No more waiting for Community Care on the phone
Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is revolutionizing access to Community Care by reducing wait times to just three minutes through its VA Health Chat app.
A familiar scenario:
Imagine a Veteran named Paul struggling for hours to get through to Community Care. He's faced long waits and endless phone loops. Unfortunately, these are common frustrations for many Veterans using the phone system.
But Oklahoma City VA Health Care System is changing that, one text at a time.
Faster help when you need it:
Connected Care Coordinator Erica Love explains their novel approach.
"Long waits can be hard for Veterans. So, we added a Community Care feature to our VA Health Chat app," Love said.
Since activating the Community Care option, they have reduced wait times to about three minutes.
Unheard of, right?
But know this: no one offers quicker access to Community Care staff than Oklahoma City VA.
Love says it's a big improvement, making things faster and less stressful for Veterans, leading to more positive outcomes and positive feedback.
Honest conversations, real impact:
"Veterans text us and get quick replies," said Love.
This quick response can really change a Veteran's experience.
"It makes each chat more meaningful and lets our staff give more personalized care," said Love.
She expects the app to handle most of the thousands of monthly Community Care requests. This would help decongest phone lines for Veterans who prefer calls.
The app has streamlined connecting with Community Care, making it easier for Veterans to access the care they need quickly and efficiently. The surveys Veterans complete voluntarily show how well the app works.
"Highly convenient, straightforward answers, no more waiting for Community Care on the phone!" one Veteran exclaimed.
Security and simplicity:
"We aimed for a safe and easy-to-use feature, and we achieved that," said Love.
VA Health Chat app is secure and user-friendly. Veterans can easily download it from their app store and log in with their VA credentials. Learn more about the app by watching this video.
Continuous improvement:
VA Health Chat app is constantly evolving, adapting to meet the changing needs of Veterans.
"We're not stopping here. We're always thinking about what our Veterans will need tomorrow and which VA services could benefit from a channel in the app," said Love.
Currently, only Oklahoma City VA has a dedicated Community Care option. Still, Love says she's hopeful VA hospitals nationwide will adopt and develop service-specific chats.
Beyond technology:
For Veterans like Paul, this feature is more than just a time-saver; it's a lifeline.
It represents VA's commitment to listening and responding to its Veterans' needs. It's a sign of hope and a promise of better health care.
Jesus Flores is a writer and editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force and a Marine Corps Veteran.