Tune in October 11 for a Facebook Live Event with VFW!

Join VA’s Office of Connected Care and VFW on Friday, Oct. 11, at 12 p.m. ET for a Facebook Live event: Delivering Care to Rural Veterans When and Where It’s Needed.

Almost a quarter of all Veterans in the US (4.7 million) return from active military careers to reside in rural communities. Just 2.8 million enroll in VA. Veterans choose rural communities for a variety of reasons, but they may also experience rural health care challenges that are intensified by combat-related injuries and illnesses.

During the event, VA experts Dr. Leonie Heyworth, VA director of Synchronous Telehealth and Dr. Thomas Klobucar, executive director Office of Rural Health, will speak with Ryan Gallucci, VFW director of National Veterans Service, about how tools and technologies, including My HealtheVet, Telehealth and Mobile technologies, help deliver care to Veterans. They will discuss how these technologies deliver care when and where it’s needed. They will also discuss information about future enhancements of these tools and technologies.

Following the discussion, experts will answer questions from the live audience through the chat feature.

Participating in the event is easy:

Be sure to tune in. For those unable to attend at that time, the event video will be archived and available on the VHA and VFW’s Facebook pages for later viewing.

Topics in this story

Connected CareFacebook Liverural VeteransVFW

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12 Comments

  1. Hampton M. October 21, 2019 at 10:03

    I know how you feel cause I live 2 1/2 hours to closest VA outreach clinic. 3 1/2 hours to closest VA hospital. I have trouble getting care thru some VA Drs cause they leave and you get a Dr on tv…why??? Sometimes VA sends you thru TriWest and then VA codes consult wrong so you wait and fight to get the consult approved and see a Dr.
    Living rural or off grid you pay a price again for being a Veteran.

  2. Carol Douglas October 14, 2019 at 17:07

    We did not even get this newsletter until the 14th, so there was no knowledge of this event happening. Would of loved to attend.

  3. charles October 10, 2019 at 15:05

    It would be nice if we had a decent internet provider in our area. We live in AT&T area, but they won’t provide internet, in this area AT&T wireless broadband is so slow. The old telephone companies had to provide service to everyone no matter where they lived and I believe everyone paid a small fee for universal telephone service

  4. LUCILLE MYERS October 10, 2019 at 14:39

    I am a rural vet my nearest place is an hour away and the hospital is 2 hours. I use Choice or Mission Act or Triwest. I am struggling to get care. Now I learned that I can’t just call and get help I have to wait for weeks to get help. I am frustrated

    • Hampton M. October 21, 2019 at 10:02

      I know how you feel cause I live 2 1/2 hours to closest VA outreach clinic. 3 1/2 hours to closest VA hospital. I have trouble getting care thru some VA Drs cause they leave and you get a Dr on tv…why??? Sometimes VA sends you thru TriWest and then VA codes consult wrong so you wait and fight to get the consult approved and see a Dr.
      Living rural or off grid you pay a price again for being a Veteran.

  5. Victor Sellers October 10, 2019 at 12:40

    Then why were ALL of my medical records and other evidence for myself and my dependents withheld for 44 years, along with the benefits. I was deceived in 1971, 1972, all through the 1980s, 90s, into the 2000’s when I gave up any hope. I could only take so many lies. I filed for disability in 1983 and was immediately denied all benefits, but it was conceded that I was exposed to Agent Orange. I was hospitalized for almost a month in Vietnam for a skin disease of unknown origin along with many serious conditions, before being medivac’d out under the false reason of “URTICARIA SECONDARY TO CHLOROQUINE INGESTION “. That was a totally incorrect diagnosis. I left Great Lakes Naval Hospital in Chicago and was sent “ HOME AWAITING ORDERS “. After a month of waiting I was PCS’d to RSA Alabama, but first had to attend a second “ surprise “ Medical Board. I was never informed about it, was never given any records to review, was never assigned a PEBLO, even though I was a “ CODE:U “, never informed of any other options, never received and legal counseling or guidance. It was ordered in Vietnam that I was supposed to have “ OVER 120 DAYS RECOVERY TIME “ to stabilize, but I got none, and was never informed of it either. I had a Tropical Disease, Permanent Defects acquired in Vietnam, suffered a stroke on duty, heart damage, was physically dressed and carried out of the hospital after only one hour, never getting proper treatment. I deteriorated all the time on duty after Vietnam and for decades afterwards, but my evidence was intentionally withheld depriving me and my dependents of all forms of care and compensation. I was deprived of medical retirement, and the evidence that would prove it. I’m glad the VA is searching the countryside for vets that need help, but not at the expense of those that were documented as permanently disabled, yet denied justice.

  6. Deeno October 10, 2019 at 11:36

    Post to YouTube??

  7. Cj Jobb October 10, 2019 at 09:19

    I applaud the VA for implementing telemedicine. However, We also do not use facebook or twitter. We have Instagram for now. Maybe whoever is heading this up could look into offering it on multiple platforms. Realize that many people are not ok with the current tech giants and their censorship and data collection and are seeking alternate sites. You will miss many you are attempting to find as your target audience. Sincerely, CJ, PAc, (Navy wife and family practitioner in a rural area).

    • Victoria Panzer October 10, 2019 at 23:00

      Completely concur, why not use teleconference which can be absolutely free to participants, or at most a local telephone call. Many older adults and vets do not have facebook and/or have internet at home. But almost all have a telephone!
      Dr. Victoria Panzer.

  8. Rachel Mageo October 10, 2019 at 08:00

    Love the fact we have systems trying to reach us rural vets. However we are still crippled with the lack of support from internet companies who will not help facilitate secure access to ensure these systems are fully functional.

  9. Michael Lothrop October 10, 2019 at 07:06

    Dr. Robert R. Norvel in Atlanta Georgia has been instrumental in building and developing a Telehealth network for Veterans located around the southern V.A. area of VISN 7, which includes South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama.

  10. John Greer October 9, 2019 at 23:14

    To Whom it May Concern
    I do not have Facebook.
    John Greer

Comments are closed.

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