Los Banos veterans open house showcases services, including telehealth breakthrough
The Los Banos VFW Post 2487 and American Legion Post 166 hosted an open house at the Veterans Hall in Los Banos on Saturday to showcase a recent addition.
Available since this spring for local veterans is an ATLAS telehealth system, which provides veterans in Los Banos the opportunity to be seen by medical specialists without leaving their hometown.
Veterans can step into a soundproof booth and have a video conference with medical professionals.
“Veterans will be able to access their doctors, their nutritionists, pharmacists and their mental health providers to help them so they don’t have to drive to Fresno, Merced, Palo Alto or wherever their doctors are at,” said local VFW commander Mike Hughes.
Hughes and local American Legion Post 166 commander Alan Cotta spearheaded the project.
“This part of the county we kind of get left out things,” Cotta said. “This project has been one of our pet ones. This is the accumulation of a lot of time, a lot of effort of a lot of people.”
The ATLAS system in Los Banos has been in the works for five years. Lead company engineers and executives from Phillips Medical Electronics first met with Hughes and Cotta in 2016.
“If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we don’t have to drive to see our doctors,” said Nathan Naynor, who is the vice president of Veteran Health Care for Phillips. “Everyone has already experienced telehealth. Now people will be able to visit their doctors without leaving Los Banos.”
ATLAS is intended to address the challenges of accessing healthcare in rural areas by providing comfortable, private spaces equipped with reliable internet for VA providers to securely meet with veterans. There are 12 active ATLAS locations across the U.S. so far.
The Los Banos location is the only one in the state of California.
The system even features a high-tech camera system. By reading a person’s eyeball can, the system can display vital signs like temperature and blood pressure.
Several months ago was the first time a local veteran participated in the Los Banos ATLAS system, and the experience was a success. Since then, 25 veterans have been ATLAS patients.
“With COVID everybody is used to calling their doctor, but this is one step up, they can see the doctor and the doctor can see them,” Hughes said
During the open house members from VA Central California Heathcare Systems, Los Banos Parks & Rec, CAL Vet, American Legion Post 166 and Los Banos VFW Post 2687 were all on hand to showcase services available to veterans.
Veterans were also able to receive free COVID vaccinations and flu shots.
The Los Banos High school choir also provided music, and there was also a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the ATLAS telehealth system.
“This is a godsend for Los Banos,” Hughes said. “We’re here to service the Los Banos veterans. That’s what we’re here to do. That’s our whole goal in life.”
