Health services

Our Advice Nurse Line provides you and your family with convenient health care advice after hours every weekday, and 24 hours a day on holidays and weekends. Our experienced nurses can access your medical records and many other resources. They can answer your questions as well and offer the helpful medical advice you need—right over the telephone. The registered nurses on our Advice Nurse Line can also: 

• Help you manage some of your basic health care needs 
• Answer questions about your current medications or medical condition
• Discuss your health care concerns and help you decide the best way to handle them
• Offer improved access to VA services

Ask a Nurse Line: 814-868-8661, press 3

The Erie VAMC Outpatient Pharmacy is for new, partial, or emergency prescriptions only. Full prescription refills will be mailed.

Conveniently refill your prescriptions remotely

Our pharmacists fill thousands of prescriptions each day, safely and effectively. We only fill new prescriptions in person at the pharmacy window, but you can refill your current prescriptions 3 different ways:

• Online at My HealtheVet. You need a user ID and password to log in, which you receive after creating your personal profile on My HealtheVet. Please note: a  premium account is required to access the RX refill feature, for help upgrading your account contact Erie VAMC MHV Coordinator. 
• By phone through our automated refill service. Call 814-868-6284 or 800-274-8387 and ask for extension 6284. You need your Social Security number and prescription number to complete the process.
• By mail. Each prescription comes with refill request slips. Please mail your requests at least 14 days before you need a new supply.

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.

We offer primary care at all of our VA Erie  health care facilities. We take a team approach to health care that centers on you. You’ll work with family members, caregivers, and health care professionals to create a plan for your lifelong health and wellness. Your primary care team can also coordinate other services as part of your care like:                            

• Labs, blood work, and immunizations           
• Mental health care                                                                 
• Women’s health care
• Nutrition and weight counseling
• Smoking cessation counseling
• Social services

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

Our urgent care center is equipped to treat most of your urgent, non-life threatening, or unanticipated medical needs. With operational hours on weekends and holidays, Veterans have easy and convenient access to urgent care services.  Urgent care does not replace your primary care doctor, but we can help you when your doctor’s office is closed and you need to see a health care professional right away. Medical conditions treated include:

• Colds, flu, and strep throat
• Sinus, ear, and eye infections
• Minor injuries and muscle strains
• Rashes and skin infections

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 work closely with specialists in gynecology, obstetrics, female urology, oncology, medicine, radiology, surgery, and breast illness. Our services for women Veterans include:                           

• Maternity care during pregnancy, childbirth education classes, and postpartum support after your child is born     
• Ultrasounds and mammograms
• Pap and HPV tests
• Mental health care and counseling
• Menopause treatment, including hormonal therapy
• Family planning, contraceptive care, and infertility evaluation

Learn more and connect with a Women Veterans Program Manager

Our behavioral health clinic provides 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
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Anxiety, addictive behaviors, and personality disorders
• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors

Learn more about VA mental health services

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

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 receiving hearing aids through VA

• COVID-19 vaccines for eligible Veterans and staff

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at VA Erie Health Care

If you’re diagnosed with cancer, the skilled medical professionals on our cancer care team will focus on helping you improve your overall mind/body health and total well-being. Working with you, your primary care doctor, and other health care providers, we’ll develop a specialized treatment plan to offer personal, compassionate, expert care. Our services include:

• 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 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
• Non-invasively 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)

We offer the latest in diagnosis and treatment for disorders of the colon, rectum, and anus, including minimally invasive and robot-assisted surgeries. Our surgeons work closely with other doctors in gastroenterology, oncology, urology, and other specialties to make sure you receive comprehensive and personalized care. We can help you with conditions like:

• Colon and rectal cancer
• Colon polyps (growths on the lining of your colon or large intestine)
• Inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
• Diverticulitis (inflammation of pouches that can form in your intestines)
• Anal problems such as hemorrhoids, fissures (small tears in the lining of your anus), and fistula (infected tunnels between your skin and your anus)

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 offer many medical and support services to help you manage your diabetes like:

• Self-management, education, and support classes
• Insulin therapy and blood-glucose meter training
• Diabetes survival skills that include sick-day management, lifestyle changes, nutrition advice, and cooking classes

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)

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

Connect with a care coordinator

Erie VAMC MOVE! Care Coordinator: 814-860-2342

Appointments are available in-person or through a virtual platform.

Learn more about MOVE!

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

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: 
• Treatment of medical conditions of the eye
• Spectacle correction
• Eyeglass fittings and adjustments
• Visual field testing
• Ophthalmic photography
• A and B scan ultrasonography
• Sub-specialty clinic
  • Low vision services
  • TBI evaluations
  • Glaucoma monitoring  

A visual impairment services (VIS) program is available to those Veterans who qualify. The Optometry providers examine and treat these Veterans with administrative assistance from the VIS coordinator.

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

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:

• 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 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 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 through:      

• Physical and occupational therapy
• Audiology      
• Kinesiotherapy (movement therapy)      
• Prosthetics
• Recreation therapy
• Speech therapy

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)

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

Learn more about the VA prosthetic program

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
• Bone density scan         
• Computer tomography (CT)  
• Fluoroscopy exams

We provide long-term care to help you and your family when you’re dealing with a disability, chronic (long-lasting) illness, terminal illness, or serious health issues related to aging. Our long-term health care services include:

• 24/7 nursing and medical care
• Physical therapy
• Help with daily tasks (like bathing, dressing, making meals, and taking medicine)
• Pain management and palliative care (to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses) 
• Hospice care (to provide comfort and compassionate care for people in the last phases of an incurable illness)
• Support for caregivers who may need skilled help or a break so they can work, travel, or run errands

Learn more about VA long term care

If you are trying to quit smoking or want to stop using tobacco, we can help you with support, resources and programs.

You can quit smoking or chewing tobacco. Our goal is to provide support and strategies to add to optional nicotine replacement therapy prescribed by your primary care doctor. These include:

• FDA-approved medications to manage nicotine withdrawal and the urge to smoke.
• Counseling in person or by phone
• Tobacco Cessation Quitline for individual counseling and strategies
• SmokefreeVET text message program for daily advice and interactive support
• Stay Quit Coach mobile app to help you quit smoking and stay smoke-free

Learn more about how to quit

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 ambulatory surgical services, including:

• General Surgery (hernia, lesion removal, Mediport placement, hemorrhoid)
• Upper and Lower Endoscopy
• Ophthalmology (cataract)
• Orthopedic (knee arthroscopy, shoulder arthroscopy, carpal tunnel, hand procedures)
• Urology (cystoscopy, ureteroscopy, vasectomy, prostate biopsy)
• Podiatry (bunion, nail procedures, tendon or ligament repair)

Additional toxic exposure screening (TES) fast facts:

• It is not diagnostic and is not a part of the VA benefits claims process.
• Being screened is separate from joining a VA environmental health registry.
• VA offers the TES to all enrolled Veterans as required by section 603 of the PACT Act.
• The TES is repeated at least once every 5 years.
• If you choose not to be screened, you will have the option to decline until the following year. 

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 

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
• Connect you with local resources, programs, services, and benefits 

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 and connect with a care coordinator

Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs when a current or former intimate partner (like a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse) harms, threatens to harm, or stalks their partner. Intimate partner violence can be emotional, physical, or sexual. It can also lead to short-term and long-term health problems, and a wide range of mental health issues. If you or someone you love is in a potentially abusive or violent relationship, we can help. We offer:

• Intimate partner violence coordinators
• Links to community-based support groups, and advocacy and legal services
• Referrals to and coordination with other VA treatment providers
• Connection to domestic violence shelters
• Homeless Veteran services
• Interventions for Veterans who use violence in their intimate relationships

Contact a care coordinator

Holly Pilarski, LISW-S, BCD
Erie VAMC IPVAP Coordinator 
814-572-4872

Learn more about intimate partner violence 

We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and beyond (LGBTQ+) 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 including:

• Gender-affirming therapies, including hormone treatment
• Mental Health services, including psychosocial assessments for hormone therapy and gender confirming surgeries. 
• Gender-affirming prosthetics
• Substance use/alcohol treatment
• Tobacco use treatment
• Treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for Veterans at risk for HIV
• Intimate partner violence reduction and treatment of after effects
• Military sexual trauma screening and treatment of after effects
• Suicide prevention services 
• Whole Health
• Cancer screening, prevention and treatment
• Virtual Mental Health Care: Veterans can connect with a VA mental health provider through a computer or mobile device from the comfort of their homes or at their nearest VA health facility
• Reproductive health services, including contraception, family building, specialty gynecology care, pregnancy care, menopause management
• Infertility: VA is committed to helping Veterans navigate challenges that may arise from issues with fertility and the conception of a child.

Learn more about LGBTQ+ care 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 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

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 Erie 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)
• Case management and counseling support       
• Mental and behavioral health services                                               
• Family benefits counseling and assistance    
• Referral assistance    

Learn more about health care benefits for returning service members

My HealtheVet is a web-based tool you can use to manage your care and improve your health from your computer or mobile device. If you need help using My HealtheVet, you can contact our coordinator by phone or in person. With My HealtheVet, you can:

• Ask questions and exchange secure online messages with your VA health care team
• Check your lab and test results
• Refill your prescriptions, track delivery, and view a list of your medications
• Keep track of your VA medical appointments and get email reminders
• View, download, or print a copy of your VA medical records
• Enter or update your personal information

Learn more and register for My Healthevet

Connect with a care coordinator

Theresa Allen
Erie VAMC My HealtheVet Coordinator
814-860-2821(desk)
814-969-2094(cell)
Theresa.Allen@va.gov

We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits between you and our health care providers. We offer 3 types of telehealth:

• Clinical video telehealth provides instant appointments between Veterans at outpatient clinics and their providers.
• Home telehealth sends your vital health information, such as blood pressure readings, to your doctor via your smartphone or internet.
• Store-and-forward telehealth sends your previously recorded video, audio, and digital records to other medical specialists at VA facilities.    

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).

Learn more about whether you qualify for the VA Beneficiary Travel program

We help Veterans with physical and mental health challenges find and keep jobs. Our program (formerly called Compensated Work Therapy), finds jobs through our long-term partnerships with business, industry, and government agencies. We offer 3 services:

• Transitional work experience matches your skills with a specific job and provides supervision.
• Supported employment helps Veterans with serious mental illness compete for jobs by providing therapy while they work.
• Vocational services train Veterans living at our residential facility to improve their job-hunting skills.

Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation and employment programs

Our whole health approach empowers and equips you to take charge of your health, well-being, and quality of life. Whole health goes beyond your illnesses, injuries, or disabilities, and focuses instead on your values, goals, and overall health. It includes self-care and complementary therapies along with conventional medical care. Our whole health program includes:

• Ear acupuncture to help you manage pain without drugs
• Meditation and mindfulness training
• Yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong classes
• Massage and manual therapy

Learn more about whole health