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VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
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Spring 2007
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Care from the Comfort of Your Home
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Syracuse VA Home Telehealth Care
Coordinator Diane GreenPope, R.N.,
demonstrates the Health Buddy System to
veteran John Richard Maloney.
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Veterans Connect to VA Services
through the Health Buddy System
VA patients who are managing
chronic health conditions
are getting a helping
hand through Care Coordination
Home Telehealth. The program
links patients to VA care providers
through the Health Buddy System,
a secure home-monitoring device
that connects to a phone line. The
easy-to-use technology lets patients
send daily progress reports to their
VA care provider.
“Health Buddy helps remind
patients to stick to their care plan,”
says Mary Westermann, R.N.,
Residential Care Case Manager.
“It gives them peace of mind to
know someone is there to answer
questions, solve problems and
cheer them on.”
John Richard Maloney, of
Jamesville, considers his care coordinator
a “live angel.” Each day,
Maloney enters his blood pressure
and blood sugar readings into the
Health Buddy unit in his kitchen.
If the reading is outside the parameters
set by the doctor, the system
alerts the nurse case manager to
follow up.
“Knowing someone’s watching
over me makes me feel more comfortable,”
he says. “Health Buddy
helps me feel confident that I’ll
be OK. It helps to know I have a
friend I can talk to about my medical
concerns and questions.”
He’s not alone. More than
1,000 upstate New York veterans
are enrolled in Care Coordination
Home Telehealth. The program
takes patients less than 10 minutes
a day and helps those who have
diabetes, hypertension, depression,
post traumatic stress disorder,
chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease and congestive
heart failure. In the future,
VA hopes to offer the program
to patients dealing
with other health issues,
including weight management
and substance abuse.
“We want to provide
the program to all patients
who would benefit from this
service,” says Michelle Winslow,
M.S.H.A., M.B.A., administrative
lead for Care Coordination
Home Telehealth for VA Healthcare
Network Upstate New York.
“Home Telehealth helps patients
self-manage their conditions and
avoid frequent outpatient or emergency
room visits.”
To find out whether you’re a
candidate for Home Telehealth,
talk to your VA primary care provider.
If you’re eligible to enroll
in the program, your doctor will
give you a referral and order the
Health Buddy device for you. The
clinic nurse will help you get started.
Within a few days, you’ll be
connected to VA health care from
the comfort of home.
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Spring 2007
Quality Health Care |
Care From Home |
Be Happier Now!
Dining Out - On a Diet |
Veterans Caring for Veterans
Health Beat |
VA News and Updates |
VA Wellness Programs
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| Reviewed/Updated Date: April 13, 2007 |
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