PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center is the hub for many veterans who need healthcare services. Now, a new digital service is helping thousands of veterans get medical attention from the comfort of their home.
For Laquantis Morton helping others is her passion.
“That’s that nursing side of me I really like giving back,” she said.
She proved that by signing up for the Army when she was just 19-years-old. She trained in the U.S. and then was sent to South Korea. But it was when she returned when her life changed forever.
“I was still going back to nursing school and working so I was studying and working and I didn’t get enough sleep and one August 18, 2009. I had a car accident,” Morton recalled.
Leaving Morton paralyzed from the waist down. Making it more difficult for her to make it to her doctor's appointments. One day she was battling a fever and called the VA and realized her access to help was about to change.
“She was taking my information, she was assessing my needs and said sounds like you have an infection and what we do is we will send you an antibiotic. And I said I don’t have to come in?! She said yeah we’ll send it to you tomorrow! I was like wow the VA has definitely stepped up their game,” Morton recalled.
It’s called VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center a 24/7 hotline that connects veterans throughout Florida to virtual urgent care. Right now the program is only being offered in Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
“Since our launch in July 2019 we have seen care for over 100,000 veterans they call in for various reasons, prescription renewals and symptoms they may be having,” Clarissa Blackshear, Clinical Contact Center Nurse Manager said.
A new way to serve those who dedicated their lives to serving our country.
For more information on VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center, you can call 1-877-741-3400 or click here.