Operationalizing Connected Care Across the VA System
February 9, 2026
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates one of the largest integrated healthcare systems in the country, serving millions of Veterans across medical centers, community clinics, and virtual environments. Care delivery now spans in-person visits, telehealth appointments, communityreferrals, and remote monitoring, all of which must function as one coordinatedsystem. In this environment, connected care is not a strategic aspiration. Itis an operational requirement that directly shapes access, trust, and theVeteran experience.
Telehealth is now a permanent component of VAcare delivery. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Connected Care, the VA delivered more than 11 million telehealth visits in fiscal year 2023 alone, reflecting sustained adoption across specialties and geographies. As hybrid care becomes standard, the operational challenge is no longer how to offer virtual services. It is how to ensure virtual and in-personcare function as a unified, predictable journey Veterans can rely on.
Managing scale and complexity across VA care networks
VA facilities operate within a uniquely complex environment.Veterans may interact with multiple providers, departments, and facilities within a single episode of care. Appointments may shift between virtual and inperson settings based on clinical need, geography, or provider availability.Community care referrals further expand the network beyond VA walls. Withoutdeliberate coordination, these transitions can create friction, delays, andconfusion for both Veterans and staff.
Hybrid delivery models require synchronized scheduling, identity management, and operational visibility across facilities. When these systems operate independently, fragmentation increases. When they operate as a cohesive framework, Veterans experience continuity rather than disconnection.
Where AI or other relevant enablers create the most immediate impact
Sustaining connected care across the VA requires operational clarity across environments. AI and digital orchestration strengthen the system when they address foundational needs rather than isolated tools.
Here's how:
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Unified scheduling across virtual,in person, and community care services
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Real time visibility into demand,capacity, and appointment adherence
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Seamless transitions betweendigital and facility-based care
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Secure identity verificationaligned with federal standards
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Operational intelligence that anticipatesbottlenecks before they impact Veterans
What sustained telehealth demand signals for VA operations
A 2024 analysis from McKinsey & Company found thattelehealth utilization remains 38 times higher than pre 2020 baselines,confirming that hybrid care models are structurally embedded in healthcaredelivery. This sustained scale signals that virtual care is not episodic ortemporary. It is part of how patients now navigate access, follow up, andspecialty services.
For the VA, this means Veterans are moving fluidly betweendigital and facility-based environments as part of one continuous journey.Operational integration across these environments becomes essential tomaintaining trust. Q-Flow serves as the operational backbone that coordinates appointments, arrivals, and service steps across VA facilities, while Neuroprovides the intelligence layer that surfaces patterns in demand and highlightsfriction points before they disrupt care. Together, they enable visibility andclarity without adding complexity to clinical workflows.
How orchestration strengthens hybrid VA care delivery
Operational orchestration aligns people, processes, andsystems across the Veteran journey. When hybrid care is managed as a unifiedframework rather than parallel tracks, the experience becomes more predictablefor Veterans and more manageable for staff.
Designing for a Veteran-centered hybrid future
Connected care within the VA is no longer defined by accessalone. It is defined by how reliably services operate across environments.Veterans measure the system not by individual visits, but by whether theiroverall journey feels coherent, timely, and respectful of their needs.
As hybrid care models continue to expand, the differentiatorwill be operational integration. By aligning scheduling, flow management, andintelligence across virtual and in person services, the VA can strengthen trustwhile building resilience at scale. Connected care becomes sustainable notthrough technology adoption alone, but through deliberate orchestration thatkeeps the Veteran journey clear, coordinated, and dependable.
The future is now, and
it begins with smarter decisions
