National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
OCE Partnerships and COVID-19
VHA partnerships increase access to health care for Veterans during Coronavirus Pandemic
Expanding telehealth solutions to increase access to health care for Veterans has played a critical role in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical distancing guidelines changed the way VA provides care for Veterans on a daily basis and, as a result, telehealth visits through VA Video Connect increased by more than 1000% between February and May 2020.
Partnerships created by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have been a key factor in the success of telehealth in recent months, and new partnerships are continually being developed to bridge the digital divide for Veterans. VHA’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE) manages numerous partnerships that enable Veterans to receive direct, relevant resources to access health care. OCE recently published a roundup explaining how collaboration has benefitted Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.
OCE has also been instrumental in facilitating partnerships with companies like the Microsoft Corporation to increase Veterans’ access to VA online services and benefits. OCE and VA’s Offices of Connected Care, Rural Health, Telehealth Services, and Information and Technology work with Microsoft in this partnership, known as the Microsoft Airband Initiative. The partners help identify opportunities to bring broadband internet access to rural areas of the country with a high concentration of Veterans who have limited internet access.
VA also recently announced a new partnership with Apple, Inc., to expand VA’s iPad program, which provides qualifying Veterans with a cellular-enabled iPad to access telehealth services.
“Public-private partnerships augment the array of services available through VA,” said Dr. Tracy Weistreich, nurse executive for OCE. “We look forward to helping more nongovernmental organizations find creative ways to partner with VA in service to Veterans, particularly during these challenging times.”
To learn more about how OCE builds effective partnerships across VHA to support Veterans, visit: https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPARTNERSHIPS/partnerships.asp.
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Posted October 02, 2020
