Veterans get life-saving cardiology care remotely

For rural Veterans, reaching a VA medical center can mean driving six hours or more. And when they’re in need of specialty care such as cardiology, telehealth can make all the difference.

Live-saving cardiology consult over the phone

When a Veteran in western Nebraska began having severe cardiac symptoms, he wasn’t sure he could get help in time. He didn’t have a strong enough signal for a video call but managed to connect by phone with VA TeleCardiologist Dr. Shawn Robinson.

“I don’t need my stethoscope all the time,” Robinson said. “When a Veteran tells me a certain series of symptoms, I know what the exam is going to be.”

What the Veteran described was serious—serious enough that Robinson quickly arranged care at the Denver VA Medical Center. Thanks to Robinson’s rapid intervention, the Veteran underwent life-saving bypass surgery.

The right care at the right time

For another Veteran, retirement meant freedom—traveling the country with his wife in a mobile home. But one day in Northern California, he began experiencing symptoms of a heart attack. His wife helped him connect via telehealth to Dr. Jerold Saef, the cardiologist managing his care. Saef immediately coordinated with the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, making sure the Veteran received the right emergency care with his complete medical history in hand.

Saef leads a team that provides care to Veterans from Montana to Oklahoma. “I enjoy what I do because I take care of Veterans where there would be no cardiology if I weren’t there,” he said.

Robinson and Saef use at-home and in-clinic telehealth technology to provide timely, expert care. When Veterans are at a local VA facility, providers can join the visit virtually and use tools like a remote stethoscope to assess the Veteran’s condition.

“Even big medical centers like in Cheyenne, Wyoming, can be without a cardiologist on staff at times, so we are called in,” said Saef.

Real connections through telehealth

Saef and Robinson each see up to 50 or 60 new Veterans per week through telehealth. They may never meet these Veterans in person, but they still develop a close relationship with each one.

“There is still a very tangible connection I make with the Veterans,” said Robinson. “Especially when we conduct visits in the office setting and the techs are involved. The Veterans are very satisfied.”

To learn more about TeleCardiology, Veterans can talk with their VA care team or visit VA Telehealth Services’ In the Clinic webpage.