VA Maryland Health Care System

VA Virtual Care tools allow Veterans to access VA health care from the comfort--and safety--of their homes.

The VA Maryland Health Care System has taken extensive measures to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus and to keep our Veteran patients, employees, volunteers and community members safe. Recently this included the temporary closure of our outpatient clinics located throughout the state.

During this time, the health care system will continue to deliver high-quality care to Veterans through VA’s virtual care options. All routine outpatient clinic appointments will be conducted via a telephone or video visit or rescheduled as appropriate, except for oncology, radiation oncology and other specialty care clinic visits that are medically necessary. You will be contacted by your clinical team if you are still scheduled for a face-to-face visit.

“Thanks to today’s technology, our Veteran patients can stay connected and stay safe by using virtual care,” said Dr. Adam M. Robinson, Jr., Director of the VA Maryland Health Care System. “Veterans can send secure messages to their health care team, access their medical records, refill prescriptions, and even have a medical appointment through telephone or video, all while following the social distancing guidelines.”

Many Veteran patients have already discovered and are enjoying the convenience of virtual care. For those new to the technology, we recommend getting started by watching this video from the Veterans Health Administration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMM28tySPaA

Here is some additional guidance to help you become accustomed to health care technology:

VA Telehealth Services

When learning about options for virtual health care, you may also hear the term telehealth. VA virtual care falls under the umbrella of VA Telehealth services, which facilitates care from a Veteran’s home and connects Veterans to specialized care in clinics and hospitals. Visit https://telehealth.va.gov to learn more.

MyHealtheVet

My HealtheVet is VA’s online personal health record designed to help Veterans partner with their VA care team. To access the array of services available through My HealtheVet, you will need to create a basic account and then upgrade your account to premium. Go to www.myhealth.va.gov/. Click “Register,” fill in the form and submit.

To upgrade your MyHealtheVet account, which will enable you to request prescription refills, send secure messages to your health care team, and view lab results through the system, you will need to complete additional steps to verify and protect your identity. This can now be done without having to visit a VA facility in person. Follow the instructions found on the My HealtheVet website. For step-by-step instructions, download a remote proofing guide here.