“The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced it is teaming with the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (Foundation) to build new programs to enable VA oncology specialists to provide Veterans access to precision cancer care regardless of where they live.”
“The Foundation has committed to providing VA $4.5 million in grant funds over three years to help establish a national teleoncology center to more effectively reach Veterans living in rural communities.”
“The VA Center for Strategic Partnerships facilitated the grant, which will utilize VA’s telehealth infrastructure allowing Veterans access to teleoncology platforms under the Foundation’s Global Cancer Disparities Initiative. This will offer genetic counseling to Veterans who undergo sequencing and afford Veteran oncology patients a range of potentially life-saving clinical trials — even if they live a distance away from a VA medical center. Veterans enrolled in VA health care are two and a half times more likely to live in rural areas where access to specialty care is limited…”
“The program will support the delivery of best-in-class care, education and practice in collaboration with VHA’s existing precision oncology initiative which has had dramatic impacts for some Veterans and will now be available to all Veterans with advanced cancer…”
“The teleoncology program paves the way for VA and the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to enhance the capabilities of VA Video Connect, a platform that allows Veterans and their caregivers to meet virtually with their VA health care teams on any computer, tablet or mobile device with an internet connection. VA Video Connect is one of the largest and most successful digital health platforms in the nation and is currently responsible for conducting more than 20,000 virtual appointments each day.” Read the full press release here.
Source: VA, Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation deliver cancer care to Veterans via teleoncology – June 3, 2020. VA.
