VISN 2: Veterans' Wellness, Fall 2006

skip to page content

United States Department of Veterans Affairs

VA Home

About VA

VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2

Fall 2006

Message From Dr. Stephen Lemons, Our New Network Director

	Thanks for writing! We’d like to thank all the veterans who write us with comments, questions and suggestions. Your input helps us to improve Veterans’ Wellness magazine and the service you receive from VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York. If you have a suggestion for an improvement to VA health care or an idea for an upcoming article, let us know. E-mail the editor or write to Editor, Veterans’ Wellness, Network 2 Communications, 465 Westfall Road, Rochester, NY 14620. Please include your phone number for verification. In the future, we hope to highlight more of your ideas in Veterans’ Wellness.

	About Our Mailing List We make every effort to maintain an accurate mailing list. To be removed from our mailing list or to notify us of a patient's death, please call the Veterans Service Contact Center at 1-888-823-9656. If you would like to be added to our mailing list or have a suggestion for us, please write to: Editor, Veterans’ Wellness Network 2 Communications 465 Westfall Road Rochester, NY 14620 or e-mail: . Please be sure to include your phone number with all correspondence. Do not send your Social Security number or medical history.

	Editorial Board Kathleen Hider Barbara Sellon


Stephen Lemons, Network Director

I’m honored to have been selected Network Director for VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York. The Albany, Bath, Buffalo, Canandaigua and Syracuse VAs and our 28 communitybased outpatient clinics in upstate New York are recognized across the country for their patient care and excellent customer service to the more than 130,000 veterans we serve. You’ll find me to be a champion of quality care and patient satisfaction, and can expect us to continue to exceed your expectations.

In July, Business Week magazine cited VA health care as “The Best Medical Care in the United States.” That same month, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) received the 2006 Innovations in Government Award for its electronic health record system. The system lets VA clinicians view patient medical records and images electronically throughout VA’s 1,400 site system and gives patients the ability to manage their own health in partnership with their VA provider. Also in July, our own network was named one of the 100 “Most Wired Hospitals” for the third time by the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals & Health Networks magazine for our use of information technology to address five key areas: safety and quality, customer service, business processes, workforce, and public health and safety.

The national recognition VA has received for embracing and integrating new technology demonstrates how committed VA is to ensuring veterans receive top-notch care for the 21st century. The new technology includes:

an electronic medical records system
digital imaging systems that let providers read and share from remote locations
a bar code medication administration (BCMA) system that helps prevent medication errors

You have my assurance that I will continue to lead in this direction and encourage the implementation of new systems to further advance patient and provider communications, ensure documentation of care provided, and improve patient health.

Reaching out to veterans not yet using their VA health care benefits is also an important goal for VA. Our veterans are entitled to quality health care because they have earned it. I’ll ensure that we continue to inform and encourage veterans to use these benefits, especially our newest veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

I look forward to returning to the Empire State, having grown up in Astoria, and serving our nation’s veterans and stakeholders.

Sincerely,
Stephen Lemons, Ed.D.
Network Director

Reviewed/Updated Date: January 16, 2007