VA’s Community Care Network (CCN) urgent care locations and retail pharmacies now offer COVID-19 vaccinations nationwide for eligible Veterans in accordance with local, state or territorial vaccination plans.

VA is working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners to provide COVID-19 vaccines to eligible Veterans at VA medical facilities and in-network community locations. VA is currently distributing COVID-19 vaccines to Veterans who receive care at VA and are at a high risk from COVID-19 based on VA and CDC risk criteria. As more vaccines become available, VA remains committed to providing vaccinations to all eligible Veterans.

By enabling CCN providers and pharmacies to deliver free vaccine-only services to Veterans, VA is directly contributing to the nation’s critical need for additional inoculation locations. This opportunity does not give eligible Veterans priority over others seeking vaccinations at any location.

Community care eligible Veterans can identify in-network urgent care facilities and retail pharmacies by using VA’s facility locator. Eligible Veterans are encouraged to call the community care provider of choice to ensure the site has vaccines available and to determine if an appointment is available. Veterans are encouraged to download the pharmacy information card to present at the community care location where the vaccine is being administered.

As with all health care in the community, Veterans are encouraged to consult local and state resources for COVID-19 vaccination availability and consider VA facilities for the vaccination.

VA implemented changes to its community provider emergency treatment reporting process on Feb. 15, 2021.

As of Feb. 15, 2021, VA requested all emergency notifications be reported through either:

• Emergency Care Reporting (ECR) portal
• or by calling 844-72HRVHA (844-724-7842).

VA is allowing a two-week transition period before discontinuing email and fax as an acceptable method of notification. On Mar. 1, 2021, email and fax notification will no longer be accepted to minimize vulnerabilities to Veterans’ protected health information and streamline the notification and decision process. As part of this change, providers will also be required to include a valid email address for decision correspondence when reporting emergency treatment.

Emergency care decision communication has historically been returned to community providers via encrypted email.  The encrypted email securely contained both personal identification information (PII) and decision information. To improve decision communication, as of Mar. 1, 2021, VA will no longer include PII in outgoing correspondence. Providers will need the notification identification number assigned upon submission of reporting to correlate authorization decision to reported emergency events. 

Please send questions to ProviderExperience@va.gov.

Please take the opportunity to attend the very popular, twice a week, 20-minute, live VA webcast known as COVID-in-20 (C20).

C20 is hosted by Dr. Chad Kessler, National Program Director for VHA Emergency Medicine, and VA subject matter experts from the field who join him to address today’s hottest topics: Lessons from the Field…For the Field!

C20 occurs every Tuesday and Thursday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Past session topics have included:

• COVID and Homelessness
• VA Contact Center Helping You Answer the Call to COVID
• You Can’t Crush a Cluster with It Producing at Least a Little Whine
• Anticipating the Emergency EMS Rescues Veterans
• Vaccinating the Largest Integrated Healthcare System in the U.S.

CEU credit will be available for community providers in future sessions; information coming soon!

Upcoming events:  

• 2/23 – Leadership and advocacy in the greater medical community: Who’s speaking up for you?
  • Featuring Dr. Gillian Schmitz
• 2/25 – COVID Questions: How Long Are We Contagious? When Should We Isolate? Isolate or Quarantine?
  • Featuring Dr. Mel Anderson, Dr. Stephen Kralovic

Past recordings are free and available anytime for your viewing and easy listening enjoyment

• To watch past episode recordings, click here

Access Details:

When:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:30 pm EDT

 Where:

• Log-on with Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge on Adobe Connect, http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/emmeet/

PLEASE NOTE: Adobe Connect does not work with Internet Explorer.

• AUDIO: Please use Adobe Connect for best audio results
  If Adobe Connect will not work, then please call 1-800-767-1750 and enter 12328.

Click here to opt in and receive C20 Communications.

James, an 81-year-old retired Army Veteran, was referred to community provider Midwest Clinic of Dermatology in St. Cloud, Minnesota for an evaluation of skin cancer cells on his face.  “As important as his skill was in the treatment, more important, at least to me, was his bedside manner,” said retired Army Veteran James A., from St. Cloud Minnesota.

Read the full story published in VAntage Point on Sunday, Feb. 14^th, 2021

Check out these provider-focused blogs also posted in VAntage recently:

• How Veterans, designated caregivers can get COVID-19 vaccine from VA (Feb. 9, 2021)
• Veteran and his wife get help from VA in cancer fight (Jan. 25, 2021)
• Community Providers: Help Veterans #FightFlu (Jan. 7, 2021)

Webinar: VHA Office of Community Care Overview (March 18, 2020, 1-3:00 pm ET)

This webinar provides an overview of community care programs and policies, focuses on how to file clean claims, covers topics such as urgent and emergent Veteran care, eligibility, referral, and other provider issues. 

Register for the webinar through VHA TRAIN. Don’t have an account? Create one.