Important News for VA Patients:

VSO Corner

Did you know that many My HealtheVet users are also VA Volunteers??

My HealtheVet encourages YOU to become a VA Volunteer!
VA Volunteers are a priceless asset to the Nation’s Veterans and to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) has provided over 64 years of service to America’s Veterans seeking care in VA health care facilities. Since 1946, VAVS volunteers have donated nearly 725 million hours of service.

VAVS is one of the largest volunteer programs in the Federal government. More than 350 national and community organizations support VAVS. The program is supported by a VAVS National Advisory Committee, composed of 60 major Veteran, civic and service organizations.

As VA has expanded its care of Veteran patients into the community, volunteers have become involved. They assist Veteran patients by assisting staff in such settings as:

• hospital wards
• community living centers
• outpatient clinics
• community-based volunteer programs
• end-of-life care programs
• respite care programs
• Veteran outreach centers
• national cemeteries
• Veteran benefits offices

We encourage My HealtheVet users to become a VA Volunteers.
For more information on volunteering, please visit www.volunteer.va.gov

Learn more about VA Volunteer Service »

VAVS program managers are becoming involved with more aspects of their facilities. They are being selected to participate on many committees and even assist with Voter Registration for Veterans. During the 2008 national election, VAVS program managers and volunteers distributed 226,447 informational flyers, assisted 5,129 outpatients and 5,949 inpatients in registering to vote. They even managed to assist one Veteran to cast his vote; a day before he passed away.

There were 139,325 volunteers on the rolls during FY 2010, with 88,771 active VAVS volunteers contributing a total of 12,549,708 hours. The FY 2010 total VAVS hours equate to 6013 full-time employee equivalent (FTEE) positions. The current monetary value of the 12,549,708 hours from all VAVS volunteers is $261.7 million based on the 2009 Independent Sector’s formula of $20.85 per hour. VAVS volunteers and their organizations contributed an estimated $85.5 million in gifts and donations in FY 2010 for a total value of $368.7 million in volunteer giving.

Monetary estimates aside, it is impossible to compute the amount of caring and sharing that these VAVS volunteers provide to Veteran patients. VAVS volunteers are a priceless asset to the Nation’s Veterans and to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information, please visit www.volunteer.va.gov

View previous "VSO Corner" articles »

VA Patients: Learn More about Upgrading Your My HealtheVet Account

Join the many Veterans who have an upgraded My HealtheVet account.  All it takes it completion of an In-Person Authentication (IPA) process.  As a security measure, IPA is a process used to verify a My HealtheVet user's identity.

This Upgraded Account allows VA patients to:

• order their VA refill medications by their medication names – not just the Rx numbers
• view their personalized VA Wellness Reminders
• participate in Secure Messaging to allow patients to communicate with their health care team through My HealtheVet when available

Before In Person Authentication can occur, several requirements must be met:

• The user needs to be marked as a VA Patient when registering in My HealtheVet
  
• The user needs to view one of the four My HealtheVet Videos
  (either the 4 or 8 minute version)
• The user will need to read and sign the VA Release Form (PDF)
• The user will need to present a form of government issued photo identification to a qualified VA staff member at their VA facility to be physically proofed. 

For questions, ask for the My HealtheVet Coordinator at your VA.

VA medical facilities currently use a manual process to allow VA patients access to paper copies of their medical records. Completing the In-Person Authentication process is the first step in providing online access to copies of key portions of VA medical records. In the future, other portions of your VA electronic medical record will become accessible online through your My HealtheVet account as part of your Personal Health Record. Notices will be posted to our website as each portion of the medical record becomes available online.

How Primary Care Providers Help Veterans

Primary Care Providers are the first point of contact for most VA patients with health care needs. Primary Care Providers can be found at a local VA Medical Center or one of VA's many community clinics. Veterans are assigned to a Primary Care Provider. Primary Care Providers work as a member of a health care team, which can include a nurse, social worker, pharmacist, and others. The Primary Care team is there to oversee and coordinate a Veteran's health care over the long-term.

Primary Care Providers treat a wide range of conditions. To find out more about your health, they may ask questions and listen to your concerns. They may perform a physical exam and order tests. They may also order medicine or other kinds of treatment. Because they are interested in you as a whole person, they may ask about your mental health or give advice about diet, exercise and sleep. They may also perform minor procedures in their office.

Clinic visits are not the only way Primary Care Providers are able to care for patients. Telephone care has always been important and remains so. And now, care is also being provided over the Internet, using My HealtheVet Secure Messaging. Some VA patients are using Secure Messaging to communicate with their primary care team about their appointments, medication renewals, lab results, and general health questions.

Primary Care Providers strive to give the highest quality health care to our nation’s Veterans. They also need the help of the Veteran and their caregivers to do this. The best way a Veteran and their caregivers can help is to become a partner. My HealtheVet has tools to help with this.

To use these tools, the first step is to register with My HealtheVet. Using My HealtheVet tracking tools, Veterans can record and track health information including:

• Vital Signs (Blood Pressures, Weights, etc.)

• Food and activity journals

• Health history

• Family health history

• Military history

For VA patients who have completed the In Person Authentication process, upgraded features are included. Selected information from your VA Electronic Health Record will soon be available. This also will allow access to Secure Messaging.

Other features available to VA patients with an upgraded account include:

• VA Wellness Reminders

• VA prescription history including full medication names

Mental Health Resources

Considering Professional Help Tool

Considering Professional Help is an online tool using real experiences from Veterans. There are five common concerns that may stop you from getting help for your mental health. This tool helps you identify your concerns. It provides new ways of thinking about them. This tool shows you what to look for and where to find help. You will learn the benefits of getting mental health support from doctors, social workers, mental health staff, clergy, or other counselors. Your responses are confidential. You do not need to be registered with My HealtheVet to use this tool. To access this tool, go to the Mental Health section of My HealtheVet.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) administers the largest integrated mental health care system in the United States. Veterans can access a wide range of mental health services through residential treatment programs, integrated primary care clinics, community-based outpatient clinics, and Vet Centers. If you are interested in learning more about the common mental health issues facing Veterans and their families, and the various programs and services that VA offers to help address them, please visit www.mentalhealth.va.gov.

Veterans: Are you a VA Patient and Registered My HealtheVet User?
Do you want an Upgraded Account so you can Improve Your Access?

• Once registered, select “In-Person Authentication” under “Quick Links”on the home page

• View the “My HealtheVet Orientation” video online or at your VA facility

• Print and Sign a copy of VA Form 10-5345a-MHV (also available at your VA facility)

• Bring your signed form and photo ID (Veterans Identification Card “VIC” or driver’s license) to your VA facility link to VA Facility Locater and show an authorized VA staff member

My HealtheVet Virtual Tour

Take the My HealtheVet Virtual Tour here. Get a peek at the many features you can find on My HealtheVet . You can view it online or save it to your PC.

Download (ZIP 4.8Mb) | Watch the tour now » | Get Flash Player Free

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