Health services

We assess your situation and condition to decide which outpatient geriatric services are right for you or a senior Veteran in your care, and then we coordinate your care. Our team of specialists provides geriatric services that include:

• Medicine and nursing
• Psychology, psychiatry, and social work
• Physical and occupational therapy

Learn more about VA long-term care

Our pharmacy provides you and other Veterans with convenient, efficient service to make it easy to get your medications and medical supplies. You can:

• Pick up new prescriptions in person
• Refill prescriptions online and by phone or mail
• Safely dispose of medicines

Learn more about our pharmacy

Your VA primary care provider will work closely with you to plan for all the care you need to stay healthy and well throughout your life, including immunizations and vaccinations. They will also work with family members or caregivers who support you.

A strong network of family and internal medicine specialists and services can offer you the best possible care. Internal medicine doctors (internists) prevent, diagnose, and treat adult diseases. Doctors who specialize in family medicine provide primary health care to the entire family. Your primary care team can coordinate the many services you receive such as:

• Labs and blood work
• Mental health care
• Women's health care
• Radiology
• Social services
• Telehealth

We 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 care coordinator

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 work with behavioral health providers and community organizations to help you and your family during times of crisis. We offer:

• Suicide prevention care coordinators
• Suicide prevention case managers
• Gun safety locks

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Our Audiology and Speech Pathology clinic provides diagnostic and rehabilitative services, VA compensation and pension examinations, and screening for employee hearing conservation. We offer a full range of audiology and speech pathology services like:

• Hearing and balance evaluations
• Selection, management, and repair of hearing aids and assistive listening device assessments
• Evaluation, programming, and management of cochlear implants and bone-anchored implants
• Evaluation and treatment for auditory processing disorder
• Services that help with speech, language, fluency, voice, cognitive communication, swallowing, stuttering, and laryngectomy (surgical removal of the larynx, which contains your vocal cords)

Learn more about VA hearing aids

• 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 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

Watch this video to learn who is eligible to receive Dental care from the VA and what options are there if you are not eligible: VA Maine Today Dental Services.

We diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and other endocrine system problems that can create or complicate serious medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, and thyroid or parathyroid disorders. Our endocrinologists can:

• Measure the level of various hormones in your body
• Measure your blood glucose level
• Determine the cause and proper treatment of endocrine and metabolic disorders

We treat a broad range of health concerns, including 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 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 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

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

Provides consultation and evaluations; surgical procedures include total joint replacements, arthroscopy, arthroplasty, and orthopedic spine.

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

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

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
• Diabetic limb preservation and education along with diabetic shoe management
• Orthotic management
• Injections to reduce pain and swelling
• 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 and imaging services to diagnose and treat many medical conditions. Our services include:

• X-ray
• Ultrasound
• Mammography (mammograms)
• Computer tomography (CT)
• Positron emission tomography (PET)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

We provide long-term care to help you and your family when you’re dealing with a disability, chronic (long-lasting) illness, terminal illness, or serious health issues related to aging. Our long-term health care services include:

• 24/7 nursing and medical care
• Physical therapy
• Help with daily tasks like bathing, dressing, making meals, and taking medicine
• Pain management and palliative care to relieve suffering and improve quality of life for people with serious illnesses
• Hospice care to provide comfort and compassionate care for people in the last phases of an incurable illness
• To learn more about the different types of extended care that VA provides, see our guide to long-term services and support.

Learn more about VA long-term care

Our doctors treat inflammation, stiffness, or pain in your muscles, joints, and tendons. Common rheumatic illnesses include:

• Juvenile idiopathic and infectious arthritis
• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Lupus, gout, and scleroderma

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

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

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

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

TOXIC EXPOSURES

While toxic exposure is defined by law, generally there are several types of possible exposures or hazards Veterans may have experienced during their military service. Some common examples appear below.

» Open Burn Pits/Airborne Hazards: Contaminants or substances in the air including smoke and fumes from open burn pits and fine particulate matter.

» Gulf War related exposures: Veterans may have been exposed to a variety of environmental hazards including pesticides and oil well fires.

» Agent Orange: An herbicide used to thin-out thick foliage commonly found in jungles and fields.

» Radiation: Exposure from sources such as nuclear weapons.

» Camp Lejeune contaminated water exposure: Between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, Veterans and their families may have been exposed to contaminated drinking water.

» Other exposures: There are other potential toxic exposures that may occur during military service.

MANAGE YOUR HEALTH

Proactively developing a long-term health care plan with your care team can help detect conditions early and treat or lessen the effect of complications resulting from exposure(s).

TALK WITH A VA PROVIDER:

» Call 1-800-MyVA411 then press 8, or a local VA clinical care team

» Send a secure message to your clinical care team through your patient portal:

My HealtheVet at: www.myhealth.va.gov or My VA Health at: patientportal.myhealth.va.gov

» Discuss exposure concerns at your next VA appointment

ENROLL IN VA CARE:

» Online www.va.gov/health-care/apply/application/introduction

» Call 877-222-VETS (8387)

» Visit your nearest VA medical center and enroll in person: www.va.gov/find-locations

REGISTRY HEALTH EXAMS

Registry health exams are no-cost voluntary environmental exposure medical exams. VA has several health registries– these include: Agent Orange, Airborne Hazard and Open Burn Pit, Gulf War (includes Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn), Ionizing Radiation, Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program, Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center.

» You may be eligible to participate in one or more of these health registries. Note: The registry evaluation is not a compensation exam or required for other VA benefits.

» Registries can alert you to possible health problems related to your military service and help VA better understand and respond to these health problems more effectively.

SCHEDULE A REGISTRY EXAM WITH YOUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH COORDINATOR

» Online www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp

» Call 1-800-MyVA411, then press 8

» Visit your local VA Medical Center

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

» Visit www.va.gov/PACT or call 1-800-MyVA411, then press 8

» Information on military environmental exposures: www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/index.asp

» Exposure benefits information: www.va.gov/disability/eligibility

» Download the free VA Exposure Ed mobile app: mobile.va.gov/app/exposure-ed

VA PRESUMPTIVE CONDITIONS

Veterans may be eligible for disability benefits and/or compensation if they have a health condition that results in disability and was connected to their military service. For many health conditions, you need to prove that your service caused your condition. For some conditions, we automatically assume (or “presume”) that your service caused your condition. We call these “presumptive conditions.” We consider a condition presumptive when it’s established by law or regulation. If you have a presumptive condition, you do not need to prove that your service caused the condition. You only need to meet the service requirements for the presumption.

BENEFITS

» Veterans with presumptive diseases may be eligible for benefits such as disability compensation

» Surviving spouses, dependent children and/or parents of deceased Veterans may be eligible for benefits such as dependency and indemnity compensation and accrued benefits

» Veterans who had claims that were previously denied can file supplemental claims

» To File a Claim for Benefits

• Submit online: www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim

• Access VA benefits: www.ebenefits.va.gov

• Call VA Benefits hotline: 800-827-1000 for help filing a claim

• Locate a local Veteran Service Officer www.va.gov/ogc/apps/accreditation/index.asp

How can Veterans apply for service compensation?

• Call the VA benefits assistance center schedule an appointment to meet with a benefits counselor:

1-800-827-1000

• Call the Togus Regional Benefits Office

1-207-621-6938

o Appointments can be made at the Togus Regional office located at 1 VA Center, Augusta

ME 04330

• Applications can be done online or via paper

o To apply directly online using a MHV or ID.me account visit:

https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/

o Or VA Form 21-526EZ can be printed and mailed to:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Claims Intake Center

PO Box 4444

Janesville, WI 5354

Tips:

• Speak with someone at the VBA first before submitting your application, as the form can be

confusing and wording you use is important

• Veteran Service Officers (VSOs) can also help with submitting claims and assisting with self[1]advocacy, see contact information below

• Veterans Benefits Administration Togus Regional Office Building 248 Office Phone: 207-621-6938
• Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services Building 248 Room 110 Veteran Service Officer Phone: 207-287-9933
• Disabled American Veterans Building 248, Room 114 Veteran Services Officer Phone: 207-623-5725
• Paralyzed Veterans of America Building 248, Room 112 Veterans Service Officer Phone: 207-621-7394
• Veterans of Foreign Wars Building 248, Rm 117 Veterans Service Officer Phone: 207-623-5723
• American Legion Building 205 Room 318 Veteran Services Officer Office Phone: 207-623-5726

More information on the PACT Act can be found here: VA Maine PACT Act Resources

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

Provides consultation surgical care for patients with Carotid Artery Disease, Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease, Aneurysm Disease, Reno Vascular Disease, and Visceral Artery Disease.  A Vascular Lab is also available for studies in the care of such disease.

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

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

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

Learn more about intimate partner violence

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

• Hormone therapy
• Substance use and alcohol treatment
• Testing and treatment for HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STI)
• Mental health care
• Psychosocial assessments for gender-confirming surgeries and hormone therapy

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 Women,  African American, Asian American, Pacific Islanders, Hispanic American, and Native American (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians). 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’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

My HealtheVet is the VA’s patient portal for 24/7 access to online medical records and services.

From the convenience of any computer on the internet, Veterans can

• Securely message healthcare teams.
• Refill prescriptions with the click of a key, track Rx shipping.
• Check appointments and receive email appointment reminders.
• Schedule and request appointments for primary care or mental health.
• Review lab results, radiology, and other tests.
• Download healthcare records and review provider notes.
• Download medical images like X-rays, mammograms, CTs, and MRIs.
• Use our trusted and extensive Veterans Health Library.

REGISTER or Sign In at: My HealtheVet

Premium Upgrade / Authentication to use all features can be done at any VA Maine primary care office,  the Togus Release of Information desk, and with most front desks of outpatient services.  You can also call our coordination to do this by video connections with our coordinator.

Mike L’Abbe

My HealtheVet Coordinator

Phone: 207-512-6983 Email:    Michael.labbe@va.gov

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