Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dr. Tommy Sowers, recently visited the Cheyenne VA Medical Center to discuss how Veterans in Wyoming can serve as a national model for accessing programs and services available to them through VA.
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He stopped to talk to the local Cheyenne CBS affiliate, Channel 5, between meetings with VA leadership and local VSOs.
“We learned in the military that you have to get your boots on the ground to get a real clear understanding of what’s happening and what’s happening here in Cheyenne is just truly special. Their rural outreach is a model for VA’s across the country,” Sowers said in the interview.
While counties in Wyoming can tout a 60-70 percent VA health care enrollment rate among its Veteran population, Sowers would like to see those numbers increase. By expanding and perfecting the Wyoming-model of supplementing care for rural Veterans through tele-health and mobile Vet Centers he hopes to cut down on the amount of travel patients have to do across the country.
Find what VA is doing now to serve rural Veterans here.
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My experience with the VA health care system has been outstanding. That the VA is attempting outreach to rural vets should be applaude and supported. I live about 90 miles from the VA hospital and perhaps 70 miles from the CBOC. There is a local, small, town hospital and there is often large, motorhomes converted to specialty clinics that drive the 90 miles from the large hospitals to serve the folks in this area.That the VA can do the same thing would be great.
The telehealth is also a very useful tool. It can eliminate missed or even unnecwssary appointments. And a single call can avoid mistakes with patients confusing meds and doses.
Thank you.