DUBLIN, Ga. — The Dublin VA Medical Center has a couple new things in the works to help patients access better, faster care.
Online, they've launched a Tele-Emergency Care Program that lets patients be seen virtually. On campus, they've added a new Outpatient and Women's Health Clinic.
Angela Daniels is a patient who will be using the new health clinic.
"I come from 1991, when there was no women's health, there was all one health," Daniels said.
She's an army veteran, who says the Dublin VA has come a long way since she first started going there in the 1990's.
The new building is 30,000 square feet, and is a $16 million project.
"Here they can take care of 'em, everything from prenatal, all the way to ovarian and breast cancer," Daniels said. "We're doing more detection than we ever did."
Nurse manager Rachael Allen says their old women's health space was just one floor of a building.
"And as the female veteran population continues to expand, we needed a better - a more accommodable space to serve them," Allen said.
According to the VA's website, more than two million female veterans live in the United States.
"In 2000, women veterans were just 4% of the veteran population. But by 2040, they are projected to make up 18% of all veterans, making them the fastest growing group of veterans." their website said.
One of the goals with the new clinic is to get patients seen faster. The old women's health space only had three exam rooms, but the new clinic has nine.
"We're growing our women's specialty services with the gynecologist. She's been on board for a while, but we're getting her more established to do more procedures," Allen said.
It's part of their plan to outsource as little as patient care as possible, by having specialty services all under this roof. Daniels said it's important for women to learn about other services available to them.
"One of the biggest things I think is it being all in one central area is there's a lot of resources that people don't realize that is available to them," Daniels said.
She recommends patients call the health clinic and ask for a resource packet with all available healthcare services available to them. The new Tele-Emergency Care Program (TeleEC) provides same-day care for patients online.
According to their website, the program can help treat many common conditions like:
- minor cuts
- scrapes
- rashes, and skin irritations
- tick, insect, and spider bites
- common cold
- cough and flu symptoms
- headaches
- Sprains
- back pain, and joint pain and stiffness
- pink eye
- urinary tract infections
- upset stomach and constipation.
According to the VA, the program is staffed by experienced emergency physicians, nurses, and support personnel.
The contact center can be reached at 1-855-679-0214. When a veteran calls the number and selects option three, a nurse will evaluate the patient’s symptoms. If needed, the veteran will be transferred to TeleEC for immediate assistance. TeleEC hours of operation are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.