Bay Pines VA Fisher House
The Bay Pines VA Fisher House is located on the grounds of the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center and was dedicated on July 1, 2002. It is a home away from home for families of acutely hospitalized Veterans and active duty service members who live more than 50 miles away from the campus.
Facility Overview
The Bay Pines VA Fisher House has eight suites complete with common kitchen, laundry facilities, spacious dining room, living room, library, and outside gazebo. Guests must be able to take care of their own personal needs. Guests are responsible for maintaining their own rooms and keeping the common areas clean. There is no maid service.
Mission
Fisher House Foundation, Inc. is an international, not-for-profit organization established to improve the quality of life for members of the military, Veterans and their families. The Foundation builds comfort homes at military and VA medical centers and gifts them to the government.
Referrals to Bay Pines VA Fisher House
Referrals to Bay Pines VA Fisher House must be completed in advance. During regular business hours, Bay Pines VA's Social Work Service screens guests for the Fisher House and makes referrals if eligible. After hours, this is done by the Administrative Officer of the Day (AOD). The health care professional assigned to the Veteran will conduct an initial screening to determine appropriateness.
Bay Pines VA Fisher House Contacts
Shentrela Diggins
Phone:
Hours of Operation: 24/7
Pay.gov - VISN 8 Donation Form
Lodgetel Program
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has an approved temporary lodging program designed to ease the burden for Veteran’s who reside more than 50 miles away from the location of their medical appointments. The program is designed to provide temporary, overnight lodging accommodations to eligible Veterans in a non-VA motel/hotel. A stay in the Lodgetel program is only for outpatient appointments, therefore Veterans must be capable of self-care.
Lodgetel Contacts
Monique Harris
Phone:
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
LODGETEL ADMISSION CRITERIA
- Must be clinically stable and capable of self-care, or be accompanied by a caregiver.
- A Veteran must travel more than 50 or more miles or travel at least 2 hours from their home to the designated VA facility or VA appointment.
- Care in the community that is funded and coordinated by a VA medical facility.
- Episode of Care.
- Veterans must have an early morning appointment or late afternoon appointment to qualify for lodging.
- Extended outpatient treatment that is funded and coordinated by a VA medical facility.
- An appointment at a VA facility to receive a C&P examination.
REQUESTING TEMPORARY LODGING
- Veterans can contact the Lodgetel coordinator with lodging requests or contact their VA clinic provider or VA clinic staff for completion of a lodging consult request.
- All consult requests are reviewed daily to determine if they meet temporary lodging policy guidelines.
- Lodgetel/Temporary lodging program is for VA outpatient medical appointments only.
- If a Veteran staying in temporary lodging changes to inpatient status, the accompanying individual will need to be referred to Fisher House.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The Bay Pines VA Fisher House offers temporary lodging to the family members and caregivers of service members and Veterans receiving care at the C.W. Bill Young Medical Center. The Bay Pines VA Fisher House has eight guest suites with some having private baths and a common kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, and outdoor gazebo.
The Fisher House Foundation built and furnished the Bay Pines VA Fisher House and then donated the house to VA. Bay Pines VA operates and maintains the house.
An accompanying individual of the Veteran or service member is an individual over the age of 18 seeking Bay Pines VA Fisher House or other temporary lodging, who provides familial support, or the equivalent of familial support, to a Veteran or service member while the Veteran or service member is experiencing an episode of care. An accompanying individual includes relatives, close friends, or a caregiver.
Guests at Bay Pines VA Fisher House may be accommodated under specific circumstances, such as hospitalization due to injury or illness, when death is imminent, or when a Veteran is unable to make medical decisions for themselves, and the accompanying individual is authorized to make those decisions on the Veteran’s behalf, or if deemed necessary by the clinical team.
Bay Pines VA Fisher House lodging is on a first come, first serve basis, and reservations are not accepted. A room cannot be guaranteed on the request check-in date. Families requesting to stay at the Bay Pines VA Fisher House should have back up lodging plans in case a room is not available.
A referral must be placed by a member of the Veteran’s care/treatment team for all individuals wishing to stay at the Bay Pines VA Fisher House. Family members seeking Bay Pines VA Fisher House lodging should contact the Veteran’s care/treatment team social worker.
There is no cost to stay at any Bay Pines VA Fisher House.
Meals are not provided at the Bay Pines VA Fisher House. The Bay Pines VA Fisher House has a well-equipped kitchen for guests to prepare meals during their stay. Some donated food staples are available.
Guest suites have a TV with Direct TV, a DVD player, a phone for local calls and an internet connection. Common areas have wireless internet access and a TV and DVD player.
Children of any age are welcome at the Bay Pines VA Fisher House. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and may not be left unaccompanied at any time. Childcare services are not provided by the Bay Pines VA Fisher House or the Bay Pines VA.
Only service animals belonging to Bay Pines VA Fisher House guests are permitted. The only service animals recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are Service Dogs. Service Dogs are dogs trained to do work or perform tasks to help a person with a disability who could not perform the work or task alone.