Health services

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

• Immediate Life-Saving Care when you need it most
• Little to no wait times
• Mental health conditions

Only Available at Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center

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

Our gynecologists focus on the female reproductive system and provide services that include:

• Mammograms for breast cancer - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Screenings for sexually transmitted disease, and Pap tests for cervical cancer
• Counseling and treatment for contraception, pregnancy, and infertility
• Osteoporosis screening for brittle bones
• Exams for abnormal uterine bleeding, pelvic pain, or various cancers
• Primary care checkups

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 services

Learn more about our Pharmacy residency program

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:

• Blood work and Advanced Lab Testing
• Mental health care
• Women's health care
• Imaging Services - Radiology - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Allentown VA Clinic, Columbia Co. VA Clinic)
• 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  - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• 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 our Women Veterans Program Manager

We help Veterans on their recovery journey through outpatient and inpatient services. Our residential facility helps Veterans deal with substance abuse, homelessness, mental health, and unemployment through its 24-hour therapeutic and educational programs like:

Rehabilitation, Health maintenance, Community support

Substance Abuse Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SARRTP). This programs provide a residential level of care to Veterans with Substance Use Disorders.

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
• Posttraumatic stress disorder "PTSD"
• Anxiety, addictive behaviors, and personality disorders
• Aggressive or self-harming behaviors

Learn more about our Mental health care program

We offer care for military sexual trauma in our mental (behavioral) health 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 how to get support for MST 

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.

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

Good mental health is a vital part of your overall wellness. Our psychiatry teams offer consultation, evaluation, and treatment to help you with a range of mental and behavioral health problems, including:

• 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 case managers
• Gun safety locks

Suicide Prevention Annual Report (va.gov)

Learn more and connect with a care coordinator

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

Whether your amputation was due to trauma or medical necessity, our specially trained physiatrists and nurse practitioners can help you maximize your independence, achieve your goals, and return to doing the things you enjoy. Our services include:

• Initial prosthesis selection and fitting
• Prosthesis adjustments
• Therapy aid training
• Prosthesis changes to achieve independence and activity goals

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

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

Bariatric surgery, also called weight loss surgery, reduces the size of your stomach and length of your small intestine to limit the amount of food that can be eaten or absorbed. Bariatric surgery can be done in several ways: 

• Gastric bypass, also called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, shrinks stomach size and re-routes your digestive system so you don’t absorb as much food
• Sleeve gastrectomy removes part of your stomach, leaving only a slender “sleeve” 

Learn more about our bariatric surgery program.

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

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" -  (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

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 health care plan for you. Your chiropractor can work with your primary care doctor and other specialty care providers to offer many treatments like:

●    Spinal manipulative 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

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

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

• Treatment of medically necessary skin conditions, like skin cancer and rashes
• Specialized treatments for acute (short-term) and chronic (long-lasting) skin conditions, like psoriasis, eczema, warts, and fungal illnesses
• Evaluation, biopsy, and treatment of cancerous or precancerous skin conditions, like abnormal moles and lesions.
• Referrals for complex conditions
• Teledermatology (a telehealth resource), which gives patients quick access to expert opinions

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 Wilkes-Barre health care

We diagnose and treat hormone imbalances and other problems with your endocrine system. Such problems may cause or contribute to serious medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, and thyroid or parathyroid disorders. Your primary care doctor can refer you for treatment at any time. We also welcome walk-ins in some locations. 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

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

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, pancreas, and gallbladder. Our gastroenterology department provides services like:

• Colonoscopy, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) 

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

We test for, evaluate, and treat for many infectious diseases. You’ll need a referral from your primary care physician to get these services. We offer: 

• Testing and screening for hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases
• Prevention strategies and treatment
• Counseling and compassionate care for people who live with infectious diseases

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"

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

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

Our team of kidney doctors (nephrologists) actively manage all aspects of adult kidney disease; high blood pressure (hypertension); kidney and bladder stones; and mineral and bone disorders. We provide inpatient and outpatient care services like:

• Dialysis preparation and referral to community care providers
• Onsite dialysis (inpatient and outpatient) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Kidney transplant work up and referral
• Kidney disease education and treatment options
• Vascular access education and coordination

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

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  - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Treatment for eye conditions related to illnesses like diabetes or arthritis

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

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. We treat conditions like:

• Musculoskeletal trauma
• Degenerative illnesses
• Sports injuries

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

Our palliative and hospice care services support you and your family as you cope with a life-threatening or terminal illness. Palliative care works to provide comfort, reduce suffering, and improve the quality of life for patients being treated for serious illnesses. Hospice care focuses on helping patients with terminal illnesses to manage the final stages of their lives. Our palliative and hospice care services include:

• Pain and symptom management
• Emotional, spiritual, and psychosocial support for you and your family
• Help with practical issues that include an advance directive (living will), health care power of attorney, funeral arrangements, and applying for VA death and burial benefits
• Education to help you and your family make informed health care decisions and know what to expect as your health declines
• Bereavement care to help surviving family members during the grieving process

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre Healthcare

Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R), also known as physiatrists, is a branch of medicine which aims to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to those with physical impairments and disabilities.

Physiatrist

Physiatrist physicians treat a wide variety of medical conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and tendons. PM&R physicians evaluate and treat injuries, illnesses, and disability, and are experts in designing comprehensive, patient-centered treatment plans to maximize function and quality of life.

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
• 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
• Foot and ankle fracture treatment; repair of cartilage, torn tendons and ligaments
• Injections to reduce pain and swelling
• Joint reconstructive procedures 
• 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
• Other devices and services to help increase your mobility, dignity, and independence
• Clothing allowance for Veterans with devices that damage their clothing

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.

Our pulmonary medicine team diagnoses and treats a variety of lung and breathing conditions. We help manage both chronic and acute respiratory illnesses, providing support to improve lung function and overall respiratory health.

If you have difficulty breathing or sleeping, our pulmonary (lung) specialists can help. We offer education, evaluations, and treatment options such as:

• Oxygen therapy to help you stay active and breathe better
• Pulmonary function tests to assess lung function, lung volumes, and arterial blood gases
• Sleep lab testing to diagnose and manage obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and central sleep apnea (CSA) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Advanced diagnostic procedures including bronchoscopies, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), and ION robotic-assisted bronchoscopy - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)

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

Radiation oncology services are supplied via community care.  Radiation oncologists specialize in treating patients with external and internal radiation therapy or radiotherapy. You doctor can use radiation to treat cancer and control its growth or relieve pain. The radiation therapy you receive depends on the cancer type, tumor size and location, your general health, and your other treatments

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

• X-ray - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Allentown VA Clinic, Columbia Co. VA Clinic)
• Ultrasound - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, Allentown VA Clinic)
• Mammography (mammograms) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Computer tomography (CT) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Positron emission tomography (PET) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - (Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center)

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.

Rheumatology provides diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the joints, soft tissues, and connective tissues. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, timely and state-of-the-art rheumatology care to the Veteran population. Some of these rheumatic conditions include:

• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Lupus
• Vasculitis
• Myositis

We also treat regional musculoskeletal problems. Patient cases are managed by a multidisciplinary team to ensure continuity of care.

Services: Appointments with the department of Rheumatology require a referral by your primary care provider.

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

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre Healthcare

Speech-language pathologists provide high quality, comprehensive, caring and timely services to individuals who have a wide range of communication and swallowing disorders.  Speech-language pathology services include the early identification or screening, evaluation, and treatment for speech, swallowing, language, voice and cognitive- communication disorders.  Services are provided based on applying the best available research evidence, using expert clinical judgment, and considering the patient’s individual preferences and values.  

Speech-language pathologists are involved in the screening, evaluation, and treatment of a broad range of communication and swallowing disorders, including:

• Speech disorders:  When a person is unable to produce speech sounds precisely or fluently then they may have a speech disorder.  Difficulty pronouncing sounds or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders.  Speech-language pathologists offer treatment for motor speech disorders and accent modification. An individual with a regional or foreign accent is not being understood at school or work and may benefit from treatment.
• Language disorders:  Difficulty understanding the spoken language and verbal expression is often due to stroke or traumatic brain injury.  Aphasia is a language disorder frequently seen after trauma to the left hemisphere of the brain and includes difficulty in speaking, listening, reading, writing, and gesturing, but does not affect intelligence.  Speech-language pathologists provide individual and group treatment for individuals with aphasia.
• Cognitive disorders:  Cognitive problems include difficulty with attention, memory, orientation, organization, and problem-solving.  A speech-language pathologist will work with the patient and their family to improve cognitive skills or to develop compensatory strategies designed to improve ability to function at home, school, and work.
• Voice disorders:  Speech-language pathologists provide evaluation and treatment for disorders of voice including pitch, loudness, and nasal resonance.

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

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

Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Surgery Service

We offer a wide range of surgical services from minor same day surgery procedures to complex procedures involving specialized high-tech equipment including: 

• Accredited Bariatric Surgical Program
  • Robotic Assisted RYGBP and Sleeve Gastrectomy
• General Surgery
  • Robotic Assisted Cholecystectomy, Hernia, Colon Resection,
  • Endocrine surgery for thyroid and parathyroid
  • General Surgical Procedures
• Orthopedic
  • Robotic Assisted Total Joint Replacement(s)
  • General Orthopedic Surgery
• Ophthalmology
  • Cataract
  • General Ophthalmic Surgery
• Urology
• Thoracic
  • Video assisted lung resections
  • Other thoracic procedures
• Vascular surgery

Have questions prior to your surgery or need to cancel?

Please notify the Short Procedure Unit at 570-824-3521, ex. 24807/24806

Need transportation and accommodations prior to your surgery?
Please inform a member of your surgical team (Surgeon, Physician Assistant, IMPACT Team, or Nurse Navigator)  

Before Your Surgery

A staff member will call you the business day before your scheduled surgery to confirm and remind you of your appointment. If you do not receive a phone call the day before your scheduled surgery, call Short Procedure Unit at /24806 or 1-/24806 before 4:30 p.m.

If you have any questions about your pre-operative instructions, or if you are experiencing any change in condition such as the following, please contact the Short Procedure Unit at /24806 or 1-/24806 before 4:30 p.m. 

• Cold
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Skin breakage/infection(s) including cuts, lacerations on the body, etc.  
• Falls
• Any active illness
• If you were admitted to an emergency room or another hospital between now and your procedure date

IMPORTANT REMINDER
If you are planning to go home the same day as your surgery, you must have a responsible adult to drive you home. You are required to present to the Short Procedure Unit check-in window with your responsible adult.

*If you do not have a responsible adult with you to safely transport you home, your surgery may be cancelled and rescheduled to a time that these requirements can be met.

Preparing for Your Surgery:

• Do not eat or drink anything after midnight the night before your procedure.
• Do not smoke, use chewing tobacco, chewing gum, breath mints or cough drops the night before surgery.
• Medications can be taken with a few sips of water.
• Take your Beta Blocker as scheduled the day before and the morning of your surgery.
• Brushing your teeth or gargling is permitted.
• Shower the evening before the procedure using an antibacterial soap such as Dial or Safeguard .
• If you are given a surgical scrub (Betasept/Chlorhexidine) please use it to wash the surgical area the night before and the morning of the surgery as shown and instructed.

Other Reminders Before Your Surgery:

• Do not wear any jewelry, body piercings, wedding rings, makeup or nail polish.
• Do not bring any valuables to the hospital.
• If you wear contact lenses, glasses or dentures, bring a storage case to store them during the procedure.
• If you will be going home the same day as your surgery, you must have a responsible adult to drive you home. You will be discharged and required to be picked up from the Short Procedure Unit/4-West.

Please adhere to all the above instructions to avoid delay or cancellation of your surgery.

Medication(s)

Medication Instructions:  Please follow your provider's directions on what medications to take.

Diabetic Medication Instructions: Please follow the provider's directions on what diabetic medication to take.

*If you feel like your blood sugar is too low, you may drink a CLEAR sweetened liquid or can take glucose tablets even though you were told not to eat or drink after midnight. Clear liquids include apple juice, tea, Kool aid etc. Be sure to tell the nurse you did this when you arrive for surgery.

Other Special Instructions:  Do not drink alcoholic beverages 7 days before surgery. Do not take any recreational drugs 10 days before surgery.

Day of Surgery

When you arrive at the hospital on the morning of your surgery, please proceed to the 4th floor of the hospital and check into the Short Procedure Unit (SPU) to check in with the Medical Support Assistant at the SPU check-in window. This will notify the nurses that you are here for your surgery. After you register, have a seat in the waiting room and someone will come out to bring you back to the Short Procedure Unit. 

A nurse will obtain family or support person’s phone number and call them after obtaining and then they will be sent back to the waiting room,  cafeteria, or their own car to wait.

A nurse will help you get ready for your surgery and the anesthesia provider will talk to you about the medicines they will use during the surgery. A member of the anesthesia team will insert an IV tube into a vein in your arm for you to receive medicine during the procedure.

Following your surgery, you will go to the post-anesthesia care unit or recovery room to wake up. The nurses will monitor your blood pressure, heart rate, surgery site and comfort level.  Once you are completely awake, with no nausea and pain is under control, you will be moved to your own room on the 4th floor or back to the Short Procedure Unit for discharge to home.

The Recovery Process

At the conclusion of your surgery, the surgeon may go to the waiting room to give your family member an update on your progress. Your procedure may be over, but additional time is needed for the anesthesia staff to safely move you to the recovery room. Once you are moved to the Recovery Room, your family member will be notified. No visitors will be allowed in the Recovery Room.  If you are being admitted, the recovery room nurse will allow you to visit your family or support person during transit to the your hospital room.

Visitation Policy

No family or support person will be able to wait in the Short Procedure Unit with the patient.   Family or support person should wait in the Waiting room, Cafeteria or their own vehicle. A nurse will obtain support person’s phone number and call them you are ready for discharge.

Registered Nurse will communicate with family support person. 

After Your Surgery

You will receive a phone call within 24-96 hours from the VA staff. You will be asked brief questions about your recovery so far, and we will be happy to answer any questions you may have at that time. We thank you for your time and honesty.

If you have questions the day after your surgery, you can call the clinic where you saw your doctor. You may also call the Short Procedure Unit at /24806 from 7 a.m. to 430 p.m. Monday through Friday.

If you have questions after normal business hours, you may call the main facility at  or 1- and ask the operator to connect you with a member of the on-call surgical team. 

Go to your nearest Emergency Room if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Chest Pain
• Shortness of Breath
• Large amount of bloody drainage from your incision
• Fever higher than 101 degrees
• Chills
• Uncontrolled pain at the surgical site despite taking pain medication
• Cold blue extremity
• New numbness/tingling
• Inability to urinate
• Difficulty swallowing

It is very important for you to see your doctor at a follow up appointment. Please look at your discharge instructions to note your follow-up appointment. If you need to change the date or time, you can call the clinics at , 27963 or 27964

If you have any questions or concerns about your surgery, please contact your doctor. 

Discharge Instructions

Due to the sedation medication you received, you may experience lightheadedness, dizziness or sleepiness following your procedure for up to 24 hours. During this timeframe:

• Do not stay alone. Be sure to have another family member or responsible adult stay with you.
• Do not operate machinery or perform heavy lifting.
• Do not drive any motorized vehicle.
• Do not drink any alcoholic beverages.
• Do not make important personal or business decisions or sign any legal documents.

Following your surgery, it is important that you rest and follow the instructions provided on your discharge paperwork.

Call the Short Procedure Unit at /24807 during normal business hours if you have difficulty or develop any of the following symptoms:

• Fever
• Chills
• Unrelieved Pain
• Bleeding
• Drainage
• Signs/Symptoms of infection (redness, swelling)
• Unrelieved nausea and vomiting

If you develop any of the above symptoms after normal business hours, please call the main facility at  or 1- and ask the operator to connect you with a member of the on-call surgical team. 

Go to your local emergency room or call 911 if you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Chest Pain
• Shortness of Breath
• Large amount of bloody drainage from your incision
• Fever higher than 101 degrees
• Chills
• Uncontrolled pain at the surgical site despite taking pain medication
• Cold blue extremity
• New numbness/tingling
• Inability to urinate
• Difficulty swallowing

Outpatient Pharmacy

We perform chest surgery (also known as thoracic surgery) to treats conditions involving your chest, airway and esophagus.

Our thoracic surgeons provide state-of-the-art surgical techniques and cancer therapies that focus on your lungs and other organs of the chest. Many of our thoracic treatments also address problems with your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth and stomach), your trachea (airway), and your chest wall (rib cage and breastbone). We treat a variety of conditions that include:

• Lung cancer and cancer of the esophagus
• Benign chest and lung tumors
• Pleural illnesses, like pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and infections of the pleura (the thin membrane that lines the chest wall and covers the lungs)
• Achalasia, which occurs when nerve damage prevents your esophagus from pushing food into your stomach)
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into your esophagus and irritates the lining
• Diseases of the thymus, a small organ beneath your breastbone that produces cells that support your immune system and fight cancer

The Toxic Exposure Screening (TES) includes screening for a wide variety of agents that service members may have been exposed to during their military deployments or assignments.

Veterans enrolled with the VHA may ask your care team to start the Toxic Exposure Screen.

If you are not enrolled for VHA services, please contact our Eligibility & Enrollment office at Option 4. Once enrolled, you will be assigned a primary care team who will schedule your screening.

Additional toxic exposure screening (TES) fast facts:

• TES is not diagnostic and is not a part of the VA benefits claims process.
• Being screened is separate from joining a VA environmental health registry.
• The TES is repeated at least once every 5 years.
• If you choose not to be screened, you will have the option to decline until the following year.

To find out if you are eligible visit:

• www.va.gov/PACT
• www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp

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

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

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
• Provide you with additional help at home

Learn more about our  Caregiver support

We help homeless Veterans, or those 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 about our Homeless Veteran care program

We promote the health, welfare, and dignity of all 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:

• Substance use and alcohol treatment
• Testing and treatment for HIV and STIs "sexually transmitted infections"
• Mental health care

Learn more about our LGBQ Veteran care

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 African 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 about our Minority Veteran care program

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 about our Patient advocates

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

Care we provide at Stress management and social skills training

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
• Stress management and social skills training

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 <> 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 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

My HealtheVet is a web-based tool you can use to manage your care and improve your health from your computer or mobile device. You can access your personal health records and use tools to manage your care through our My HealtheVet online system. You can also use My HealtheVet to refill your prescriptions, track appointments, and read informative health articles. If you need help using My HealtheVet, you can contact our coordinator by phone or in person. With My HealtheVet, you can:

• Ask questions and exchange secure online messages with your VA health care team
• Check your lab and test results
• Refill your prescriptions, track delivery, and view a list of your medications
• Keep track of your VA medical appointments and get email reminders
• View, download, or print a copy of your VA medical records
• Enter or update your personal information

There is a My HealtheVet contact at each of our Community Based Outpatient Clinics.

Allentown CBOC: Richard Burton

Columbia Co. CBOC: Kimberly Jones 

Honesdale CBOC: Rita Leonardo

Northampton CBOC: Shelli Valko

Sayre CBOC: Kathleen K.

Tobyhanna CBOC: 1-

Williamsport CBOC: Jennie Borek

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.  Not all telehealth services are offered at each location. We suggest you check with your primary care physician to see if telehealth is an option for you.  We offer telehealth visits with providers at the following locations in:

       Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center

• Bariatric surgery (visit remotely with your weight-loss surgery team before and after your operation)
• Eye Screening
• Dermatology
• Amputee
• Cardiology
• Geriatric evaluation management
• Genomic (Geriatric counselor)
• GI Liver
• Mental health
• Neurology
• Palliative
• Parkinson's
• Primary care
• Rheumatology
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
• Telehealth Clinical Technician Visit

• Urology

  Allentown VA Clinic

• Amputee
• Dental
• GI Liver
• Low Vision
• Mental health
• Oncology
• Orthopedics
• Palliative
• Parkinson's
• Primary care
• Rheumatology

• Telehealth Clinical Technician Visit

  Columbia County VA Clinic

• Primary care
• Spirometry

• Mental health care social worker

  Northampton County VA Clinic

• Eye Screening
• Dermatology
• Primary care
• Spirometry

• Mental health psychiatry

  Sayre VA Clinic

• Eye Screening
• Dermatology
• Spirometry
• Amputee
• Endocrinology
• Mental health care social worker
• Mental health care Testing
• Neurology
• Palliative
• Primary care
• Rheumatology
• Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)

• Telehealth Clinical Technician Visit

  Tobyhanna VA Clinic

• Eye Screening
• Dermatology
• Spirometry
• Amputee
• Endocrinology
• Mental health psychiatry
• Rheumatology

• Telehealth Clinical Technician Visit

  Williamsport VA Clinic

• Eye Screening
• Dermatology
• Spirometry
• Amputee
• Endocrinology
• GI Liver
• Low Vision
• Mental health care Testing
• Neurology
• Palliative
• Parkinson's
• Primary care

• Telehealth Clinical Technician Visit

   

   

If you’re traveling for VA-approved care, we can repay you for the cost of using regular transportation that includes cars, planes, trains, buses, taxis, rideshare, or light rail. You may also be eligible for repayment when using ambulances, wheelchair vans, or ambulettes (non-emergency medical transportation).

If you are interested in making changes to support what’s most important to you and your well-being?  We’re here to partner with you to make it happen!  Your care team will use your mission, aspiration, and purpose to formulate a plan just for you.

Care we provide at VA Wilkes-Barre health care

Whole Health is VA’s approach to health care that is all about what matters to you, not what is the matter with you. Whole Health care empowers, equips, and encourages Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being.  It focuses on self-healing and self-care to help you adopt healthy living practices.  You will find all the resources and you need to get started on your Whole Health journey today, such as:

• Courses to learn more about Whole Health and explore your own Mission, Aspiration, and Purpose (MAP)
• Well-being courses to equip you with the tools you need
• Whole Health Coaching to help you set wellness goals and develop a plan to reach them
• Complementary and integrative health offerings, such as tai chi and battlefield acupuncture
• Mobile apps and online tools
• Get the Mobile App Live Whole Health app