Creating delightful Veteran experiences with VA’s digital tools—and meeting Veterans where they are so they can spend more time doing the things they truly love—was the topic of VA’s DigitalVA Expo held on June 29. The event attracted a record-breaking crowd with nearly 25,000 tuning in virtually to hear how VA is transforming end-user experiences and what’s coming next.
Did you miss it? Check it out now, including remarks by VA Secretary Denis McDonough and presentations by additional VA and Veterans Service Organization leaders. The DigitalVA Expo was held at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Co-hosted by VA’s Office of Information Technology and Veterans Experience Office, the Expo served a dual purpose:
- In one building, Veterans attended a job fair with public and private sector businesses looking to hire tech talent.
- At the main campus venue, speakers and panel participants shared VA’s vision for an exceptional digital experience for Veterans.
The event kicked off with opening remarks by Secretary McDonough, followed by a joint presentation featuring Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer Kurt DelBene, along with Chief Technology Officer Charles Worthington.
They articulated the vision for the Veteran’s digital experience—making it easy for Veterans to find, apply for, and use the benefits and health care they’ve earned and deserve.
Watch to learn what high-visibility and key projects are happening, including a redesigned VA.gov website, the evolution of VA’s chatbot answering Veteran questions in real time, expanded telehealth technologies deployed during the COVID pandemic (that are still bringing services to where Veterans are), and how and why Veterans are embracing VA’s Health and Benefits mobile app, launched for smartphones one year ago.
Underscoring the deeply personal connection VA employees have with Veterans they serve, Secretary McDonough introduced the video trailer of “Beyond the Uniform: Vets Driving VA Digital Experiences.” In the video, Veterans share their own stories, giving an up-close and personal view of how increased integration, accessibility and expanded digital options are greatly improving their day-to-day lives.
In the panel discussions, more leaders from across VA and various Veterans Service Organizations explored the many and varied ways technology can improve Veteran interactions—with VA, with their caregivers, and with each other. The open forum to discuss Tech Highlights and the challenges and opportunities of Bridging the Digital Divide gave the audience insight into what initiatives are bringing technological progress and improvements to the Veteran population.
After the event, one attendee shared, “I’m impressed with VA’s leading role in the digital transformation of Federal Government.”
Check out the DigitalVA Expo recording to watch the presentations and learn more about how VA is using the latest technology, and why that’s working to continually enhance and improve the Veteran experience.
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I have been waiting for higher level reviews since December of 2022, I check the VA App which only works part of the time. It doesn’t update much.
I live in Thailand and it took until recently to get an exam for hypertension under the Pac Act but I have to fly one hour to Bangkok and get a hotel for the exam even though my diagnosis and measurements were done by a doctor at VA Medical centers in California many many times and I sent those results to the VA. I have been treated with medication for it since 2015. They waste my time and money and my guess is they will do me like they do others, yes you have hypertension so we will give you 0%.
When I called the VA many times to check the status of my Spouse claim, they never once told me of missing documents that I know I UPLOADED. In fact on the VA App finally all check marks were green after my call to the VA on July 6, 2023. On that call they told me they were missing my proof of marriage which I know I sent but I uploaded them again in Thi and English. They never said I was missing the page on the application (that you are instructed to leave blank if your new wife had never been married. They said on my denial letter that they had requested it on April 6th but I could not even find it on VA.Gov. So after 7 months of waiting and calling, I must do it all over again for a missing blank page. I would have been delighted to send them a blank page. Incidentally, the Thai marriage certificate clearly says that we both met the qualifications for marriage which means she was not married. Lets see I searching for a word here, Bullsh—t. When I have called the VA to see what is happening with higher level reviews, they act like it is the first they have heard.
Even the International schedulers knew what my higher level reviews were for but have been telling me since April 2023 that they haven’t received anything from they VA. What is wrong with the VA, incompetence, lack of care, too busy with Gulf War Vets, or Viet nam was so long ago maybe I will die before they have to give me anything. After all, I have Parkinson’s from Agent Orange now and my clock is nearing midnight. I don’t now, are the hungry ambulance chasing Lawyors any help or just to take most of your bone the VA trows at you.
Why can’t you govern and control VA facilities that provide poor health care and the stop the bullying and disrespect of veterans ? We write you… we call you… we get no return communication ! Veterans are being mistreated and your worried about tech games. Worry about the promise you made to veterans to provide them with adequate health care. And when they call you with hopelessness and sadness answer their calls for help, show you care by actually helping the vet, return their calls and fix their problems instead of protecting the people who mistreat and deny veterans the correct health care. I’ve been denied specific neurological appointments for over 2 years and I’m priority 1 100% service connected diagnosed with MS for 40+ years but I have been ignored and my health has been in great decline for almost 4 years. I can’t even get paid travel pay for all the red tape and blame game !!!! It’s shameful and depressing but you continue protecting the guilty and allowing vets like me to be treated worse than animals !!!!!! You want to know why the suicide rate is so high for veterans ? They reach out for help and no one helps. We call, we email and we get no help !!!! If your a veteran and your not receiving the correct and timeful care you physically suffer. If it continues you start to mentally suffer. Your supposed to makes up better but by delayed treatment, ignored treatment and denied treatment we get worse. When a veteran comes to you for help diligently investigate instead of taking your employees words. You might discover your staff lies and your veterans have legitimate issues !!!!!!
I am a 100 disabled veteran. RET. US Nvy in 1997. I would really love to get trained in something like this. Just can’t get anyone to help me.
I am also a 100% disabled veteran US Army 03. I would also love to get trained in something like this too, however I too can’t get anyone to help me.