St. Cloud VA

UPDATE

September 9, 2025

Urgent Care Clinic Operating Hours

To best serve Veterans using available resources the operating hours of the Urgent Care Clinic at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The Urgent Care Clinic offers services seven days a week, 365 days per year, including federal holidays.  

Veterans needing urgent care services can also continue to use the VA MISSION Act Urgent Care Benefit at VA’s in-network community locations. Use the VA Facility Locator to find in-network urgent care and pharmacy locations at: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/

Health care needs and services take many forms. Making sense of the type of care needed, and when and where to get needed care can be confusing.

Most care needs are grouped into three priority levels: routine, urgent or emergency needs.

Understanding the differences in these priority levels can help you get the right care in the right place and at the right time.

Routine Care includes annual physicals, health screenings, regular diabetes and blood pressure checks, medication renewals, and follow-up care. Follow-up care includes appointments after an urgent care visit, ER visit, hospital discharge, after surgery or seeing a specialist. Scheduling intervals can vary and are usually determined in coordination with your provider and care team..

Urgent Care is when you need immediate care for minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening, but which need to be addressed within 24-48 hours.

Urgent care is for health problems or symptoms like these:

• Sore throat or persistent cough
• Strains, sprains, or minor broken bones
• Deep cuts that are no longer bleeding a lot
• Allergies
• Mild burns
• Mild nausea or vomiting
• Urinary tract infection symptoms (like needing to urinate often or urgently, urine that looks cloudy or smells bad, pain when you urinate, or pain in your side, abdomen, or pelvic area)
• Urgent mental health or substance use concerns

Urgent care needs are provided in the St. Cloud VA Urgent Care Center in Bldg. 1 (available for walk-ins 7 days a week from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., including holidays) or at in-network community urgent care or retail clinics for eligible Veterans.

Find community urgent care or retail clinic locations at https://www.va.gov/find-locations/ or call 877-881-7618 (M-F, 7 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.).

See the Community Urgent Care Checklist on pages 6-8 of the attached Care Guide for helpful information on using the VA MISSION Act Urgent Care benefit at VA’s in-network community locations.

Emergency Care is needed any time you think your life or health is in danger. Go to the nearest emergency room or call 911 right away.

The St. Cloud VA does not have an emergency department, acute medical care services, or after-hours outpatient services at any of our locations. The Urgent Care Clinic should not be used for emergency needs. If you need emergency care, you don’t need a VA referral or approval to go to a non-VA emergency room in your community! See the Care Guide for additional details.

Simpler VA Travel Claims Right From Your Phone

Eligible Veterans can now submit mileage-only travel reimbursement claims through the VA Health and Benefits mobile app. This new feature saves time, reduces paperwork, and makes it easier to access your benefits with just a few taps on your mobile device.

What this means for you Submit mileage-only travel reimbursement claims for VA-approved health care appointments using the VA Health and benefits mobile app. Access a travel claim option on the app’s home screen after an eligible appointment. Review and submit your claim directly in the app. Track the status of your claim without completing or mailing paper forms.

How to submit your travel claim Watch a short video to see how easy it is to submit your travel claim. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbB0BiXDFEo)

Get started today by downloading or updating the VA Health and Benefits app. (https://mobile.va.gov/app/va-health-and-benefits)

Print the Simple VA Travel Claims Flyer

It is important to recognize signs that you or someone you know may be in a mental health crisis

What's Important to Know?

People can experience emotional or mental health distress in response to a wide range of situations. Distress may be triggered by troubles such as problems in personal relationships or loss of a job.  This distress can get worse and lead some people to consider hurting or even killing themselves (suicide). In general, Veterans are at a higher risk of suicide than civilians.

These warning signs may indicate that someone is experiencing emotional distress, a crisis and/or possibly having thoughts of suicide:

• Hopelessness, feeling like there's no way out
• Anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, or mood swings
• Talking about death, dying, or suicide
• Feeling like there is no reason to live
• Feeling like a burden to others
• Rage or anger
• Engaging in risky activities without thinking about possible harm
• Increasing or excessive tobacco, alcohol, or drug abuse
• Withdrawing from family and friends
• Feeling overwhelming guilt or shame

These signs require immediate attention:

• Thinking about killing yourself
• Looking for ways to kill yourself
• Self-destructive behavior such as drug abuse, reckless behaviors, weapon use, etc.
• During times of crisis or hopelessness, consider removing firearms from the home or using a gun lock or gun safe to make them less accessible. Check out VA’s Keep It Secure site: Firearm Suicide Prevention & Lethal Means Safety - REACH (va.gov)

If you or someone else is in a serious crisis and having thoughts of suicide:

• Seek immediate help from your health care team or the nearest hospital emergency room
• Call 911
• Call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, Press 1

Potential Fraud with Veteran Loaned iPads or Data Plans

We have recently been informed of potential fraud targeting our Veteran patients using loaned iPads from the VHA Digital Divide Consult Program for telehealth appointments. Reports indicate that a small number of Veterans have been contacted by phone and falsely told they owe money for their VHA loaned iPads and data plans. Please be advised that under no circumstances will Veterans be asked to pay for or charged for the use of VHA loaned iPads or their associated data plans.

1) Veterans will not be charged for VHA loaned iPads or data plans.

• Veterans who have been provided loaned iPads through the VHA Digital Divide Program will not be charged for the use of these iPads or data plans.

2) Please report all incidents of fraudulent requests appropriately.

• Any Veteran receiving such requests about owing money for VHA loaned iPads or data plans, immediately report the incident through the appropriate local channels
  • St. Cloud VA Health Care System (HCS) Information System Security Officer (ISSO) at 320-252-1670, ext. 6778
  • St. Cloud VA HCS Privacy Officer at 320-252-1670, ext. 6408
  • As well as reporting the incident to the Connected Device Support & Reconciliation Team, at 1-833-472-5678. Include as much information (date, time, phone number, site, name, etc.) as possible for awareness and tracking.

Thank you for your attention to this matter and for your ongoing support in protecting our Veteran community.

The Importance of Daily Physical Activity for Older Adults

As we age, maintaining physical activity becomes increasingly important for preserving overall health and cognitive function. You may have been told that 10,000 steps per day is the threshold for improving or maintaining good physical health.  10,000 steps equals about 5 miles of walking per day and this recommendation originated with a Japanese walking club rather than medical research.

Recent research has shown that any increase is beneficial and that a goal of 7,000 steps per day may be more realistic for those with more challenging health conditions.  There is evidence that cardiovascular disease, some cancers, type 2 diabetes, general physical function, and fall risk are all positively affected by increasing physical activity.

The benefits of physical activity go beyond physical health too.  Lower activity levels and a greater amount of time spent watching television have been linked with cognitive decline in later life.  This is the ability to think, reason, communicate, and solve problems.  Consider using some of your TV time to instead do something more active.

Here are some tips to help older adults gradually boost their daily physical activity:

1. Set Realistic Goals.

Find your current baseline.  Then, start with small, achievable step numbers and gradually increase by 500 to 1,000 steps every couple of weeks.

2. Incorporate Walking into Daily Routine

Include short walks after meals or during daily errands.

3. Use Fitness Trackers

Devices like pedometers or fitness trackers can help monitor progress and motivate consistent activity.

4. Break It Down

Multiple shorter walks throughout the day can be more manageable and less daunting than one long walk.

5. Engage in Social Activities

Joining walking clubs or community activities can make walking a social and enjoyable part of daily life.

6. Participate in social and mentally stimulating activities

Try to avoid frequent or prolonged television, smartphone or tablet sessions.

The evidence is clear.  Gradually increasing daily physical activity can provide substantial health benefits for older adults, both physically and cognitively. Regular walking can improve cardiovascular health, manage weight, and most significantly, bolster cognitive function and reduce the risk of cognitive decline. By setting realistic goals and finding enjoyable ways to stay active, older adults can enhance their quality of life and maintain independence longer.  Adding social and mental stimulation are also beneficial for maintaining cognitive ability and independence.

There are many online resources for recommending basic self-care exercise programs to maintain safety and improve overall health.  For personalized advice, consult your healthcare team to tailor physical activity goals to best meet your needs.

References:

- Harvard Health Blog (2021). Can physical (or cognitive) activity prevent dementia?

- Harvard Health Blog (2019). Want a sharp mind, strong memory? Ramp up activities.

- American Heart Association Newsroom (2023). Moderate to high TV viewing in midlife linked to later cognitive and brain health decline.

- PubMed (2023). Benefits of physical activity on physical health and cognitive function in older adults.