FORT MEADE - U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki got a first-hand look Wednesday at long-distance health care techniques by the VA system in the Black Hills.

And at the same time, Korean War veteran Monte Curry got some help in managing his diabetes, while sitting in a clinic in Pierre 175 miles away.

Shinseki joined Sen. Tim Johnson and Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin at the Fort Meade VA Medical Center for a demonstration on telemedicine techniques and their value in treating veterans in sparsely populated rural areas. It was the first stop on a two-day trip that will take Shinseki and the South Dakota Democrats to the VA system in Sioux Falls today.

Through the interactive TV system, Curry and his wife, Kit, got to greet Shinseki, Johnson and Herseth Sandlin from midway across the state. They also had a conversation with medical personnel at Fort Meade about counting carbohydrates and managing blood sugar levels.

Curry said the system improved his health-care options while saving travel time from Pierre to the VA campus at Fort Meade, just east of Sturgis, or the other Black Hills VA campus in Hot Springs.

"You can't believe how much money it's going to save the VA or persons like myself," Curry said as he and his wife appeared on a TV screen in a video conferencing center.

It's also an example of the new technology that helps the VA reach out to veterans in the challenging geography in the Black Hills and vast surrounding plains. The Black Hills VA system has a service area of 120,000 square miles, so telecommunication is especially important, director Peter Henry said.

"This is relatively simple technology, but as you can see it makes it far more personal than talking to people on the telephone," Henry said.

Teleconferencing and other technology allows veterans in their homes to get counseling on prescription use and send in their blood-sugar levels and other medical information each day. That helps VA providers keep daily track of individuals and their condition and makes treatment more immediate and effective in a landscape filled with challenges, Black Hills VA Chief of Staff Robert Door said.

"We have a tremendous hurdle to overcome in how we provide service to veterans in rural America," he said.

After the medical session, Shinseki stood in front of the teleconferencing screen and thanked Curry for his military service. But the secretary didn't take questions from reporters and left the room before a brief news conference with Johnson and Herseth Sandlin.

Shinseki didn't speak publicly at a welcoming ceremony a few minutes earlier, where reporters were told in advance not to ask questions.

Johnson and Herseth Sandlin invited Shinseki to South Dakota to see the VA facilities in Fort Meade and Sioux Falls. Johnson works directly on VA funding issues through his position as chairman of an appropriations subcommittee on veteran's affairs and military construction. Herseth is chairwoman of a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee on economic opportunity.

The Fort Meade tour began with a welcoming ceremony by a Native American color guard and the presentation of a star quilt to Shinseki by Lakota veterans, including Webster Two Hawk of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Two Hawk is an Army veteran, Episcopal priest, past Rosebud tribal chairman and former state coordinator of tribal relations.

As part of the welcoming ceremony, Two Hawk said Lakotas have proudly joined other Americans to defend freedom through military service.

"This is what we call patriotism," he said.

Shinseki, a retired four-star general and past Army chief of staff, understands the potential costs of military service personally. He served in combat during the Vietnam War and was twice wounded.

Johnson said that experience makes Shinseki especially valuable to the VA and the veterans he serves.

"That gives him a very special feeling about the VA and its challenges and goals," Johnson said.

According to Johnson's staffers, Shinseki met with a number of locals during his Fort Meade visit. They included other VA officials, veterans advocates, Black Hills National Cemetery representatives, and local service group and governmental officials.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com