The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has had its share of problems connecting with young veteran and their loved ones, but it is trying to modernize and make its services more accessible, especially to those who spend much of their time online. To that end, the VA has announced the launching of its first official blog, which it hopes will open a new line of communication between the department and its clients. Said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki in a statement:
The new blog, called VAntage Point, which will likely be closely monitored and edited given the fact that VA still has many vocal critics, is the latest expansion of the department's efforts to increase collaboration via social media. Since creating an Office of New Media less than a year ago, the VA has launched a presence on:
Facebook Twitter Flickr YouTube
Each major component of VA (health, benefits, and national cemeteries) has its own Facebook page and Twitter feed, and the department has begun to roll out these platforms to all 153 VA medical centers. Currently, 55 medical centers maintain a presence on Facebook and 30 are operating Twitter feeds. The department says it currently has the largest Facebook subscriber base among cabinet-level agencies with over 70,000 subscribers. To view the blog, please click here.
