Program Provides Free Video-Enabled Mental Health Services to Veterans Facing Trauma-Based Disorders and Injury
Hackensack, NJ – February 22, 2018 – Vidyo, Inc., the leader in embedded real-time video healthcare solutions, announced today that the Road Home Program, the Center for Veterans and their Families at Rush University Medical Center, has chosen Vidyo for its mental health intakes for veterans. The innovative service, powered by the VidyoCloudTM platform, provides real-time, face-to-face consultations at no cost for those seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions.
Funded by the 501(c)(3) Wounded Warrior Project, the Road Home Program is committed to helping veterans cope with the invisible wounds of war, during and after their transition to civilian life. Nearly five million veterans live across the U.S, many without adequate access to mental health professionals. Video-enabled tele-counseling provides access to those in need, regardless of their location.
“Vidyo is key to helping us close the gap in rural services,” said Blake Schroedter, Clinical Psychologist at the Road Home Program. “We can now reach veterans in remote areas who cannot easily access VA hospitals or find local services. Video intakes help capture trauma related affect, and stabilizes patients with quick recurring care. All of this can be achieved without a single trip to our Chicago campus, saving patients time and money.”
The benefits of video-enabled mental health services include confidential counseling, assistance with reintegration, reduced travel, and easy, flexible access to care. Using the Road Home Program service, veterans can connect to counselors or clinicians in secure video rooms, using desktop or mobile devices via a simple link provided by Rush. Vidyo’s technology delivers a high-quality experience even in low-bandwidth, rural environments.
“Our mission in healthcare is simple: to empower healthcare delivery organizations to provide patients with access to care, wherever they are, at a moment’s notice,” said Michael Patsalos-Fox, CEO, Vidyo. “Mental health assistance is imperative for those returning from combat and military service. Healthcare professionals learned from the past that not recognizing, and treating those who have experienced certain trauma can result in lifelong problems. Rush’s use of the VidyoCloud platform allows the Road Home Program to provide critical tele-behavioral services to veterans.”
The Road Home Program will extend the video service to provide tele-behavioral counseling to veterans located in the state of Illinois. “The next challenge lies in scaling our successes to accommodate a growing population of returning soldiers,” said Schroedter. “According to the Wounded Warrior Project’s 2017 annual survey, 77% of veterans reported PTSD symptoms as their main health challenge. The severity of these numbers suggests the Road Home Program will prove an indispensable model for tele-counseling initiatives nationwide.”
“Video technology is becoming an increasingly important tool to connect Rush patients and providers,” said Dr. Shafiq Rab, CIO, Rush. “That many of the first patients to benefit from this innovation are military veterans is a source of great pride for our entire organization.”
About Rush
Rush is an academic health system whose mission is to improve the health of the patients and the diverse communities it serves with nationally recognized health care, education, research and a commitment to community partnerships. The Rush system comprises Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush-Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital, as well as numerous outpatient care facilities. Rush University, with more than 2,500 students, is a health sciences university that comprises Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College.
About the Road Home Program
The Road Home Program at Rush helps military veterans and their families make healthier transitions to civilian life by offering specialized mental health care, peer-to-peer outreach, counseling and community resource navigation. This includes evidence-based care for PTSD, TBI and MST, child and family counseling, service and resource navigation, peer-to-peer outreach, public awareness programming and training for primary care physicians and others.
Rush is a non-profit health care, educational and research enterprise consisting of Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Health.