VA to adjust urgent care hours

John J. Pershing VA Medical Center

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The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center is adjusting the operational hours of the urgent care at its main Poplar Bluff campus.

Beginning Sunday, the updated hours will be 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 7 am.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“In an effort to provide the best quality care to our patients, the urgent care now will be open during the hours of greatest demand,” said John J. Pershing VA Medical Center Director Paul Hopkins, himself a veteran and VA patient.

Veterans experiencing a medical emergency should immediately seek care at the nearest emergency department, VA officials said in a press release. A medical emergency is an injury, illness or symptom so severe that a delay in seeking immediate medical attention would be reasonably expected to be hazardous to life or health. If you believe your life or health is in danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department right away.

Thanks to the 2018 MISSION Act, most local emergency rooms will be covered.

As always, please report emergency visits to VA within 72 hours by calling 844-724-7842. There are also many covered community urgent care and emergency locations here: https://www.va.gov/find-locations/

Another option is VA’s new service, VA Health Connect. This service allows Veterans to speak to a registered nurse to have symptoms evaluated to determine the best course of treatment. The number for VA Health Connect is 833-381-1943. Virtual Clinic Visits (VCV) address urgent and episodic care virtually. They can dispense medical advice, order appropriate lab and imaging, and prescribe medication or other treatments.

“Patient safety is always our top priority; the MISSION Act and the availability of community services makes this possible,” said Hopkins. “We at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center want to thank our Veterans for their service and commitment to our country – we appreciate all that you’ve done for us, and we look forward to continuing to serve you.”

For more information about the services at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, its Cape Girardeau VA Health Care Center and 5 community-based outpatient clinics, call 573-686-4151 or visit www.va.gov/poplar-bluff-health-care/.

Enrolled veterans: For general information about urgent care eligibility or to check your eligibility, contact your local VA medical facility OR call 800-MyVA411 (800-698-2411), select option 1 and then select option 3.