1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: You know, much has been made about the VA system 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: and how it works in some cases, how it does. 3 00:00:04,760 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 1: And now I got to tell you when it comes 4 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,440 Speaker 1: to my pops, we had nothing but glowing things to 5 00:00:09,480 --> 00:00:11,879 Speaker 1: say about the Hindes VA Hospital. He loved it there 6 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: until he had to go up to a Rhymelander, Wisconsin 7 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:17,079 Speaker 1: and use the Rhymelander VA, which he also had a 8 00:00:17,120 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: good experience with. These are big hospitals. There's a lot 9 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: of people in the system, and there is a new 10 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: electronic health record system that's been put in place, and 11 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: I'm told that it's getting rave reviews, and this is 12 00:00:29,880 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: good news because we want to take care of those 13 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:33,160 Speaker 1: that have taken care of us. 14 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 2: Paul R. 15 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:37,040 Speaker 1: Lawrence is from the Department of Veterans Affairs. He's the 16 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: Deputy Secretary and I will refer to him here forth 17 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:41,879 Speaker 1: as doctor Lawrence. Doctor Lawrence, Welcome to the show. 18 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 3: Good morning, Hey, good morning, Ray. Great to hear about 19 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 3: your father and so wonderful to be here and talk 20 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 3: to you about that, because that's what we're trying to do. 21 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,120 Speaker 3: We're trying to make that experience true for everybody. 22 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:54,840 Speaker 1: You know what I know that you know whenever you 23 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: have a health system, no matter what, somebody's going to 24 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: have a complaint somewhere. We understand that and some of 25 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: those complaints are warranted. And the thing is, you guys 26 00:01:03,440 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: try to have the best efficacy that you can have. 27 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: So tell me how this new FeH, this Federal Electronic 28 00:01:11,560 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 1: Records helps your members of your hospitals in the VA system. 29 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 3: Right. Well, it's really designed to give great service to 30 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:23,080 Speaker 3: our veterans, kind of like your father experience. Electronic Health 31 00:01:23,120 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 3: Record is an electronic tool that provides all the patient 32 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:31,360 Speaker 3: information in one place, right, all the charts, all the tests. 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,839 Speaker 3: So when a veteran comes in, the time is spent 34 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 3: with our doctors are talking about what's wrong then not going, 35 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,679 Speaker 3: oh did you hurt your knee five years ago when 36 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: you were in service? How does it all work? So 37 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 3: it gives better service to our veterans. It makes the doctors, 38 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 3: you know, their experience better. They want to practice medicine, 39 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 3: not click through stuff. And it makes the experience more standardized. 40 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 3: So when you go to one VA hospital and kind 41 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,520 Speaker 3: of medicine you're getting is the same in another hospital. 42 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 3: So we really think this is a big winner for 43 00:02:01,080 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 3: veterans and for a long time, this hasn't taken place, 44 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 3: and now we're restarting it. And as you pointed out 45 00:02:07,080 --> 00:02:09,440 Speaker 3: in Hines and the Jesse Brown Center, these are going 46 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 3: to be in place early next year. 47 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: So what I like in this to something similar to 48 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: a my chart that we might get where you know, 49 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: I I can schedule my appointments, I could do a 50 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: telehealth text message thing like that. 51 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:23,959 Speaker 2: Is that all part of this portal portal? 52 00:02:24,639 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 3: Yes, that's very similar. Right, you're talking about a competing product, 53 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 3: but we chose another one. But it's exactly that we 54 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 3: want our veterans to be able to log on and 55 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 3: make appointments, get medicine, talk to their doctors in a 56 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,799 Speaker 3: secure portal. And then, perhaps most importantly, we want them 57 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 3: to be traveled throughout the country and know that when 58 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 3: you go to a VA medical center, we have your 59 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 3: records there and we're ready to help you. If you, 60 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 3: for example, live in Chicago and maybe you go to 61 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,200 Speaker 3: Florida for the winter, we want to make sure it's 62 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,399 Speaker 3: all there for our veterans. 63 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,800 Speaker 1: Doctor Lawrence is here in Department of a Veteran's Affairs 64 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: Deputy Secretary Nick. 65 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:01,079 Speaker 4: So, doctor Lawrence, I know that you know the hospitals 66 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 4: with these similar systems and stuff. Sometimes it doesn't cross over. 67 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 4: Now the VA very specialized kind of deal. 68 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 2: Right. 69 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 4: Let's say a VET was out in I don't know, 70 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 4: the middle of nowhere and had to go to just 71 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,800 Speaker 4: a local regular hospital and advent or DEVA or whatever. 72 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 4: Is there a way for them to be able to 73 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,119 Speaker 4: get that information because I know sometimes a lot of 74 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,799 Speaker 4: these different health companies they don't share that information. 75 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, excellent question, and the answer is absolutely yes. When 76 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 3: we have this rolled out nationwide, wherever you go, your 77 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,080 Speaker 3: information will be available in a secured internet kind of thing, 78 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: so we will see. In fact, I was in Chicago 79 00:03:41,680 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 3: where the system is lived in level and basically I 80 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:48,119 Speaker 3: had a focus group with veterans and one set as much, Hey, 81 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 3: when I go to a place it's not a VA, 82 00:03:50,360 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: they have my records. It's really worked pretty well, and 83 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:57,000 Speaker 3: that's the intention we want. Wherever you get healthcare assistance, 84 00:03:57,040 --> 00:04:00,520 Speaker 3: the provider to have the right information about you exactly 85 00:04:00,560 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 3: what's the best. 86 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 2: That's fantastic. 87 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: I have a text message here from a listener named 88 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 1: JT and he reads I get stereoid shots every two 89 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,320 Speaker 1: to three times. I get steroid shots two to three 90 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,200 Speaker 1: times every two to three months. I guess that's for 91 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: your knees. Mother gets those. My doctor in Heinz VA 92 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:18,680 Speaker 1: is wonderful, But now he says that the VA will 93 00:04:18,720 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: cover a treatment that is an advertiser that we have 94 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,320 Speaker 1: called QC kinetics, which I find interesting. Do you see 95 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 1: any kind of collaboration with outside providers like that? 96 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 2: Are you guys mostly keep this in house? 97 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:35,360 Speaker 3: Oh? No, We are huge collaborators and driver of essentially 98 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 3: medicine in the United States. More about one hundred and 99 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 3: twenty thousand doctors are trained every year in our facility, providers, 100 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:47,280 Speaker 3: nurses in the like, and we collaborate actively with the healthcare, 101 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 3: academic and other hospitals so the very best medicine can 102 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,520 Speaker 3: be brought to our veterans. And absolutely the question is 103 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 3: a really good one, because we want veterans to go 104 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 3: where the best care is. If it was in VA, right, 105 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 3: if it's somewhere else, we'll make that possible. 106 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: Is there a stigmatism that comes with somebody going to 107 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 1: the VA hospital as opposed to maybe another provider. Is 108 00:05:11,200 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: there some hurdle that you would like to say to 109 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:17,240 Speaker 1: somebody listening. We have a large, large veteran audience. We 110 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:20,000 Speaker 1: do military mondays here and we try to you know, 111 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: keep people informed and doing good in the hood. As 112 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,080 Speaker 1: we like to say, is there is there anything you 113 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: would like to say somebody that it might be apprehensive 114 00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 1: about getting that check up or coming into one of 115 00:05:28,680 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: your centers. 116 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, if you had a bad experience to you, here 117 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 3: are the kind of things you're alluding to, Ray, please 118 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:37,919 Speaker 3: come to VA, you know, give us a second chance. 119 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 3: Things are very very different with the kind of things 120 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 3: we're talking about, the electronic Health record. It's going to 121 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 3: be very different in the future. And folks are going 122 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 3: to talk about the VA right up there with all 123 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,200 Speaker 3: the sort of places you can think about John Hopkins, Mayo, 124 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: Cleveland Clinic and the like. So yes, again, all the 125 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:56,760 Speaker 3: doctors in the United States are trained at the VA. 126 00:05:57,240 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 3: That's really important to think about when you think about 127 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 3: where you're going to get your health care. 128 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:04,279 Speaker 1: Ye know, it's interesting because there when telehealth and texting 129 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: you know, first came along as kind of a not 130 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 1: necessarily replacement, but not everybody needs to be seen, right, 131 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: and it is a convenient way to say, okay, well 132 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: you know what, hey, you were in here two years 133 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: ago for the same thing. You seem to have a 134 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 1: pattern this time of year with your chest cold or 135 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: whatever else. It saves time and it can get people 136 00:06:23,440 --> 00:06:24,839 Speaker 1: on their way to healing much faster. 137 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 3: Oh. Absolutely. In fact, both the Secretary and I and 138 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:31,040 Speaker 3: many of the leaders are veterans, so we hear from 139 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:34,599 Speaker 3: veterans all the time about how they were like their healthcare. 140 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 3: They like telehealthcare, they like care at home. They want 141 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,240 Speaker 3: to be able to interact with us electronically. So we're 142 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 3: really trying to make the experience really good for veterans 143 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 3: where they. 144 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 2: Are well, this is cool. 145 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,600 Speaker 1: Is there some where we can send our veterans and 146 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: we'll put this up on our socials as well. But 147 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: I know that we've got a large veteran group listening 148 00:06:53,600 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: right now. Where do we send them for more details? 149 00:06:56,720 --> 00:06:59,800 Speaker 3: Oh, certainly go to our website BA dot gov and 150 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:02,839 Speaker 3: have them search the initials e h R M or 151 00:07:02,880 --> 00:07:05,920 Speaker 3: Electronic health record. There they can learn about it, why 152 00:07:05,960 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 3: we're doing, the schedule, and information about it. Ideally, though 153 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 3: they really shouldn't see very much of this, they'll just 154 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:15,960 Speaker 3: begin to see the effect of it, which is, you know, 155 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 3: more more easier and more accessible. 156 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: Care I'm not big when it comes to government programs, 157 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: but I get behind this one wholeheartedly because we need 158 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: to take care of the men and women that fought 159 00:07:25,680 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: so hard for us, and we can't forget them or 160 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 1: leave them behind. 161 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:29,920 Speaker 2: Thanks for the work you're doing. It sounds good. 162 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 3: Thanks Ray, I'm going to quote you. Thank you so much. 163 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:36,400 Speaker 1: Doctor Paul Lawrence here on wls A m A ninety. 164 00:07:36,400 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: He is the Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary. 165 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 2: You know. 166 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: The other thing that you know we used to do 167 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: it a lot around here, and I know we run 168 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:48,080 Speaker 1: their specials on certain holidays and things like that, is 169 00:07:48,360 --> 00:07:51,800 Speaker 1: the Fisher House House, which is a just adjacent to 170 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 1: Hines VA Hospital too, and it is amazing the work 171 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: that they can do for people that might have to 172 00:07:57,760 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: come there for a hospital stay. Don't have to pay. 173 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,960 Speaker 1: It's nice, it's clean, it's all new and modern, and 174 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:05,240 Speaker 1: that is very good stuff.