About Telehealth

We use communication and information technologies to provide excellence in health care delivery to the nation’s veterans. The term “Telehealth” means using modern technology to provide clinical care and patient education when the patient and provider are in separate locations.

In the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS), these technologies are used to improve veterans’ access to specialty care and services in VA clinics that are located closest to their homes. For example, a psychiatrist in the St. Augustine Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) can provide psychiatric care to veterans in all CBOCs in the NF/SGVHS.

Other examples of Telehealth include:

• A veteran traveling to the local Community Based Outpatient Clinic to see, by live videoconferencing, a VA mental health provider located at a distant VA Medical Center.
• A veteran traveling to the local Community Based Outpatient Clinic to have a VA nurse or technologist take digital photos of a rash or lesion. The digital photos are then copied to a computer and sent to a dermatologist at the distant VA hospital or clinic. The dermatologist checks the photos and decides what treatment the patient needs. The Primary Care Provider then contacts the patient and sets up the treatment plan.
• Providing access to timely care and education is a top priority in the NF/SGVHS. Telehealth is a proven way to reduce costs, cut down on travel time, shorten wait times, and improve access to high quality specialty care

Mission, Vision, and Goals

Our mission is to improve veteran access to specialty care and services by wise use of telehealth and information technologies and practices.

Our vision is to apply communication and health information technologies to provide specialty care, services and education to veterans at VA clinics closest to their homes.

Our goals ……

• Improve quality and access to care in VA clinics closest to the patient’s homes.
• Decrease demands on Tertiary Specialty Care Providers by using
  specialists in VA Clinics as consultants/providers.
• Improve opportunities and access to patient and staff education.
• Assist research efforts.

For comments/questions about Telehealth, please call:

Jeet Seenauth at 352-205-8904