The Department of Veterans Affairs announced on Thursday that veterans across the country who are enrolled in VA care can now receive virtual emergency assessments to determine the severity of medical afflictions.
The new tele-emergency care — or tele-EC — service is designed to connect retired servicemembers with clinical triage nurses, who can then evaluate their symptoms and determine if they require in-person aid.
“Veterans can get immediate, virtual triage with a VA medical provider who has direct access to their medical records,” VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal said about the new service. “This avoids having to potentially drive to the nearest emergency department and wait to be evaluated, if appropriate.”
Veterans can access the tele-EC service by contacting VA Health Connect — which provides veterans 24/7 access to medical personnel for a variety of healthcare needs — or through the department’s VA Health Chat app.
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