Life in Hawaii is close to paradise. The days are warm, the sun is bright, and the oceans are crystal clear. It’s natural to enjoy calling our state home. On top of the natural beauty and great weather, we have a rich history — specifically involving the military.

What often comes to mind first is the infamous attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the United States’ involvement in World War II. Beyond this historical tragedy, Hawaii has played a major role in operations during three major wars in Asia in the 20th century and since then, has had a heavy military presence throughout the islands. Hawaii currently has 11 military bases, 42,000 active duty military personnel, and 112,000 veterans. Men and women in uniform and those who have served make up a significant portion of our population.

These active service members and veterans work in various capacities across the state and are members of our communities. We welcome their contributions and value both them and their families. Hawaii wouldn’t be the same without them. We must respect their sacrifices by ensuring that life in our state is more than just adequate for them. At the bare minimum, we must ensure their basic needs are met — food, water and shelter.

But that’s not enough. We must address other vital needs like health care.

For example, veterans often receive their health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at designated VA hospitals and clinics. A common problem, however, is the distance between where a veteran lives and a VA hospital.

Often this means they travel long distances or skip medical appointments altogether. In Hawaii, traveling between the various islands can be challenging, not to mention usual commuting concerns like traffic. These commutes are a pain, and transportation costs are on the veteran to pay. It’s not right to have this many veterans in our communities and not acknowledge that something needs to be done about this issue.

A solution to this health-care issue is telehealth technology, which uses digital communication tools to access healthcare remotely.

We can bring telehealth technology that allows veterans to speak remotely to health-care providers closer to where veterans live. We can place telehealth centers throughout the state that are easier to access and have the appropriate equipment, allowing veterans to simply show up at the center for a virtual appointment instead of traveling to a VA hospital.

There is already a program doing this. Philips has partnered with the VA to create the ATLAS program, which stands for Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations. This program pairs the private sector with the federal government to implement these local area telehealth stations, specifically focusing on rural areas. These centers allow veterans to access health-care providers easily and help our community ensure we are providing for them. I sincerely hope that Hawaii’s U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz and Mazie Hirono, and others, see value in telehealth programs like ATLAS and support such measures. Congressional support on such issues is crucial to veterans and their families.

Our state’s rich history of military involvement should be honored and celebrated. Hawaii wouldn’t be where it is today without our outstanding veterans and service members who have called our state home or currently live among us. We must take care of our veterans, as they have taken care of us, and an essential part of this is their health care. These telehealth programs are vital to veterans’ quality of life and are an opportunity for us to return the favor and take care of them.

Kelly Benton is the pastor for Kapaa Missionary Church; he had a 12-year career in the U.S. Army, based out of the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.