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Glenwood is future site for telehealth clinic

John Gardner
jgardner@postindependent.com
Post Independent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

GLENWOOD SPRINGS, Colorado ” Local veterans will soon have a medical option closer to home through a new Veterans Affairs Medical Telehealth Outreach Clinic planned for Glenwood Springs.

U.S. Rep. John Salazar, D-Manassa, announced Wednesday that over $7 million in federal funds have been designated for the creation of the Telehealth Outreach Clinics throughout the western United States.

The local clinic will serve veterans in Garfield, Pitkin and Eagle counties. Currently, the closest place for veterans from these counties to travel for medical care is the Grand Junction VA Hospital.



According to Garfield County veteran service officer Joe Carpenter the new clinic will be a helpful addition for the close to 6,000 veterans living in the three county area.

However, Carpenter said that while the clinic will help by eliminating the commute for veterans, there is still more that could be done.



“These clinics will help,” Carpenter said. “But veterans will still have to qualify in order to get help.”

Carpenter said that doing away with financial means testing, which disqualifies veterans who make over a certain amount in annual income from receiving medical treatment through the VA, would be a better way to help.

The goal of the new telehealth pilot program is to use modern technology to save veterans time and travel expenses for certain treatments.

Telehealth is the delivery of health-related services and information via telecommunications technologies. Telehealth is an expansion of telemedicine, however, it differs from telemedicine as it encompasses preventative and promotive aspects in addition to the curative aspect.

How soon the clinic would be up and running was not clear as of Wednesday.

Contact John Gardner: 384-9114

jgardner@postindependent.com


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