How VA Health Chat helps one Veteran manage care from home

VA Health Chat app connects Veterans to VA health care

For Army Veteran Evan Burnside, a visit to the nearest VA facility means a three-hour trip: an hour’s drive each way, plus time for parking and navigating crowded facilities, adds up fast. As a new father, Burnside finds that making frequent in-person visits simply isn’t practical.

But thanks to VA Health Chat, he can now manage many of his healthcare needs from home.

Through the VA Health Chat app, Burnside messages VA staff directly from his smartphone or tablet. This makes it easier to manage prescriptions, schedule appointments and coordinate care, all without the time and hassle of traditional phone calls or in-person visits.

“[VAHealth Chat] allows me to just be a dad and not have to worry about being a patient,” he said.

A more convenient way to manage care

Burnside first began using VA Health Chat a few years ago after moving to a new state. He was immediately impressed by how quickly he could request and receive prescription refills and get a response.

“It fast-tracks your own treatment,” he said.

When Burnside needed specialty care, VA Health Chat helped simplify the referral process. He signed in to VA Health Chat, selected the Scheduling and Administration channel and began chatting with a VA staff member who was able to send a message to Burnside’s primary care provider. His provider then authorized care, allowing Burnside to get the treatment he needed without an extra trip to a VA facility.

“Not having to give up more of my time makes VA Health Chat a lot more convenient,” Burnside said.

 Broadly available, with options by location

VA Health Chat allows Veterans to message VA staff about non-life-threatening health issues, schedule VA appointments and refill VA prescriptions.

While the service is available to Veterans nationwide, including in U.S. territories, not all channels are available in all Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs). Veterans can see their available channels by signing in to the app. Channels may include

• Clinical Triage
• Pharmacy Support
• Scheduling and Administration
• Virtual Clinic Visit (Urgent Care)

Learn more about and download VA Health Chat. For more information about telehealth resources for Veterans, visit VA Telehealth Services.