{"id":658669,"date":"2025-09-18T18:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=658669"},"modified":"2025-09-18T19:19:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T19:19:34","slug":"maximize-your-va-clinic-visit-with-my-healthevet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=658669","title":{"rendered":"Maximize your VA clinic visit with My HealtheVet"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>My HealtheVet is key to making the most of your every health care appointment. By taking a few simple steps before a visit, Veterans can ensure personalized, attentive and efficient care tailored to their unique health needs. <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gather your information<\/h2>\n<p>One of the most important steps you can take before your appointment is to collect your key health information.<\/p>\n<p>Be sure to bring:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A complete list of medications (prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements).<\/li>\n<li>Any recent medical records from non-VA providers.<\/li>\n<li>Test results or hospital discharge papers, if applicable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cHaving accurate information about medications and recent treatments helps the care team provide the safest, most effective care,\u201d said Eloise Gamez, a registered nurse. \u201cIt saves time and ensures nothing important is missed.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Write down questions and concerns<\/h2>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/r1-scaled-6.jpg\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Eloise Gamez, a PACT RN, checks Thaddeus Rix\u2019s, a Marine Corps Veteran, blood pressure as part of the check in process for Rix\u2019s VA appointment at the Colonel Charles and JoAnne Powell VA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Appointments move quickly, and it\u2019s easy to forget questions once you\u2019re in the exam room. Before your visit, write down any health concerns you want to discuss with your provider. This way, your provider can address the issues that matter most to you.<\/p>\n<p>Examples might include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>New or worsening symptoms.<\/li>\n<li>Concerns about sleep, energy or mood changes.<\/li>\n<li>Questions about how diet, exercise or other lifestyle changes could improve your health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cYou definitely don\u2019t want to go in without a clear direction for the visit,\u201d said Thaddeus Rix, a Marine Corps Veteran. \u201cI was encouraged to write things down, and that\u2019s helping me focus on my health concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Arrive early, use My HealtheVet<\/h2>\n<p>Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early. This gives you time for check-in, paperwork and routine screenings, like blood pressure or weight checks. Veterans can also take advantage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.va.gov\/health-care\/manage-health\/\">My HealtheVet<\/a>, VA\u2019s secure online portal, which allows Veterans to:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Communicate securely with their care team.<\/li>\n<li>Review upcoming appointments.<\/li>\n<li>Request prescription refills.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Partner in your care<\/h2>\n<p>The mission of VA clinics nationwide is to provide compassionate, Veteran-centered care. But the most effective care happens when Veterans take an active role in the process.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe foundation of effective health care lies in open, thoughtful communication between patients and their health care providers,\u201d said Dr. Imran Yazdani, assistant chief of Staff at West Texas VA Health Care System. \u201cWhen both the patient and doctor take the time to prepare for a routine visit, it ensures that we address all the patient\u2019s concerns. This in turn makes the appointment an effective conversation about their health.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By preparing ahead of time\u2014gathering your information, writing down questions and arriving ready\u2014you\u2019re setting yourself up for success at your VA appointment. For questions about appointments or available services, Veterans can call their local VA Health Care System or correspond directly with their care team using <a href=\"https:\/\/news.va.gov\/?s=myhealthevet\">My HealtheVet<\/a>.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My HealtheVet is key to making the most of your every health care appointment. By taking a few simple steps before a visit, Veterans can ensure personalized, attentive and efficient care tailored to their unique health needs. Gather your information One of the most important steps you can take before your appointment is to collect [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":658671,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,440,1268],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-658669","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-my-healthevet","category-visn-17"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658669","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=658669"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658669\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":658678,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/658669\/revisions\/658678"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/658671"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=658669"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=658669"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=658669"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}