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VA Healthcare Network Upstate New York - VISN 2
Outpatient Care Services
Access to VA Care
If you need to obtain information regarding your medical benefits, please visit our Veterans Service Center, 1st floor D-wing or call (518) 626-6745 or 626-6744.
Outpatient Primary Care
Every patient who enrolls with a VA health care facility is assigned to a primary care provider. This provider is part of a Primary Care Team designed to coordinate all of the services you need to meet your health care needs. Whether that team is located in a VA medical center or in one of our community based outpatient clinics, your primary care visit will be set up and scheduled at your convenience.
During your visit:
- You will meet your assigned primary care provider
- You will have a physical examination.
- Your primary care provider will determine if you need any additional diagnostic testing, which may include blood/lab work, X-ray, EKG, etc.
- A complete medical history will be obtained. Bring a list of your current medications.
- Initial screenings may be done regarding your use of tobacco, alcohol, risk factors for Hepatitis C, and any history of military sexual trauma.
- Appropriate referrals for specialists will be made as necessary.
Preventive health maintenance is a strong emphasis within primary care at VA. Primary care providers provide annual physical examinations and screenings. This aids in finding any health changes and the early start of appropriate medical treatment. This may prevent or lessen major medical problems for you in the future. You can expect your primary care provider to discuss preventive health activities such as:
- Vaccines: flu, tetanus, pneumonia
- Depression screening
- Women's health issues: regular Pap smears and mammograms
- Education on prostate cancer screening for men over 50
- Colon cancer screening for anyone over 50
- Regular exercise and good nutrition to keep you healthy
Primary care providers and teams also evaluate any emergency medical needs between scheduled visits, arrange medication refills, answer questions about medications and order consultation by specialists.
Our goal in primary care is to improve the coordination of your health care needs. This will allow our health care professionals to provide the best care possible.
Emergency Care Services
Medical personnel are available in our Emergency
Room 24 hours a day, seven days a week for urgent
or emergency medical needs. Patients will be seen
according to the severity of illness.
Telcare
Telcare is a toll-free medical advice line for veterans and their families. It is a program of qualified professionals (registered nurses) who provide telephone access to clinical care 24 hours per day, 7 days per week (including weekends and holidays) throughout Central and Western New York. Call Telcare at 1-888-838-7890 with your medical and health care questions or concerns. If you need emergency care, you will be instructed on where to receive immediate attention.
Clinic Appointments
To make or cancel an appointment call 1-800-585-9772 or (518) 626-5780.
Please notify your primary care team or clinic if you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment.
If you must reschedule your appointment, please contact your primary care doctor at the Medical Center or at the community based outpatient clinic where you are being treated to request another appointment.
When reporting for a clinic appointment we ask that you check in no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled appointment time. Every effort will be made to see all patients at their scheduled time; however, in some cases this may not always be possible.
Community Based Outpatient Clinics
The Stratton VA Medical Center's primary care program provides services at Bainbridge,
Catskill,
Clifton Park, Elizabethtown,
Fonda,
Glens Falls, Kingston, Malone, Plattsburgh, Schenectady, and Troy.
Please see your Patients Handbook for the CBOC listing of addresses and telephone numbers.
Changing Doctors
If your doctor is no longer with VA, you will be asked to select a new doctor from a VA list of providers.
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| Reviewed/Updated Date: December 29, 2006 |
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