VA’s Office of Connected Care has announced a new mobile app that allows veterans, wherever they are, to exchange text messages with a VA health care team. The platform is a user-friendly one in which veterans can receive virtual health care from caring staff.  Functions include medical advice regarding minor illnesses or injuries such as congestion, rashes, or stomach aches. Also possible are the scheduling of appointments, questions about prescriptions or refilling them, and deliberations […]

BVA Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa continues to urge BVA members and their families to register as soon as possible for the convention and to make reservations with the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel for the Association’s 78th National Convention August 14-18, 2023, in the Gateway City. She also recommends making flight or other travel arrangements now.  Individuals and families planning to attend this year’s activities—highlighted by educational sessions, an increasingly popular and busy Exhibit Hall, […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 10, at 2:00pm Eastern Daylight Time as we welcome Liz Whitaker, Vispero’s Product Manager for User Education and Outreach. Liz will focus on the capabilities of Freedom Scientific products Fusion and JAWS in accessing Microsoft Teams. Administrative responsibilities or tasks that require the sharing of documents, collaboration on projects, the management of calendars, or participation in virtual meetings are greatly aided by use of Microsoft Teams software. Accessing […]

This Monday, May 8, is the 78th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day, the day German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms unconditionally and surrendered their military forces to the Allies, including the United States. Celebrations erupted around the world on that same day in 1945 including, as reported by the New York Times, “wild crowds with unrestrained vigor” in New York City’s Times Square.  Not more than three weeks […]

Congress designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999 to ensure that the country demonstrate publicly its appreciation for troops past and present. The month is usually marked also by a Presidential Proclamation. The selection of May for this designation seems especially appropriate given the individual days during the month that note U.S. military achievements—Loyalty Day (May 1), established in 1921; anniversary of the death of Osama Bin Laden (May 2); V-E Day (May […]

This week’s BVA Happenings elaborates on a frequently underrated feature of the legislative process, that of Congressional Committees and supporting staff personnel who perform much of their work. BVA Deputy Director of Government Relations Alek Libbin opens the curtain that often obscures the power of such Committees and of the Members of Congress assigned to them.  Committees serve an important role in any Congressional matter. Their every aspect possesses layers of complexity. A good Committee […]

VA announced earlier this week that veterans and their survivors have filed more than 500,000 claims for toxic exposure-related benefits under the PACT Act since President Biden signed it into law on August 10 of last year. To date, VA has awarded more than $1 billion in earned benefits to veterans and their families who have filed a claim.  The announcement also revealed that more than 3 million veterans have received VA’s new toxic exposure […]

BVA Convention Coordinator Meredith Buono-DaGrossa continues to advise BVA members and their families to register as soon as possible for the convention and to make reservations with the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel for the Association’s 78th National Convention in the Gateway City. She also recommends making flight or other travel arrangements now. Individuals and families planning to attend this year’s activities—highlighted by educational sessions, an increasingly popular and busy Exhibit Hall, and official BVA […]

One week ago today, VA announced here that future deployments of the new Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) program would have to be halted while improvements were prioritized at the five sites that currently use the new system as part of a larger program reset.  In response, House Committee on Veterans Affairs Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL-12) and Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-CA-39) now seek increased Congressional oversight via H.R. 2809, House companion legislation to Senator […]

Join BVA’s VetTech Team this Wednesday, May 3, at 2:00pm Eastern Time as we welcome Josue Rivera and Corinne Nero, Area Sales Managers for OrCam. They will discuss the award-winning Artificial Intelligence capabilities of the OrCam MyEye Pro in recognizing individuals, making it a powerful tool at family gatherings, meetings, conventions, and other public events.  Do not miss this VetTech session, which will provide participants with:                                                                        An overview of how people recognition works. Steps to […]