WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced a partnership on May 13 with Virta Health to explore an innovative program focused on improving the health of persons with type 2 diabetes.

In effect since March 22, the agreement will give 400 Veterans the opportunity to participate in the Virta Treatment, which can help individuals safely and sustainably achieve glycemic control while reducing use of medications.

This diabetes care will be provided for up to one year at no cost to VA or Veteran participants.

“Partnering with community providers facilitates a more comprehensive approach to care,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Many Veterans have type 2 diabetes, and it is strongly linked to obesity, so we are excited to explore Virta Health’s approach to tackling this debilitating and costly condition.”

Currently, VA offers medical care, education, counseling, weight loss programs and blood glucose monitoring for more than 1.5 million Veterans with type 2 diabetes. This partnership provides a small group of Veterans access to Virta’s proprietary, individualized, low-carbohydrate nutrition protocols on a 24/7 continuous remote care platform from medical providers and health coaches, an approach currently not widely in use at VA.

Virta Health, a licensed medical provider in all 50 states, focuses on treating type 2 diabetes through noninvasive means. Their services, available 24/7, include personalized nutrition, peer support, health coaching and physician monitoring, all delivered remotely.

This partnership exemplifies the work of the VHA Office of Community Engagement (OCE), which supports and develops community and corporate partnerships to benefit Veterans. For information regarding developing a nonmonetary partnership with VHA, contact OCE at https://www.va.gov/healthpartnerships/ .

Veterans interested in the program should visit www.virtahealth.com/veterans. For more information about VA health care, visit www.va.gov/health .