Pharmacy Innovations and Amputation Prevention at the Minneapolis VA

 

In this episode of Minnesota Military Radio, we explore two critical advancements in Veteran healthcare at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System: a major shift toward digital pharmacy services and a proactive approach to limb preservation.

Guests Include:

• Dr. Lisa Anderson – Chief of Pharmacy, Minneapolis VA
• Stephanie Walek – Pharmacy Program Manager, Minneapolis VA
• Dr. Wei Li – Chief of Vascular Surgery, Minneapolis VA
• Dawn Strief – Nurse Practitioner, Minneapolis VA
• Shanon Harper – Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Minneapolis VA

Part 1: The Move to Paperless Pharmacy

Chief of Pharmacy Dr. Lisa Anderson and Program Manager Stephanie Walek discuss the new transition to digital prescription information.

• What’s Changing: Starting in early 2026, the Minneapolis VA is replacing bulky paper inserts with QR codes on prescription labels.

• Why It Matters: This initiative reduces waste (saving over 34,000 sheets of paper annually) and provides Veterans with 24/7 access to instructional videos and medication guides via their smartphones.

• Veteran Choice: Paper copies remain available upon request for those who prefer them.

Part 2: Programs focused on limb preservation.

Dr. Wei Li, the new Chief of Vascular Surgery, introduces us to two Nurse Practitioners Dawn Strief and Shanon Harper who share information about life-changing initiatives that use tele-health and focus on limb preservation.

• PAVE: Prevention of Amputation in Veterans
• FIRM: Follow –up Initiative for the Recovery, Retention and Management of Patients

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