VA Telehealth Services Served Over 690,000 Veterans In Fiscal Year 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that its national telehealth programs served more than 690,000 Veterans during fiscal year 2014. That total represents approximately 12 percent of the overall Veteran population enrolled for VA healthcare, and accounted for more than 2 million telehealth visits. Of that number, approximately 55 percent were Veterans living in rural areas with limited access to VA healthcare. With more Veterans seeking health care, telehealth is rapidly becoming an attractive option, especially for those Veterans who don’t have a VA health care facility close to home.

“We have to adapt to meet Veterans wherever their needs are,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “A brick-and-mortar facility is not the only option for health care. We are exploring how we can more efficiently and effectively deliver health care services to better serve our Veterans and improve their lives. Telehealth is one of those areas we have identified for growth.”  

Currently, there are more than 44 clinical specialties offered to Veterans through VA’s telehealth programs. One program at the Miami VA schedules close to 90 clinic connections every week for dermatology, eye exams, the women Veterans program, podiatry, mental health and other clinical specialties.

One tangible example of the success of VA’s telehealth program is its burgeoning TeleAudiology program because of large population of Veterans living with hearing loss. The TeleAudiology program has grown from 1,016 Veterans in fiscal year 2011 to more than 10,589 in fiscal year 2014.

For more information about VA’s telehealth program, visit www.telehealth.va.gov/.        

Source:http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2646

Put action behind empty veterans honors

Do folks personally apologize for the way Vietnam veterans were treated, being spit on after returning from a war they didn’t start? How do folks assist veterans suffering from poisoining in Vietnam by Agent Orange, the chemical the public was told would do no harm to humans, who are on oxygen?

Who helps the World War II veterans we see returning from the Honor Flights when they need snow shoveled or lawns mowed, ensures they receive one nutritional meal every day or takes them to a doctor or vision appointment?

Continue Learning>>>http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/story/opinion/2014/08/05/put-action-behind-empty-veterans-honors-column/13610825/

Veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam still ‘serving his country’

His Army career started when he was 17 years old. It included World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

"It was at the very end of World War II, when I started"” Geisel said. "I enlisted; didn’t get to go into combat (in World War II), but I served in Korea and then tours in Vietnam. I went there the first time in 1962, and then again in ’66 and ’68"”

Geisel’s first tour was at the beginning of the U.S. military’s involvement in Vietnam, and his second and third tours of duty came at the height of the war’s escalation.
Geisel served with the Army’s 25th Infantry Division as a combat engineer.

"We were all over south Vietnam"” said Geisel, of his second and third tours of duty. "A lot of people claimed we weren’t there, but we were in Cambodia"”

Continue Learning:  http://www.americanhomecomings.com/news/2013/11/11/veteran-of-world-war-ii-korea-and-vietnam-still-serving-his-country/

World War II veteran who survived Bataan Death March, built legacy of hope dies in Ill. at 105

“Doc” Brown was nearly 40 in 1942 when he endured the Bataan Death March, a harrowing 65-mile trek in which 78,000 prisoners of war were forced to walk from Bataan province near Manila to a Japanese POW camp. As many as 11,000 died along the way. Many were denied food, water and medical care, and those who stumbled or fell during the scorching journey through Philippine jungles were stabbed, shot or beheaded.

“The underlying message for today’s returning veterans is that there’s hope, not to give in no matter how bleak the moment may seem,” added Moore, whose nephew just returned from military duty in Afghanistan. “You will persevere and can find the promise of a new tomorrow, much like Doc had found.”

Brown’s account described the torment that came about every mile as the marchers passed wells U.S. troops dug for natives but weren’t allowed to drink from once they became prisoners. Filipinos who tried to throw fruit to the marchers frequently were killed.

Brown remained in a POW camp from early 1942 until mid-September 1945, living solely on rice. The once-athletic man — he lettered in baseball, football, basketball and track in high school — saw his weight whither by some 80 pounds to less than 100 by the time he was freed. Lice and disease were rampant.

The Source