Meet the My HealtheVet Coordinator - PaTrice Cole
My HealtheVet is VA’s online personal health record. It was designed for Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, their dependents and Caregivers. My HealtheVet helps you partner with your VA care team. It provides you with opportunities and tools to make informed decisions and manage your health care.
- What would you like a Veteran or Veteran caregiver to know about your program? … that I know sometimes even the idea of using computers can seem daunting, but once you get pass the initial barrier of signing up, that the resources, control, and ACCESS that MHV gives you to your personal medical information is unmatched and well worth the effort…. and that if needed there are numerous avenues for assistance in person, over the phone, and online.
- How can they learn more about your program or get in contact with you? (Referral process) Veterans and Caregivers can learn more about My HealtheVet by logging on to www.myhealth.va.gov, by stopping by the My HealtheVet office (behind Module A) in Suite E110, or by contacting me directly at 601 362 4471 ext. 51516. I also plan on conducting trainings and information fairs that will be open to the public in the near future.
- Can you tell me a little about yourself? I have 2 teenage sons; I am the youngest in a family of 4 children and the only daughter. I am a recent transplant to Mississippi as I was born and raised in Detroit, MI. My mother was born in Lena, MS and moved to Detroit as a small child. I have lots of relatives in MS and I have visited here frequently since I was a kid.
- Tell me how you came to work at the VA? I began my career at the VA by chance. I have a close friend who was in the Navy for 9 years and began her federal career by briefly working at the VA before she transferred to SSA. She thought that the VA would be a good fit for my personality and suggested that I apply.
- How long have you worked for VA, and what roles have you had at the VA? I have worked at the VA for almost 8 years. I spent my first 6.5 years at the VAMC in Detroit in the service of Ward Administration. While there I held the titles of Medical Support Assistant, Advanced Medical Support Assistant, and Lead Medical Support Assistant. I transferred to Jackson under the service of the Chief of Staff, first holding the title of Program Specialist and now Communication Specialist.
- How does serving Veterans each day impact you personally? Working with Veterans gives me a great sense of pride, fulfillment, and community. When I initially began at the VA I was in college on the path towards Social Work, but from the start of my career at the VA I enjoyed the people that I served and worked with so much that longevity at the VA quickly became my focus. In college I took a career focused aptitude test on which I scored overwhelmingly in favor of going into a service focused career, I can’t think of a more deserving demographic to achieve that purpose.
- What is an interesting fact that many do not know about you? That I am very nice 😊 and that being a valuable and contributing member of my team is what gives me the greatest sense of satisfaction as if relates to my career.
- What do you do for fun? I enjoy most games... specifically, poker, dominoes, shooting pool, and attending sporting events. In general, I am open to most social activities also I have recently acquired a love for travel.
- Are you a Veteran? If so, what branch of service. I am not a Veteran, I briefly considered joining the military after high school however my stepfather was adamantly against it. It is one of my few regrets in life, 2 of my closest friends were in the Navy, they make it sound amazing.
Specific features in My HealtheVet are available to you based on your account type. If you have a Basic account, you can use the multiple health tracking tools, record information in your personal online journals and health history records and access the medical libraries. If you are a VA patient, you can also upgrade your account to Premium.
For your security, some features of My HealtheVet require a Premium account. To obtain a Premium account, you must complete a one-time authentication process. If you have a Premium account, you will have full access to all the features available in My HealtheVet, including Prescription Refill and Secure Messaging. Secure Messaging allows you to communicate online with your VA care teams and other staff. Additionally, as a Premium account user, you will have access to key portions of your VA medical record, such as VA Notes, VA Lab Results, VA Appointments as well as additional health information through the VA Blue Button.