“I love it! On a scale of 1-10, I would give it a 15!” raved Air Force Veteran Robert Glass when asked about his experience using My HealtheVet. Like many Veterans, Glass enjoys using My HealtheVet to manage his health care.
“You can find everything you need to know, easily, quickly and concisely,” Glass said. “I have 25 prescriptions on one screen, and I can see all of them.”
Veterans can do a lot more with My HealtheVet than just manage their VA prescription refills online. Veterans can communicate directly with their health care providers using Secure Messaging, schedule appointments, and access their health records, including lab results and medical imaging, with just a few clicks.
“Really, it’s made me more of an active participant,” Glass said. “Instead of being a patient, I’m a team member and much more involved in my health care. I enjoy that!”
Air Force Veteran Robert Glass
Glass said that he logs into My HealtheVet every day and even has a special tab on his desktop that takes him directly to the portal. He uses My HealtheVet as his go-to source for medical information, managing prescriptions, and accessing care.
When he’s not scrolling through My HealtheVet, Glass is chief engineer of radio station WSSE in Colonial Heights, Virginia, hosting his own country show. He and his partner founded the radio station, which features some of the best music from the 60s, 70s and 80s, one year ago.
Additionally, every holiday season the jolly Veteran brings his vibrant and cheerful energy to the Richmond VA Medical Center in the role of Santa Claus. It’s a part he takes very seriously, with a professional suit and plenty of holiday cheer.
Things haven’t always been so cheery for Glass. He was diagnosed with bladder cancer in 2011, just two days before his wife passed away. Despite these unfortunate events, he’s successfully managing his health care with the help of My HealtheVet and his health care team.
Robert Glass and his late wife Beth
“My HealtheVet is a great benefit to me because I don’t need help to use it,” Glass said. “It’s self-help.”
Glass frequently finds himself communicating through Secure Messaging with his nurse and physicians, reporting they typically respond the same day or within 24 to 48 hours. He uses Secure Messaging for everything from logging his daily blood sugar and blood pressure readings with his nurse to troubleshooting missing prescriptions or issues with medical equipment.
Glass recalled when he recently logged onto My HealtheVet and noticed that one of his critical prescriptions had not been filled. He immediately alerted his nurse through a Secure Message and the medicine was promptly shipped to his home.
“I don’t know why every Veteran isn’t a part of My HealtheVet— it’s a no brainer!” Glass said.
Since signing up for My HealtheVet in 2016, Glass has convinced both of his sons, Air Force and Army Veterans, to start using the web portal.
Treva Lutes is a program specialist with the My HealtheVet National Program Office
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