When military vets need a doctor

VetcardWEB

Taking care of veterans can be complicated. They span wars and decades, from Vietnam and Korea to Iraq and Afghanistan. And Alaska’s 77,000 veterans are spread throughout a massive, mostly roadless state. They make up 13 percent of our population.

An audit on how long veterans wait for medical services was announced in April. The results came out June 9; 99 percent of Alaska veterans get a medical appointment under 30 days. The Alaska VA has managed those  results by sharing care with community health clinics. We’ll learn how that happened and how it is working. And we’ll talk about challenges that still go unanswered in Akaska veteran care, and why.

If you are veteran, we would love to hear about your experience with the VA. If you serve veterans, share your insights on needs and challenges that still exist.

HOST: Kathleen McCoy

GUESTS:

  • Kimberly Cohen, Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center
  • Greg Puckett, Alaska VA Alaska Healthcare System, associate director
  • Cynthia Joe MD, AK VA, Chief of Staff
  • Linda Boyle, AK VA, Patient and Nursing Services

LINKS:

PARTICIPATE:

  • Call 550-8433 (Anchorage) or 1-888-353-5752  (statewide) during the live broadcast (2:00 – 3:00pm)
  • Send email to hometown@alaskapublic.org before, during or after the live broadcast (e-mails may be read on air)
  • Post your comment or question below (comments may be read on air)

LIVE BROADCAST: Wednesday, June 18, 2014. 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. (Alaska time)

REPEAT BROADCAST: Wednesday, June 18, 2014. 9:00 – 10:00 p.m. (Alaska time)

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