Abstract
The health care needs of veterans, especially those who have served in combat zones and their families are complicated, challenging, and interrelated. Physical limitations impact mental health, and mental health problems affect every aspect of adjustment to civilian life. Comfort theory offers a simple and holistic pattern for identifying needs, creating interventions to meet those needs, and evaluating the effects of those interventions. The aim of this article is to demonstrate how comfort theory has been applied throughout 1 Veterans Administration System to fulfill the goal of providing quality veteran-centric care. The application of comfort theory to daily patient and family care, discharge planning, and follow-up in various settings, as well as ways to enhance institutional integrity and branding are discussed.