|
WELCOME
Our staff welcomes you to the
South Texas VA Health Care
Center at Harlingen. Please
take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the Health Care Center.
We offer quality healthcare Monday, Wednesday thru Friday from 8:00 a.m.
– 4:30 p.m. and on Tuesdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. The center is closed
on weekends and national holidays.
-
Team approach to reach goals
-
Efficient, timely service
-
Awesome attitude of patient staff
-
Maximizing benefits through education and awareness
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 center has a laboratory, mental health,
nutrition, social work, and services
available to eligible veterans. Please ask your primary care provider for more
information.
The Health Care Center does not
provide after hour care. The center 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.
TeleCare
The
TeleCare provides telephone medical advice to veterans of the South Texas
Veterans Health Care System.
The service has bilingual capability and provides prompt, reliable and
courteous answers to patient's questions.
Veteran-patients and their family members can contact the VA's toll free
number at 1-888-686-6350 to access
TeleCare.
The
Harlingen Outpatient center does not provide emergency services. If you have a
medical emergency, call 911or your local medical emergency room.
We operate on scheduled appointments.
Our appointment system is designed to provide you with a reminder letter
prompting you to call our center when it is time for you to schedule your next
visit. It is your responsibility to contact us in order to schedule your
appointment once you receive the prompt letter.
Report to the center 15 to 30 minutes
before your scheduled appointment to allow time to park your car and register
with the receptionist.
You are encouraged to keep all scheduled
appointments. Failure to report as
scheduled may result delays in receiving treatment and medications necessary to
your health. Give your current telephone number and address to the center clerk
at each visit. Please bring all
your insurance information to each visit.
We
encourage you to provide a list of all
the medications you are taking, to your primary care provider.
These include medications you receive from private sector centerians and
over the counter medications along with herbals and multivitamins.
Adequate parking is adjacent to the building
to accommodate your needs.
All prescriptions are available through
the VA unless you are told otherwise. Refills
may be obtained from the center pharmacy or using TeleMed,
our 24-hour telephone refill service. You
are responsible for mailing or calling your refill request at least 10-14 days
before the last dose is taken. Each
prescription label states the number of refills remaining.
If you receive a medication which list “0” refills and you have been
instructed to continue the medication, telephone the center’s nursing staff
immediately so that either a new prescription can be written or an appointment
can be scheduled.
TeleMed is our 24-hour telephone refill
service, reached by calling 1-800-209-7377.
Have your complete social security number available and all refill
numbers ready to enter into your telephone keypad.
A touch-tone telephone is necessary.
Inform the center of any address changes to receive your medications as soon as
possible. If you feel that a
medication has not arrived when expected, please do not wait until your next
appointment; call the center number and ask to speak with the nurse.
Telephone calls concerning medications and health-related
matters are welcomed.
Your call will be taken by trained personnel who will ask for the name of the
person calling, the name of the patient, the last four numbers of the social
security number, symptoms and duration of illness, and a telephone call back
number.
This information will be given to your nurse and/or primary care provider who
will call you back. Telephone calls
will be returned as soon as possible.
This information will be
given to your nurse and/or primary care provider who will call you back.
Telephone calls will be returned as soon as possible.
If you have any medical
questions or problems between visits, please call us between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00
p.m., Monday through Friday. If
your problem or concerns cannot be handled over the telephone, you will be:
1. Told to call 911 if it is an emergency.
2. Told to come to the center that day.
3.
Given an appointment in the next few days.
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
- Get your medicine refilled
- Bring a relative with you when you see the doctor
For
more information, contact:
Health
Benefits Advisor:
(956)
366-4500
|
