Helena Independent Record: Online veterans program adds new features
Montana veterans will now have the opportunity to communicate online with health care staff through a new feature of the Internet-based My HealtheVet (pronounced My Healthy Vet) program.
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ Montana Health Care System kicked off its “Secure Messaging” option Monday with pilot teams in Helena and Kalispell. It allows veterans registered with the program to send messages about nonemergency matters to the VA and receive a response within three business days.
It’s an addition to several other services also available on the site, including the ability to order medication refills and view appointment calendars. In the future, there are plans for applications that would allow veterans to check their lab results and look at medical records online, said Roger Trumper, Montana My HealtheVet coordinator.
The program itself kicked off nationally in 2003, with additional features added over the years, Trumper said. As of last month, 4,549 Montana veterans had registered to use it — with numbers up 8 percent from the fall.
