Monica Tsai, MD

Joseph Yusin, MD

Residency educational opportunities for the Allergy and Immunology care of Veterans were expanded in 2023 with establishing new Allergy and Immunology clinics located at the Sepulveda VA and the LA Outpatient VA.  The presence of a coexisting Allergy and Immunology training program is not accessible to many Internal Medicine residency programs, and this expansion enhanced the breadth of educational opportunities provided by the VA-UCLA fellowship program. These clinic sites improved access to care and alleviated the need to utilize community care services for Allergy and Immunology specialty care in the VA GLA Health System.  The patient population at these sites include Veterans with a prior history of military burn pit and airborne hazards exposures who suffered from subsequent airways diseases including chronic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis and asthma. Continued awareness of these conditions will continue to foster care that is aligned with the unique needs of our Veteran population. Residents rotating through these expanded services have increased exposure to the field of Allergy and Immunology and develop familiarity with patient aligned care for this special Veteran patient population.