More than new skills: How Tech4Vets builds confidence and connection
VA News ·
Tech4Vets helps Veterans use technology to safely navigate VA.gov, refill prescriptions, and protect their information online.
At Northern Colorado VA Clinic in Loveland, Colorado, technology gives Veterans more than new skills. It gives them confidence, connection and new ways to take an active role in their VA healthcare.
Through Tech4Vets, Cheyenne VA Healthcare System’s My HealtheVet coordinator, Michelle Walton, and community volunteers, help Veterans safely use digital tools that support their healthcare, benefits and everyday lives. The program serves Veterans across northern Colorado, southern Wyoming and eastern Nebraska.
During a recent Tech4Vets event, Walton and volunteers helped 20 Veterans access VA.gov, renew prescriptions, request medical records and send secure messages to their VA healthcare teams.
“Technology can make it easier for Veterans to stay connected to the care and benefits they have earned,” Walton said. “Our goal is to make sure Veterans feel comfortable, informed and supported as they use these tools.”
For many Veterans, especially those living in rural communities or managing multiple appointments, VA’s online tools deliver a convenient way to stay engaged with their healthcare.
My HealtheVet and VA.gov let Veterans take important actions from home, including:
Learning to use a smartphone, computer or online account can feel overwhelming, particularly when Veterans encounter unfamiliar apps, unwanted messages or complicated sign-in processes.
Tech4Vets builds a welcoming, hands-on space where Veterans can ask questions, receive individualized help and build the skills they need at their own pace.
Technology support is about more than navigating VA websites. It is also an opportunity to help Veterans protect their personal information, finances, and identities online.
Cheyenne VA volunteer Cruz Munoz recently joined Tech4Vets to share practical cybersecurity guidance with participating Veterans. Munoz, who is pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, helped Veterans recognize possible scams and protect themselves from online threats.
His online safety guidance included reminders to:
Munoz said volunteering has similarly strengthened his confidence in communicating with new people and strengthened the value of connecting Veterans with resources in their own communities.
“Helping Veterans feel safer and more confident online can make a meaningful difference in their daily lives,” he said.
Walton is expanding Tech4Vets through collaborations with local libraries, helping bring technology assistance closer to the communities Veterans call home. These joint efforts have shown that Veterans need support not only with VA tools but also with online banking, shopping, social connections, community information and safe use of the internet.
Walton’s long-term plan includes partnering with county libraries throughout northern Colorado, southern Wyoming and eastern Nebraska so more Veterans can access trusted, local technology support.
Tech4Vets reflects Cheyenne VA’s pledge to meet Veterans where they are, whether that means in a VA clinic, in their local community or online.
Learn how VA is using technology in healthcare .