Palo Alto VA Medical Center-Menlo Park

We offer a variety of outpatient and inpatient services to Veterans to help them in their journey to recovery. Our residential facility provides 24-hour support, therapy, and education to Veterans who may be struggling with substance abuse, homelessness, mental health, or unemployment issues.

Programs include:

• Rehabilitation
• Health maintenance
• Community support

Learn more about our VA treatment programs

Our audiology clinical staff provide diagnostic and rehabilitative services, VA compensation and pension examinations, and screening for employee hearing conservation. We offer a full range of audiology services to include:

• Hearing and balance evaluations to include ototoxic monitoring
• Tinnitus management (ringing, buzzing, and/or noises in the ear)
• Hearing conservation
• Selection, evaluation, programming, and management of hearing aids, cochlear implants, bone-anchored implants, and assistive listening devices
• Aural rehabilitation for patients and family members
• Evaluation and treatment for auditory processing disorder

Learn more about VA hearing aids

Our speech pathology clinical staff provide diagnostic and rehabilitative services. We offer a full range of speech pathology services to include:

• Speech, language, and articulation assessment including stroke evaluations
• Voice gender affirming therapy
• Executive functioning and problem solving management
• Cognitive assessments including traumatic brain injury evaluations
• Management of head and neck cancer and laryngectomee patients
• Stuttering therapy
• Swallowing therapy

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 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

We help Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to financial hardship, unemployment, addiction, depression, or transition from jail. Contact us to get help with:

• Immediate food and shelter, including both transitional and permanent housing
• Residential rehabilitation
• Job training, life skills development, and education
• Support with justice system navigation and community re-entry from jail
• Financial support to prevent homelessness
• Treatment for addiction and depression
• Health and dental care

Learn more

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

MOVE! is a weight-management program designed to help you live a longer, healthier life. The program’s comprehensive approach focuses on healthy eating, staying physically active, and strategies to make and maintain these healthy lifestyle habits. The MOVE! program offers:

• Group classes, where you will learn and discuss in a positive, supportive environment
• An evidence-based curriculum based on sound science
• Behavioral change strategies that focus on your long-term health and well-being
• A team of clinicians and health coaches who work throughout VA Palo Alto health care
• MOVE TIME clinic offering weight loss medications, special diets, weight loss surgery, and endoscopic procedures for weight loss

Learn more and get started with the MOVE! Introduction class at VA Palo Alto. Virtual appointments are available. View scheduling information under Whole health offerings.

You can also learn more about the MOVE! program, and access weight management and healthy living resources on VA’s MOVE! weight management program website.

We offer care for military sexual trauma in our mental (behavioral) health and specialty clinics. Military sexual trauma refers to sexual assault, sexual harassment, or other threatening, offensive, or unwanted sexual advances, activities, or remarks that you experienced in the military. Our goal is to help you improve your quality of life with strategies to manage emotions and memories related to your military sexual trauma. Our services include:

• Counseling
• Psychiatric care
• Walk-in care

Learn more about military sexual trauma

Our registered dietitians can help you stay healthy or become healthier. We offer nutrition advice and counseling in person, over the phone, or in a group setting that is tailored to your individual needs for the following topics:

• Cardiovascular and heart health
• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes (including gestational diabetes)
• Eating disorders and digestive health
• Pregnancy and postpartum nutrition
• Weight management

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.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. It’s normal to have upsetting memories, feel on edge, or have trouble sleeping after this type of event. If symptoms last more than a few months, it may be PTSD. We can help you with effective treatments and support services, like:

• Psychiatric and psychological counseling
• Treatment for co-occurring disorders (including addictive behaviors)
• PTSD Clinical Team (PCT) offering specialized outpatient treatment for PTSD
• Trauma Recovery Services (TRS), including:
  • PTSD Intensive Outpatient Program (PTSD-IOP)
  • Men’s Trauma Recovery Program (MTRP): Men’s residential treatment
  • Women’s Trauma Recovery Program (WTRP): Women’s residential treatment
• Services for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless
• Transition and care management for returning Veterans (OIF/OEF/OND)

Learn more about PTSD

Our pharmacy makes it easy for Veterans to get the medications and medical supplies they need quickly and conveniently. 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

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

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

Recreation and creative arts therapists provide non-traditional and innovative techniques that assist Veterans in reaching their treatment goals and obtaining improved health and quality of life. Our services include:

• Assess leisure functioning
• Develop programs based on assessed needs
• Implement and evaluate programs
• Discharge planning
• Community reintegration outings
• Public transportation education and utilization
• Community resource development
• Adaptive sports participation
• Evaluation of adaptive equipment
• Leisure education with Veterans and their families
• Water and land-based fitness and wellness programs
• Use of therapy dogs
• Art therapy
• Music therapy
• Massage therapy
• Stress management
• Relapse prevention
• Coping techniques

For any questions regarding our pools and fitness facilities at VA Palo Alto and Menlo Park, please call 650-493-5000, Palo Alto ext. 65531, or Menlo Park ext. 22841.

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

Learn more about VA long-term care

If you’re returning from military service, we can help you readjust to civilian life and get started with VA health care. We can also help connect you with programs like mental health services and education and career counseling.

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

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. Our sleep specialists can help. Referrals can be discussed with your primary care provider.

We offer diagnostic testing, education, and treatments like:

• Group education classes at multiple locations that provide insight into common sleep disorders as well as classes focusing on sleep apnea
• Home sleep testing to diagnose sleep apnea by tracking your breathing, oxygen levels, and breathing effort
• Treatment of sleep apnea with positive airway pressure therapy (such as CPAP) along with necessary supplies, including masks and tubing
• Specialized respiratory therapist clinics (CPAP clinics) to maximize the effectiveness and comfort of CPAP, available either in person, over the phone, or by video visits
• Remote monitoring of CPAP data and remote adjustments to settings
• Individual clinics with nurse practitioners (NPs) and sleep physicians
• Coordination with other doctors if you need surgery, dental appliances, or additional specialty care to help you get a good night’s sleep

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:

• Our TeleQuit Program (650-493-5000, ext. 60557, or direct line 650-849-0557) to quit smoking or stop using nicotine products including cigarettes, vape, and smokeless tobacco. Patients may self-refer.
• 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

Social work is an important part of health care and overall well-being. 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:

• Relationship problems
• Managing the loss of a loved one
• Navigating benefits and VA
• Understanding available services
• Living safely at home
• How to support a loved one
• Housing, financial, transportation, and legal services
• Community living

Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) Program

Whole health centers around what matters to you, not what is the matter with you. This means working with you to develop a personalized health plan based on your values, needs, and goals. A plan that you and your health care team will use to guide and plan your care throughout your VA experience. Whole health integrates not only traditional clinical care, but helps to activate you on self-care skills and tools to keep you healthy and doing the things that work for you. In addition, whole health is helping to make more complementary and integrative health offerings available.

Call 650-849-0131 to speak with a Whole Health Coach today!

Well-being:

• Tai chi / Qi gong
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Guided imagery

Treatment

• Chiropractor and acupuncture
• Biofeedback
• Clinical hypnosis
• Massage therapy

View our whole health offerings

Learn more about VA whole health