VVA Chapter PI 887

UPDATES FROM THE CLINIC MANAGER

Greetings from Manila. I wanted to take a second to share some updates on the Outpatient Clinic’s operations. Currently, the Outpatient Clinic and Regional Office remain closed for scheduled and walk-in appointments. As a part of the US Embassy to the Philippines, we are following the State Department’s Diplomacy Strong Framework for reopening. We are tentatively targeting July 6 to resume some limited in-person appointments, but this date is still tentative and subject to change depending on the current COVID-19 status within Metro Manila. As soon as more information in available about our scheduled reopening, I will provide further updates by email.

Back in May, the Outpatient Clinic started providing telephone clinic appointments in primary care and mental health, which so far have been going great. I am glad that we are able to reach anywhere from 45-60 Veterans daily with telephone consults. We are likely going to continue offering telephone appointments in primary care and mental health as an option for Veterans at least through September 2020, and possibly longer. ALL primary care and mental health appointments will be by telephone until July 2, 2020. Veterans with scheduled appointments between now and July 2 should be getting an appointment reminder call from their PACT Team 5 days before their appointment to advise them that their appointment will be by telephone and to confirm your best telephone number for the appointment.

The OPC has started to have approximately 30% of our staff reporting daily this week, after having been closed since March 17 and only having our essential pharmacy staff reporting. With bringing additional staff back to work, we hope to resume telephone service again for Veterans with questions or concerns during normal working hours (7:30a – 4:30p Monday to Friday) on Friday this week, June 19. Veterans can contact the OPC at +63-02-8550-3888, Option 2, or by dialing #MyVA (#6982).  Additionally, with these new staff members reporting to work, we will be able to begin rescheduling the 5,000 appointments we cancelled between March and May. We appreciate your patience as we work to get through this significant backlog. The Outpatient Clinic is actively working on strategies to expand some of our appointment times to reschedule Veterans’ appointments as quickly as possible.

There continues to be some delays with medication shipments that are the result of our courier companies – Air21 and LBC – still operating, just as the OPC is, with a reduced number of staff reporting daily. Delivery times are ranging from 1-2 days within the NCR and Central Luzon, to 3-5 days for shipments to North and South Luzon, to anywhere from 5-10 days for areas of Mindanao and the Visayas.  I realize this is less than ideal, but as domestic flights begin to resume to many airports in the Philippines, we are hopeful these extended delivery times will be back to normal. Air21 and LBC are also not currently accepting perishable items for shipment – so some Veterans who use items like insulin pens or other injectable medications, are not able to receive those via courier. Veterans may pick these medications up from the Clinic, or should purchase these needed medications through community pharmacy providers and seek reimbursement from the Foreign Medical Program for service-connected medications.

Please feel free to contact my office by phone directly: +63-02-8396-3735, or email me at: daniel.gutkoski2@va.gov. If I haven’t responded to your email after a few days, please give me a call. Sometimes, depending on your email provider, some e-mail messages are rejected from our email system. I continue to wish you and your family good health. Continue to follow the guidelines from the Philippine Department of Health, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Local Government Units. The 3 most important things you can do to help stop the spread of COVID19 – is to maintain adequate social distancing whenever possible, wash your hands frequently, and wear a mask when out in public.

IN MEMORIAM – VICKI LOU RANDALL (1950-2020)

Many of you will remember Vicki Randall, who served as the Clinic Manager here at VA Manila from 2012 to 2019. It’s with great sadness that I share with you that Vicki passed away on May 8, 2020, surrounded by family and friends. A proud Oklahoman, she often stood head and shoulders above the rest – especially here in the Philippines – with her always perfect blonde hair.

Vicki came to VA as a second career, retiring after 30 years from the University of Oklahoma’s Department of Allied Health. An educator by training, Vicki relished and excelled in positions which allowed her to put the best skills of a teacher to work, those of a mentor, educator, and a friend. After nearly ten years at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center, Vicki and her husband Rick were drawn to the Philippines for the adventure and excitement of living abroad. For eight years, Vicki and Rick embraced the Philippine people, land, and culture. After leaving VA Manila in 2019, she served as a Health System Specialist at the VA Network Office in San Francisco, until her illness forced her to retire in January 2020 to focus on her health.

Vicki is survived by her husband of 39 years, Rick, 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and countless other family, friends, and colleagues. I am especially grateful for the mentorship and friendship that Vicki shared with me, both upon my arrival, and even continuing as she transitioned to her new role and even after her retirement. We will greatly miss her energetic and caring spirit.  If Veterans would like to send a note or story to Vicki’s family, please feel free to send it to me via email: daniel.gutkoski2@va.gov. I will include all the comments I receive in the memorial book that VA Manila will send to Vicki’s family when the Clinic resumes operations and our staff can offer their combined condolences.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS: 

The U.S. Embassy, along with the VA Manila Regional Office and Outpatient Clinic, will be closed in recognition of the following public holidays:

US Independence Day

Friday, July 3, 2020

PH Eid’s Adha

Friday, July 31, 2020

PH Ninoy Aquino Day

Friday, August 21, 2020

PH National Heroes Day

Monday, August 31, 2020

NOTE: Plan ahead and order your refills 10 workdays in advance of holiday closures.  Air21 is also closed on these holidays so medications will be delayed if you fail to request refills 10 days in advance. If you run out of medications for a service-connected condition, you can buy the medicine from a community pharmacy and file a claim for reimbursement from the FMP.