- College of Medicine
A Brevard County pulmonologist, who serves as a UCF College of Medicine volunteer faculty member, was recently featured in Space Coast Medicine Magazine for his work providing high-tech medical care to veterans.
Dr. Thomas Howard is the chief medical officer at the Viera VA Clinic, a 107,000 square foot facility with services that include primary care, psychiatry, dental services and a pharmacy. The clinic’s more than 250 staff members treat about 20,000 area veterans. As a volunteer faculty member, Dr. Howard teaches in the S-3 module for second-year medical students.
His clinic provides out-patient treatment for a variety of medical issues affecting today’s veterans, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) which are increasingly seen in veterans exposed to roadside bombings. The Viera Clinic’s extensive services mean local veterans do not have to make lengthy trips for medical care.
“Our mission is to deliver excellent and compassionate care in an efficient way to a population that had to travel lengthy distances before,” Dr. Howard told the magazine. “This facility has met a great percentage of the needs in this area.”
The clinic also makes extensive use of technology. It uses electronic health records and uses computer networks to read X-rays and submit reports directly to Orlando’s VA Medical Center. Teleconferencing also helps doctors in the clinic communicate with officials at the Orlando VA.
The clinic also has a network of 200 volunteers who work with veterans during their medical treatment.