Page 17 - Desert Oracle October 2021

SAVAHCS Director’s Report:
October 2021

LOCAL UPDATE

DID YOU KNOW?
• On September 24 the CDC approved those are at highest risk for COVID-19 to receive a Pfizer-
BioNTech COVID-19 booster shot to help increase their protection- The Southern Arizona VA Health
Care System (SAVAHCS) is a Moderna and Janssen vaccination site. The updated CDC guidance does
apply to these vaccines. The SAVAHCS does not offer the Pfizer vaccine, if you fall into the CDC’s high-
risk category, please go a community Pfizer vaccination clinic to receive your booster shot. For more
information on the CDC’s recommendation for the Pfizer booster shot, click HERE.

• New SAVAHCS Assistant Director- Ms. Jennifer (Jenny) Wasielewski, RN, BSN, MBA has been
selected as the new SAVAHCS Assistant Director, and it will be effective Sunday, October 10, 2021. Ms.
Wasielewski served in a detail as the Acting Assistant Director since February 1, 2021.

• Flu Vaccines- The 2021-2022 Flu Season is here. Vaccinations are highly recommended to protect
yourself against the flu. Veterans have several different options in receiving a flu vaccination, such as
through your primary care appointment, your local CBOC, or the drive thru clinics at our main campus.
Click on the icon below for times and locations of SAVAHCS flu vaccination clinics.

Letter FINAL.pdf

• New Tele ICU capabilities at the SAVAHCS- Tele-Critical Care (Tele-CC) Services started at the
SAVAHCS on Monday, September 20. The new Tele CC consists of network connections between the
SAVAHCS ICU and VA Tele-Critical Care hubs across the U.S. These hubs are staffed with intensivist
physicians and ICU nurses who assist in managing and monitoring ICU patients. Tele-CC remote
clinicians will have access to all the ICU patient data and can visually assess patients using a high-
resolution camera mounted above the ICU patient’s bed. Remote providers obtain privileges to write
orders and provide consultation to resident trainees, physicians, and local nursing staff.

• SAVAHCS Outreach Team temporary pause on attending face-to-face Veteran resource fairs and
outreach events- The highly contagious Delta variant within Arizona has made it potentially unsafe for
our employees in the SAVAHCS Outreach Team to attend face-to-face Veteran outreach events. At this
time, we can support virtual outreach events and resource fairs or participate virtually in face-to-face
events if possible. SAVAHCS Outreach Team can provide VA outreach materials to hand out at resource
fairs. Once we can attend face-to-face outreach events, we will inform our VSOs and community
stakeholders. If you are interested in receiving outreach materials, please contact the SAVAHCS Public
Affairs Office at 520-629-1819.

• Veterans can save time by using MyHealtheVet for all their routine healthcare needs. Veterans can
make appointments, contact providers, and request prescription refills. To learn more, contact the
SAVAHCS MyHealtheVet Coordinator at (520) 792-1450 extension 1-6889.