Honor vets by backing innovative health care
Just a few weeks ago, we celebrated Veterans Day, a federal holiday designed to pay homage to Americans who have put service to their country before all else. While it is important that we take time to reflect upon the heroism of these men and women and the sacrifices that they have made, at the same time, our country’s lawmakers must ensure our veterans are supported every single day, especially when it comes to their health care.
This is a pertinent issue here in Florida, where veterans make up 8.5 percent of our state’s population, resulting in the third-largest concentration of retired service members in the country. While nationally the number of veterans is decreasing, the number receiving health care has increased, and we must make sure that the treatment they receive is of the highest quality.
The pandemic has highlighted just how crucial quality health care is, as well as the consequences that occur when health systems are ill-equipped and overworked. When hospitals experience staff shortages or a lack of proper equipment, the effects can be catastrophic for the communities they serve.
One way to ensure that our former servicemen and women are receiving the high level of care they deserve, even in understaffed hospitals, is through remote telehealth technology.
This innovative technology allows patients, families, and on-site health-care professionals to speak remotely with intensive care specialists about the patient’s condition.
Additionally, telehealth technology allows these same specialists to continuously monitor their patients’ health from afar. This helps fill the gap when hospitals are short-staffed, resulting in patients spending less time in the ICU and having better overall outcomes.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a program utilizing this technology designed specifically with veterans in mind. Through a partnership with Philips, the VA’s Tele-Critical Care Program seeks to reduce avoidable mortality by implementing advanced telehealth capabilities in VA hospitals across the country. Since the inception of this partnership, this program has grown to support nearly a third of the VA’s existing ICU beds, and last year the VA delivered more than 2.5 million telehealth episodes.
Supporting these types of programs is a real and meaningful way for members of Congress to honor members of our armed services. Fortunately, here in Florida, we have lawmakers like Rep. Stephanie Murphy who recognize the value of these initiatives and is no stranger to supporting legislation that ensures veterans throughout Florida receive the care they need.
In addition to increasing funding for the House of Representatives Wounded Warrior Program, Murphy has fought to bring an ATLAS facility to her Central Florida
As a country, spending a single day each November honoring our veterans is not enough. We must show our appreciation by ensuring that those who have served our country are taken care of here at home.
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ATLAS, short for Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations, is another of the VA’s telehealth programs and enables veterans without a stable internet connection to access telehealth care at convenient community locations.
Now, more than ever, we need Murphy and other members of the House Armed Services Committee to continue backing innovative veteran programs such as ATLAS and the VA’s Tele-Critical Care Program.
As a country, spending a single day each November honoring our veterans is not enough. We must show our appreciation by ensuring that those who have served our country are taken care of here at home.