Department
of Veterans Affairs
News Release
February 26,
1999
VA Funds Novel
Telemedicine Projects To Treat Paralyzed Veterans
Washington,
D.C. -- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced that
the agency will fund a series of innovative projects that will use
telemedicine to enhance the home care of paralyzed veterans.
The VA's new
Telemedicine in Home Care projects will be based in 15 special spinal
cord injury/dysfunction (SCI/D) centers located at VA medical centers
in 11 states, and will serve veterans throughout the nation. More
than $500,000 has been earmarked for this initiative.
According to
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Togo D. West Jr., the projects help
demonstrate how a relatively low-cost new technology can be used
to significantly improve care of some of the most medically fragile
and complicated patients VA serves. "No other health-care system
in the nation has used telemedicine for home care to the extent
that VA is now doing," Secretary West said.
The primary
objective of the VA Telemedicine in Home Care program is to enhance
the timely access and quality of care for patients who have spinal
cord injury and who are transitioning from hospital to home care.
Said VA Under
Secretary for Health Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer, "Telemedicine is rapidly
demonstrating its usefulness in enhancing care because it enables
the practice of medicine independent of geographic boundaries."
The Telemedicine
in Home Care projects are the latest in a series of measures VA
has implemented in recent years that have significantly improved
the care of paralyzed veterans.
The project
awards are being made to the following VA Medical Centers:
- Albuquerque,
N.M.
- Augusta,
Ga.
- Brockton/West
Roxbury, Mass.
- *Bronx,
N.Y.
- Cincinnati,
Ohio
- Dallas,
Tex.
- Hines, Ill.
- Long Beach,
Calif.
- Memphis,
Tenn.
- Milwaukee,
Wis.
- Palo Alto,
Calif.
- San Diego,
Calif.
- Seattle,
Wash.
* The Bronx
VA Medical Center is the hub for three projects.
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For information,
contact opaweb@mail.va.gov
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