Local, state and national veterans officials were at the Emporia American Legion Post 5 on Wednesday for a special open house highlighting the ATLAS pod.
The pod has an 8-foot-by-8-foot enclosed and soundproofed pod so veterans can have telemedicine appointments covering a range of topics, including prescriptions, social work, psychology, nutrition, addiction therapy and similar needs. Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Deputy Director Eric Rohleder says the pod fills a vital medical niche for local and area veterans.
Legion 5 Post Commander Clay Childs agrees. He says Wednesday’s event, which also included a free sandwich bar, a cake-cutting ceremony celebrating 105 years of the Legion and a Vietnam veteran lapel pinning ceremony in honor of National Vietnam War Veterans Day coming up Friday, was also a reintroduction of the ATLAS pod to veterans.
Childs says the pod can be a lifesaver for veterans in certain circumstances. In others, it provides a level of privacy not available in other telehealth settings.
Veterans will need to make appointments through VA offices, either in Topeka or Wichita, before using the Emporia ATLAS pod.
Project ATLAS was announced in 2021 by US Senator Jerry Moran and Congressman Tracey Mann. The Emporia location has been in use since 2022.
