Health services

Our internists are primary-care doctors who treat adults for a wide range of health issues. Our internists can:

• Perform checkups for annual, employee, and sports physical exams
• Order blood work and lab services
• Prescribe and manage your medicine
• Provide preventative care, like tips on diet, exercise, and healthy living
• Treat you when you’re sick or follow up with you after your hospital stay
• Refer you to specialists

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 pharmacy services at VA Houston

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.

Our urgent care clinic offers walk-in health care when you need help right away, but don’t have an emergency. Urgent care doesn’t replace your primary care doctor, but it can help when your doctor’s office is closed and you need to see a health care professional immediately. We treat medical conditions like:

• Colds, flu, and strep throat
• Sinus, ear, and eye infections
• Minor injuries and muscle strains
• Rashes and skin infections

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 go through specialized training in women’s health care. They work closely with specialists in gynecology, female urology, oncology, medicine, radiology, surgery, and the breast imaging services. Our services for women Veterans include:

• Women-specific screenings: mammograms, Pap and HPV tests
• Mental health care, individual and group therapy, substance use problems
• Lifestyle and wellness services: including nutrition and whole health
• Reproductive health: including preconception counseling, contraceptive care, infertility evaluations, menopause treatment, and hormone therapy replacement

Learn more and connect with a Women Veterans Program Manager

We help Veterans on their recovery journey through outpatient and inpatient services by referral to the community. 

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

Military sexual trauma (MST) can happen to both genders. If you experienced sexual assault or harassment during military service—no matter when you served—we provide a range of services available to meet MST survivors where they are at in their recovery.

Everyone responds to harassment and sexual assault differently. Survivors may find themselves struggling after the incident and wonder what they can do to help themselves recover. MST can be a very difficult life experience, but recovery is possible.

Connect with a MST coordinator

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 education and training
• Postvention services for family and friends who have lost a Veteran to suicide
• Gun safety locks

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Amputation Care

Rehabilitation offers a variety of peri-surgical services for Veterans with limb loss, with an Amputee Clinic team full of expert professionals who are ready to help.

Learn more about Amputation Care at VA Houston.

Our Audiology clinic and our Speech Pathology clinic provide 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
• 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 Audiology at VA Houston.

Learn more about Speech-Language Pathology at VA Houston.

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

Learn more about low vision services at VA Houston.

• COVID-19 vaccines for 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

Learn more about cancer care at VA Houston.

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)

Learn more about Cardiothoracic Surgery at VA Houston.

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

Learn more about Chiropractic care at VA Houston.

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, including root canals, gum treatments, and supporting bone care
• Oral and facial reconstruction surgery to repair damage from traumatic injury or serious illness

We provide evening and Saturday dental service in Houston. 

Dental Clinic Locations:
   Houston VAMC: Room 2A-103, 2nd floor
   Conroe VA Outpatient Clinic: 4th floor, to the right after exiting the elevator

Learn more about  VA dental benefits.

Care we provide at VA Houston health care

We provide care for many medical and surgical skin conditions. Our dermatology services include:

• General skin care
• Skin cancer check ups
• Mohs micrographic surgery for the removal of skin cancer
• Photodynamic therapy for the treatment of sun damage
• Photolight therapy for psoriasis, eczema and T-cell lymphoma
• Laser therapy for various conditions

Dermatology
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Location: Room 2A-490 on the 2nd floor,
Phone:  713-791-1414, ext. 223452

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

Care we provide at VA Houston health care

Staff in our gastroenterology department can provide the following treatments:

• Colonoscopy
• Endoscopic services
• Treatments for complex gastrointestinal conditions
• Services for patients with liver diseases
• Early screening and cancer detection

Learn more about gastroenterology at VA Houston.

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

Learn more about cancer care at VA Houston.

We offer blood tests and other advanced testing services to help you and your VA health care team monitor your health, find and understand any health problems and make informed treatment decisions.

Our laboratories provide a full range of clinical and diagnostic testing services:

• 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) (not available at VA community outpatient clinics)
• Autopsy services (not available at VA community outpatient clinics)
• Hours for blood collection at our community based outpatient clinics vary per location. Please check with your clinic location for their blood collection 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

Learn more about MOVE! at VA Houston Healthcare System.

Care we provide at VA Houston:

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 

Learn more about Neurology at VA Houston.

• Spinal surgery: complex deformity reconstruction, spinal endoscopy, minimally invasive techniques.
• Neurosurgical oncology: primary brain tumors, pituitary tumors, brain metastases
• Functional Neurosurgery: DBS, VNS, epilepsy surgery
• Neuromodulation for chronic pain: SCS, nerve ablation
• Vascular: aneurysms, vascular malformations; either via endovascular procedures or open surgery.
• State-of-the-art   technology: neuro-navigation, ROSA robot, brain and spinal endoscopy, intraoperative neuromonitoring.

How to Make an Appointment

If you aren't currently being seen by Neurosurgery, you can be referred by your Primary Care Provider for an initial consultation. If you are already being followed by Neurosurgery, please call the clinic directly.

Learn more about Neurosurgery at VA Houston.

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)

Learn more about ophthalmology services at VA Houston.

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

Learn more about optometry services at VA Houston.

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. VA Houston has the busiest Orthopedic section in the country and provides all aspects of orthopedics care, including robotic assisted total hip and knee replacement. We treat conditions like:

• Musculoskeletal trauma
• Degenerative illnesses
• Sports injuries
• Hip, knee, shoulder, wrist, ankle, elbow replacements
• All aspects of: hand surgery;  foot and ankle surgery; and Spine surgery
• Non operative care services are provided at our Community Based Outpatient Clinics,  including injection therapy.

Contact: 
David Green, MD
Chief, Orthopedic Surgery and Podiatry
Deputy Chief of the Operative Care Line 
713-794-7508

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

Learn more about Otolaryngology at VA Houston.

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
• Interventional Pain Management 
• Behavioral Pain Management 

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
• Aquatic therapy to manage chronic pain
• Evaluation and treatment for a wide range of medical, orthopedic, psychosocial, and neurological conditions

Learn more about these services at VA Houston.

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)

We provide and help you use medical aids, hearing aids, state-of-the-art adaptive home equipment and other equipment to help you preserve and increase your mobility and independence.

VA is the world’s largest and most comprehensive provider of sensory aides and prosthetic devices. Veterans enrolled in the VA health care system and referred by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician can receive a full range of services and equipment like:

• Artificial limbs and surgical implants, including artificial joints and pacemakers
• Wheelchairs and other medical devices
• Aids for Veterans who are blind, have low vision, or are hearing impaired
• Adaptive equipment and modifications to make your vehicle or home more accessible
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, kinesiotherapy, aquatic therapy, recreation therapy, acupuncture and chiropractic service
• Clothing allowance for Veterans with devices that damage their clothing

Learn more about Prosthetics and Sensory Aid service. 

Learn more about Physical medicine and rehabilitation.

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.

Care we provide at VA Houston:

If you find it difficult to breathe or sleep, our pulmonary (lung) specialists can help. We offer education, exercises, and treatments like:

• Oxygen therapy to help you stay active and breathe better
• Pulmonary rehabilitation to build your strength and increase lung capacity
• Healthy diets to help you manage your weight and improve energy
• Strategies to help you increase your feelings of control, optimism, and self-esteem
• Tests to measure your lung function, lung volume, and blood gas

Learn more about pulmonary services at VA Houston.

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

Care we provide at VA Houston:

Radiation oncologists specialize in using high-energy X-rays 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:

• 3D-Conformal Radiation Therapy (3D-CRT): uses computer planning to deliver precise radiation doses that match the 3D shape of your tumor.
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT): uses sophisticated computer planning with arcs to deliver faster and more precise radiation treatments.
• Intracranial Stereotactic Radiosurgery (SRS): uses targeted radiation to treat a brain tumor or lesion while minimizing radiation effects on healthy brain tissue.
• Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT): uses precisely focused radiation to treat tumors in your lungs, spine, liver, or other soft tissues in as little as 1-2 weeks.
• CT simulation performed with new GE Discovery RT scanner with the ability to minimize artifacts from metal implants.
• Cyberknife radiosurgery: a robotic radiation delivery system with real-time tracking of tumor with submillimeter accuracy.

Learn more about radiation oncology at VA Houston.

The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center offers radiology and imaging services to diagnose and treat many medical conditions. Our services include:

• Computer tomography (CT)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasound
• X-ray
• Interventional radiology
• Breast imaging

Learn more about radiology services at VA Houston. 

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
• We offer drug induced sleep endoscopy to evaluate for hypoglossal nerve stimulation (INSPIRE)
• We also offer alternate therapy for sleep apnea if one is intolerant to PAP therapy
• Work with your doctors if you need surgery or dental appliances to help you get a good night’s sleep

Sleep medicine
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Phone: 713-794-8730.

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 spinal cord injuries and disorders at VA Houston.

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

Veterans can receive a screening at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in primary care, mental health and specialty clinics. All of outpatient clinics also perform the screening. Ask your care team for the screening. 

Every Veteran enrolled in VA health care will receive an initial screening and a follow-up screening at least once every 5 years. Veterans who are not enrolled and who meet eligibility requirements will have an opportunity to enroll and receive the screening.  

The screening will ask you if you think you were exposed to any of these hazards while serving:

• Open burn pits and other airborne hazards
• Gulf War-related exposures
• Agent Orange
• Radiation
• Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure
• Other exposures

We’ll then give you information about any benefits, registry exams, and clinical resources you may need.

Learn about the PACT Act: The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs.

We are experts in life-saving transplants, including kidney, liver, heart, lung, small bowel, bone marrow and stem cell.

Care we provide at VA Houston health care:

• Liver transplants
• Kidney (renal) transplants
• Living donor transplants
• Referrals to other transplant centers

Learn more about transplant surgery at VA Houston.

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

Learn more about Urology at VA Houston.

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 atherosclerosis caused by the buildup of plaque in your arteries; blockage by a blood clot or fatty deposit; inflammation, (vasculitis); and trauma or injury.

• Arteriosclerosis (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 other blood clots
• Varicose veins
• Vasculitis (inflammation of your blood vessels)

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

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

Care we provide at VA Houston health care:

The Veteran population is at greater risk for experiencing and/or using violence in their intimate relationships than the civilian population. Contact us for help with:

• Emotional intimate partner violence (IPV), which commonly begins before other types of IPV
• Physical IPV
• Sexual IPV, whether by physical force or by trying to convince a partner 
• Stalking, which includes continuous unwanted contact, following, talking, or sending things
• Threats of violence

Learn more about IPV at VA Houston.

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:

• Mental health services, including psychosocial assessments for hormone therapy and gender confirming surgeries
• Hormone therapy
• Gender-affirming prosthetics
• HIV and STI testing, counseling, and care, including PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis) and PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for Veterans at risk for HIV
• Other prevention, screening, wellness, and testing services

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

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

Learn more about Recreation Therapy at VA Houston.

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.

At VA Houston health care, 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/social workers 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

Please contact our My HealtheVet coordinator at , ext. 222556.

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 4 services:

• Transitional Work Program matches Veteran’s skills with a specific job and provides supervision to help them gain work experience
• Supported Employment provides long-term support for Veterans with serious mental illnesses or physical disabilities to help them compete for jobs in their communities
• Community Based Employment Services for Veterans with a history of sporadic employment
• Vocational Assistance trains Veterans living at our residential facility to improve their job-search and career development skills

Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation

Our Whole Health approach empowers and equips you to take charge of your health, well-being, and quality of life. Whole Health goes beyond your illnesses, injuries, or disabilities, and focuses instead on your values, goals, and overall health. It includes self-care and complementary therapies along with conventional medical care. Our Whole Health program includes:

• Acupuncture to help you manage pain without drugs
• Meditation and mindfulness training
• Whole Health education class: Taking Charge of My Life and Health
• Whole Health maternity care
• MOVE! weight management
• Yoga and Tai Chi for wellness
• Trauma-informed Yoga therapy

Learn more about Whole Health at VA Houston.