VA and Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF) have teamed up to build new TeleOncology programs that will provide Veterans remote access to VA oncology specialists and precision cancer care. BMSF has committed to providing VA grant funds over three years to help establish a national TeleOncology center to better reach Veterans living in rural communities.

The program will support the delivery of best-in-class care, education, and practice in collaboration with VHA's existing precision oncology initiative, which has had dramatic impacts for some Veterans and will now be available to all Veterans with advanced cancer. The TeleOncology program also paves the way for VA and BMSF to enhance the capabilities of VA Video Connect, which is currently supporting the delivery of more than 20,000 VA virtual appointments each day.

"Delivering innovative solutions through virtual care technologies is vital," said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. "The VA-BMSF partnership will build on the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) recent telehealth expansion to establish a leading-edge hub for Teleoncology which will serve as a model for oncology specialists in every health care system."

Read VA's news release for more information about this new partnership.