John D. Dingell Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

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

We diagnose, evaluate, and treat your asthma, allergies, and non-HIV immune deficiencies. Our services include:

• Skin tests, blood tests, and other exams to identify food, drug, insect, pollen, animal, dust, and other allergies
• Prescribing and managing allergy medications that can ease your symptoms by reducing your immune system response to the things that cause your allergic reaction
• Performing asthma tests to measure lung function and see how much air moves in and out as you breathe
• Prescribing long-term and quick-relief asthma medications to reduce inflammation and open your swollen airways
• Specialized treatments for your immune deficiency disorders

Our low vision outpatient clinic for legally blind Veterans 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
• Rehabilitation 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

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)

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

Dermatology

The mission of the Dermatology Section, Medicine Service at the Detroit VA Medical Center is to provide expert medical and surgical treatment for disorders of the skin, hair and nails. The ten board-certified dermatologists in the Dermatology Clinic treat skin diseases from acne to skin cancer. About 12,000 Veteran patients visit our clinic each year. Our doctors treat the following diseases and disorders of the skin:

• Adult acne
• Precancerous Actinic Keratoses
• Basal Cell Carcinoma below 2 cm
• Cysts of the skin
• Eczema/Atopic dermatitis
• Folliculitis
• Genital and common warts
• Hair loss disorders
• Herpes Simplex
• Infectious skin disorders: bacterial, fungal, parasitic and viral
• Inflammatory skin disorders
• Insect bites
• Keloid scars
• Melanoma: diagnosis and surgery of thin lesions
• Melasma
• Nail disorders
• Moles and other irritating benign growths
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea
• Seborrheic Dermatitis
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma below 2 cm
• Urticaria (hives) not involving the throat
• Vitiligo

Our dermatologists here at the Detroit VA Medical Center treat patients who have complex dermatology problems or conditions requiring specialized treatment. We can perform the following specialty services and treatments for disorders of the skin:

• Phototherapy: ultraviolet light therapy for skin disorders
• Photodynamic therapy
• Biologic psoriasis therapies
• Patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis
• Fungal testing
• MOHS micrographic surgery for skin cancer
• Teledermatology

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

The specialty of Endocrinology focuses on disorders associated with hormones and the organs that secrete them. At the Detroit VA Healthcare System, the doctors and other professionals in our Endocrinology service manage and treat patients with the following medical conditions:

• Hyper- and hypo-thyroidism
• Thyroid nodules
• Hyper- and hypo-calcemia
• Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Disease
• Pituitary disease
• Hypogonadism and Transgender Hormone Management
• Adrenal disease
• Diabetes Mellitus

Our Endocrinology team is available for inpatient consults as well as outpatient appointments.

To receive evaluation or treatment, a referral from a primary care provider is necessary.

Helpful Links:

• American Diabetes Association
• The Hormone Foundation
• The Endocrine Society
• The American Thyroid Association

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

Our gynecologists focus on the female reproductive system and provide services that include:

• Mammograms for breast cancer, screenings for sexually transmitted disease, and Pap tests for cervical cancer
• Counseling and treatment for contraception, pregnancy, and infertility
• Osteoporosis screening for brittle bones
• Exams for abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, or various cancers
• Primary care checkups

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

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

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

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

The Infectious Diseases Service here at the Detroit VA Medical Center is composed of three physician-specialists who provide subspecialty care to Veterans with infections of any type, including those caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites. Some of the most common problems with which we deal include pneumonia, blood-stream infections, diabetic foot infections, osteomyelitis (bone), and infections related to surgery. In addition, Infectious Disease Practitioners partner with home health care services in the management of Veterans needing home administration of intravenous antibiotics to finish treatment courses started during a hospitalization.

Our Division provides primary care for Veterans with HIV and AIDS for which we have support staff that is familiar with the special needs of this population. Our clinic prides itself on short wait times for appointments with new patients accessing care within three to four weeks for routine issues, and much shorter times for more urgent issues.

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

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

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'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 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
• On-site outpatient chronic hemodialysis
• Inpatient nephrology consultation

Learn more about Nephrology at the Detroit VA.

The mission of the department of neurology is to provide the highest quality, patient-centered neurologic care to our veterans.  We offer both inpatient and outpatient services and a full array of subspecialty care to our veterans for acute stroke, epilepsy, seizures, neurovascular disorders, neuropathic pain, headache, movement disorders, nervous system tumors, nervous system infections, peripheral nerve disorders, neurological autoimmune disorders (such as multiple sclerosis and myasthenia gravis) and muscular disorders.  We are a member of the VA Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) program and a regional side for the VA Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence (MSCoE)- East. 

We provide diagnostic services that include electroencephalogram and evoked potential studies.  We provide therapeutic procedures such as botulism toxin injection for movement disorders.  More invasive injection procedures are provided by other groups.

We can provide subspecialist second opinions in the areas of neuropathic pain, epilepsy, movement disorders, and neuromuscular disorders.

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:

• Vision services and eye exams
• Treatment for diseases and injuries of the retina, cornea, and other parts of your eye
• Low-vision services for conditions like macular degeneration that can't be corrected by glasses, surgery, or medication
• Special eye exams for diabetic patients

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

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

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 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

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

Plastic and reconstructive surgery can restore function and appearance after damage from disease, burns, traumatic injuries, congenital and developmental conditions and other causes.

Our plastic and reconstructive surgeons perform surgery to improve body function, or correct facial and body abnormalities caused by birth defects, injury, disease, or aging. We also perform cosmetic surgery to create a more normal appearance and improve self-esteem. Our services include:

• Surgical repair of congenital deformities such as cleft lips and palates
• Skin cancer surgery to remove malignant moles, lesions, and tumors from your skin
• Breast reduction and reconstruction surgery
• Skin grafts to treat burns, injuries, or illnesses, which involves removing skin from one part of your body and grafting it to another
• Nasal reconstruction surgery to change the shape of your nose

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)

The TBI/Polytrauma Clinic Team offers complete evaluation for possible traumatic brain injury (concussion) and related symptoms. Individual treatment planning and educational information is provided at every evaluation. Case management is available for each Veteran to ensure that all necessary services are received to promote his or her recovery. If necessary, referrals can be made to other disciplines including: Neurology, Audiology, Speech, Occupational, or Physical Therapy, and/or Behavioral Health (for issues such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). We offer:

• Physical, visual, and cognitive rehabilitation
• State-of-the-art prosthetics
• Psychological and psychosocial services
• Ongoing case management services

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

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.

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

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

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.

Pulmonary Service Line

The Pulmonary Service Line at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center is a clinical and academic program with a strong affiliation with Wayne State University. We put the patient first and provide timely and high quality care to our patients. The Pulmonary Program also trains future pulmonary specialists. The pulmonary service line contains six centers of excellence to optimally diagnose and treat all pulmonary diseases and to appropriately accommodate the specific needs of every patient. Centers of Excellence are multidisciplinary programs and teams dedicated to specific pulmonary diseases. These programs create more efficient care and improve patient outcomes. They also provide exceptional state-of-the-art services to our Veterans.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Center of Excellence

COPD is a preventable and treatable disorder characterized by airflow limitation that is usually progressive and primarily caused by cigarette smoking,

At the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center, we run 60 outpatient pulmonary clinics a month to accommodate general pulmonary diseases and pulmonary diseases that require specialized physicians. The pulmonary outpatient clinics are staffed by highly qualified teams of pulmonary specialists, nurses, respiratory therapists, smoking cessation psychologists and pharmacists who provide care for all stages of COPD. We have a comprehensive multidisciplinary COPD center that convenes once a week to provide special care to patients with advanced stages of the disease. In addition to accurately diagnosing and treating COPD, the COPD center evaluates the need for any non-invasive ventilation, referral for pulmonary rehabilitation therapy program and/or evaluation for any other needed services such as surgery or palliative care referrals. The COPD center also provides the patient with disease education and close monitoring.

Comprehensive Lung Nodule Program

The Detroit VAMC has a comprehensive program to evaluate, diagnose, treat and track lung nodules. All the new pulmonary (lung) nodule patients diagnosed at the Detroit medical center are discussed in an interdisciplinary fashion during our weekly lung nodule board meeting. The lung nodule board consists of pulmonary specialists, thoracic surgeons, interventional radiologists, oncologists, respiratory therapists, primary care providers, pulmonary nurse navigator and pulmonary trainees (fellows). This weekly meeting was awarded Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit from Wayne State University for its high educational value and high quality care value.

Pulmonary Hypertension Program

Our specialized pulmonary hypertension clinic convenes every Wednesday afternoon to care for patients with pulmonary hypertension and arranges for all their needed services.

Respiratory Care Center

The Respiratory Care Center at the Detroit VAMC has 21 highly trained respiratory therapy staff available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide patients with all aspects of respiratory care.

Our Respiratory Care Center provides the following services:

• Nebulized Mist Treatment (NMT)
• Metered-Dose Inhaler (MDI)
• Chest percussion
• Oxygen therapy
• Oxygen setup for home and travel
• Annual Spo2 evaluations
• 6-minute walk testing
• CPAP setup and training
• Ventilator management
• CPAP and BIPAP management & Education
• Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) collection
• Pulmonary Function Testing that includes:
  • Spirometry
  • Lung Volumes
  • Lung Diffusing Capacity
  • Respiratory mechanics
  • Body Plethysmography

Center of Interventional Pulmonology

Our specialists provide a wide variety of diagnostic and therapeutic pulmonary interventions along with consultations for all aspects of pulmonary and pleural disease. Currently at our center we perform:

• Pleuroscopy and Pleural Biopsy
• Flexible Bronchoscopy with Endobronchial Biopsy, brushing, washing, Broncho-alveolar Lavage and Transbronchial Biopsy
• Bed-side Tracheostomy
• EBUS
• Thoracentesis
• Tunneled catheter placement
• Ultrasound and CT guided biopsies

We also work very closely with our thoracic surgery colleagues to optimize patient care and provide optimal coordinated care for pulmonary patients who require thoracic surgery intervention.

Sleep-Wake Disorder Center

The Sleep Disorders Center at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center is a VA regional center accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). The center has strong clinical, research and academic programs and trains future sleep physicians.

Our state-of-the-art outpatient sleep facilities provide all types of sleep testing (home based and laboratory based testing) for the diagnosis and treatment of a variety of sleep disorders including snoring, obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, insomnia, periodic leg movements in sleep and all other sleep disorders.

A Program of Distinction status was awarded by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to the Wayne State University Sleep Program, of which the John D. Dingell VAMC Sleep Disorders Center is an integral part.

Location of Service in Medical Center

The Pulmonary and Respiratory Centers are located on the second floor of the blue and yellow buildings of the Detroit VAMC and the Sleep Center is located on the third floor of the yellow building of the Detroit VAMC.

Contact information

Dr. Patricia D. Brown, ACOS of Medicine Services.

(313)576-1000 ext. 63319

Dr. Anan Salloum, Chief, Pulmonary and Critical Care Section.

(313) 576-1000 ext. 65338

Pulmonary Clinics/ Firm B: (313) 576-1000 ext. 65710

Respiratory Care Services: (313) 576-1000 ext. 63209

Hours of Operation

Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

The radiation oncology service works with your health care team to target cancer safely and precisely using radiation therapy.

Radiation oncologists specialize in using high-energy radiation to kill or damage cancer cells and either destroy tumors or control their growth. Our 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

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 offer a wide range of activities (arts and crafts, games, sports, exercise) that we can adapt to your needs.

Our therapies promote your independence and enhance your health and well-being if you're a Veteran with an injury, chronic (long-lasting) illness, or disabling condition. After your primary health care provider gives you a referral, a recreation therapist will develop treatment goals for you.

• Recreation and creative arts therapy provides services and activities that include:
• Animal interaction
• Music, art, and crafts
• Community outings
• Exercise, sports, and games
• Gardening and leisure education

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

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.

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center is truly grateful for the men and women who have risked their lives in service to our country.  We appreciate you! 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

Rheumatology

The mission of the John D. Dingell VAMC Rheumatology service is to provide non-surgical care for Veterans who have autoimmune and musculoskeletal disorders, with the goal of improving quality of life, increasing physical function, maintaining independent living and decreasing pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis, vasculitis and lupus are just a few of the autoimmune conditions treated by our service using biologic agents and conventional rheumatologic medicines. We work with primary care providers to improve function and decrease pain for Veterans who suffer from osteoarthritis, tendinitis, bursitis, gout and fibromyalgia, managing their care along with providers in the pain clinic, occupational/physical therapy departments and orthopedics. Procedures such as joint aspiration and injection of joint structures are performed by the service.

Consult requests from Detroit VAMC and Saginaw VAMC providers as well as electronic consults from VISN 11 providers are addressed by the medical center rheumatology section. Outpatient clinics are in session Monday through Thursday of most weeks. Inpatient consults are available when bedside care is needed.

The Rheumatology section is staffed by a board certified rheumatologist who is an associate professor, affiliate faculty of the Internal Medicine Department of Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSUSOM). The Detroit VA Medical Center is a major training site for the WSUSOM Rheumatology fellowship program.

Location of Service in Medical Center

Outpatient clinical location: Firm E, first floor

Inpatient consult service is provided at bedside on inpatient floors.

Contact information

Section chief: Angelia Mosley-Williams, M.D., M.S.

General contact information: Firm E front desk phone – (313) 576-1000, ext. 63634/63733.

Hours of Operation

Outpatient Rheumatology: Monday, Tuesday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Thursday 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The sleep medicine service diagnoses and treats your sleep problems, including trouble sleeping, breathing difficulties while sleeping, snoring, teeth grinding and jaw clenching.

Sleep Disorders Center

The John D. Dingell Veteran's Administration Sleep Disorder Center has a 12-bed sleep laboratory. The center has been accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine  (AASM) since April 28, 1987.  This lab was the first accredited lab in the VA medical system.

A Program of Distinction was awarded to the Wayne State University Sleep Program of which the John D. Dingell VA Sleep Disorders Center is an integral part.

If you are unable to keep your appointment(s) please contact the Sleep Lab at least 48 hours prior to your appointment.  This will allow us to schedule another patient in your appointment slot.

Contacting the Sleep Disorders Center

Sleep Disorders Center phone numbers:

(313)-576-1000 extension 63663, 63529 or 63754

For Veterans interested in finding out about and participating in Sleep Wake Disorders clinical research studies, they should call 313-576-3548. These studies help to understand the mechanisms for the development of sleep apnea in both young and elderly individuals.

• Faculty & Staff 
• Patient Information 
• Education 
• FAQ 
• Sleep Center Resource Links

Social Work at VAMC Detroit is an integral part of health care. We help Veterans and their families with problems associated with the stress of an illness. Social work services are provided on inpatient and outpatient basis."

The Social Work Service also educates and assists Veterans and their families with obtaining available resources within the VA system and in the community.

This may include but is not limited to:

• home health and skilled services
• transportation
• community living
• hospice
• homemaker and respite services
• discharge planning
• benefit and financial resources
• transition services for returning combat Veterans
• caregiver support
• resources for the visually-impaired

Services Offered

Social work offers counseling —

• to Veterans with drug, alcohol, and emotional problems
• to help Veterans and their families understand and adjust to an illness or disability
• to Veterans and family members who want to prepare advance directives and durable powers of attorney for health care or finances
• to help Veterans and their families cope with terminal illness
• to family members about legal issues such as commitment and guardianship
• to Veterans in Primary Care
• to Veterans in Primary Care Support Groups

Counseling is conducted through —

Scheduled counseling sessions are offered through Mental Health - see MH Services

• one-on-one discussions
• family conferences
• group classes

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.

About the Program

The VA has been a leader in the care and rehabilitation of people with spinal cord injuries for over fifty years. The Spinal Cord Injury and Disease program support team at the Detroit VAMC is committed to assisting all Veterans with spinal cord injuries to live happy, healthy and productive lives.

Services Offered

Staff, which includes physicians, social workers, nurses and rehabilitation therapists work closely with the spinal cord injured Veteran, family members, and significant others to ensure the highest quality of care. Services include:

• annual spinal cord evaluation /complete exam
• prosthetic service (modifications and/or repair of equipment
• evaluation for use of ramps and other adaptive equipment
• evaluation and assistance with transfer to a spinal cord center
• Counseling
• evaluation for home services
• vocational services

Staff

Phillip Kucab, M.D.

Chief of Neurology

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Neurology

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Clinic: 313-576-4900

 

Philip Ross, D.O.

SCI Physician

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

Assistant Professor of Neurology

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Clinic: 313-576-4900

 

Joseph A. Roden-Smith, MSN, FNP-BC

Clinical Coordinator – Neurology

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

Clinic: 313-576-4900

 

Deborah McTyre, LMSW

John D. Dingell VA Medical Center

SCI Coordinator

313-576-1000, 61417

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

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

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

We provide a wide range of surgical services, like:

• General surgery
• Anesthesia
• Cardiac surgery (heart and major blood vessels)
• Neurosurgery (brain, spinal column, and nerves)
• Orthopedic surgery (bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons)
• Organ and tissue transplants

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 perform chest surgery (also known as thoracic surgery) to treats conditions involving your chest, airway and esophagus.

Our thoracic surgeons provide state-of-the-art surgical techniques and cancer therapies that focus on your lungs and other organs of the chest. Many of our thoracic treatments also address problems with your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), your trachea (airway), and your chest wall (rib cage and breastbone). We treat a variety of conditions that include:

• Lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus
• Benign chest and lung tumors
• Pleural illnesses, like pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and infections of the pleura (the thin membrane that lines the chest wall and covers the lungs)
• Achalasia, which occurs when nerve damage prevents your esophagus from pushing food into your stomach)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into your esophagus and irritates the lining
• Diseases of the thymus, a small organ beneath your breastbone that produces cells that support your immune system and fight cancer

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

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

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