After enlisting in the Navy at 17 years old and serving in the Vietnam War, veteran Richard Lindsay started using the Iowa City Veterans Administration Telehealth program after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and hypothyroidism at 70 years old.

Veterans like Lindsay are increasingly using telehealth to connect with health professionals. The Iowa City VA officials reported a significant increase in telehealth visits since the pandemic.

According to Ann Wadsworth, Iowa City’s facility telehealth coordinator and a veteran herself, the U.S. VA system saw 72,000 veterans use some form of telehealth in 2022, accounting for 31 percent of veterans at the facility in Iowa City. As of Oct. 1, 6,100 veterans have used some form of telehealth, Wadsworth said.

The VA provides video visits with veterans, in addition to outpatient satellite offices that are equipped with high-definition imaging and testing equipment to provide doctors better information remotely.

The outpatient clinics are located in several cities across Iowa: Cedar Rapids VA Clinic, Coralville, Dubuque, Ottumwa, Decorah, and others.

Wadsworth said at each of these clinics, there are at least one or more technicians who will help room the patients and get them connected with a provider.

Specialized imaging equipment, paired with technicians that can aid the doctor in imaging remotely, are newer developments that the VA Telehealth service has begun to utilize. This care is primarily used for tele-retinal imaging, tele-dermatology, and tele-wounds.

Technicians at one of the outpatient clinics will take a specialized photo of the injury site and send the image to a provider at the Iowa City VA to examine and discuss with the patient.

Wadsworth said the VA offers a variety of telehealth services, including: mental health, primary care, neurology, physical therapy, pre and post-surgical visits, cardiology, Tele-Move, and many more.

Veterans have recently begun using the Tele-Move program at higher rates, Wadsworth said.

Roderick Neely and Richard Lindsay have both seen results from the Tele-Move program and are extremely grateful to have telehealth.

Neely, a Marine Corps veteran, was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a neuromuscular disease that breaks down nerves and muscle tissue, affecting his ability to move and for which there was no cure.

“It made it really difficult for me at times to drive over to the outpatient clinic near me or to the Iowa City VA and having telehealth sessions that I could do from home has been really valuable,” Neely said.

Neely has used a variety of telehealth programs from physical therapy and neurology to the Tele-Move program.

Neely said the Tele-Move program is a weight loss and exercise program for veterans that can be done from the comfort of their own homes.

In the six weeks he has been involved, Neely has lost 40 pounds without any weight loss drugs, but simply from exercise and diet.

“Telehealth has been very beneficial for me, and I am blessed that we have this technology and that we can use it to help other veterans too,” Neely said.

Lindsay was exposed to Agent Orange during his time along the Vietnam coast and has been using the VA telehealth program since 2021. Agent Orange is an herbal toxin that affects the organs and immune system and was used in the Vietnam War.

Lindsay said the telehealth program has been beneficial to him as he does not have to travel any distance and is receiving good information from it.

VA Lead Telehealth Technician Wendy Holmes said each of the veterans gets set up with iPads and those who aren’t as tech-savvy just have to click a button to join calls with their providers.

“Telehealth really prevents people from having to miss their appointments, and allows for greater access to healthcare providers,” Holmes said.

Neely and Lindsay encourage veterans, especially those living in rural areas who are unable to make the commute to an outpatient clinic or the Iowa City location, to use this program as it is a positive tool and can help change their lives.

“The VA telehealth program really focuses on providing veterans with the care that they need and it is very enlightening to see how many options these patients are offered at their own convenience,” Holmes said.