The Convergence of the VA, Veteran Service Organizations and Philips Technology

In May 2018, the VA announced the passage of the MISSION Act, which allows VA doctors, nurses and other health care providers to administer care using telehealth technologies, regardless of location of the provider or the Veteran.

The VFW and The American Legion are among the most prominent Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) in the country with a combined membership of more than 3 million. ATLAS leverages the ubiquity of these Posts and extends the VA’s “Anywhere to Anywhere” initiative to bring access to VA care to Veterans who live in remote or rural areas.

ATLAS will use Philips telehealth patient monitoring solutions including Wi-Fi-enabled electronic scales, blood pressure cuffs and thermometers, as well as glucose meters and pulse oximeters linked to a secure, high-speed Internet line. The sites will offer services that do not require hands-on exams but may include primary care, mental health counseling, clinical pharmacy, nutrition services and social work.

To improve access to care, the VA has become a leader in developing telehealth services delivering more than 1.3 million video telehealth visits to more than 485,000 Veterans since the VA Video Connect app was launched in 2017. In fiscal year 2019, VA telehealth provided over 2.5 million episodes of care to Veterans.


About Royal Philips
Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2018 sales of EUR 18.1 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries.


About the VFW
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. is the nation's largest and oldest major war veterans organization. Founded in 1899, the congressionally-chartered VFW is comprised entirely of eligible veterans and military service members from the active, Guard and Reserve forces. With more than 1.6 million VFW and Auxiliary members located in 6,200 Posts worldwide, the nonprofit veterans service organization is proud to proclaim “NO ONE DOES MORE FOR VETERANS” than the VFW, which is dedicated to veterans’ service, legislative advocacy, and military and community service programs.

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