By Thelma Roach-Serry, BSN, RN, NE-BC, NOVA News Editorial Committee Member

Regina Mays Gilliam, LPN 

Telehealth Clinical Technician 

Her pursuit of becoming a nurse began at Hopewell High School where she completed a nursing assistant class while working a 5:00am to 10:00am shift at John Randolph Hospital before school.  After graduating from high school, She continued working as a certified nursing assistant in long term care until 1998 when she enrolled in the Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) program at Chesterfield Technical Center.  She completed the program in 2000.  

In 2011, Regina was hired at the Central Virginia VA Health Care System working in geriatrics. A year later, she accepted a LPN position in the Women’s Health Clinic.  Providing education, care and comfort to female Veterans became her passion. She proudly served this group of Veterans for 9 years.

During her nursing career, Ms. Gilliam was appointed the to the Virginia Board of Nursing.  She served as LPN Board vice president in 2004. She was also selected as member of the certification board for Nursing Assistants.  She shared “One of my greatest achievements was being selected by Governor Terry McAuliffe in 2006 as one of only two LPN appointees to the Virginia Board of Nursing”.

Regina works in Telehealth as a telehealth clinical technician (TCT).  Her duties as a TCT include preparing medical and telecommunication equipment for clinical examination and treatment, monitors and maintains schedules of rooms, patients, technologies, clinical providers and presenters as needed to ensure efficient telehealth operations, configures and installs, troubleshoots, cleans and performs routine maintenance of assigned telehealth technology and assist Veterans and providers with telehealth in troubleshooting telehealth equipment.

Telehealth has been an essential component in providing safe, competent and timely care to Veterans during the COVID pandemic.  With the establishment of VA Video Connect, virtual video visits allow Veterans and their caregivers to quickly and easily meet with the VA health care providers and staff. Using various forms of technology including laptops, smartphones, personal computers or tablets (government issued by providers), Veterans can see their provider without leaving the comforts of their homes and preventing the spread of the virus.

Thanks to the efforts of Regina and other nurses telehealth is improving care delivery to Veterans throughout the VA.