Martinsburg VA Medical Center surpasses 6,800 video visits

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — Video telehealth appointments have spiked at the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center in response to coronavirus-related concerns, the hospital announced on Tuesday.

Through the use of the Department of Veterans Affairs' VA Video Connect, the Martinsburg VAMC recorded 5,858 appointments between March 1 and June 30, up from 412 in the same time period in 2019, the hospital said.

Nationally, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that telehealth video appointments had increased from approximately 10,000 to 120,000 appointments a week between February and May.

Since the federal fiscal year began on Oct. 1, the Martinsburg VA Medical Center has facilitated 6,862 video appointments through June 30.

VA Video Connect allows veterans and caregivers to meet virtually with their VA care teams on any computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet connection. Usage of video to home services has been increasing since mid-March with peak usage reaching over 29,000 appointments per day.

From March 1 through June 30, the Martinsburg VAMC saw the largest increase in telehealth services for primary care, followed by specialty care and mental health.

The Martinsburg VA Medical Center serves more than 70,000 veterans in West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania and operates seven VA-staffed Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Cumberland, Hagerstown and Fort Detrick, Md., Petersburg and Franklin, W.Va., and Harrisonburg and Stephens City, Va. The VAMC also supports the Vet Center in Martinsburg and the Culpeper and Winchester national cemeteries in Virginia.