3/17/2020
I wanted to take a moment to share some of the resources the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing for veterans and to inform you of recent efforts the VA has taken to mitigate the effect of the virus.
The VA is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies and has activated its emergency management coordination cell (EMCC) to implement an aggressive and collaborative public health response to protect and care for veterans. If you are planning to visit your local VA, keep in mind that the VA is screening everyone for flu-like symptoms, such as fever and cough, upon entry. Please leave home earlier than usual to allow time for screening.
At www.publichealth.va.gov, you can find information about the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, and read about what you, as a veteran, should do if you experience flu-like symptoms. The VA recommends you call before visiting your local medical center or clinic and asks that you consider using virtual care options, such as MyHealtheVet, to send a secure message.
On the VA’s blog, you can read about how to identify the symptoms of COVID-19, understand your own personal risk, and take precautions against being exposed. You can stay up to date by following the Veterans Health Administration on Facebook and Twitter. Further, you can sign up for VetResources email updates.
To limit the exposure risk of nursing home residents and spinal-cord injury patients, two susceptible patient populations, the VA has also announced several new safeguards. The VA’s 134 nursing homes across the country are home to upward of 41,000 veterans, many of whom are older or have other health conditions. To protect this population, the VA is taking several actions:
- All VA nursing homes will adopt a “No Visitor” stance, meaning no outside visitors will be permitted to see residents, excepting cases when veterans are in their last stages of life.
- All VA nursing homes will suspend new admissions.
- Nursing home staff will be actively screened daily and dedicated to working at Community Living Centers.
The VA’s 24 major spinal cord injury and disorder centers (SCI/Ds) across the country serve the needs of more than 24,000 veterans. To minimize the risk of this population, the VA is taking the following actions:
- All VA SCI/Ds will adopt a “No Visitor” stance, meaning no outside visitors will be permitted to see inpatients, excepting those in their final stages.
- All VA SCI/Ds will limit inpatient admissions to addressing critical clinical needs.
- VA SCI/D staff will be actively screened daily and dedicated to working at SCI/Ds.
As VA Secretary Robert Wilke said, “While the COVID-19 risk to average Americans remains low, these commonsense measures will help protect some of our most vulnerable patients. VA will make every effort to minimize the impact of these policies on veterans while putting patient safety first.”
Rest assured, I will continue to monitor the situation in Florida and around the country and will work with my colleagues to ensure the full, coordinated force of the federal government is behind our efforts to stop the spread of this disease.
If you experience symptoms or have been to an area where coronavirus is spreading, contact your doctor immediately to determine if you need screening.
It is an honor to represent more than 88,000 veterans in our area of Southwest Florida. Be assured I will continue to provide you the latest updates on the coronavirus.
Vern