Health services

We provide emergency medical care 24 hours a day, every day. Our emergency room staff can help you with:

• Life-threatening illnesses and injuries that require immediate attention
• Urgent medical issues that must be treated right away
• Psychiatric evaluations

Mission Act will cover you at non-VA Emergency Rooms. You must call 1-844-724-7842 or email
VHAEmergencyNotification@va.gov within 72 hours of receiving care.

Access health care with VA Health Connect 24/7 by phone or chat

VA Health Connect and VA Health Chat make it easier for Veterans to access the right care, right now for urgent health care concerns.

Connect with VA health care providers without traveling to a VA facility. Just call or tap the app to start accessing health care from wherever you are.

By contacting VA Health Connect's clinical contact centers, you can easily:

• Schedule, confirm, or cancel your primary care appointments.
• Speak with a nurse about your medical or health-related questions.
• Talk to a medical provider about an urgent or developing medical issue via phone or video.
• Refill, request medication renewals, and check on the status of your medications with the help of our pharmacy professionals.

Learn more about VA Health Connect >

Get the VA Health Chat App >

Phone: 303-399-8020

We assess your situation and condition to decide which outpatient geriatric services are right for you or a senior Veteran in your care, and then we coordinate your care. Our team of specialists provides geriatric services that include:

• Medicine and nursing
• Psychology, psychiatry, and social work
• Physical and occupational therapy

Learn more about VA long term care

Our gynecologists focus on the female reproductive system and provide services that include:

• Mammograms for breast cancer, screenings for sexually transmitted disease, and Pap tests for cervical cancer
• Counseling and treatment for contraception, pregnancy, and infertility
• Osteoporosis screening for brittle bones
• Exams for abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, or various cancers
• Primary care checkups

Our pharmacy provides you and other Veterans with convenient, efficient service to make it easy to get your medications and medical supplies. You can:

• Pick up new prescriptions in person
• Refill prescriptions online and by phone or mail
• Safely dispose of medicines

Learn more about our pharmacy

Your VA primary care provider will work closely with you to plan for all the care you need to stay healthy and well throughout your life, including immunizations and vaccinations. They will also work with family members or caregivers who support you.

A strong network of family and internal medicine specialists and services can offer you the best possible care. Internal medicine doctors (internists) prevent, diagnose, and treat adult diseases. Doctors who specialize in family medicine provide primary health care to the entire family. Your primary care team can coordinate the many services you receive such as:

• Labs and blood work
• Mental health care
• Womens health care
• Radiology
• Social services
• Telehealth

We provide immediate, walk-in care for minor injuries and non-emergency illnesses that are not life-threatening but need early attention.

A sudden health scare needs the right kind of care. For situations like broken bones, scrapes, and minor ailments, you can usually go to urgent care. Life-threatening problems need emergency care. The key is knowing where to go when you need care quickly. The right type of care will result in a better experience. Learn more about Urgent Care services at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care.

We offer women’s health services to meet your specific needs such as disease screenings, mental health treatment, recovery from military sexual trauma, maternity care and female-specific medical equipment.

Our women's health program offers complete health care for women Veterans of all ages. Our primary care providers specialize in women’s health. They work closely with specialists in gynecology, obstetrics, female urology, oncology, medicine, radiology, surgery, and breast illness. Our services for women Veterans include:

• Ultrasounds, Mammograms, Pap and HPV tests
• Mental health care and counseling
• Lifestyle wellness services
• Menopause treatment, including hormonal therapy
• Family planning, contraceptive care, and infertility evaluation

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

We help Veterans on their recovery journey through outpatient and inpatient services. Our residential facility helps Veterans deal with substance abuse, homelessness, mental health, and unemployment through its 24-hour therapeutic and educational programs like:

• Rehabilitation
• Health maintenance
• Community support

Learn more about our VA treatment programs

Our medical center and clinics provide consultation, evaluation, and treatment for a range of issues that may impact your mental health or emotional well-being. Our confidential outpatient services include individual and group therapy for:

• Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression
• Marriage and relationship problems
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety, addictive behaviors, and personality disorders
• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

If you’re struggling with a mental health problem—or just need to talk with someone—we can help. We offer treatment and support such as therapy, alternative treatments  and medications when needed.

Good mental health is a vital part of your overall wellness. Our psychiatry teams offer consultation, evaluation, and treatment to help you with a range of mental and behavioral health problems, including:

• Depression (including sadness and grief), anxiety (including worry and nervousness), and personality disorders
• Addictive behaviors and substance abuse
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat-related stress disorder
• Emotional issues like anger management and relationship challenges, confused thinking, memory problems, and invasive thoughts or ideas
• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors

If you’re struggling with a mental health problem—or just need to talk with someone—we can help. We offer treatment and support such as therapy, alternative treatments and medications when needed.

Our psychology teams offer consultation, evaluation, and treatment to help with a range of mental and behavioral health problems like:

• Depression (including sadness and grief), anxiety (including worry and nervousness), and personality disorders
• Addictive behaviors and substance abuse
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat-related stress disorder
• Emotional issues like anger management and relationship challenges
• Confused thinking, memory problems, and invasive thoughts or ideas
• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors

We work with behavioral health providers and community organizations to help you and your family during times of crisis. We offer:

• Suicide prevention care coordinators
• Suicide prevention case managers
• Gun safety locks
• Learn more and connect with a care coordinator. (Link to Suicide Prevention page)

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

If you’ve had a major limb removed, our specialists can create a healthcare plan to help you to live independently. Our support services include:

• Physical, occupational, and recreational therapy
• Nutrition, wellness, and mental health counseling
• Prosthetic support to help you choose your artificial limb and use it effectively
• Limb loss education and training to help you with daily living, like coping techniques, mobility tips, driving skills, and scar care
• Medical and surgical consultations with other specialties

Learn more about the VA amputation system of care

Our specially trained doctors, called anesthesiologists, can help with your care before, during, and after surgery. They will develop a plan for your care and safety, provide medicine to keep you comfortable during your operation, and help you manage your pain after surgery. Our services include:

• General anesthesia (intravenous drugs, inhaled gasses, or some combination) to keep you pain-free and in a sleep-like state during surgery or other medical procedures
• Regional anesthesia (injecting numbing drugs around nerves) to control pain in specific parts of your body during or after surgery
• Monitoring your breathing and vital body functions while you’re under anesthesia
• Working with the rest of your care team to manage your pain medications after your operation
• Coordinating care with your other healthcare professionals to facilitate a smooth transition from hospital to home

Our Audiology and Speech Pathology clinic provides diagnostic and rehabilitative services, VA compensation and pension examinations, and screening for employee hearing conservation. We offer a full range of audiology and speech pathology services like:

• Hearing and balance evaluations
• Selection, management, and repair of hearing aids and assistive listening device assessments
• Evaluation, programming, and management of cochlear implants and bone-anchored implants
• Evaluation and treatment for auditory processing disorder
• Services that help with speech, language, fluency, voice, cognitive communication, swallowing, stuttering, and laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx, which contains your vocal cords)

Learn more about VA hearing aids

* Speech services are not offered at Jewell VA Clinic

Our low vision outpatient clinic can assess your needs and provide a rehab plan tailored to your personal goals. Our team of specialists and social workers will work with you to find the right aids and services. Our clinic services include:

• Comprehensive eye exams
• Visual skills assessments
• Guidance on how to develop visual motor and perceptual skills
• Training to help you manage daily activities with your vision loss

• We are now offering COVID-19 vaccines in all VA ECHCS primary care clinics. Our COVID-19 vaccine clinics closed Aug. 16, 2023. Contact your primary care team for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at VA

We perform noninvasive and minimally invasive tests and procedures that check, support, and improve your heart health. We’ll work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan and treat you with the most effective medications. Our services include

• Evaluating you for coronary heart disease, heart-valve disease, and heart defects
• Determining how well blood flows through your heart vessels or find the cause of your heart failure
• Treating your heart vessels with nonsurgical or minimally invasive operations that open and support them through balloon angioplasty or stent placement
• Noninvasively monitoring you for changes in heart rhythm, using electrocardiograms (EKGs or ECGs), portable Holt monitors, or ultrasound
• Performing surgical treatments like pacemaker implants or cardiac catheterization (inserting a long, thin tube into an artery or vein)

Learn more about cardiology services at VA Eastern Colorado health care.

Our cardiovascular surgeons diagnose and surgically treat medical conditions that affect your heart and blood vessels. Our procedures include:

• Coronary bypass surgery to redirect blood around a section of blocked artery in your heart
• Heart valve surgery to repair or replace a damaged valve in your heart
• Vascular surgery to repair veins, improve blood flow, and treat other diseases and disorders that affect your arteries, veins, and lymphatic system
• Coronary angioplasty and stent placement to open blocked or narrowed arteries that carry blood to your heart
• Pacemaker implant or cardiac ablation to correct abnormal heart rhythm

Eastern Colorado VA Health Care System provides diagnosis and management consistent with both VA and external evidence-based guidelines.

Treatment options include:

• Active rehabilitation
• Spinal manipulation
• Patient education
• And other manual therapies

If you’re eligible for VA dental care, we offer a full range of quality dental services like:

• Routine exams and teeth cleaning
• Restorative procedures, including fillings and crowns
• Comprehensive surgical care, including extractions (pulling teeth) and oral cancer screening
• Routine and advanced prosthodontic care, including bridges, dentures, and dental implants
• Routine and advanced periodontal care, including root canals, gum treatments, and supporting bone care
• Oral and facial reconstruction surgery to repair damage from traumatic injury or serious illness

We diagnose and treat medical conditions in your esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and other parts of your digestive system. We can also test and treat other organs, like your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Our gastroenterology department provides services like:

• Colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), which use an endoscope (a long, flexible tube with a small camera on the end) that lets us examine your digestive system
• Endoscopic ultrasound, which uses high-frequency sound waves to create images that help us diagnose and evaluate digestive and lung diseases
• Manometry study, which tests how well your esophagus is working
• Small bowel capsule endoscopy, which uses a tiny wireless camera that takes pictures as it moves through your digestive system
• 24-hour pH study, which measures how much stomach acid is flowing into your esophagus and helps us assess conditions like severe heartburn and acid reflux

Our team of doctors, nurses, and researchers is here to offer state of the art diagnostic services, cancer surgery, chemotherapy and other cancer-directed therapies, and research, including clinical trials.  We also provide supportive and social services, as well as survivorship programs.  Learn more about hematology/oncology services at Rocky Mountain VA Regional Medical Center.

Our laboratories provide a full range of clinical and diagnostic testing services. Our laboratory and pathology services include:

• Study of blood, urine, and other bodily fluids for illness management
• Testing for infectious diseases
• Cytopathology (study of unusual cells) and surgical pathology (study of tissue removed during surgery)
• Autopsy services

MOVE! is a weight-management program designed to help you live a longer, healthier life. With the help of your MOVE! care team, you can eat a healthier diet, get more exercise, reduce your health risks, and improve your quality of life. The MOVE! program offers:

• Weight-loss support groups to help you lose weight and keep it off
• Healthy eating tips and cooking classes
• Behavioral change strategies to help you live a healthier lifestyle

Learn more about MOVE!

Check out MOVE! resources available at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System.

Common conditions: Dialysis, kidney disease, high blood pressure/hypertension

Our specialists offer you advanced care for kidney-related diseases like chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure and fluid and electrolyte problems. We also provide dialysis and related support.  

Care we provide at VA Eastern Colorado health care

Our team of kidney doctors (nephrologists) actively manage all aspects of adult kidney disease, kidney and bladder stones, renal hypertension (high blood pressure caused by kidney disease), and mineral and bone disorders. We provide inpatient and outpatient services, like:

• Dialysis preparation and referral
• Kidney disease education
• On-site outpatient chronic hemodialysis
• Inpatient nephrology consultation

Our registered dietitians can help you maintain or improve your health with good nutrition tailored to your needs. Through group, individual, and telehealth sessions, we provide nutrition education and counseling in areas such as:

• Cardiovascular and heart health
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes (including gestational diabetes)
• Eating disorders and digestive health
• Pregnancy and postpartum nutrition
• Weight management

Learn more about Nutrition and Food Services available at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System.

We offer comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for eye-related illnesses, injuries, and other issues. Our ophthalmology services include:

• Medical care for glaucoma, eye infections, and other conditions
• Surgery for cataracts, traumatic eye injuries, and other problems
• Treatment for eye conditions related to illnesses like diabetes or arthritis
• Plastic surgery to repair droopy eyelids, clear blocked tear ducts, and perform eyelid and facial reconstruction (oculoplastics)

Our optometrists provide many eye-related services and treatments like:

• Vision services and eye exams
• Treatment for diseases and injuries of the retina, cornea, and other parts of your eye
• Low-vision services for conditions like macular degeneration that can’t be corrected by glasses, surgery, or medication
• Special eye exams for diabetic patients

More information about optometry services at VA Eastern Colorado Healthcare System, including vendor locations.

We use surgical and nonsurgical means to treat illnesses and disorders of the musculoskeletal system, which includes your bones, muscles, joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissue. We treat conditions like:

• Musculoskeletal trauma
• Degenerative illnesses
• Sports injuries

We evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of ear, nose, and throat conditions, like:

• Nasal and sinus problems
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Throat, lymph node, thyroid, and parathyroid tumors and other conditions
• Voice and swallowing disorders

Acute (short-term) or chronic (long-lasting) pain can make it hard to enjoy life, but effective pain management can help. Our experts work with you, your primary care physician, and other specialists to create a plan to help you manage your pain and improve your quality of life. Our services include:

• Chiropractic care to relieve pain without medication
• Prescribing and supervising your use of medications
• Teaching you skills that include meditation, mindfulness training, relaxation, yoga, and tai chi to help you manage your pain
• Providing physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, biofeedback, and other compatible therapies

Our physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors and therapists focus on whole-body health. They can help you manage your pain, increase your independence, and improve your quality of life with services like:

• Personalized therapy for your rehabilitation
• Medication, stretching, and massage for short-term pain relief
• Strengthening exercises and movement therapy to increase fitness and prevent future pain
• Recreation therapy to create coping and social skills
• Occupational therapy to improve coordination and balance, and help you manage life skills and everyday activities
• Assessment and treatment of speech, language, and swallowing disorders

Physical therapy, occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy can help restore movement and function if you have been disabled by injury or disease.

If you’re living with or recovering from an injury, illness, or chronic condition that limits your mobility and independence, we can help. Our physical, occupational, and movement therapists combine therapeutic exercise, counseling, education, and training to help you improve your health and quality of life. Our services include:

• Pain relief and joint mobilization
• Movement and exercise therapies to improve your strength, endurance, balance, and coordination
• Mobility assessment and training with wheelchairs, scooters, and walking devices
• Life skills training and activities to help you maintain the highest level of independence and functionality
• Aquatic therapy to manage chronic pain
• Evaluation and treatment for a wide range of medical, orthopedic, psychosocial, and neurological conditions

Plastic and reconstructive surgery can restore function and appearance after damage from disease, burns, traumatic injuries, congenital and developmental conditions and other causes.

Our plastic and reconstructive surgeons perform surgery to improve body function, or correct facial and body abnormalities caused by birth defects, injury, disease, or aging. We also perform cosmetic surgery to create a more normal appearance and improve self-esteem. Our services include:

• Surgical repair of congenital deformities such as cleft lips and palates
• Skin cancer surgery to remove malignant moles, lesions, and tumors from your skin
• Breast reduction and reconstruction surgery
• Skin grafts to treat burns, injuries, or illnesses, which involves removing skin from one part of your body and grafting it to another
• Nasal reconstruction surgery to change the shape of your nose

Our podiatry specialists evaluate and treat a wide range of injuries, diseases and disorders that affect your feet and ankles—from ingrown toenails to inflammation to diabetic foot ulcers.

After years of walking, running, marching, jumping, rappelling, and parachuting, many Veterans experience trouble with their feet and ankles. We can help treat those problems so you can continue to enjoy an active lifestyle. Our podiatry services include:

• Arthritis care for inflamed, swollen, or damaged joints
• Foot and ankle fracture treatment: repair of cartilage, torn tendons and ligaments
• Injections to reduce pain and swelling
• Joint arthroplasty (surgical repair or reconstruction) and replacement
• Minimally invasive surgery and post-surgical rehabilitation
• Foot health maintenance procedures (bunion removal, resurfacing, and nail trimming)

Our specialized rehabilitation program network serves severely injured Veterans and service members who have multiple combat- or civilian-related traumatic injuries. We offer:

• Physical, visual, and cognitive rehabilitation
• State-of-the-art prosthetics
• Psychological and psychosocial services
• Ongoing case management services

We provide and help you use medical aids, hearing aids, state-of-the-art adaptive home equipment and other equipment to help you preserve and increase your mobility and independence.

VA is the world’s largest and most comprehensive provider of sensory aides and prosthetic devices. Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system and referred by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician can receive a full range of services and equipment like:

• Artificial limbs and surgical implants, including artificial joints and pacemakers
• Wheelchairs and other medical devices
• Aids for Veterans who are blind, have low vision, or are hearing impaired
• Adaptive equipment and modifications to make your vehicle or home more accessible
• Other devices and services to help increase your mobility, dignity, and independence
• Clothing allowance for Veterans with devices that damage their clothing

Our pulmonary medicine team treats diseases and conditions that affect the lungs and breathing, including asthma, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome and sleep apnea.

If you find it difficult to breathe or sleep, our pulmonary (lung) specialists can help. We offer education, exercises, and treatments like:

• Oxygen therapy to help you stay active and breathe better
• Pulmonary rehabilitation to build your strength and increase lung capacity
• Healthy diets to help you manage your weight and improve energy
• Strategies to help you increase your feelings of control, optimism, and self-esteem
• Tests to measure your lung function, lung volume, and blood gas

We offer radiology and imaging services to diagnose and treat many medical conditions. Our services include:

• X-ray
• Ultrasound
• Mammography (mammograms)
• Computer tomography (CT)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Interventional radiology
• Nuclear medicine

*Radiology at Golden VA Clinic offers X-ray services only.

Rheumatology provides diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the joints, soft tissues, and connective tissues. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, timely and state-of-the-art rheumatology care to the Veteran population. Some of these rheumatic conditions include:

• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Lupus
• Vasculitis
• Myositis

We also treat regional musculoskeletal problems. Patient cases are managed by a multidisciplinary team to ensure continuity of care.

Services: Appointments with the department of Rheumatology require a referral by your primary care provider.

If you have a spinal cord injury or disorder, our specialists provide coordinated care throughout your life. We work to help you achieve your goals for independence, productivity and quality of life.

The mission of the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders  Center is to provide an excellent, life-long care experience for Veterans, empowering them to optimize functional recovery, well-being, and participation in life through compassionate, evidence-based practice. 

If you are having surgery, we make sure that your procedure and follow-up care are safe and high-quality.

We provide a wide range of surgical services, like:

• General surgery
• Anesthesia
• Cardiac surgery (heart and major blood vessels)
• Neurosurgery (brain, spinal column, and nerves)
• Orthopedic surgery (bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons)
• Organ and tissue transplants

We perform chest surgery (also known as thoracic surgery) to treats conditions involving your chest, airway and esophagus.

Our thoracic surgeons provide state-of-the-art surgical techniques and cancer therapies that focus on your lungs and other organs of the chest. Many of our thoracic treatments also address problems with your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), your trachea (airway), and your chest wall (rib cage and breastbone). We treat a variety of conditions that include:

• Lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus
• Benign chest and lung tumors
• Pleural illnesses, like pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and infections of the pleura (the thin membrane that lines the chest wall and covers the lungs)
• Achalasia, which occurs when nerve damage prevents your esophagus from pushing food into your stomach)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into your esophagus and irritates the lining
• Diseases of the thymus, a small organ beneath your breastbone that produces cells that support your immune system and fight cancer

Every Veteran enrolled in VA health care will receive an initial screening and a follow-up screening at least once every 5 years. Veterans who are not enrolled and who meet eligibility requirements will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening.

The screening will ask you if you think you were exposed to any of these hazards while serving:

• Open burn pits and other airborne hazards
• Gulf War-related exposures
• Agent Orange
• Radiation
• Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure
• Other exposures

We’ll then give you information about any benefits, registry exams, and clinical resources you may need.

Ask about the screening at your next VA health care appointment.

We evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of urology diseases and conditions that include kidney stones, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, prostate cancer, and more. We provide you with medical care, surgery, and minimally invasive procedures for health issues that affect:

• Kidneys
• Bladder
• Ureter and urethra
• Male reproductive organs

Our expert team diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions that affect arteries, veins and blood circulation.

Our vascular surgeons treat illnesses of your arteries and veins. Our surgeons can treat these problems with medication and exercise. Vascular illness causes include atherosclerosis caused by the buildup of plaque in your arteries: blockage by a blood clot or fatty deposit: inflammation, (vasculitis): and trauma or injury

• Arteriosclerosis (caused by the buildup of plaque in your arteries that restricts blood flow to your organs and tissues)
• Aortic aneurysm and aortic valve disease
• Deep vein thrombosis and other blood clots
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (inflammation of your blood vessels)

We provide support and assistive devices, including wheelchairs, scooters, walkers and canes, to help you preserve and increase your mobility.

We train you in the proper use of your wheelchair or other mobility devices to increase your wellness and improve your quality of life. Our team works with you to:

• Optimize correct wheelchair seating and positioning
• Achieve maximum function and independence
• Promote good posture, breathing, digestion, and tissue health
• Prevent complications and additional injuries

If you’re a caregiver for a Veteran, you can get support by contacting one of our caregiver support coordinators. If the Veteran you care for was injured post-9/11, you may be eligible for even more services, including a stipend to help with expenses, training, and medical coverage if you aren’t already covered. For all caregivers, we can:

• Help you get caregiver assistance available through VA
• Provide progressive needs planning to help you manage degenerative conditions
• Match you with services and benefits
• Connect you with local resources and programs
• Listen to you when you struggle
• Provide you with additional help at home

Learn more and connect with a support coordinator

We help homeless Veterans, or those at risk of becoming homeless due to financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, depression, or transition from jail. Contact one of our care coordinators to get help with:

• Immediate food and shelter needs, including both transitional and permanent housing
• Job training, life skills development, and education
• Justice system navigation and community reentry from jail
• Financial support to prevent homelessness
• Addiction and depression treatment
• Health and dental care

Learn more, find shelter resources and connect with a care coordinator

We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Veterans and their families. We focus on ensuring a safe, welcoming, and affirmative environment when providing you with sensitive and high-quality health care services like:

• Hormone therapy
• Substance use and alcohol treatment
• Testing and treatment for HIV and STIs (sexually transmitted infections)
• Mental health care
• Psychosocial assessments for gender-confirming surgeries and hormone therapy

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

If you’re a minority Veteran, we can help you get the services and benefits you need. Our Minority Veterans Program serves all Veterans who are African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Island Americans). We work to:

• Help the medical center address minority Veterans’ needs
• Meet minority Veterans’ needs in the local community
• Identify barriers and create a more accessible environment for minority Veterans
• Inform minority Veterans of VA benefits, services, and programs

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Our patient advocates work hard to make sure you receive the best possible care at our health care facilities. They can:

• Help you get answers or address concerns with your care team
• Advocate for patient and family rights
• Serve as a voice for minority Veterans, women Veterans, and Veterans with disabilities
• Connect veterans with the appropriate resources to address their concerns, including former prisoners of war and Veterans transitioning from Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND)

Learn more and connect with a patient advocate

We offer a wide range of activities (arts and crafts, games, sports, exercise) that we can adapt to your needs.

Our therapies promote your independence and enhance your health and well-being if you’re a Veteran with an injury, chronic (long-lasting) illness, or disabling condition. After your primary health care provider gives you a referral, a recreation therapist will develop treatment goals for you.

• Recreation and creative arts therapy provides services and activities that include:
• Animal interaction
• Music, art, and crafts
• Community outings
• Exercise, sports, and games
• Gardening and leisure education

If you were exposed to toxic chemicals or other hazards during your military service, we offer you a free exam. This exam helps you identify potential health risks and helps us monitor issues so we can better serve you.

This free, voluntary, and comprehensive health exam involves an exposure and medical history, laboratory tests, and a physical exam. We will discuss your results in a face-to-face meeting and follow up with a letter. The registry evaluation, which does not verify exposure, is separate from VA’s disability compensation process. You may be eligible to participate in one or more of these health registries if you served during these time periods:

• Ionizing radiation (1940s to 1960s)
• Agent Orange (1960s and 1970s)
• Airborne hazards and open burn pit (1990s to present)
• Gulf War (1990s to present)
• Depleted uranium (DU) (1990s to present)
• Toxic embedded fragments/shrapnel (2000s to present)

Learn more about VA Health Registry

If you’re returning from military service, we can help you readjust to civilian life and get started with VA health care. We can also help connect you with programs like mental health services and education and career counseling.

We can help you readjust to civilian life if you’re returning from military service, on active duty, or an activated National Guard or Reserve member. Talk to one of our care coordinators about how to best use your health care benefits.

• Polytrauma care (if you have multiple traumatic injuries)
• Counseling and rehabilitation
• Mental and behavioral health services
• Family benefits counseling and assistance
• Referral assistance

Learn more and connect with a coordinator

We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits with our health care providers. We offer video conferencing, home telehealth services, and store-and-forward telehealth that lets you securely send your health information to experts at VA facilities. We offer telehealth visits with providers in:

• Mental health
• Retinal care (eye)
• Bariatric surgery (visit remotely with your weight-loss surgery team before and after your operation)
• Dermatology
• Rehabilitation
• Primary care

Learn more about telehealth

If you’re traveling for VA-approved care, we can repay you for the cost of using regular transportation that includes cars, planes, trains, buses, taxis, rideshare, or light rail. You may also be eligible for repayment when using ambulances, wheelchair vans, or ambulettes (non-emergency medical transportation).

• Round-trip transportation services between your home and our hospital and clinics (beneficiary travel)
• Mileage reimbursement debit cards

Learn more about VA travel pay reimbursement

We help Veterans with physical and mental health challenges find and keep jobs. We help you find jobs through our long-term partnerships with business, industry, and government agencies. We offer 3 services:

• Transitional Work Program matches Veteran’s skills with a specific job and provides supervision to help them gain work experience
• Supported Employment provides long-term support for Veterans with serious mental illnesses or physical disabilities to help them compete for jobs in their communities
• Vocational Assistance trains Veterans living at our residential facility to improve their job-search and career development skills

Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation