Health services
VA Texas Valley Healthcare System offers a wide range of health, support, and facility services for Veterans in the deep south region of Texas. Click on a service below for more details like which clinic or medical center offers that service.
In the spotlight
Women Veterans care
VA Texas Valley health care provides comprehensive health care to women Veterans of all ages.
Health care for LGBT Veterans
VA Texas Valley health care provides compassionate care for transgender Veterans
The Mission Act
Find out how to get community care as a VA Texas Valley health care patient
Primary care
Select a topic to learn more.
Geriatrics
Common conditions: memory problems, sleep problems, falls, bone loss, weight loss
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Pharmacy
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Primary care
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Women Veteran care
Common conditions: women's primary care, mental health, obstetrics, gynecology, pap smear, mammogram
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Mental health care
Select a topic to learn more.
Addiction and substance use care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Mental health care
Common conditions: addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Military sexual trauma care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley 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:
- Counseling
- Psychiatric care
- Walk-in care
PTSD care
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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:
- Psychiatric and psychological counseling
- Services for Veterans who are homeless
- 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)
Psychiatry
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
- Post-traumatic 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
Suicide prevention
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Specialty care
Select a topic to learn more.
Amputation care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
If you've had a major limb removed, our specialists can create a health care 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
Anesthesia
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health 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 health care professionals to facilitate a smooth transition from hospital to home
Audiology and speech
Common conditions: tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss, vestibular conditions, swallowing conditions
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Our Audiology clinic and community care providers for speech pathology provides diagnostic and rehabilitative services, screening for employee hearing conservation and 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
- Community care services that help with speech, language, fluency, voice, cognitive communication, swallowing, stuttering, and laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx, which contains your vocal cords)
Blind and low vision rehabilitation
Common conditions: macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, corneal diseases, retinitis pigmentosa, uveitis, stroke, injury-related vision loss
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Common conditions: coronavirus, COVID-19
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
- COVID-19 vaccines for eligible Veterans and staff
- Your VA Health Care Team is available to talk to you about your personal health care plan. Contact your health care team with any questions and concerns on COVID-19 vaccinations.
Cardiology
Common conditions: heart disease, high blood pressure, heart rhythm disorders, angina, vascular diseases
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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)
Dental/oral surgery
Common conditions: teeth cleaning, fillings, restorations, root canal, bridges, dental implants, dentures
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Dermatology
Common conditions: psoriasis, eczema, skin cancer, acne, rosacea, allergic skin diseases, ulcers
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Veterans with skin conditions and skin concerns are advised to speak with their patient aligned care team provider (PACT). However, a Veteran's PACT provider may refer them to a community skin care specialist who will make sure their needs are addressed.
- Referrals
- Teledermatology (a telehealth resource), which gives patients quick access to expert opinions
Diabetes care
Common conditions: Diabetes type 1, Diabetes type 2
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Gastroenterology
Common conditions: acid reflux, fatty liver, irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, cancer screening
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Services are provided through our community care contracts, please talk to your VA primary care provider who can enter a consult for you. Community care providers can diagnose and treat medical conditions in your esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and other parts of your digestive system and also test and treat other organs, like your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Services provided:
- 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
Infectious disease
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
We test for, evaluate, and treat many infectious diseases. We offer:
- Testing and screening for hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases
- Prevention strategies and treatment
- Compassionate care and counseling for people who are living with infectious diseases
Laboratory and pathology
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Our laboratories and our contracted laboratory provide a full range of clinical and diagnostic testing services. 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)
Nephrology
Common conditions: Dialysis, kidney disease, high blood pressure, hypertension
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley 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
- Home patient monitoring
- Kidney transplant evaluation
- Kidney disease education
Neurology
Common conditions: cognitive disorders, epilepsy, headache, motor neuron diseases, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, stroke
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
We provide 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
Nutrition, food, and dietary care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Ophthalmology
Common conditions: cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
We offer comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for eye-related illnesses, injuries, and other issues. Our ophthalmology services include:
- Medical care and laser treatment for various eye diseases
- State-of-the art cataract surgery
- Pterygium surgery
Optometry
Common conditions: vision exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Our optometrists provide many eye-related services and treatments like:
- Routine Eye Examinations including refractions
- Non-routine eye eye examinations including diabetic eye eye examinations
- Evaluation and management of ocular diseases including but not limited to glaucoma, macular degeneration, corneal disease, and dry eye
Orthopedics
Common conditions: arthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, tendon repair, ligament repair, joint replacement
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Otolaryngology
Common conditions: balance issues, sinusitis, difficulty swallowing, obstructive sleep apnea, head tumors, neck tumors
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Pain management
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Palliative and hospice care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Physical medicine and rehabilitation
Common conditions: pain, stroke, brain injury, neuromuscular disorders, musculoskeletal problems, sports injuries, spinal cord injuries
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Physical therapy, occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy can help restore movement and function if you have been disabled by injury or disease.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Podiatry
Common conditions: arthritis, bunions, diabetic foot care, foot deformities, skin conditions, nail 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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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)
- Platelet rich plasma injections to help with wound or injury healing
- Diabetic foot care
- General heel pain
Prosthetics and rehabilitation
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Pulmonary medicine
Common conditions: tuberculosis, respiratory conditions, sleep apnea, sleep problems
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Radiation oncology
The radiation oncology service works with your health care team to target cancer safely and precisely using radiation therapy.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Radiation oncologists specialize in using high-energy radiation to kill or damage cancer cells and either destroy tumors or control their growth. Doctors sometimes use radiation therapy in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, or other cancer treatments. The radiation therapy you receive will depend on cancer type, tumor size and location, and your general health. Our services include:
- Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which uses computers to deliver precise radiation doses that match the 3D shape of your tumor
- Intracranial stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), which uses targeted radiation to treat a brain tumor or lesion while minimizing radiation effects on healthy brain tissue
- Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), which uses precisely focused radiation to treat tumors in your lungs, spine, liver, lymph nodes, or other soft tissues
- Low-dose rate definitive and salvage brachytherapy, which use low doses of radiation to treat prostrate cancer
- Image-guided radiation therapy (IGRT), which uses detailed images to help focus radiation on affected areas, improve outcomes, and shorten treatment
Radiology
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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)
Rehabilitation and extended care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
- To learn more about the different types of extended care that VA provides, see our guide to long-term services and support.
Rheumatology
Common conditions: arthritis, Crohn's disease, gout, lupus
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
Our doctors treat inflammation, stiffness, or pain in your muscles, joints, and tendons. Common rheumatic illnesses include:
- Juvenile idiopathic and infectious arthritis
- Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus, gout, and scleroderma
Sleep medicine
Common conditions: insomnia, narcolepsy, restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, sleepwalking
The sleep medicine service diagnoses and treats your sleep problems, including trouble sleeping, breathing difficulties while sleeping, snoring, teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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. Our sleep specialists can:
- Diagnose and treat sleep apnea and other sleep disorders
- Monitor your blood oxygen levels and heart rate
- Study your brain waves during sleep
- Evaluate possible causes for your excessive sleepiness
- Conduct sleep tests performed at home or in the lab
- Work with your doctors if you need surgery or dental appliances to help you get a good night's sleep
Smoking and tobacco cessation
If you are trying to quit smoking or want to stop using tobacco, we can help you with support, resources and programs.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Toxic exposure screening
Common conditions: War-related exposure, open burn pit exposure, airborne hazards exposure, Gulf War-related exposure, Gulf War Illness, Agent Orange exposure, radiation exposure, Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
All Veterans enrolled in VA health care can receive a toxic exposure screening at an upcoming appointment or sooner by contacting a Toxic Exposure Screening Navigator. All enrolled Veterans should receive the screening at least once every five years.
Urology
Common conditions: prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, urinary disorders
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley 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
Social programs and services
Select a topic to learn more.
Caregiver support
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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 has a serious injury (or illness), 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
Homeless Veteran care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health 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
LGBTQ+ Veteran care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Minority Veteran care
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Patient advocates
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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)
Registry exams
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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)
Returning service member care
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.
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley 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
Social work
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Other services
Select a topic to learn more.
My HealtheVet coordinator
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Telehealth
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
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
Whole health
Available at these locations
Care we provide at VA Texas Valley health care
VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care system offers a wide array of Whole Health services to Veterans and employees. Whole Health is a health and wellness delivery system that engages Veterans and their family members, caregivers, and employees in self-empowering, self-healing, and self-care based on what is important to them.
Services offered include introductory and advanced Whole Health education classes, a Lifestyle Medicine course and clinic, Diabetes education classes and treatment groups, Healthy Teaching Kitchen and Virtual Grocery Tour classes, Wellbeats and Sofia Health fitness classes, wellness group classes, meditation group classes, MOVE! weight loss and management groups, individual health coaching, biofeedback, clinical hypnosis, creative arts and cognitive enhancement classes, as well as other wellness services under development. Classes are available in-clinic and virtually at all locations.
To learn more about Whole Health or to schedule a meeting, you can contact Whole Health staff at any location or contact John A. Miller at john.miller14@va.gov.