Celebrating Telehealth Awareness Week 2026
VA News ·
Observe Telehealth Awareness Week by learning how VA expands access to care through telehealth.
VA is celebrating Telehealth Awareness Week from September 20–26! The American Telemedicine Association’s sixth annual Telehealth Awareness Week recognizes the value of telehealth, how far it has come, and the many ways it improves access to high-quality care.
For retired U.S. Army Col. Don Degidio , virtual care has become an essential part of managing his health care. Living 30 minutes from his local VA clinic and two hours from the nearest VA medical center, VA Video Connect , VA’s secure videoconferencing app, has helped him stay connected to his care team while saving valuable time.
“It does save time. It does save travel,” Degidio said.
Air Force Veteran John Bates credits telehealth with changing his life. Through VA’s TeleMOVE! program, he lost 190 pounds, came off all his medications, and found a new way to stay connected to care.
“I’m living proof that it works,” Bates said. “If I can do it, any Veteran can.”
Telehealth complements in-person care by making it easier for Veterans to access primary care, mental health services, specialty care, and chronic disease management. Whether connecting from home or another convenient location, Veterans can receive trusted VA care in the way that works best for them.
Providing Veterans with access to trusted VA health care remains VA’s top priority. Through VA Telehealth Services, VA continues to expand care beyond the traditional office visit. This includes video telehealth visits, phone appointments, remote patient monitoring, and other virtual care options that help Veterans access the care they need from home or wherever they are.
Today, nearly half of Veterans (42.8%) receive VA care access part of that care through telehealth. Veteran trust in VA telehealth (91.1%) and satisfaction with VA telehealth (92.5%) have also increased for the sixth consecutive year.
VA offers Veterans multiple ways to engage with their health care services. More than 60 mobile apps are designed to help Veterans improve their health outside of a traditional clinical setting. And with My HealtheVet on VA.gov , VA’s online portal, Veterans can manage their prescriptions, appointments and medical records in the same place where they manage other VA benefits and services.
You can learn more about VA Telehealth Services and the resources available to support Veterans wherever they are.