How VA TeleTBI is connecting Veterans to brain injury care
Bridging the distance: Virtual visits connect veterans with timely brain injury care
For many veterans, receiving care for a traumatic brain injury (TBI) can be difficult, especially if they live far from a specialist. That’s where VA Telehealth Services and TeleTBI make a difference.
dr. Mi-Hyon Cho, a brain injury specialist for the VA Hudson Valley Health System, helped build VA Hudson Valley’s TeleTBI program provide TBI care to veterans regardless of where they live.
“We’ve been doing the TeleTBI program since 2017,” she said. “I can sit in my office here in New York and connect with veterans wherever they are, at work or at home.”
Care regardless of distance
TeleTBI connects veterans with experts through VA Video ConnectVA’s secure video conferencing app. That means veterans can get care faster, even if their local VA facility doesn’t have a provider specializing in brain injury treatment.
“Veterans love it,” Cho said.
What started as a small effort to support veterans in Hawaii quickly grew into a national program. Today, the program has helped more than 5,000 veterans. Telehealth also helps VA facilities work together. If one location does not have a specialist, another VA facility may be involved.
“If we can take care of veterans and collaborate with other sites, we can provide better care,” Cho said.
This teamwork keeps veterans within the VA system, where providers can see their full medical history and better coordinate care. When a veteran’s local VA facility becomes fully staffed with a TBI specialty provider, the TeleTBI team ensures a smooth transition of care, including a warm handover to support continuity and veteran comfort.
How virtual care works
A comprehensive TBI assessment via TeleTBI is completed via VA Video Connect, allowing clinicians to obtain a detailed history of injury and associated symptoms, a neurobehavioral symptom inventory (NSI), and a focused physical examination to determine whether criteria for a TBI diagnosis are met. The care team then develops individual treatment recommendations. The TeleTBI program then helps connect veterans with appropriate providers, including virtual care or in-person care when available.
High satisfaction, real results
Veterans using TeleTBI report high satisfaction rates, often because care is easier to access and can be performed from home.
“We’re getting close to 5 out of 5,” Cho said.
The program also works hard to reduce missed visits. TeleTBI staff remind veterans of appointments and help them stay engaged.
“The veteran is our center,” she continued. “We need a strong support system to make this work.”
A growing future for telehealth
All VA facilities now provide virtual services for TBI evaluation and ongoing care, ensuring veterans have access to specialized evaluation and treatment regardless of their location.
“Continuity of care is important,” added Cho.
By connecting veterans with the right providers, regardless of the distance between the veteran and the specialist, telehealth helps veterans receive timely care and stay on track for their recovery.
Talk to your VA care team to learn more about TeleTBI. To learn more about telehealth at the VA, visit the VA Telehealth Services website.
