Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Detroit VA Offering Tele-Emergency Care

                                                                                                     

Detroit VA Medical Center now offers Tele-Emergency Care services for local enrolled Veterans

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs is pleased to announce the addition of tele-emergency care services for enrolled Veterans in the Metro-Detroit area.  Enrolled Veterans can access this new service by dialing the Detroit VA Medical Center at (313) 576-1000 and pressing "3," effective immediately.  Medical triage staff are available 24/7 and will guide the Veteran to the appropriate level of care, including tele-emergency care. 

Tele-emergency care (tele-EC) offers Veterans many of the same services they can receive in a traditional emergency room, but from the comfort of their own home.  This helps prevent the Veteran from having to drive in, potentially wait for hours in a waiting room, minimizes exposure to illnesses from other patients, etc.  There is also no co-pay for these services.  Further, choosing to utilize the VA for emergency care, whether through the tele-EC or in-person services, ensures a smooth continuity of care as the Veteran's medical providers will already have access to the Veteran's full medical record. 

While Veterans with life-or-limb-threatening injuries or illnesses should go to an in-person emergency room or call 911, tele-EC can serve Veterans with a wide variety of conditions, including:

 

  • Cough, cold, flu, and COVID symptoms
  • Sore throats
  • COPD and asthma flares
  • Eye redness and irritation
  • Tick and other insect bites
  • Skin infections
  • Minor allergic reactions
  • GI illnesses
  • Urinary tract infections
  • Gout flares
  • Muscle sprains/strains

 

###