Do you have a My HealtheVet Account? 

Time to Upgrade Your Account!

My HealtheVet is VA’s online patient portal that gives you access to your health information so you can understand and manage your VA care.

Beginning September 1, 2021, all My HealtheVet Advanced accounts will be discontinued. That means it is time to upgrade to a Premium account as soon as possible.

Premium accounts enhance security, better protect your personal information, and allow you to securely access your VA health information at any time.

Using your My HealtheVet Premium account, you will be able to:

• Request VA prescription refills, track your VA medications, and access your current VA prescriptions and prescription history.
• View, download, and print your VA health information, reports, and images from your VA medical record.
• Send online secure messages to your VA care team to ask them non-urgent health questions, renew your medications, and send updates on your condition.
• View, schedule, reschedule, and cancel VA appointments.

Upgrading your My HealtheVet Account is free!

You may upgrade your current My HealtheVet Advanced account to Premium status in person, online, or through a video appointment. To upgrade online, you will need your DS Logon Premium or ID.me secure sign-in credentials.

If you want to upgrade in person, please bring a valid form of government ID, such as your VA ID Card, Driver’s License, or Passport to the Erie VA My HealtheVet office. In addition, VA Video Connect virtual appointments are available for account upgrade assistance.

Learn more at www.myhealth.va.gov, watch the My HealtheVet Premium video, or call toll-free 1-800-274-8387 and ask for the My HealtheVet office.

Pennsylvania Mandate - Reporting to PA Department of Transportation (PennDOT)

Veterans and family members, please be advised VISN 4 – Veterans Integrated Services Network 4 – holds a Standing Request for Information letter with PennDOT to report medical conditions that could impair an individual’s ability to safely operate a motor vehicle within 10 days of awareness.

NOTE: Reports to PennDOT are not required if the condition is expected to last less than 90 days. Disclosure is not currently permitted to other states.

What does this mean to you? To help PennDOT detect those drivers who are unable to drive safely, health care personnel in Pennsylvania are mandated by law to report patients who have conditions that impair safe driving.

This is important for the safety of the driver and everyone with whom they share the road. It is everyone's right to be protected from death, injury, or property loss caused by drivers unable to safely operate a motor vehicle because of a medical condition.

For more information on Medical Reporting requirements in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, visit: https://www.dmv.pa.gov/Information-Centers/Medical-Reporting/Pages/MedicalReporting.aspx

ATLAS Open House - Join Us! 

We are pleased to invite you to the ATLAS Open House on Wednesday, September 15, 2021 from noon until 5:00 p.m. at the VFW Post 7842 located at 6913 Gehrton Road in Linesville, PA.

Erie VAMC launched a new ATLAS (Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations) site in close collaboration with the Linesville VFW Post 7842, in February 2021.

ATLAS aims to bring VA care closer to home for Veterans living in rural areas. The site offers VA clinical services that do not require hands-on exams, which include routine primary care visits, health education appointments, social work visits, and specialty care services such as visual impairment support services.

We are grateful to the VFW Post 7842 for helping VA reduce barriers to service for rural Veterans. Please help us share the good news of the ATLAS location!

COVID-19 Clinic Update

Veterans, caregivers, and family members:

Please be advised the COVID-19 vaccination clinic location has moved to the first floor Primary Care Red Clinic.

Vaccine remains available on Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Walk-in appointments are available, yet we ask that you schedule an appointment. Call 814-868-8661, press 2 to schedule your vaccine appointment today!

Everyone who enters a VA facility must wear a mask and maintain social distancing.

When you arrive, you will be screened upon entering the facility, then directed to check in with a Medical Support Assistant or designated attendant, upon entering the clinic area. 

You may need to wait for staff to prepare your vaccine. We appreciate your patience. 

Teaching Kitchen - Come Cook with Us! 

Women’s Health invites all enrolled women Veterans to the table – virtually!

The Erie VAMC Virtual Cook-Along Teaching Kitchen supports healthy meal planning and prep for women Veterans.

The program includes 3 weekly classes on topics such as better health, heart health, and bone health.

All participants receive recipes, prep sheets, cooking utensils, and non-perishable food items before the start of each session! The program is flexible, with 3 start dates from which to choose.

Start dates include August 3, August 24, or September 14, 2021. Each class begins at 10:00 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m.

Contact Chelsey Kirk in Women’s Health at 814-860-2752 to sign up and gain additional information about this heart healthy opportunity!

Upcoming Mental Health Summit

SAVE THE DATE:

Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. until noon, via Microsoft Teams.

Each year, the Erie VA Medical Center hosts a Mental Health Summit to present educational and informational resources to our Veterans and their family members, along with community partners.

This year, we are proud to collaborate with subject matter experts across the VA and within the region.

Topics include: community engagement, suicide prevention, and mobile crisis outreach.

More details to come next month!

Women's Health Focus Group

Erie VAMC Women Veterans Program will host a public forum in the coming months to hear directly from women Veterans in the region.

Lend your voice to the conversation! We are proud to support women Veterans and we value their insight. 

To register, contact Chelsey Kirk, Program Support Assistant, in Women’s Health at 814-860-2752.