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The President: Good morning.
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I'd like to begin by thanking
Secretary David Shulkin
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for the incredible progress
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that he's making
at the VA --
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tremendous strides.
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Thank you very much,
David. We appreciate it.
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The veterans
appreciate it,
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I can tell you that.
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Today, I'm pleased to
announce another historic
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breakthrough that
will expand VA services
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to many more patients
and veterans.
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We will do this through
telehealth services.
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It's what it's called --
telehealth services.
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We're expanding
the ability of veterans
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to connect with their
VA healthcare team
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from anywhere
using mobile application
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on the veteran's
own phone
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or the veteran's
own computer.
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This will significantly
expand access
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to care for our veterans,
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especially for those
who need help
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in the area
of mental health,
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which is a bigger
and bigger request --
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and also in suicide
prevention.
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It will make
a tremendous difference
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for the veterans in rural
locations in particular.
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We're launching
the mobile app
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that will allow VA
patients to schedule
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and change
their appointments
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at VA facilities using
their smartphones.
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So, this is something
they were
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never able to do.
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Technology has given us
this advantage,
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but, unfortunately,
we have not
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taken advantage
of that until now.
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We're working tirelessly
to keep our promises
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to our great veterans.
Very important.
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And in my campaign and on
the campaign trail,
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the veterans mean
so much to me
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and this administration.
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In the past six months,
I have signed historic
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VA accountability
legislation.
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I have signed
legislation to extend
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and improve the Veterans
Choice Program.
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We're starting to really
get that to a point
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where choice is
just becoming something
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that they are
extremely happy about,
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and they've wanted it
for many, many years.
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We're working to enable
seamless care
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between the Departments
of Defense
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and Veteran Affairs.
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We have launched
a groundbreaking
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new website
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that allows veterans
to compare wait times
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and quality of care
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at VA facilities
and other hospitals.
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So, we're actually able
to compete our facilities
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with other hospitals
and other VA facilities.
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So, we'll really strike
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a little
competitive advantage
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and I think get people
moving even better.
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And we have dramatically
increased the number
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of approvals
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for veterans
to see the doctors.
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So, they are
going to have
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many more doctors
of their choice.
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These accomplishments
are only the beginning.
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We will not rest
until all of America's
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great veterans
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can receive the care
they so richly deserve.
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Tremendous progress
has been
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made in a short period
of time.
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We've only been
here six months,
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but tremendous progress
has been made.
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And I want to ask
Dr. Shulkin, perhaps,
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to give us
a little preview
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of what's to come.
Thank you.
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Secretary Shulkin: Mr.
President, thank you so much.
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What we're
announcing today
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is a big deal
for veterans.
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It's really going
to expand access
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for veterans in a way
we haven't done before.
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And, as you may know,
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VA already
has the largest
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telehealth program
in the country.
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Last year we had
700,000 veterans
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who got telehealth
services through the VA,
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and we actually
can do this
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for 50 different
specialties.
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In fact, Mr. President,
if you take a look
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at all those specialties
on this chart,
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we can provide
telehealth services
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from tele-dermatology,
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to tele-intensive care,
to tele-dentistry.
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And this is
the type of thing
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that is available
now to our veterans.
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But what we're
announcing today
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dramatically expands
our current capabilities.
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Mr. President, by working
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with the Office
of American Innovation
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and the Department
of Justice,
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we're going to be
issuing a regulation
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that allows
our VA providers
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to provide telehealth
services from anywhere
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in the country
to veterans
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anywhere in the country,
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whether it's in their
homes or any location.
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We call it "anywhere to
anywhere" VA healthcare.
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That's a big deal.
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Now, just think
about this.
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That means we're going
to be able to use
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VA providers in cities
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where there are
a lot of doctors,
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and be able to use
those doctors
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to help our veterans
in rural areas
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where there aren't many
healthcare professionals.
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And you talked about
mental health
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and suicide prevention;
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this is one
of those areas
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that we can really use
that expertise.
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And today's announcement
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is going to allow us
to do that.
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What we're going to be
rolling out nationally
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with a rollout
across the country
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is what's called
VA Video Connect.
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VA Video Connect allows
VA providers
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to use mobile devices
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to connect with veterans
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on their mobile devices
or their home computers.
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That's a big deal.
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Currently, we use
VA Video Connect
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with over 300
VA providers
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at 67 of our hospitals
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or clinics
across the country.
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But that's beginning
to roll out nationally.
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And there's one more
thing, Mr. President.
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We're going to be
announcing
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a new technology
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called the Veterans
Appointment Request.
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And what that is, is it's
allowing the veteran,
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on their smartphone,
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to be able to schedule
their appointments
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directly
with VA providers,
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or to change
their appointments,
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or cancel
their appointments
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with VA providers.
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Now, today,
this is available
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in all 18 of our regions
across the country.
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And we've already
booked more
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than 4,000 appointments
from veterans
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directly
from their smartphones
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so that they can schedule
their own appointments.
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But now we're announcing
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the national rollout
of this.
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And if veterans
want to see
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and get the Veterans
Appointment Request,
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you can see
on our website --
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mobile.va.gov/appstore.
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The VA app store has this
available for download.
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So, Mr. President, what
we're really doing is,
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we're
removing regulations
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that have prevented us
from doing this.
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We're removing geography
as a barrier
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so that we can speed up
access to veterans
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and really honor
our commitment to them.
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Now, let me show you
how this works,
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Mr. President.
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If we come over here --
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we use technology
in a way
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that's pretty incredible.
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In fact, Mr. President,
I'm one of those doctors.
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I practice right here
in Washington
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to my clinic
in Grants Pass, Oregon.
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And I want to say hello
to our veteran today.
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Mr. Amescua, how are you?
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Mr. Amescua is a veteran.
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He served in the Coast
Guard for 26 years.
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He was a helicopter
rescue swimmer
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and served the country.
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And here
we are in Oregon.
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And this is
our great team
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-- Peggy and Denise
and Terry.
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And, Peggy,
would you mind --
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I understand there might
be some area of concern
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on Mr. Amescua's skin.
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Can we take a look
at that, please?
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Team Member: Yes, sir.
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Dr. Shulkin,
this is the area
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that is of concern.
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Secretary Shulkin: Okay.
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So, as we focus
in on that,
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you can see,
Mr. President,
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I can take a look
at that area
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and if I have
any concern about it
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we can send this
to a specialist
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or we can take
a look at it.
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But thank you.
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Mr. Amescua, we'll be
right back with you soon.
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I just want to show
the President
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a few other things,
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but we'll be
right back with you.
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Mr. President,
if you walk over here,
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this is actually
the new doctor's bag --
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the doctor's bag
of the future.
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And you may actually
recognize this
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because this is
the doctor's bag
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that travels with you
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when you go
on Air Force One.
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And so we have Dr.
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Ronny Jackson,
your doctor here
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that usually takes
care of you, Dr. Jackson.
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And we now are able
to bring this doctor's
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bag into the home
of our veterans.
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Our nurse practitioners,
our technicians
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are able to use this type
of technology now
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-- the same technology
available
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to the President
of the United States.
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And that's the way
it should be,
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because our veterans
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deserve that
type of technology.
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The President:
That's great.
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Secretary Shulkin: Now,
I'm going to show you
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just one or two
other things.
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Dr. Neil Evans over here,
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one of our doctors,
is going to show you
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VA Video Connect
that I talked about.
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So here we are
in Grants Pass, Oregon.
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Hi, Mr. Amescua,
how are you?
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Can you raise your hand?
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Good.
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So, here we are
in Grants Pass, Oregon
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on
our mobile device,
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and this is how we
can use VA Video Connect.
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But watch this,
Mr. President.
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If we need to bring in a
specialist from anywhere
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in the country
into Grants Pass, Oregon,
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we can.
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So, Dr. Brook Watts.
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Do you want to say hello,
Dr. Watts?
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Dr. Watts: Good Morning,
Dr. Shulkin.
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Good morning,
Mr. President.
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And good morning,
Mr. Amescua.
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Thank you so much
for your service.
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Secretary Shulkin: Dr.
Watts is a specialist --
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an internal
medicine specialist
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in Cleveland, Oregon,
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and she is now
connected in with Mr. Amescua
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in Grants Pass, Oregon.
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So, we can get the
expertise from anywhere
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in the country
immediately.
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The VA is able
to do this right now.
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So, thank you very much.
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And so, Mr. President,
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this is how we're
expanding access.
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This is how we're
bringing the very best
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technology available
in the country.
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And really thanks
to your help
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in cutting through
the regulation,
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the Office of
American Innovation,
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we're able to expand
that success
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dramatically today
and to roll this out.
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And as you said, with
our accountability bill,
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our replacing
our electronic
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00:10:04,303 --> 00:10:06,273
medical record, the
progress we're making --
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in six months
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we have been able
to do tremendous things.
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But it's just
the beginning of what
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we're going to do
for our veterans.
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So, thank you very much.
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(Applause.)
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00:10:21,954 --> 00:10:22,754
The President:
Thank you, Doctor.
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00:10:22,755 --> 00:10:24,025
And I just want
to thank him,
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00:10:24,023 --> 00:10:24,893
and your skin --
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00:10:24,890 --> 00:10:26,030
I hope you skin
is going to be improved.
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00:10:26,025 --> 00:10:27,895
(Laughter.)
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00:10:27,893 --> 00:10:29,663
You look pretty good to me,
but what do I know?
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00:10:29,662 --> 00:10:30,762
(Laughter.)
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00:10:30,763 --> 00:10:31,563
Secretary Shulkin:
Mr. Amescua,
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00:10:31,564 --> 00:10:33,434
why don't you say
something
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00:10:33,432 --> 00:10:36,302
if you want to say hello
to the President.
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00:10:39,472 --> 00:10:40,602
Mr. Amescua: Good
morning, Mr. President,
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00:10:40,606 --> 00:10:42,276
how are you?
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00:10:42,274 --> 00:10:43,144
The President: Very
good.
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00:10:43,142 --> 00:10:44,112
You look very
healthy to me,
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00:10:44,110 --> 00:10:45,040
I will tell you that.
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00:10:45,044 --> 00:10:46,074
(Laughter.)
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00:10:46,078 --> 00:10:47,818
Please make sure
your skin is perfect.
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00:10:47,813 --> 00:10:50,753
(Laughter.)
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00:10:50,750 --> 00:10:51,820
Thank you very much.
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00:10:51,817 --> 00:10:54,157
Great technology,
great to be here.
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00:10:54,153 --> 00:10:55,393
Thank you.
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00:10:55,388 --> 00:11:00,928
(Applause.)
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00:11:00,926 --> 00:11:03,166
We're going to West Virginia
tonight, by the way.
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We're going to have
a very big announcement,
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00:11:04,797 --> 00:11:06,397
which will be
very exciting I think
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for the media
and everyone else.
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But we have a very big
announcement tonight.
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00:11:10,603 --> 00:11:13,173
I believe I'll be making
it in West Virginia,
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00:11:13,172 --> 00:11:14,412
so that will
very exciting.
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00:11:14,407 --> 00:11:15,707
Thank you very much.
