“As the COVID-19 pandemic made it increasingly difficult for veterans to access in-person healthcare services, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) quickly scaled its existing telehealth capabilities to accommodate more patients. Now, per several VA officials, the agency is planning to continue investments in and accessibility to its virtual health services even after the pandemic winds down.”
“At a June 23 Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and Subcommittee on Health hearing, witnesses representing different offices within VA shared how the agency overcame its initial scalability challenges and explained that the agency is looking ahead to continue telehealth efforts.”
“’VA’s early investment in virtual technologies … mobile and other connected applications and an extensive, multi-faceted telehealth program provided a solid foundation for VA’s agile and effective response to COVID-19,’ Jennifer MacDonald, chief consultant to the deputy undersecretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), said…”
“Alongside these early investments and workplace culture – and with funds from coronavirus relief legislation – VA was able to up investments in the tech needed to support telehealth. Investments in scalable video conferencing and bandwidth modernization poised the agency for both a sustainable expansion of telehealth and a vast increase in telework, as Jack Galvin, acting deputy assistant secretary for IT Development Security Operations at the VA Office of Information Technology, explained…” Read the full article here.
Source: At VA, Telehealth Efforts to Stay in Full Swing Post-Pandemic – By Katie Malone, June 23, 2020. MeriTalk.
