Health services

Our Nurse Advice Line provides free, confidential answers to many of your and your family's health care questions.

Call: .  We’re here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

We provide emergency medical care 24 hours a day, every day. Our emergency room staff can help you with:

• Life-threatening illnesses and injuries that require immediate attention
• Urgent medical issues that must be treated right away
• Psychiatric evaluations

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
• Speech language pathology
• Medication management/pharmacy

Learn more about VA long-term care

Prescriptions may be refilled locally by phone or the Internet.

An automated refill line is available for all patients of the Madison VA Hospital. Please call one of the following numbers: 

608-280-7134 
or 
888-856-9039

If you are using this automated refill line, all refills should be ordered at least 10 (ten) days prior to when the refill is due to ensure there is enough time for the prescription to be mailed to you.

Prescriptions may also be filled online using VA's My HealtheVet program. You will need a user id and password to log in. If you do not have one, you can easily get one by creating your personal profile.

All veterans are encouraged to refill their prescriptions by phone or Internet. Because of our patient workload, prescriptions cannot be refilled at the main outpatient pharmacy window.

Learn more about 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.

Primary care gives eligible Veterans easy access to health care professionals familiar with their needs. It provides long-term patient-provider relationships, coordinates care across a spectrum of health services, educates, and offers disease prevention programs. 

Primary care is the foundation of VHA health care and is your first point of contact with the health care system for Veterans enrolled in VHA. Contact your primary care physician if you need any of these or other services:

• Colon, breast, cervical, prostate and other cancer screening
• High blood pressure and cholesterol screening and treatment
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment
• Diabetes prevention and treatment
• Flu vaccine and other recommended vaccines
• Treatment for obesity
• Routine Women's health care across a lifespan
• Help quitting smoking
• Screening for mental health, drug and alcohol concerns
• Labs and blood work

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.

Women Veteran services provided at all clinics:  

• Cervical cancer screening (Pap & HPV testing)

Learn about additional Women Veteran Care provided at the Madison VA and connect with the Women Veteran Program Manager.  

We support Veterans in their recovery journey through inpatient and outpatient services, as well as educational programs. Our Addictive Disorders Treatment Program (ADTP) offers a comprehensive, evidence-based recovery program for veterans with substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders in various therapy settings.

Learn more about our Addictive Disorders Treatment Program (ADTP)

The mental health service at the Madison VA Hospital & Clinics provides consultation, evaluation, and treatment for a variety of issues that can impact emotional well-being.

We conduct research and training to ensure state-of-the-art treatment.  Services are available at all locations by video.

Services Offered

Our mental health services include treatments for:

• depression, sadness, grief
• anxiety, worry, nervousness
• addictive behaviors
• relationship problems
• stress from medical problems and/or pain
• post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• emotional problems, such as managing anger

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Confidentiality

Our mental health services are confidential. We will not talk to anyone about information you share unless you give written consent. If you have questions, please ask your mental health consultant.

All Veterans seen at the Madison VA Hospital and Clinics are asked about experiences of sexual trauma because we know that any type of trauma can affect a person's physical and mental health, even many years later.

Both women and men can experience military sexual trauma during their service and treatment is tailored to individual needs and preferences.

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.

Our team understands the special issues of Veterans who are dealing with the effects of trauma. The PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) was created to help you feel more in control and increase satisfaction with your life by working with you to effectively address these issues.

Specific treatment recommendations are tailored to the needs of individual Veterans. Treatment may consist of a mix of educational group meetings, therapy groups, and individual therapy for handling the symptoms of stress disorders such as PTSD. Utilization of local resources (e.g., Vet Centers, Community Based Outpatient Clinics, or private psychotherapists) is a vital element in serving the Veterans in areas geographically distant from VA Medical Centers. Therapy is also available by telehealth (video to your home device or to one of our Community-Based Outpatient Clinics).

Learn more about treatments, resources, and research available on PTSD.  

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 at all Madison VA Hospital and Clinic locations via telephone and/or video connect. 
• Education and training on Veteran suicide prevention for the community
• Gun safety locks

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Our specialists can create a personalized health care plan to support independent living after limb loss. Our services include: 

• Therapy, counseling and prosthetic support
• Education and training for daily living and mobility skills
• Medical and surgical consultations with other specialties

Learn more about VA Amputation System of Care

Our clinic provides Veterans 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)

While we only offer in-person services at the Madison VA Hospital, many of our services are offered through telehealth at all of our clinic locations.  Please contact the location of your choice for more details and to schedule a telehealth appointment with our audiology clinic.

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

The Madison VA Hospital and Clinics currently offers the Moderna Bivalent vaccine.  Veterans can call the Vaccine Scheduling Line at 608-280-2160 to make an appointment right away.  We have appointments available at our main hospital and all of our Community Based Outpatient Clinics. 

Learn more about the VA Madison healthcare system COVID-19 vaccines.

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 our services:

• 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

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:

• Diagnosis and treat heart related conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure, arrhythmias and value problems through a combination of physical exams and specialized tests
• Monitoring you for changes in heart rhythm, using electrocardiograms (EKGs or ECGs), portable Holt monitors, or ultrasound

Services as specific locations include:

• Determining how well blood flows through your heart vessels
• Performing surgical treatments like pacemaker implants or cardiac catheterization (inserting a long, thin tube into an artery or vein)

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 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 and pancreas. Our gastroenterology department provides services like:

• Screening for colon cancer using different tests like a stool-based test (FIT) or a colonoscopy
• Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which uses an endoscope to look at your esophagus and colonoscopy for many different GI problems
• 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 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

By participating in our MOVE! Weight Management Program, you can adopt a healthy lifestyle, meet your health goals, and manage your weight. If you have a higher body weight, losing 5%-10% of your weight can improve your health and give you more energy. MOVE! is about more than weight. It is about increasing your ability and confidence to achieve a healthy lifestyle.  We work with you to make practical changes for lasting results.

Learn more about our MOVE! Program.

We offer inpatient and outpatient consults for neurological disorders including:

• Stroke
• Headache
• Dementia
• Parkinson's Disease/Other movement disorder
• Epilepsy/Seizure
• Cranial Nerve Abnormalities
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Carpal Tunnel or Ulnar Neuropathy
• Myopathy
• Movement Disorder

Learn more about epilepsy at the VA Epilepsy Center of Excellence.

Outpatient Nutrition Services

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
• Eating disorders and digestive health
• Pregnancy and postpartum nutrition
• Weight management (MOVE! Program)

Learn more about our Outpatient Nutrition Services.

Inpatient Nutrition Services

Healthy and nourishing food is important in the recovery of the Veteran patient. When a patient gets admitted to the hospital, part of their treatment may include a dietitian visiting to discuss food and nutrition issues such as:

• Lack of appetite
• Nutrition related disease like diabetes and/or hypertension
• Weight loss/weight gain

Learn more about our Inpatient Nutrition Services.

Our optometrists provide many eye-related services like:

• Comprehensive ocular health and vision exams.
• Teleretinal screening for diabetic retinopathy.
• Low-vision services 
• Contact lens evaluations

If you have experienced loss of range of motion, painful movement, or decreased ability to perform daily tasks, you may need an Orthopedic consult.  We diagnosis and treat many disorders including but is not limited to:

• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Arthritis
• Sprains, strains, and tears

We offer our Veterans education and care in outpatient Orthopedics including:

• Education in joint protection
• Education in home exercise program for strength and range of motion
• Manual therapies
• Use of modalities (heat, ice, ultrasound, etc) in clinic and education for home use

We evaluate, diagnose, and treat a wide range of ear, nose, and throat conditions, like:

• Nasal and sinus problems
• Head and neck cancer including skin, salivary glands, lymph node, thyroid, and parathyroid tumors as well as upper aerodigestive tract.
• Voice and swallowing disorders
• Facial nerve disorders and facial trauma
• Airway laryngology inpatient and clinic-based procedures
• Ear disorders including hearing disorders
• Sinus disorders and sinonasal neoplasms

Physical therapy, occupational therapy and kinesiotherapy can help restore movement and function if you have been disabled by injury or disease.

We care for Veterans of all ages with treatment of sprains, strains, weakness, post-surgical and post-fracture rehabilitation involving the arms, legs and spine. Our licensed Physical Therapists perform comprehensive evaluations and design personalized treatment programs focused on whole-body health and enabling patients to reach their goals for lifestyle improvement.

Services provided at all locations include:

• 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
• Occupational therapy to improve coordination and balance, and help you manage life skills and everyday activities

Specialty services provided at specific locations include:

• Cardiac/Pulmonary Rehabilitation
• Diabetic Foot Care and Management
• Pelvic Floor Dysfunction Treatment

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)

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.

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

We offer radiology imaging services to diagnose and treat many medical conditions. Our services include:

• Fluoroscopy Exams – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations.
• Ultrasound (US) – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations.
• Bone Density (DEXA) – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations.
• Computer Tomography (CT) – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations. 
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations. 
• Interventional Radiology (IR) – All exams MUST be scheduled, not available at all locations.
• General X-ray – Walk-ins available based on location.

If you have any questions at all about your exams, please do not hesitate to call us and our staff will be happy to assist you.

We deliver a wide variety of clinical services including specialized rehabilitation services for survivors of brain injury, stroke, and amputation. The Extended Care and Rehabilitation Program at Madison VA Hospital is composed of three areas:

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
• Home and Community Care
• Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC)

Home and Community Care (HCC) consists of programs that manage care in a Veteran’s home and community settings including:

• home-based primary care
• home telehealth care
• adult day health care
• community nursing home care
• skilled and unskilled home care
• home hospice care
• home IV therapy

Learn more about VA long-term care

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 or reduce your tobacco use. We provide services to support you including: 

• FDA-approved medications to manage nicotine withdrawal and the urge to use tobacco
• Counseling by phone, video, or secure messaging to help brainstorm strategies to break the habit of tobacco use
• Weekly support group sessions in person or over video
• Tobacco 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
• Referrals to additional support services like Whole Health and Outpatient Nutrition Services

Call or message "Tobacco Treatment" via My HealtheVet secure messaging to get started. Learn more about how to quit.

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

Our Surgical Service delivers quality care to our Veteran patients, including 

• Adult Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Cardiac Surgery (heart)
• Colon and Rectal Surgery
• Esophageal and Gastric Surgery (throat and stomach)
• Hepato-Biliary (liver, gall bladder, pancreas)
• Neurosurgery (brain)
• Ophthalmology (eyes)
• Orthopedics (bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves)
• Otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat)
• Podiatry (feet)
• Thoracic Surgery (lung)
• Transplant Surgery (heart, lung, liver)
• Urology (prostate, bladder, kidneys, male reproductive systems)

Preoperative services (pre-surgery, during and post-surgery) are co-located, enhancing the continuity of care. 

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

Ask about the screening at your next VA health care appointment and learn more about VA’s Environmental Health Registries.

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

Organ transplant offers new hope for a full and healthy life for people with end-stage organ failure. Our expert VA team partners with some of the world’s most respected transplant professionals at the UW Health Transplant Center.

We serve patients requiring a heart, liver, lung, combined organ transplant while honoring the gifts of life shared by organ donors. Our wait times are among the shortest in the nation and our outcomes are excellent.

Learn more and connect with a coordinator

Our caregiver support coordinators can:

• Provide progressive needs planning to help you manage degenerative conditions
• Match you with services and benefits
• Connect you with local resources and programs

Contact our caregiver support coordinators

VA’s specialized programs for homeless Veterans serve hundreds of local homeless and at-risk Veterans each year. 

Independently and in collaboration with federal and community partners, Madison VA programs provide Veterans with housing solutions, employment opportunities, health care, justice- and reentry-related services and more. 

Learn more about these programs at VA’s Programs for At-Risk Veterans and Their Families or connect with a local coordinator.

We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Veterans and their families. We focus on ensuring a safe, welcoming, and affirmative environment when providing you with sensitive and high-quality health care services like:

• Hormone therapy
• Substance use and alcohol treatment
• Testing and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• Mental health care
• Psychosocial assessments for gender-affirming 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 Workers assist Veterans and their families with

• home health services
• legal services
• transportation
• community living

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

Counseling is conducted through:

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

Learn how to upgrade to a Premium My HealtheVet account online or in person with our My HealtheVet Coordinator at your next appointment.

We use the latest in secure digital technology to set up remote visits with our health care providers. We offer video conferencing and home telehealth services that lets you securely share your health information with experts at VA facilities. We offer telehealth visits with providers in:

• Primary care
• Mental health
• Rehabilitation
• Outpatient Nutrition Services
• Geriatrics
• Dermatology
• Hematology
• Caregiver Support
• Spirometry
• Neurology
• Palliative Care
• Sleep Medicine
• Cardiology

Learn more about telehealth

We help Veterans with physical and mental health challenges find and keep jobs through our long-term partnerships with business, industry, and government agencies. We offer 6 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 helps Veterans with serious mental illnesses or physical disabilities compete for jobs in their communities
• Our Community Based Employment Services provides job search, placement, and support to Veterans interested in competitive employment. This service is intended for individuals with less significant barriers to employment and tends to be shorter in longevity.
• The Transitional Residence program is designed for Veterans with an expected outcome of competitive employment and has a rehabilitative focus based on transitioning to successful independent community living. 
• The Supported Education program supports Veterans entering or currently pursuing educational settings in order to choose, get and keep an education goal.
• Our vocational assistance services offer brief assistance with job search process and job search skills development. 

Learn more about VA vocational rehabilitation

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

Whole Health focuses on what matters most to each of us. It empowers people through mindful awareness and self-care, recognizing the fundamental importance of healthy nutrition, activity, sleep, relationships, surroundings, and the many other areas of our lives that contribute to our health and wholeness.

Whole Health supports person-centered, proactive, whole-person care. The Whole Health System includes conventional treatment, Complementary & Integrative Health approaches, and focuses on self-empowerment, self-healing, and self-care.

Learn more about Whole Health.