Veterans…Our Healthcare Priority & Our National Pride

WELCOME

The staff welcomes you to the Corpus Christi VA Outpatient Clinic. Please take a few minutes to read this brochure that explains our office procedures and describes how to obtain high quality medical care, 24-hours-a-day, 7 days a week. 

Primary care is when one provider coordinates all your medical care. You will usually see this provider, however; when needed, you will be referred for specialty tests or treatment. Reports of this care are returned to the primary care provider, who can coordinate all your care.

In addition to primary care, this clinic has mental health, orthopedic, nutrition, podiatry, social work, and physical therapy services available to eligible veterans. Please ask your primary care provider for more information.

The Corpus Christi VA Outpatient Clinic does not provide after hour care. The clinic closes at 4:30 p.m. weekdays and is closed weekends and holidays. Tele-Care is available providing 24-hour telephone medical advice to veteran-patients. This service has bilingual capability and provides prompt, reliable, and courteous answers to patients’ questions. Calling the VA’s toll free number at 1-888-686-6350 can access this service.

This is not an emergency facility. If you have a medical emergency, call 911or your local medical emergency room at your expense, unless you are eligible for private care at VA expense.

We operate on scheduled appointments.   Please make sure you know your next appointment date before you leave.

Report to the clinic 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time to park your car and register with the receptionist.

Please call our clinic's Telephone Liaison Care (TLC) number (361) 806-5645 or toll free 1-877-672-8222, when you need to cancel or change appointments.  If possible, please reschedule at that time.  Scheduling hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

You are encouraged to keep all scheduled appointments.  Failure to report as scheduled can result in your not receiving treatment and medications necessary to your health.

Give your current telephone number and address to the clinic clerk at each visit.  Please bring all your insurance information to each visit.

If you do not have an appointment, please call the clinic's TLC number before you come.  This can prevent unnecessary waiting after you arrive.  Sometimes your problem can be taken care of by telephone and you can avoid a trip.

Adequate parking is adjacent to the building to accommodate your needs.

VA prescribed medications and supplies may be obtained through the VA Pharmacy. Refills may be obtained using TeleMed, our 24-hour telephone refill service, 1-800-209-7377 or by mailing your prescription refill slip to 5283 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, Texas, 78405. In order to receive your medication on time, please call in your refills at least two weeks before running out. If the remaining refills on each label reads “0”, call your provider for an appointment to renew your prescription. Allow 10-14 days to receive medication in the mail.

TeleMed instructions:
A touch-tone phone is necessary.  Tele-Med will ask for the following:
1. Social security number (followed by the # sign)
2. Prescription number – numeric part only (followed by the # sign)
* Please have your information ready before you call.

In order to receive your medications promptly, you should enter prescription numbers as soon as possible. Your prescription will be mailed 10 days before you run out.

Inform the clinic of any address changes. If the medication does not arrive as expected, call the Tele-Med number and the computer will prompt you with information. If you have further questions, call the clinic number and ask to speak with a pharmacist.

Open Access Scheduling is a patient-friendly system that will allow you to schedule an appointment with your provider in a timely manner. Our goal is to schedule you within five to seven days of your appointment request, at a time that is both convenient for you and your provider.

How does the Open Access Scheduling System work?
• At the end of each visit, your provider will determine whether a follow-up visit is required.
• If a follow-up visit is required, then your provider will recommend an approximate date for your next visit.
• If your provider wants you to return within 30 days, you will be scheduled an appointment before you leave the clinic.
• If the recommended return date is beyond 30 day, you will be mailed a reminder letter two weeks prior to that date, advising you to call for an appointment.
• When you call, every effort will be made to schedule you within 5 to 7 working days.
• If you develop a medical problem prior to your next scheduled visit, you may call the Telephone Triage Nurse for direction,

(361) 806-5645
1-877-672-8222
0800 - 1630, M-T-W-F
1000 - 1630,Thursday
or
1 (888) 686-6350
All Other Times
• If you are in the clinic and need to call to schedule an appointment, there is a courtesy phone available in the clinic front lobby.
• If you do not receive a reminder letter and you believe the time has passed to schedule an appointment, please call: (361) 806-5645 or toll free 1-877-672-8222.

You have the right to:

• Respectful care
• Complete information
• Informed consent
• Refuse treatment
• Privacy
• Confidentiality
• Acceptance for treatment
• Information about affiliation
• Refuse experimental treatment
• Knowledge of hospital regulations
• Information about continuing care
• Information about billing

For more information, contact the
Health Benefits Advisor at (361) 806-5645 or toll free 1-877-672-8222