Health services

We use complementary medicine along with standard medical treatments, like using acupuncture to help lessen the side effects of chemotherapy. We also provide alternative medicine instead of traditional medical treatments, like using herbs rather than prescription drugs to treat cancer. We offer treatments, like:

• Natural products and special diets
• Deep breathing, meditation, and yoga
• Acupuncture and acupressure

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

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

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 immediate, walk-in care for minor injuries and non-emergency illnesses that are not life-threatening but need early attention.

When to choose urgent care

Our VA and in-network urgent care providers can meet many of your health needs. And you can often get care for minor illnesses or injuries much faster than in an emergency room. 

Urgent care might be right for you if you have health problems or symptoms like these:

• A sore throat or persistent cough
• Strains, sprains, or minor broken bones 
• Deep cuts that are no longer bleeding a lot
• Allergies
• Mild burns
• Mild nausea or vomiting

When to call 911 or go to the emergency room

Any time you think your life or health is in danger, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 right away. If you or someone else has symptoms that can’t wait (like choking, stopped breathing, or severe chest pain), don’t try to drive to an emergency room. Call 911 to have emergency care come to you.

Get emergency help right away for any symptoms like these:

• Head injury
• Trouble breathing
• Falling without a known cause
• Cuts that won’t stop bleeding, severe burns, or wounds that won’t close
• Stroke symptoms (like slurred speech, sudden numbness or weakness in a part of your body, loss of balance or vision, or a drooping face)
• Chest pain or discomfort (like pressure, squeezing, or a feeling of fullness in your chest) 
• Severe allergic reaction symptoms (like swelling lips or trouble swallowing or breathing) 
• Vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain during pregnancy

Also get emergency help right away for head injuries or any of these symptoms:

• Severe dizziness or losing consciousness (passing out)
• A headache that keeps getting worse or won’t go away
• Vomiting or nausea that won’t stop
• A high fever with a headache or stiff neck
• Seizures
• Dilated pupils, trouble waking up or staying awake, or clear fluids draining from the nose or ears after a head injury

These symptoms aren’t all the signs of an emergency. When in doubt, get help right away. If you need emergency care, you don’t need a VA referral or approval to go to a non-VA emergency room in your community.

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

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 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

Learn more about military sexual trauma

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:

• 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)

Learn more about PTSD

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.

Our psychology teams offer consultation, evaluation, and treatment to help with a range of mental and behavioral health problems like:

• 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

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

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

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

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 for eligible Veterans and staff

Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines at VA

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

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)

Chiropractic care restores, improves, and maintains your function, activity, and health. We work with your primary care doctor and other specialty care providers to provide a complete health care plan for you. We offer many treatments, like:

• Spinal manipulative therapy to relieve pressure on your joints, reduce inflammation, and improve nerve function
• Electrical stimulation therapy, which reduces pain by sending mild electrical pulses through your skin to help stimulate injured muscles or manipulate nerves
• Soft-tissue mobilization, which uses gentle pressure or massage to relax tense muscles, reduce scar tissue, or stretch connective tissue

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, 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 diagnose and treat medical conditions in your esophagus, stomach, intestines, colon, and other parts of your digestive system. We can also test and treat other organs, like your liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. Our gastroenterology department provides services like:

• 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

If you and your family are living with HIV or hepatitis, our dedicated professionals can provide compassionate care and counseling. Our confidential services include:

• Hepatitis C screening
• HIV testing and treatment
• Medication (PEP) taken after potential exposure to HIV
• Specialty care referrals
• One-to-one patient education

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

 What is MOVE!? MOVE! is a weight management, health promotion program designed to improve the lives of Veterans. MOVE!’s core ideas are to encourage healthy eating behaviors, increase physical activity, and promote even small weight losses. MOVE!’s curriculum is based on the latest evidenced-based nutrition science and accessible to everyone. With the help of your MOVE! healthcare team, you can reduce health risk, prevent or reverse certain diseases, improve your quality of life, and live longer!

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
• Morning, afternoon, and evening classes available
• We offer face-to-face and virtual options

Contact:

Alli Bokenkotter 

Registered Dietician 

MOVE! Weight Management Coordinator 

Phone -

Learn more about MOVE!

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

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

Care we provide at VA Cincinnati 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

We offer comprehensive evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment for eye-related illnesses, injuries, and other issues. Our ophthalmology services include:

• Medical care for glaucoma, eye infections, and other conditions
• Surgery for cataracts, traumatic eye injuries, and other problems
• Treatment for eye conditions related to illnesses like diabetes or arthritis
• Plastic surgery to repair droopy eyelids, clear blocked tear ducts, and perform eyelid and facial reconstruction (oculoplastics)

Our optometrists provide many eye-related services and treatments like:

• Complete vision services with comprehensive eye exams for eyeglass prescriptions and general and preventive eye health
• Medical management of diseases like glaucoma, ocular inflammation, minor eye injuries, etc
• Low-vision services for conditions like macular degeneration that can't be corrected by glasses, surgery, or medication with the inclusion of assistive devices
• Special eye exams for diabetic patients
• Contact lens services

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

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

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

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

Neurorehabilitation Clinic

Who:

• David Glazer, MD, Board certified in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with subspecialty certification in Brain Injury Medicine
• Jamie Basch- Occupational Therapist

How to Access:

• Ask your physician for referral to Rehab Care Line- PM&R and denote Dr. Glazer/neurorehab

Where:

• PMR Clinic, Basement of Building 2
• Video, Face to Face, and Phone Appointments Available

Purpose:

• Maximize Physical, Cognitive, and Emotional Functioning for patient who have had neurological injury or illness using principles of Whole Health

Conditions Treated:

• Post-Stroke
• Acquired Brain Injury such as through Hypoxia and Anoxia
• Post- Brain Infection
• Post-Brain Tumor Resection
• Long COVID

Deficits Treated:

• Bowel/ Bladder Dysfunction and retraining
• Memory and Attention Difficulties
• Emotional Changes (Stress management, depression, anxiety)
• Walking, balance, dizzy difficulties
• Spasticity and dystonia (tight muscles)
• Equipment Evaluation
• Sleep Difficulties
• Fatigue/low energy
• Excessive Saliva
• Nutrition
• Vocational Counseling
• Trouble eating (dysphagia)
• Speech and Language
• Visual Changes
• Pain and headaches
• Medication/ Polypharmacy Review
• Family and Support System Education

How is it evaluated:

• Occupational therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Speech Therapy
• Recreation Therapy
• Neuropsychology

Treatments:

• Extensive Patient evaluation
• Therapies
• Medications
• Bracing
• Creams
• Injections
• Nutrition
• Equipment for home and community
• Assistive Technology

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)

Location and Contact Information:

First floor, Room B142 of the Cincinnati VA Medical Center Vine Street location

Telephone:

Polytrauma and Traumatic Brain Injury

We are dedicated to serving Veterans and Service Members with both combat and civilian related Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and polytrauma in an outpatient setting.  The Cincinnati VA Medical Center TBI/Polytrauma Clinic is one site within the Polytrauma System of Care, an integrated network of rehabilitation programs throughout the nation. (Learn more about the Polytrauma TBI System of Care ...)

Understanding TBI

TBI is a common occurrence and a major health concern. The brain is highly vulnerable to damage as a consequence of falls, motor vehicle accidents, blasts/explosions, or assaults. More recently, the concerns about TBI related to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and about sports concussions have led to increased interest in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of TBI related health conditions. (Learn More About TBI ...)

What is Polytrauma?

When TBI is associated with a significant secondary injury (amputation, burn, fractures) or with mental health conditions (post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, substance use), the resulting “polytrauma” can have devastating effects that compound those seen in TBI alone.
In the recent military conflicts, polytrauma is primarily caused by proximity to an explosive event. Advances in military medicine and protective gear have help save lives. Rehabilitation works to optimize recovery and facilitate return to independent living and higher quality of life. (Learn More About Polytrauma...)

Care we provide:

Services available include interdisciplinary evaluation and treatment, development of a comprehensive plan of care, case management, patient and family education and training, psychosocial support, and advanced rehabilitation treatments.  Cincinnati VA Medical Center TBI/Polytrauma team members:

• Audiology
• Neuropsychology
• Nursing
• Occupational Therapy
• Physical Therapy
• Social Work Case Management
• Speech Pathology
• TBI/Polytrauma Medicine
• Vocational Rehabilitation

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)

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.

Learn more about VA long-term care

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. 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

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

If you have a spinal cord injury or disorder, our specialists provide coordinated care throughout your life. We work to help you achieve your goals for independence, productivity and quality of life.

VA has the nation's largest system of care for spinal cord injuries and disorders. We provide a convenient, connected network of experts to care for you during each phase of your life. Our experienced primary care providers are trained to check for problems unique to spinal cord injuries.

• Pressure ulcers
• Pneumonia
• Blood clots
• Bladder and sexual issues
• Constipation and other gastrointestinal problems
• Sexual issues

Learn more about the VA spinal cord injuries and disorders care system

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

Program Description

Surgical Service provides on-site care for the full scope of surgical specialties in the VAMC.  We offer an array of specialties and services to our veterans. Our goal is to provide state of the art medical care while also giving our veterans a warm and caring environment. We strive to educate and empower each veteran to be able to make informed and educated decisions regarding their medical care.

Surgical Service is not a primary care service. An appointment with one of our services can be obtained by having your primary care physician provide a consult to the appropriate service. Each service will schedule the appointment in a timely fashion where each veteran will be met by caring physicians, technicians and administrative staff.  Our staff will work with the veteran and their family to discuss the appropriate plan of care and any surgical options available. Each patient will be given a clear understanding of any procedure to be performed and the knowledge to make an informed decision regarding the procedure.

Our goal in Surgical Service is to enable our veterans to live their lives as the heroes they are to all of us.

Service Provided

• General Surgery
• Gynecology
• Orthopedics
• Otolaryngology
• Plastic Surgery
• Thoracic Surgery
• Urology
• Vascular Surgery

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

Our expert team diagnoses and treats diseases and conditions that affect arteries, veins and blood circulation.

Our vascular surgeons treat illnesses of your arteries and veins. Our surgeons can treat these problems with medication and exercise. Vascular illness causes include:

• Arteriosclerosis and/or atherosclerosis (caused by the buildup of plaque in your arteries that restricts blood flow to your organs and tissues)
• Aortic aneurysm and aortic valve disease
• Deep vein thrombosis and blockage by a blood clot or fatty deposit
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (inflammation of your blood vessels)
• Varicose veins
• Trauma or injury

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

Learn more and connect with a support coordinator

The Community Outreach Division helps Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to financial hardship, disability, substance use issues, mental health challenges or Veterans transitioning from jail. We offer several ways to initiate services and determine eligibility.   Our location at 909 Vine Street operates as a walk-in clinic, where we have an Office on Duty (OOD), Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30 to assist with any questions or concerns that staff or Veterans may have.  Veterans can walk in during business hours or call and ask to speak to the OOD.

You can also contact the National Hotline “Help for Homeless Veterans” at 1- for referral to VA in your catchment area. The number is available 24/7.

We are able to help with the following services:

• Help contacting Central Access Point (CAP) line (SAFE) for immediate shelter and/or transitional housing options.
• Complete referral to Housing and Urban Development-Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) for permanent housing.
• Referral to H-PACT clinic, Cincinnati VAMC or nearest CBOC clinic for medical care.
• Referral to Mental Health Services.
• Referral to treatment or Substance Abuse Counselor.
• Referral to community partners to assist with financial support to prevent homelessness.
• Referral to Veteran Justice Outreach if appropriate.
• Referral to Employment Services-can help find jobs, completing resumes, interview skills, etc.
• Referral to community partners if not eligible for VA healthcare.

The following locations for the Community Outreach Division are listed below. Available at these locations:

Community Outreach Division-909 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Homeless-Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT)-907 Vine Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202

Norwood VA Clinic-4600 Smith Road, Central Station, Suite A6, Norwood, OH

Fort Thomas Clinic-1000 South Fort Thomas Avenue, Fort Thomas, KY 41075

The Community Outreach Division serves the entire catchment areas of the Cincinnati VAMC (Indiana, Ohio, and Northern Kentucky).

Community Outreach Directory:

Nicole Michaelson, LISW-S

Community Outreach Division Director

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

Phone:

Email: Nicole.michaelson@va.gov

Josh Runtenelli, LISW-S, LICDC-CS

Substance Use Disorder (SUD)/Health Care for Homeless Veterans (HCHV)/

Grant and Per Diem (GPD) Social Worker Program Coordinator

Community Outreach Division

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

Phone:

Email: Joshua.runtenelli@va.gov

LeQuita Potter, LISW-S, LICDC-CS

HUD-VASH Coordinator

Community Outreach Division

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

Phone:

Email: Lequita.potter@va.gov

Ramona “Leigh” Mansell, LISW-S

HUD-VASH Supervisor

Community Outreach Division

Cincinnati VA Medical Center

Phone:

Email: Ramona.mansell@va.gov

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is when a current or former intimate partner (like a boyfriend, girlfriend, or spouse) stalks, harms, or threatens to harm their partner. Intimate partner violence can be emotional, physical, or sexual. It can also lead to short-term and long-term health problems, and a wide range of mental health issues. If you or someone you know is in a potentially abusive or violent relationship, we can help. We offer:

• Intimate partner violence care coordinators
• Links to community-based support groups, and advocacy and legal services
• Referrals to and coordination with other VA treatment providers
• Connection to domestic violence shelters
• Services for Veterans who are homeless
• Interventions for Veterans who use violence in their intimate relationships

Learn more about intimate partner violence

We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of Veterans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) or a related identity. 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

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

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

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)

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

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 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

Learn more about telehealth

We help Veterans with physical and mental health challenges find and keep jobs. We help you find jobs through our long-term partnerships with business, industry, and government agencies. We offer 3 services:

• Our transitional work program matches Veteran's skills with a specific job and provides supervision to help them gain work experience
• Our supported employment program provides long-term support for Veterans with serious mental illnesses or physical disabilities to help them compete for jobs in their communities
• Our vocational assistance program trains Veterans living at our residential facility to improve their job-search and career development skills

Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation

Discover What Matters to You. Live Whole Health!

Whole Health is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and to live their life to the fullest. 

The Whole Health System includes conventional treatment, complimentary and integrative health approaches, and supports for self-healing and self-care. The Cincinnati VA is making a shift to focus not only on “what’s the matter” and include what matters most to each Veteran. Instead of focusing only on problems, the focus expands to explore what matters to a person and  why they want their health in the first place .  This focus on values changes everything. It helps to individualize care using a personalized health plan. It leads both Veterans and clinicians to be more engaged.  Our goal is to achieve optimal health and well-being. 

There are several components to the Whole Health System:

1 . The Pathway— Whole Health Partners and Coaches work with Veterans and caregivers to explore their mission, aspiration, and purpose, and begin their overarching personal health plan. 

· Red Vest Ambassadors share about Whole Health in the hospital Welcome Center near the revolving doors.  

· New patients are invited to the Red Carpet Welcome session where they learn how to navigate the VA, including pharmacy, after-hours needs, My HealtheVet, and Whole Health.  They receive a comprehensive guide to the Cincinnati VA, The New Enrollee Handbook.  Any Primary Care scheduler can schedule a Red Carpet Welcome session. 

· Whole Health Coaches are available in Primary Care to support PACT teams to engage Veterans in Personalized Health Planning.  Veterans can ask their PACT team to connect them to a Whole Health Coach. 

· The Whole Health Group, a 9 week series, is available to all Veterans to help them "Take Charge of Their Life and Health!"  Veterans can request this group by calling .

2. Wellness Strength for Life— With a focus on self-care, skill building and support, this group-based program is open to all Veterans, no diagnosis needed.  Veterans and caregivers create a personal health plan in an orientation session. Services include proactive, complimentary and integrative health (CIH) approaches such as stress reduction, yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, nutrition, creative arts, and health coaching.   Clinician referrals (Wellness Strength for Life Consult) and self-referrals are welcomed.  To learn more, Veterans may call . 

3. Whole health Clinical Care—Clinicians are trained in Whole Health and incorporate complementary and integrative health approaches based on the Veteran’s personal health plan.  Care is grounded in a healing relationship. This approach is very effective for Veterans with complex conditions, such as chronic pain and the invisible wounds of war. Additionally, the whole health approach improves access and supports Veteran partnership with primary care.  

4. Employee Whole Health—The VA recognizes the challenges of caregiving and supports employees to strive for optimal health and work-life balance.  Employees who are able to Live Whole Health are resilient and serve as great role models to colleagues and Veterans. 

Learn more about VA whole health