2021 Veterans Day Q&A with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough

Thank you for your feedback. VA has shared these comments with local leaders in the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System.  VA does have the ability through Veterans Health Information Exchange (VHIE) to share electronic health information with community providers who opt in to share this information. Currently, the non-VA community medical center, South Georgia Medical Center, has chosen not to participate in the VA's Joint Health Information Exchange.

VA's National Center for PTSD is a Congressionally-mandated Center of Excellence in Research and Education on PTSD that has been in existence since 1989. Since that time, the National Center has significantly increased knowledge about PTSD and has advanced the care for Veterans with PTSD. With regards to the Save a Warrior Program VA suggests that the program leadership reach out to the Office of Community Care if the program is interested in becoming a community care provider.

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1. Veterans can submit Beneficiary Travel Claims (BT) claims using a Laptop or Tablet. VA Medical Facilities have been instructed to assist Veterans with information and assistance with the new system. If Veterans prefer, they can continue to submit a paper claim for mileage reimbursement. Veteran Centric Training has been provided as part of implementation addressing this scenario. Detailed step by step guided instructions in video format have been provided on YouTube.  These videos were constructed and supplied to all public affairs officers for mass Veteran distribution and can be found at: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3AQ_JVoBEyzJnt68Eq_mPBdyZfkvq0Wu VA Kiosks are outside of 15MEM purview.  Defer to Kiosk Program Office for their response, POC – [login to see] 2. Defer to VISN 8 to understand what makes FL VAMC's 'better'. 3. Defer to Veteran Experience Office to better. understand this question

VA is committed to ensuring timely access to benefits and services for all Veterans. To assist with the backlog, VA is hiring and training 2,000 new employees to assist in claims processing, leveraging authority to transfer CARES funding to VBA and utilize the American Rescue Plan to fund overtime to ensure timely claims processing. VA is also deploying Fiscal Year 2022 budget resources for general Compensation and Pension claims processing.

In 1973, a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri, destroyed the records held for Veterans who were discharged from the Army and Air Force during certain periods of time. If your records were affected, VA can assist in reconstructing your records by submitting a specific request to NPRC, who then searches for documents that may help reconstruct your records. See http://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/reconstruct-records/.

The MISSION Act is a federal law designed to provide Veterans greater access to health care in VA facilities and the community, with provisions for both medical and dental care. This means some Veterans eligible for dental care through the VA may be authorized to see a provider in their local community. Authorization is dependent upon individual health care needs and circumstances. Visit https://missionact.va.gov/ for more information.

For VA careers and opportunities, visit https://www.vacareers.va.gov/

Our Veterans programs for health and wellness offer information, resources, and treatment options to help you stay healthy. Find out more here: https://www.va.gov/health-care/wellness-programs/

Without knowing the specifics about your medical conditions and the drugs you were prescribed, it isn't possible to answer your question.