Calais VA Clinic

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

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

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 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

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