Veterans Care Today: Gordon Dodson Of 2B3D On How The US Has Improved Its Care For Veterans Over The Past Five Years
An Interview With Eric Pines
Don’t be afraid to ask a question, don’t be afraid to make a mistake when blazing a new trail — no plan survives first contact, always validate a new program or procedure as if you are new to the process, friends are few and acquaintances are many, and the glass is always half full and not half empty.
The daily headlines remind us of how countries around the world care or do not care for their military service members. How does the United States hold up with regard to how it cares for its veterans? We know in the past questions have been raised about the VA system, but it seems that a corner has been turned and veterans’ care has improved. How exactly has the VA system been improved? How does the US care for veterans compared to other comparable countries? What exciting new technological or methodological innovations are being used to improve veterans’ health outcomes? To address these questions, we are talking to successful physicians, healthcare workers, veterans, or other VA employees and officials who can share stories and insights from their experience about the state of veterans’ care today and how the US has improved its care for veterans over the last five years.
As a part of this series, I had the pleasure to interview Gordon Dodson.
Gordon is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel who served in both the enlisted and officer corps. Shortly after achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant and graduating college with a degree in Computer Science, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division where he obtained Senior Jumpmaster status. Gordon spent the next 19 years serving in a variety of units to include the Southern European Task Force — Airborne where he served as the Deputy Joint Communications Officer responsible for both tactical and strategic communications throughout a theater of operations, to include Afghanistan where he was awarded the Bronze Star.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into our interview, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about your backstory and a bit about what brought you to this specific career path?
Thank you for having me share my thoughts. In regards to my back story, it started in 1983 when I joined the Army Reserves as a Private during my junior year of High School. That decision led me to an amazing journey serving in the US Army until I retired in August of 2012. Since my retirement I have negotiated an ever evolving Veterans Administration (VA) healthcare network while trying to adjust to a different lifestyle and support systems. Having retired in the communications community with a background in computer science and cyber security, gave me the foundation to visualize future opportunities that are and will be realized in virtual space. The ongoing 2B3D build of their medical space within their Metaverse, and their ongoing partnerships with the Forge Forward Project and BioCorRx have and are enabling great progress in regards to directly addressing mentally and physically addictive challenges that are a result of past negative traumatic events. I’m here because I want to be part of that solution, that simple.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
Wow, that’s a tough one given a 3 decade military career, but there are a few moments that deserve mention, one in particular that comes to mind is when I was a scout team lead during a Reforger Exercise in Europe and we were positioned in a countryside located near a farm. Unknown to any of us, it was butcher time and the following few days and nights became one horrendous adventure for me and my team. In all honesty, we were hoping to get attacked or ordered to relocate so we could change our location, but that never happened. I can never forget that one, whew!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
When given the opportunity, I love to quote Albert Einstein, and my favorite life lesson quote from him states: “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new”. At an early age I realized I was trying new things and belonged in this technical revolution just by the number of mistakes I was apparently making. But in all honesty, I personally believe that the majority of success is based on trying new things, that’s where one’s wisdom comes from, and when we live in a technically evolving time, we need to evolve with those times. Put a technical device or toy in front of our children, and then put the same device in front of our parents or grandparents. How different will their reactions be? It’s the curiosity of the new generation that will put us there, but it’s the wisdom of the older generation that is leading us there. Our 2B3D team is not afraid to venture into the unknown virtual landscape. As noted, when we encounter obstacles, we smartly overcome them. A good leader and team will always review lessons learned so they know not to repeat mistakes made in the past, but unfortunately there will always be those who dare to fix a challenge, as their only hope for recognition is by highlighting others’ mistakes. Not only is our team wise, but we all maintain a good ethical conscience.
Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?
Absolutely, as mentioned earlier, our 2B3D team along with its community partners BioCorRx and Forge Forward Project, are bringing Virtual Healthcare to our Metaverse. It’s absolutely amazing and much needed. Think about someone getting injured, a medic arrives, provides treatment to stabilize the individual while immersing them into a real time virtual care environment that immediately takes them mentally away from their physical surroundings. It’s an amazing technology that we are developing and can’t wait to get it to those who need it most.
How would you define an “excellent healthcare provider”?
The best healthcare anyone can have available to them is immediate healthcare at the time of need. Unless personally wealthy, this type of healthcare service is not feasible, especially in an environment where critical resources like counselors and physicians are becoming more and more backlogged and are less readily available to support their needs. This gap is now being addressed by virtual healthcare capabilities like Virtual Reality (VR) where real time monitoring and immediate care is available. Government programs like Medicare and Medicaid are adapting to virtual healthcare initiatives and our plan is to bring it all together in our medical portion of our Metaverse for all Veterans, their families, and anyone who has additive or traumatic event signs of depression. Virtual Healthcare is a great option even if it’s supplemental care. Just think, at all times your doctor and loved ones can stay connected and immediate response care will be available to those who have an internet connection and who will never have to leave their “safe” environment. Providing that stay-at-home option alone will save lives.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the main focus of our interview. Based on your experience can you please share three recent improvements to veterans care that you are really pleased about?
First, I’m very pleased to see the Veterans Administration’s (VA) efforts to automate and expand their healthcare system(s). This has been and continues to be a huge undertaking with multiple Lines of Effort (LOE) that definitely deserve recognition and continued support. Secondly, the VA’s expansion of their community outreach program to include other healthcare options for our veterans that include acupuncture, chiropractic care, and other physical and mental healthcare service options that previously were not available is absolutely amazing, much needed, and deeply appreciated by the veteran community. I personally take advantage of such programs and am surrounded by veterans needing similar care or treatment all the time. The next improvement that I have noticed is with the VA’s massive effort to combat and resolve Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) challenges and their willingness to explore virtual care options. All three I believe to be major movements in the right direction.
In contrast, can you highlight three areas of veterans care that still need improvement? What would you suggest needs to be done to address those challenges?
In regards to what areas still need improvement, I see them as existing gaps or challenges that still need to be resolved between the “As Is” plan and the “To Be” result, and rather than highlighting specific concerns that are routinely associated with implementing enterprise level programs, I’ll focus on the existing challenges. One challenge that is becoming more apparent as healthcare systems evolve in our digital age is the ability to outreach and provide key services to those veterans and their family members who do not have access to such automated resources. Unfortunately, overcoming this obstacle doesn’t resolve the second gap of being able to smartly navigate the online services available for veterans once they do obtain the physical device and access to the internet, and a cell phone is not the best option or solution. As federal digital programs and resources evolve, so are the requirements for those programs, and thus what seems simple to those who work within the network, will remain difficult for those veterans not familiar and remain remote to it. Virtual Healthcare is becoming recognized as a feasible means to resolve current challenges such as getting someone to an office visit who doesn’t want to go, or someone who is restricted for other reasons and can’t go. Extending virtual healthcare into our metaverse and working with community partners like vet clinics are being realized and have great potential. Lastly, and for those veterans with a PTSD disability like myself, we are monitoring the policy that does not allow for veterans recognized with PTSD resulting in a fully disabled status, for them to receive benefits if they are employed and making more income than poverty level. Mental disability is just that, a disability. And like most disabilities there are a spectrum of challenges to be addressed independently. It’s sad to think that I’m considered incapable of making informed valid decisions because on occasion I have episodes that need attention. A PTSD disability should not be discriminated against, and I pray this current policy will soon be updated.
From your perspective how does the US care for veterans compared to other comparable countries?
The best way for me to answer this question is through a DIME philosophy I learned in the military, or by understanding the culture that revolves around a Diplomatic, Information, Military, and Economic (DIME) influence. What that means is, our veterans are treated way better than those in China and Russia if we’re comparing countries of size and power. However, if we compare ourselves overall to other much smaller partnered NATO countries, then in some areas we would not rank as well. This may be due to the lack of veterans that currently serve in our congress. Unlike the 70’s and 80’s where veterans maintained the majority of congress, today those numbers remain below 20%.
What exciting new technological or methodological innovations are being used to improve veterans’ health outcomes?
I can’t answer for all the new innovative Research and Development (R&D) projects that are ongoing and honorable to the cause, but I will reinforce the amazing innovation that 2B3D and its community partners are bringing to the forefront. Our plan is to extend much needed care and treatment options to all those needing such care and have restrictions or limitations that inhibit them from taking full advantage of current treatment programs. Our existing community partnerships and direct support from the Utah States Veterans Administration and its community gives us the opportunity to virtually build and expand our outreach and treatment programs as we construct our virtual medical care and treatment Metaverse. Virtual care is here to stay and should be offered to everyone who can connect to the internet. Our plan is to enable that care through virtual outreach with real time treatment capabilities.
This is our signature question that we ask in many of our interviews. What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me When I First Started My Career”?
Don’t be afraid to ask a question, don’t be afraid to make a mistake when blazing a new trail — no plan survives first contact, always validate a new program or procedure as if you are new to the process, friends are few and acquaintances are many, and the glass is always half full and not half empty.
By nature, unpleasant things will happen, but it’s all about being honest, not afraid and seeing things through a positive lens, and we should always remember, an individual’s greed is what will prevent most folks from doing the right thing. We at 2B3D are not greedy and want to make a difference in a good way.
You are a person of influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
As information technology evolves and we realize the benefits that virtual care can provide, it would be awesome to see a government program that would instantly provide emergency “Virtual Treatment” for all those who require immediate care. No matter the horrific event that causes trauma like the ones we have experienced here in the United States recently, having the ability to provide immediate care for all the victims is priceless. Physical distance is no longer an excuse. With virtual care, we can provide the best and precise counselors and physicians from anywhere in the world who are needed immediately to help resolve Post Traumatic Stress (PTS) events. Support the efforts of 2B3D and help us fix a problem that needs to be addressed now that we have the resources to do so.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Anyone can follow 2B3D on our social media sites, web page, or on our discord, and you can sign up for our newsletter for weekly updates.
Thank you so much for these insights! This was very inspirational and we wish you continued success in your great work. Thank you for this great opportunity to spread the word.
About the Interviewer: Eric L. Pines is a nationally recognized federal employment lawyer, mediator, and attorney business coach. He represents federal employees and acts as in-house counsel for over fifty thousand federal employees through his work as a federal employee labor union representative. A formal federal employee himself, Mr. Pines began his federal employment law career as in-house counsel for AFGE Local 1923 which is in Social Security Administration’s headquarters and is the largest federal union local in the world. He presently serves as AFGE 1923’s Chief Counsel as well as in-house counsel for all FEMA bargaining unit employees and numerous Department of Defense and Veteran Affairs unions.
While he and his firm specialize in representing federal employees from all federal agencies and in reference to virtually all federal employee matters, his firm has placed special attention on representing Veteran Affairs doctors and nurses hired under the authority of Title. He and his firm have a particular passion in representing disabled federal employees with their requests for medical and religious reasonable accommodations when those accommodations are warranted under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (ADA). He also represents them with their requests for Federal Employee Disability Retirement (OPM) when an accommodation would not be possible.
Mr. Pines has also served as a mediator for numerous federal agencies including serving a year as the Library of Congress’ in-house EEO Mediator. He has also served as an expert witness in federal court for federal employee matters. He has also worked as an EEO technical writer drafting hundreds of Final Agency Decisions for the federal sector.
Mr. Pines’ firm is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has offices in Baltimore, Maryland and Atlanta, Georgia. His first passion is his wife and five children. He plays classical and rock guitar and enjoys playing ice hockey, running, and biking. Please visit his websites at www.pinesfederal.com and www.toughinjurylawyers.com. He can also be reached at eric@pinesfederal.com.
Veterans Care Today: Gordon Dodson Of 2B3D On How The US Has Improved Its Care For Veterans Over… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.