Baltimore VA Medical Center

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 specially trained doctors, called anesthesiologists and certified nurses, called Nurse Anesthetists , 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 health care 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

Eligibility:

The eligibility of prospective patients to receive Blind Rehabilitation Services care is determined by the review of three key criteria:

1. Veteran is eligible for VA health benefits (or is an active duty Service member) and
2. Possesses a visual impairment or
3. Has received a designation of excess disability (impact on functional abilities).

Services Provided: 

• Assessment, treatment planning, referral and follow-up
• Education and counseling to Veterans, their family and/or caregiver
• Review of VA and non-VA benefits
• Education and outreach within the VA and community
• Referrals to appropriate therapies and resources, including
• Eye Clinic and/or Low Vision Optometry
• Outpatient Blind Rehabilitation Clinics (including home-based training)
• Comprehensive inpatient Blind Rehabilitation Centers
• Audiology, Physical Medicine and any other appropriate provider

Radiation Oncology Clinical Care Center

The Radiation Oncology Clinical Care Center (ROCCC) at the Baltimore VA Medical Center is proud to cater to the needs of our Veterans. Our mission is to provide the most suitable, efficient, and state of the art radiation treatments for our cancer patients and to pursue excellence in education, medical services and treatment delivery. The ROCCC offers radiation treatments for a variety of cancers including but not limited to prostate, lung, breast, head and neck, gastro-intestinal (GI), bone, and brain.

• Radiation Therapy Services
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
• RapidArc® Radiation Therapy
• Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
• 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy
• Electron Beam Therapy (EBT)
• 4D Imaging for Respiratory Motion Management

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)

The VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP) offers clinical services to caregivers of eligible Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. CSP’s mission is to promote the health and well-being of caregivers who care for our Nation’s Veterans through education, resources, support, and services. If the Veteran receiving care is 70-100% Service Connected and meets clinical eligibility requirements, the caregiver may be eligible for enhanced clinical support and services. 

For all caregivers enrolled in VA CSP, we can:

• Help you navigate the VA system 
• Review applicable services and benefits
• Connect you with local resources and supports
• Provide individual and group support on your caregiving journey
• Link you to resources in an effort to prevent caregiver burnout

If you are a caregiver who is caring for a Veteran, learn more about VA CSP by connecting with the local CSP team, or visit our website at www.caregiver.va.gov.

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 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

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

Get Emergency Care at a Non-VA Facilities

We diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and other endocrine system problems that can create or complicate serious medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, and thyroid or parathyroid disorders. 

We diagnose and treat medical conditions in your esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and other parts of your digestive system.

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

We help Veterans who are homeless or 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

We test for, evaluate, and treat many infectious diseases. We offer:

• Testing and screening for hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases
• Prevention strategies and treatment
• Compassionate care and counseling for people who are living with infectious diseases

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 sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• Mental health care
• Psychosocial assessments for gender-confirming surgeries and hormone therapy

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

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

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

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

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:

• Counseling
• Psychiatric care
• Walk-in care

If you would like to discuss MST care, please contact:

Dr. Christine Calmes
VAMHCS MST Coordinator

Learn more about military sexual trauma

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 Black 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

My HealtheVet is a web-based tool you can use to manage your care and improve your health from your computer or mobile device. You can access your personal health records and use tools to manage your care through our My HealtheVet online system. You can also use My HealtheVet to refill your prescriptions, track appointments, and read informative health articles. 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

Our team actively manages 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 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

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.

Post-traumatic 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:

• Individual, trauma-focused assessment and therapy
• Medication management
• Group therapy

Learn more about PTSD

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 focus on whole-body health that can help you increase your independence, and improve your quality of life with services like:

• General Physiatry/rehab clinic.
• Wheel Chair Clinic.
• Amputation Clinic.
• Polytrauma/traumatic Brain Injury Clinic.
• Spinal Cord Injury Clinic.
• Neuro Rehab Clinic at LR.
• Rehab consultation service for veterans who are on acute rehab care or subacute rehab care with “Short Stay Rehab” program at LR CLC.

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
• Evaluation and treatment for a wide range of medical, orthopedic, psychosocial, and neurological conditions

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)

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's health 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

The radiation oncology service works with your health care team to target cancer safely and precisely using radiation therapy.

The Radiation Oncology Clinical Care Center (ROCCC) at the Baltimore VA Medical Center is proud to cater to the needs of our Veterans. Our mission is to provide the most suitable, efficient, and state of the art radiation treatments for our cancer patients and to pursue excellence in education, medical services and treatment delivery. The ROCCC offers radiation treatments for a variety of cancers including but not limited to prostate, lung,  breast, head and neck, gastro-intestinal (GI), bone, and brain.

Radiation Therapy Services

• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT)
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT)
• RapidArc® Radiation Therapy (VMAT)
• Image-Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT)
• 3-D Conformal Radiation Therapy
• Electron Beam Therapy (EBT)
• 4D Imaging for Respiratory Motion Management

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)
• DEXA**
• Nuclear Medicine**
• Interventional Radiology**

* * Available at Baltimore VA Medical Center only.

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)
• Post-Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN)

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

Our doctors treat inflammation, stiffness, or pain in your muscles, joints, and tendons. 

The sleep medicine service diagnoses and treats your sleep problems, including trouble sleeping, breathing difficulties while sleeping, snoring, teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

At various points in our lives, all of us suffer from a lack of sleep. But, if you are spending enough time in bed and still wake up tired or feel very sleepy during the day, you may have a sleep disorder. We can help. 

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

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

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

The COMPACT Act guarantees Veterans in suicidal crisis can go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for free emergency health care.

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

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

Surgery Appointment Line

Patients must have a surgery consult or a return to clinic order entered to schedule a surgical appointment. Appointments for the following surgical clinics can be scheduled through the Surgery Appointment Line:

• General Surgery
• Gynecology
• Neurosurgery
• Ophthalmology
• Optometry
• Orthopedics
• Plastics
• Podiatry
• Urology
• Vascular

Please note that the Surgery Appointment Line is not available to schedule surgical appointments in the community.

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:

• Tele-Mental health
• Diabetic Tele-Retinal Screenings, Macular Degeneration and Glaucoma Screenings
• Endocrine, Surgery Consults, Early Renal Insufficiency
• Tele-Dermatology
• 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 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 Women Veterans Program Manager