Connected Health Care
Use these connected health resources to access VA services to assist you in managing your healthcare needs. Learn about video appointments, VA healthcare applications that are downloadable to your mobile device, and how to contact your healthcare team via secure messaging.
REAL-TIME ACCESS TO YOUR VA CARE TEAM THROUGH VA VIDEO CONNECT (VVC)
VA Video Connect allows Veterans and their caregivers to quickly and easily meet with VA health care providers through live video on any computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet connection.
Talk with your VA provider about using VA Video Connect if:
- You live far from your VA facility or have limited access to VA facilities.
- You have health conditions that make traveling to the VA specialist you need difficult.
- You lack time to regularly attend in-person appointments.
- You don’t require a hands-on physical examination.
To learn more about VVC visit VA Mobile.
My HealtheVet
My HealtheVet, an online service that enables Veterans to refill prescriptions online, get automatic wellness reminders, and participate in secure messaging with their health care team. Learn more at www.myhealth.va.gov.
What is My HealtheVet?
My HealtheVet is VA’s award-winning online Personal Health Record. My HealtheVet provides Web-based tools that help Veterans become active partners in their own health care, allowing them to make informed health decisions and store important health information. Through My HealtheVet, Veterans can access trusted, secure, and informed health and benefits information, at their convenience.
How do I get My HealtheVet?
To access MyHealtheVet, go to www.myhealth.va.gov and follow the instructions on how to register. To fully access your My HealtheVet Personal Health Record complete an In-Person Authentication (IPA) at a Health Care System facility or one of the VA’s Community Based Outpatient Clinics.
Sign up for a Premium account online
Follow these 2 steps to get a Premium My HealtheVet account online.
1. Sign up for an account on the My HealtheVet website. You’ll need to have your Social Security number on hand. Be sure to choose VA Patient on the registration form.
Sign up for a My HealtheVet account
Note: If you have a Premium DS Logon or ID.me account, you can skip step 1 above and go right to step 2 to sign in to My HealtheVet with either of these accounts.
2. Upgrade to a Premium account. To do this, sign in to My HealtheVet using your Premium DS Logon or ID.me user ID and password.
Once signed in, select the Upgrade Now button at the top left side of the screen. Then, on the account upgrade page, check the box certifying that you’re the owner of the account and approve the request, and click Continue.
The system will upgrade you to a Premium account.
Sign in to My HealtheVet
My HealtheVet Features Include
- Activity & Food Journals
- Healthy Living Centers
- Log your Military Health History
- Personal Health Journals
- Trusted Health Information
- VA Benefits & Services
- VA Prescription Refills
- Health Information Tracking & Graphing
- View Lab Results
- Secure Messaging
Secure Messaging - Online Personal Health Communication
Communicate with your health care team online!
You can now take advantage of online communication with your VA health care teams. Secure Messaging, a feature of the My HealtheVet website, is a safe and secure, electronic mail system that allows you to communicate non-urgent, non-emergency health-related information with your VA health care team.
Some uses of Secure Messaging include:
- Getting test results and health information
- Requesting medical appointments
- Resolving hearing aid issues
- Prescription questions
You will find that with Secure Messaging you will not have to sit on hold or play phone-tag with your health care team. Secure Messaging does not replace the telephone; rather it complements the telephone and helps increase communication opportunities between patients and health care teams.
All you have to do to take advantage of Secure Messaging is to have Internet access and then go to www.myhealth.va.gov and set up your own account on My HealtheVet - registering as a "VA Patient."
Next, complete the In-Person Authentication process during your next trip to any of our VA St. Cloud Health Care System locations or upgrade your account online.
Finally, after you have been authenticated login to your My HealtheVet account, select Secure Messaging, select the Compose Message button to send a message to your health care team. That is it, you are ready to go!
Remember, that with Secure Messaging your VA health care information is safe, secure and protected! So save yourself time in the future and take advantage of Secure Messaging to communicate with your health care team!
Finally, after you have been authenticated login to your My HealtheVet account, select Secure Messaging, read the terms and conditions of use along with the privacy statement and then select "Opt-in." That is it, you are ready to go!
Remember, that with Secure Messaging your VA health care information is safe, secure and protected! So save yourself time in the future and take advantage of Secure Messaging to communicate with your health care team!
Annie App for Veterans
Annie is a VA service that sends automated text messages to Veterans to help them stay focused on their self-care. This might include health related notifications, reminders, or motivational messages. Annie also empowers Veterans to play an active role in their care, by prompting them to provide health data such as weight or blood pressure. Thousands of Veterans successfully use Annie to stay healthy and on track in meeting their wellness goals. Anyone with a phone that can send and received text messages can use Annie.
Annie is to support self-care. While VA health care teams can view messages that are sent to Annie, they will not actively be reviewing them, and cannot respond in Annie. Therefore, Annie cannot be used:
- for an emergency or crisis; instead, CALL 911 or the VA crisis line immediately.
- to try to text your VA health care team about specific health issues; instead, contact your VA health care team directly.
- if a response from your VA health care team is needed; instead, contact your VA health care team directly if you need an answer to a question.
- to view medical information or records; instead, view medical records in MyHealtheVet
To learn more about the Annie App for Veterans visit VA Mobile.
VA Mobile Applications
VA Mobile aims to improve Veterans’ health by providing technologies that expand clinical care beyond the traditional office visit.
VA Mobile develops apps that give both Veterans and VA care teams safe and secure mobile access to important health data — providing more opportunities for Veterans to be active participants in their health care. VA Mobile also features health care and wellness apps for caregivers and civilians.
VA Mobile is transforming the way VA care is delivered and improving coordination between Veterans and their care teams. VA Mobile is critical in connecting Veterans to care, and VA is dedicated to providing that connection through innovative apps that enhance Veterans’ care experiences.
To access available apps, visit the VA App Store.
VA St. Cloud Connected Health Team
Connected Health Technicians 320-252-1670, ext. 7271
Dustin Miller, Connected Health Coordinator 320-252-1670, ext. 7335