees, and community partners. Joseph connects and cares for each Veteran he interacts with to determine the destination and location of their appointment(s). He receives numerous accolades for making spot-on assessments.