Montana VA Health Care System

Montana VA offers same day access to primary care and mental health services

The Montana VA Health Care System is now offering Same-Day access to primary care and mental health care services. This means that Veterans with a clinical need for care right away will have it addressed the same day by the most appropriate means available:

• If you need care right away during regular business hours, you are able to get services the same day, or if after hours, by the next day (Mon thru Fri) from your local VA facility.
• This care may be delivered by your provider or another appropriate clinical staff member based on availability and your care needs.
• Same-Day Services will not reduce the availability of emergency care at VA Medical Centers. For a medical emergency always call 911 or report to the emergency room closest to where you are located.
• A clinically appropriate encounter based on the need could be: a same day appointment with a primary care doctor; a medical advice telephone call from a nurse; a telehealth or tele-mental health encounter; a prescription refill; a secure message; or, a walk-in appointment to a clinic or to an emergency facility

Same-Day Services have been made possible by a number of local and national initiatives intended to improve access and enhance the experience of Veterans. These include:

Telehealth Services are available at every VA facility in Montana and several tribal health facilities across the state. The Montana VA Health Health Care System uses telehealth programs to assist Veterans with access to care and specialties which are not available locally. 

Call Centers have been established within the Montana VA Health Care System to assist Veterans with their needs by putting them in contact with the services they need. These call centers can be reached by dialing the main Fort Harrison VA Medical Center number, (406)442-6410, and selecting one of the following options:

• Option 7, Veterans Crisis Line: VCL connects Veterans in crisis and their families & friends with qualified, caring VA responders. VCL can also be accessed directly by dialing 1-800-273-8255, texting a message to 838255, or chat online. Support for deaf and hard of hearing individuals is also available.
• Option 1, Pharmacy: refill your prescription, check the status of a refill, or speak to a Montana VA pharmacist about your medications
• Option 2, Schedule an Appointment: check on a scheduled appointment, schedule a primary care or mental health appointment, request Same Day Access to primary care or mental health services
• Option 3, Triage Nurse: speak directly to a Montana VA registered nurse about a medical condition or problem you are having
• Option 4, Eligibility: speak to the Montana VA business office to apply or determine your eligibility for health care services
• Option 5, Billing Questions: Veterans can speak to a representative about a bill they have received from the VA or a non-VA provider
• NOTE: all call center services are provided by Montana VA staff, Mon - Fri, 8am to 4:30pm (excluding federal holidays). Calls after hours to the Pharmacy, Scheduling or Triage Nurse lines will be transferred to a VA Triage Nurse call center in Dayton, OH. They can provide all of the same services as the local triage nursing staff. They may also be able to answer general questions in regards to scheduled appointments and medications.

Secure Messaging can be used to send and receive secure messages about your health care concerns. By using the My HealtheVet Secure Messaging service, Veterans can communicate online with with their primary care team, a VA pharmacist, a patient advocate, or, in some cases, a specialty care provider. Secure Messaging is a safe and secure web-based messaging service. To learn more, visit the website or contact the MyHealtheVet coordinator located at the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center at (406) 447-7437.

COMING SOON: Direct Audiology/Optometry Scheduling. Once implemented, this service will no longer require Veterans to see their primary care provider to get a referral for eye or hearing exams. Instead, Veterans will be able to work directly with audiology and optometry/ophthalmological staff. Direct Scheduling is currently not available due to staffing shortages within the Montana VA Health Care System. Currently, staff are working diligently to develop an alternate means to achieve this service for Montana's Veterans. An update is expected by Summer 2017. 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Q. Does Same-Day Services replace emergency room care? A. No. All VA emergency departments and/or urgent care clinics will continue to operate as they always have. Veterans should continue to utilize these services if they are experiencing a medical emergency.

Q. What types of care will Veterans be able to seek on the same day? A. Same-Day Services refers to primary care and mental health care, as clinically appropriate.

Q. Does this mean Veterans are guaranteed same day appointments? A. When a Veteran comes into a VA facility or calls, depending on the urgency of his or her need VA will address the issues that day or develop a plan for appropriate follow-up care based on the clinical need.

Q. How does a Veteran contact his or her VA provider to have their needs assessed? A. Veterans can contact their provider on the telephone or use secure messaging through My HealtheVet. In the future, additional options, including virtual visits, may be available at some VA facilities.

Q. Can a Veteran still make appointments for future dates? A. Yes, VA will still schedule future appointments for specialty care and non-urgent primary care and mental health care.