Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic

Our Audiology and Speech Pathology clinics 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
• Speech pathologists (aka speech therapists) assist patients with disorders or impairments in speech, language, fluency, voice, cognitive communication, swallowing (aka dysphagia), and laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx, which contains your vocal cords).
• Occupational therapists treat injured, ill, or disabled patients through the therapeutic use of everyday activities. They help these patients develop, recover, improve, as well as maintain the skills needed for daily living and working.

Learn more about VA hearing aids

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

COVID-19 Vaccines

At the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center, we are giving vaccines near Pharmacy and the Agent Cashier on the 1st floor. At the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic, stop by the Red Team on the 2nd Floor.

In Idabel, McAlester & Vinita, please contact your Primary Care team.

Appointments are not required.

COVID-19 Testing

At the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center, stop by Building #6 across from the medical center. At the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic, stop by the trailer in the overflow parking lot.

Appointments are not required.

If you’re diagnosed with cancer, our team will work with you, your primary care doctor, and other health care providers to develop a specialized treatment plan. We offer personal, compassionate, and expert care, with services like:

• Surgical removal of tumors and other cancerous tissue
• Immunotherapy, which helps your body’s natural defenses destroy cancer cells
• Chemotherapy, which uses powerful drugs to fight cancer
• Radiotherapy, which uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
• Palliative care, to reduce pain and control other symptoms and side effects, like nausea

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 congested heart failure, 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)

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 provide care for many medical and surgical skin conditions. Our dermatology services include:

• Medically necessary treatments for skin conditions like skin cancer and rashes
• Specialized treatments for acute (short-term) and chronic (long-lasting) skin conditions, like psoriasis, eczema, warts, and fungal illnesses
• Evaluation, biopsy, and treatment of cancerous or pre-cancerous skin conditions, like abnormal moles and lesions.
• Referrals for complex conditions
• Teledermatology (a telehealth resource), which gives patients quick access to expert opinions

We diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and other problems with your endocrine system. Such problems may cause or contribute to serious medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, and thyroid or parathyroid disorders. Your primary care doctor can refer you for treatment at any time. We also welcome walk-ins in some locations. Our endocrinologists can:

• Measure the level of various hormones in your body
• Measure your blood glucose level     
• Determine the cause and proper treatment of endocrine and metabolic disorders

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

Care we provide at VA Eastern Oklahoma health care

We offer a range of hematology and oncology services. You can arrange appointments and consultation through your primary care provider. Our hematology and oncology services include:

• Chemotherapy
• Blood and platelet transfusions
• Mediport flushes to clean and maintain the small medical appliance inserted under your skin, making it easier to inject drugs and draw blood
• Evaluation and treatment of blood disorders and cancer
• Dedicated outpatient infusion center, working closely with radiation oncology, interventional radiology, general surgery, diagnostics, palliative care, and social services
• Bone marrow biopsies, to see whether your bone tissue is healthy and making a normal number of blood cells

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 through group, individual and telehealth sessions. 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!

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 inpatient and outpatient services include individual and group therapy for:

• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors
• Anxiety, addictive behaviors, and personality disorders
• Emergency services/stabilization
• Marriage and relationship problems
• Medication management
• Military Sexual Trauma
• Psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression
• Psychosocial Rehabilitation
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Smoking cessation
• Suicide prevention
• Transition and care management for returning Veterans (OIF/OEF/OND)
• Treatment for addictive disorders, including residential rehabilitation treatment programs

We offer a wide range of behavioral and psychological interventions including:

• Medication Management
• Biofeedback therapy
• Exposure therapy
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
• Emergency services/stabilization
• Inpatient mental health
• Intensive Community Mental Health Recovery Services: Learn more
• Treatment for medication resistant depression such as:
  • Ketamine infusion
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
• Group Therapy

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Care we provide at VA Eastern Oklahoma health care

We offer care for military sexual trauma in our mental (behavioral) health clinics. Military sexual trauma refers to sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other threatening, offensive, or unwanted sexual advances, activities, or remarks that you experienced in the military. Our goal is to help you improve your quality of life with strategies to manage emotions and memories related to your military sexual trauma.

Our services include:

• Art Groups in Muskogee and Tulsa
  • Watch our video to learn more. For more information about these art groups, please contact Marlene Diaz, Peer Support Specialist, at 888-397-8387, ext. 73448.
• Counseling
• Psychiatric care

Veterans do not need to have a VA disability rating, have reported MST or have other documentation of the experience to get this care. These services may also be available to Veterans not eligible for other VA care. 

MST Program Point of Contact

Jennifer Chafin-Van Dusen, LCSW
Military Sexual Trauma (MST) Coordinator/Therapist

Learn more about MST and VA’s MST-related services.

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
• Home patient monitoring
• Kidney transplant evaluation
• Kidney disease education

We provide inpatient and outpatient services for chronic diseases and disorders that affect your brain, spine, and the nerves that connect them. Our neurologists read electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings, which measure the electrical impulses brain cells use to communicate with each other. We evaluate and treat many neurological illnesses and disorders such as:

• Neuropathy (nerve damage), myelopathy and other spinal cord injuries, and radiculopathy (pinched nerves)
• Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis
• Stroke, dementia, and degenerative diseases
• Other neurological conditions

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

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

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 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

If you have symptoms of PTSD after a traumatic event, we can help. We offer assessment and treatment support such as private counseling, group therapy and medication. It’s never too late to get help.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after this type of event. If symptoms last more than a few months, it may be PTSD. We can help you with effective treatments and support services, like:

• Psychiatric and psychological counseling
• Services for homeless Veterans
• Treatment for addictive disorders
• Transition and care management for post-9/11 combat Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), and Operation New Dawn (OND)

Learn more about PTSD

Care we provide at VA Eastern Oklahoma health care

Acute (short term) or persistent (long lasting) pain can make it difficult to enjoy life but effective pain management can help.  Our Pain Team is focused on addressing pain from a whole health model and are dedicated to helping Veterans who have pain issues improve their quality of life and spend more time doing what matters to them. Our services include:

• Evaluation/Assessment and Diagnosis by a variety of pain experts
• Development of a comprehensive pain management plan based on what matters to you
• Working with you and your primary care providers on the most effective medication management
• Teaching you the most up to date pain neuroscience and skills management including activity management, relaxation and mindfulness techniques, cognitive behavior therapy and much more
• Providing access to exercise and activity treatments/resources to include physical therapy, tai chi and yoga
• Providing supportive treatments including biofeedback, chiropractic, acupuncture, pain interventional services etc.

Our palliative and hospice care services support you and your family as you cope with a life-threatening or terminal illness. Palliative care works to provide comfort, reduce suffering, and improve the quality of life for patients being treated for serious illnesses. Hospice care focuses on helping patients with terminal illnesses to manage the final stages of their lives. Our palliative and hospice care services include:

• Pain and symptom management
• Emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial support for you and your family
• Help with practical issues that include an advance directive (living will), health care power of attorney, funeral arrangements, and applying for VA death and burial benefits
• Education to help you and your family make informed health care decisions and know what to expect as your health declines
• Bereavement care to help surviving family members during the grieving process

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 advocates for minority Veterans, women Veterans, and Veterans with disabilities
• Offer specialized help to 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

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

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

 

Inpatient Rehab Unit

The Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center inpatient rehabilitation unit provides acute rehabilitation services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Learn More

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.

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
• Women Veterans Care
• Radiology
• Social services
• Telehealth

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)

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.

At VA <> health care, 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

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. 

Social work is integral to health care. We can help you and your family manage stress-related problems due to injury or illness, and find VA community resources to meet your needs like:

• Home health services
• Legal services
• Transportation
• Community living

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.

VA has the nation’s largest system of care for spinal cord injuries and disorders. We provide a convenient, connected network of experts to care for you during each phase of your life. Our experienced primary care providers are trained to check for problems unique to spinal cord injuries.

• Pressure ulcers
• Pneumonia
• Blood clots
• Bladder and sexual issues
• Constipation and other gastrointestinal problems
• Sexual issues

Learn more about the VA spinal cord injuries and disorders care system

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:

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

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

Care we provide at VA Eastern Oklahoma health care

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

Whole Health is VA’s cutting-edge approach to care that supports your health and well-being. Whole Health centers around what matters to you, not what is the matter with you. This means your health team will get to know you as a person, before working with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals. Our whole health program includes:

• Acupuncture to help you manage pain without drugs
• Meditation and mindfulness training
• Biofeedback
• Massage
• Tai Chi
• Yoga
• Art Studio
• Other options aimed at improving well-being

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 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. Download Women's Mental Health Clinic Orientation Manual
• Lifestyle wellness services
• Menopause treatment, including hormonal therapy
• Family planning, contraceptive care, and infertility evaluation

Learn more and connect with a Women Veterans Program Manager

We provide thoughtful, compassionate diagnosis and treatment for Veterans with acute or chronic wounds or those who need ostomy care.

Healing your wounds is an important step in your recovery and rehabilitation. Our wound care team will assess your wound, determine where you are in the healing process, and provide a treatment plan for your care. If you’ve had ostomy surgery and are living with either a temporary or permanent stoma (a surgical opening to allow urine, feces, or body fluids to exit your body), we can help you manage the care of your stoma, make good product choices, and cope with the effects of ostomy surgery.