August 30, 2024 |
Photo – Department of Veteran’s Affairs logo – Courtesy VA.gov
Officials from the Cheyenne Veterans Affairs office met in Rawlins to discuss healthcare with local vets. The meeting was held in the basement of the Rawlins City Hall.
Many, of the roughly 20 veterans in attendance, said they were satisfied with the care they were receiving from the Rawlins clinic. However, the vets expressed nearly universal disapproval of the difficult to navigate telephone system needed to make appointments.
Patient Representative Supervisor for Cheyenne and Northern Colorado Angelo Corbin encouraged everyone to use a program called My Healthevet. Corbin said veterans can make and confirm appointments through the application.
With over 26,000 veterans living in the Rocky Mountain coverage area, and only 1,500 VA employees, Corbin said phone wait times can be lengthy. The patient representative supervisor told the veterans that My Healthevet can also be used to request a call back from their physician.
State Veterans Service Officer Emily Study also encouraged the veterans to use My Healthevet. Study provides step-by-step instructions to sign up to the government program. The veterans service officer recommended using the simpler phone application over the web-based version.
Bigfoot99 spoke to Cheyenne Veteran Experience Officer Mel Turner and Patient Representative Supervisor Corbin about this meeting earlier in the month. Both Turner and Corbin said veterans were telling staff that the Rawlins VA clinic was rumored to close in the near future. At yesterday’s meeting, Cheyenne VA Medical Center Associate Chief Nurse Kim Johnson told attendees that she is unaware of any plans to shutter the Rawlins clinic. However, Nurse Johnson said the decision is out of her hands.
One veteran asked if the VA still offered transportation to out-of-town appointments. State Veterans Service Officer Study said with appropriate notice, a free bus can be made available to all Carbon County vets.
Officials with Veterans Affairs encouraged veterans to call 307-778-7550 extension 1411 for more information about the services offered through the Cheyenne VA.
