VA unveils national over-the-phone emergency care option for veterans

Veterans Affairs officials have expanded their new tele-emergency care network to include all veterans across the country, giving individuals who are unsure if they’re facing an urgent health problem another option to receive medical advice.

The system is not designed to replace 911 calls or emergency room visits for veterans who are seeking immediate, life saving help, department leaders said. But the tele-emergency options can provide answers for medical questions from veterans who are worried they may be heading towards an emergency situation and are unsure of what to do next.

“Every veteran can feel like they have a doctor in the family now,” said Dr. Neil Patel, acting director of the VA National Emergency Medicine Office, during a rollout of the new program.

“Veterans can simply pick up the phone to call VA, and we can give them advice on what to do and where to go for care,” Patel added. “It’s bringing emergency care and advice into a veteran’s home, rather than asking veterans to always go to an ER.”

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The tele-emergency care program was launched earlier this year with pilot programs in separate sections of the country. Medical providers working the calls can access veterans’ medical records and other relevant biographical information if callers are already in the VA health care system.

Of the more than 61,000 callers so far this year, about 59% had their medical questions resolved without the patient having to travel to an urgent care clinic or hospital, officials said.

Patel said in one case, a veteran called complaining of dizziness and lightheadedness. He had considered traveling to a hospital to be evaluated, but the nearest one was an hour away.

“So, by talking to him and reviewing his charts, we were able to figure out that his prostate medication was increased about a week earlier,” he said. “This is a pretty common side effect … so we provided him with an education about when to take this medication and how to best avoid the side effects.

“When we checked up on him a couple days later, he was doing great, and so, so thankful that he didn’t need to figure out how to get to an ER and spend hours waiting there.”

Patel said officials can connect veterans with local emergency services if they determine a patient’s condition is too serious to be dealt with through a phone call or video chat.

He acknowledged that the idea of emergency care may feel uncomfortable to some veterans, but said the effort is designed to give patients more options for their care, and not to replace needed emergency visits.

“It’s really just as simple as giving us a call, so we can get veterans the right care,” he said.

Unlike 911, the specific call in numbers for the VA tele-emergency care vary from state to state. A full list of contacts is available on the department’s website.