For more than 10 years, Larry Wilson has been a bridge between Veterans and My HealtheVet, VA’s online patient portal. As a My HealtheVet Coordinator at Eastern Colorado VA, he spends his days helping Veterans navigate My HealtheVet and connecting them to their health care.
Working with Veterans comes easily to Wilson. After all, he spent 25 years serving as an Air Force medic. He also uses My HealtheVet for his own care.
“My HealtheVet gives Veterans freedom to take control of their own care. I love helping Veterans and their families communicate better, have a better experience at VA and bridge those gaps in communication,” he said.
Bridging communication
Wilson meets with Veterans virtually and in person to answer any questions and help them better understand My HealtheVet. Veterans sometimes ask him about a problem they’ve been having for years and he’s been able to solve issues sometimes within minutes.
Along with troubleshooting issues, Wilson encourages Veterans to take advantage of My HealtheVet’s tools and features. For his own care, Wilson uses the portal to refill his VA prescriptions. He also loves using the Secure Messaging feature to get in touch with his VA care team.
“I always tell people that I want to take the telephone out of business. I want everybody to use Secure Messaging,” he added.
Leading the way
There are more than five million Veterans with active My HealtheVet accounts. Since the portal’s launch 20 years ago, there have been more than 280 million prescription refills requested and 230 million secure messages initiated.
Wilson believes that My HealtheVet is “leading the way” for online patient portals.
“I think our Veterans get some of the best health care in the world. We have some of the best tools and, every day, I talk to Veterans who are pleased with VA and love My HealtheVet,” he said.
My HealtheVet is currently transitioning to VA.gov, which means that Veterans’ sign-in process may change. Wilson is excited for Veterans to have both their health care and benefits in the same place. To learn more about the transition, visit the VA website.
To learn more about My HealtheVet, visit the My HealtheVet homepage or talk to your VA care team.
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As a Black veteran, I’m speaking out about what’s happening at the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS). I’ve got a bone to pick with how they’re celebrating Larry Wilson, another Black vet who’s been working there for 10 years.
Look, I don’t want to trash Larry. He seemed like a cool guy when I finally got his number after months of asking. But here’s the thing – I think he’s dropped the ball on really helping us vets.
I’ve seen some stuff at ECHCS that’ll make your blood boil. And it’s not just me – I’ve talked to other vets who’ve been through hell and back trying to get decent care. We’re talking about meds being cut off without warning, getting our cars ticketed for no good reason, and being treated like dirt when we ask for help.
The so-called “patient advocate” system? It’s a joke. From what I’ve seen, they just erase our complaints and shuffle staff around like it’ll make our problems disappear.
I wanted Larry to stand up with me, to fight this mess. He used to call me a couple times a month, saying sorry and acting like he understood. But when push came to shove? He folded like a cheap suit.
Now, I’m not just pulling this out of thin air. There are VA Office of Inspector General reports that back me up. I’m talking about reports from late 2023 and 2024 that lay it all out. Don’t believe me? Look ’em up yourself: 22-02739-210, 23-02179-188, 23-01772-162, and check out the DVA-OIG ‘February 2024 Highlights’ while you’re at it.
These reports are saying what we vets have known for years – ECHCS is “undermining the culture of safety & respect for veterans.” That’s not me talking, that’s straight from the government’s mouth.
What gets me is how they’re patting Larry on the back for his 10 years there. I mean, what’s he been doing all this time? The same crap is still happening. Vets are still getting the short end of the stick.
I’ve sat and listened to other vets’ stories, and let me tell you, it ain’t pretty. We’ve had our meds yanked away without warning – I’m talking life-saving stuff here. We’ve been labeled as troublemakers just for speaking up about crappy care. And God help you if you’re a VA worker who tries to stand up for us – they’ll come after you too.
I’m not here to sugarcoat things or play nice. I’m here to tell it like it is. ECHCS has been giving us the runaround for years, and it’s time someone called them out on it.
I know I’m just one vet, but I’m speaking for all of us who’ve been put through the wringer at 1700 N. Wheeling Ave., Aurora, CO. That’s the ECHCS address, by the way – the place where respect for vets goes to die.
So yeah, maybe Larry Wilson’s done some good in his time. But from where I’m standing, celebrating his 10 years at ECHCS feels like a slap in the face to every vet who’s been mistreated, dismissed, or straight-up ignored.
I’m putting this out there because someone needs to say it. We swore an oath to uphold certain values when we served, and I’ll be damned if I stay quiet while those values are trampled on at the very place that’s supposed to be helping us.
To any vets reading this who’ve been through similar stuff – I see you. I hear you. And I’m not gonna stop fighting for us. To everyone else – don’t just take my word for it. Check out those OIG reports. See for yourself what’s really going on behind the doors of ECHCS.
It’s time for a change, and it’s long overdue. We deserve better, and it’s high time someone stood up and said so.
It is not a perfect world, so stop your whining…suck it in…From a Vietnam Veteran with two tours to hell and back.
Are you available week ends.
But not if you’re with one of the VA health centers that are using yet another different va website that has all sorts of issues. It took months and then magically I was able to log in pay week. But the page is difficult to see on a phone, it doesn’t work with the VA app, which is easy to read and operate on a phone.
Why can’t the VA get unified and just use the app that already works great? Why are people getting paid to reinvent things that are already available and working just fine? Why aren’t people being investigated and arrested and thrown in prison for wasting so much money on thes useless things that are already available?
I concur. It has been an extremely helpful tool in navigating and managing my health care needs and concerns.
i agree leave things that are working!
Thank you for your continued efforts to help and support Veterans.
Waiting over 120 days for a sleep apena test 100 percent disabled
Is a HealthVet coordinator available in the West Palm beach Florida area ???
I am a veteran. I’ve been one since 1995. It’s been my dealing. I’ve gotten poor healthcare doing the process of becoming a veteran. It took me from 1982 to 1995 to get what I have no backpay no compensation no good healthcare no Social Security benefits, just stuck with the VA and it has been a nightmare for me
Very commendable sir of your outstanding accomplishments.
Great to see you still serve our brothers and sisters .