Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Our main campus provides primary care and specialty health services, including cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, mental health services, post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, treatment for substance abuse, cardiology, oncology, military sexual trauma, and more. Below, you’ll find our address and hours, parking and transportation information, and the other health services we offer at Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System in Charleston.
Location and contact information
Address
Phone numbers
Clinical hours
- Mon: 24/7
- Tue: 24/7
- Wed: 24/7
- Thu: 24/7
- Fri: 24/7
- Sat: 24/7
- Sun: 24/7
Prepare for your visit
Select a topic to learn more.
Free parking is available to all patients and visitors of the Charleston VAMC. On-site parking, and shuttle services are available. Please visit our Parking page for more information.
Cost: Free
Wheelchair availability: Wheelchairs are available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building.
Explore and search an interactive map of the medical center. Download the VA ME app on your smartphone and get real-time, turn-by-turn directions.
Van services for Veterans
DAV vans
Hours: Individual van schedules vary
We work with Disabled American Veterans and county Veterans Affairs directors to provide transportation for Veterans and authorized caregivers to get to scheduled medical appointments.
Non-DAV van services
Many localities in the region provide other van services to Veterans.
Learn more about DAV and the other van services available in your county
Shuttle Service
There is an off-site parking lease located at 41 Folly Rd. near Porter Gaud School (shown as P6 on the map on our parking page). The offsite parking provides 600 parking spaces, a covered non-smoking shelter, and shuttles that run from 4:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. Monday through Friday with the exception of holidays. Shuttles run every five minutes during peak hours of 6:00 - 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 - 5:30 p.m., and run every 15 minutes at other times of the day. The shuttle service is designed to ensure that rides to and from the VAMC are available when you need them.
Beneficiary travel
Beneficiary travel benefits include round-trip transportation from your home to the medical center, mileage reimbursement, or special mode transport.
Fisher House
A place for visiting families to stay, free of charge, while their loved ones receive inpatient medical care.
Please visit our Fisher House page for more information.
Visit Charleston
The Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau has up-to-date listings for area hotels, as well as activities, transportation, restaurants, shops and more.
Other services at VA Charleston health care
Health services offered here
Select a topic to learn more.
Anesthesia
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Audiology
Main Phone
Audiology
Audiology
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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)
Bariatric surgery
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
Bariatric surgery, also called weight-loss surgery, reduces the size of your stomach and small intestine to limit the amount of food you can eat or absorb. Bariatric surgery can be done in several ways, like:
- Gastric bypass, which shrinks your stomach size and re-routes your digestive system, so you don’t absorb as much food
-
Sleeve gastrectomy, which removes part of your stomach, leaving only a slender “sleeve” that holds less food
To learn more visit our site here:
COVID-19 vaccines
Common conditions: coronavirus, COVID-19
Appointments
Your VA health care team will contact you if you’re eligible to get a vaccine during this time. As the supply of vaccine increases, we'll work with our care teams to let Veterans know their options.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
- COVID-19 vaccines for eligible Veterans and staff
Cancer care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
If you’re diagnosed with cancer, our team will work with you, your primary care doctor, and other health care providers to develop a specialized treatment plan. We offer personal, compassionate, and expert care, with services like:
- 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
To read more about what we offer please visit our site here:
Caregiver support
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Geriatrics
Common conditions: memory problems, sleep problems, falls, bone loss, weight loss
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Hematology/oncology
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
We offer a range of hematology and oncology services. You can arrange appointments and consultation through your primary care provider. Our hematology and oncology services include:
- Chemotherapy
- Blood and platelet transfusions
- Mediport flushes to clean and maintain the small medical appliance inserted under your skin, making it easier to inject drugs and draw blood
- Evaluation and treatment of blood disorders and cancer
- Dedicated outpatient infusion center, working closely with radiation oncology, interventional radiology, general surgery, diagnostics, palliative care, and social services
- Bone marrow biopsies, to see whether your bone tissue is healthy and making a normal number of blood cells
Homeless Veteran care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (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 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
MOVE! weight management
Common conditions: overweight, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Mental health care
Common conditions: addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Mental Health
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
Please call 843-577-5011 and press extension 2 and then extension 4 to schedule or reschedule a Mental Health appointment.
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
Minority Veteran care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
My HealtheVet coordinator
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Nutrition, food, and dietary care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Pain management
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
Chronic (long-lasting) pain can make it hard to enjoy life, but effective pain management can help! Chronic pain occurs when a person suffers from pain in a particular area of the body for at least three to six months. This type of pain lasts beyond the normal amount of time that an injury takes to heal and can come from many things, including normal wear and tear, aging, and other medical conditions. Our pain experts work with you, your Primary Care Provider (PCP), and other specialists to create a plan to help you manage your pain, increase daily functioning, and improve your quality of life! Although much of the treatment for chronic pain occurs in primary care, the Comprehensive Pain Management Clinic is available for consultation and treatment of complex cases.
- Comprehensive evaluation and treatment planning by an interdisciplinary team of Anesthesiologists/Physiatrists (MD), Physician Assistants (PA), & Nurse Practitioners (NP)
- Pain Pharmacists (PharmD) - Prescribing and optimizing your use of medications, reducing the risk of unintended side effects, and ordering complimentary treatments when necessary
- Pain Psychologists (PhD) and pain Social Workers- Offering evidence-based psychological treatments: Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Chronic Pain (ACT) , aimed at improving quality of life and reducing interference from chronic pain
- Pain Physical Therapy (PT) — Developing an individualized program for self-management of bone, muscle, and joint pain to improve safety and quality of life.
- Working with Whole Health tools that include but are not limited to: meditation, mindfulness training, relaxation, recreational therapy yoga, anti-inflammatory diet and tai chi to help you manage your pain
- Referral for complimentary and alternative treatments but are not limited to: including acupuncture, chiropractic care, Tai-Chi, biofeedback, aquatherapy, and massage therapy.
Palliative and hospice care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Patient advocates
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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)
Pharmacy
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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.
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
- Womens health care
- Radiology
- Social services
- Telehealth
Rehabilitation and extended care
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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.
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.
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
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.
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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.
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Social work
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Suicide prevention
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
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
Women Veteran care
Common conditions: women's primary care, mental health, obstetrics and 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.
Appointments
Contact us to schedule, reschedule, or cancel your appointment. If a referral is required, you’ll need to contact your primary care provider first.
Main Phone
Main Phone
Service Hours
The service hours are the same as our facility hours.
Our womens 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