CONNECTED CARE
MESSENGER BLOG
AUGUST 30, 2018
 
BY TREVA LUTES
 
Veteran Volunteer's Mind Put at Ease Thanks to My HealtheVet
 
By Connected Care Communications
 
George Robert, a U.S. Army Veteran, spends his retirement volunteering with Veterans at the Hollywood VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic, located in Hollywood, Florida.
Robert has spent over eight years helping Veterans register for My HealtheVet accounts and educating them about the benefits of the website.

"I'll tell you what, volunteering is the best thing I've done with my life," Robert shared.

My HealtheVet offers Veterans a host of services, including direct communications with their clinicians using Secure Messaging, prescription refills, online appointment scheduling and access to view, download and share their VA health records. However, many Veterans are still wary and reluctant to sign up for the service due to technology barriers. This is where volunteers like Robert are truly making a difference.
 
"There are lot of Veterans who ignore technology and rely on their spouses or kids," Robert said. "We want to encourage them to feel more comfortable with technology and to use My HealtheVet."
George Robert, a U.S. Army Veteran, spends his retirement volunteering with Veterans at the Hollywood VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic located in Hollywood, FL.

In an upcoming Veteran education program next month, volunteers enroll 12
Veterans at a time into a 10-week program called "Computer Basics for Older Adults," and teach them everything from navigating the internet, to using email and social media. The class is especially designed for Veterans ages 60 plus. It meets twice a week for an hour and a half and moves at a comfortable pace.

"We start by turning on the computer," Robert noted. Having had a career in application development using Microsoft products, Robert finds that the usability of My HealtheVet is straight forward enough for anyone to use, tech savvy or not. Its user-friendly home screen makes it easy for Veterans to find the tools and information that they need.

Robert knows the importance of having such an interactive platform for your health all too well. On a recent Friday afternoon, Robert arrived at a volunteer event where he put on a name tag. After three hours, he headed home and removed his badge to find a warning label instructing user not to wear the badge with a pacemaker. Feeling alarmed, Robert sat down at his computer and sent his cardiologist a Secure Message describing what had happened. Within minutes, his care team called to put his mind at ease and schedule an appointment for that upcoming Monday.

"My care team addressed it immediately, so I had a worry-free weekend. On Monday, they checked me out and made sure everything was ok," he said. "Electronically, you can't get a message to a doctor's desk faster, more complete, or more accurately than through Secure Messaging."

To learn more about My HealtheVet visit   https://www.myhealth.va.gov/
—Connected Care Communications
My HealtheVet My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, Veterans