VA facilities across the southeast prepare for Hurricane Matthew

With the approach of Hurricane Matthew, VA facilities from Florida through South Carolina are implementing their emergency preparedness plans which includes closing many clinics and suspending non-emergency care services in medical centers.  Many VA national cemeteries in the storm’s path are also closing.

The following provides an update on VA facilities as of Thursday afternoon, Oct. 6. VA facilities will be updating their status directly on medical center websites.  You can find a full list of facilities online by clicking here. For additional federal resources and information, visit https://www.usa.gov/hurricane-matthew.

VA Health Care Facilities

VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8)

The following clinics will be closed beginning Thursday, October 6, 2016. Please note that all clinics were previously scheduled to be closed on Monday, Oct. 10 for the federal holiday. Patient appointments will be rescheduled by clinic staff. Reopening of clinics will depend on extent of damage, if any. Additional information on reopen status will be provided after the storm has cleared the area.

• All Miami VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics, with the exception of Key West, will be closed Thursday and Friday; Miami VA Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures will be cancelled Thursday and Friday; Miami and Fort Lauderdale Vet Centers are closed Thursday and Friday
• All West Palm Beach VA Medical Center primary care and community based clinics will be closed Thursday and Friday;
  West Palm Beach VA Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures will be cancelled Thursday and Friday; Vet Centers in Palm Beach, Melbourne, Jupiter and Pompano are closed Thursday and Friday
• In the Orlando area, the Viera Outpatient Clinic, Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinic and Port Orange Psychosocial Recovery & Rehabilitation Center (PRRC) are closed Thursday to Saturday; the Orange City VA Clinic is closed Friday; Orlando VA Medical Center elective surgeries or procedures will be cancelled Thursday and Friday; Clinics in Lake Baldwin, Lake Nona, Clermont, Kissimmee will close Thursday at noon and Friday; the Daytona Vet Center will be closed Thursday and Friday.
• In Northern Florida/Southern Georgia clinics in St. Augustine, St. Mary’s (GA), Palatka and all Jacksonville locations will be closed Thursday and Friday; clinics in The Villages, Ocala and Lecanto will be closed Friday; and the
  Jacksonville Vet Center is closed Thursday and Friday

VA staff from the Charleston VA Medical Center in South Carolina are transferring patients to the Augusta, Columbia and Dublin VA Medical Centers in advance of the hurricane.

VA Southeast Network (VISN 7)

In South Carolina, the governor declared a state of emergency for the state and has ordered an evacuation of coastal South Carolina communities in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. General evacuations began Wednesday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.

• Charleston VAMC Outpatient Clinics, including the Hinesville, Savannah, Goose Creek, Beaufort and Myrtle Beach CBOCs, and Trident Annex closed at noon on Wednesday, Oct. 5 for the rest of the week. Inpatients are currently being transferred to other facilities. The VA hospital and clinics are scheduled to re-open on Tuesday, Oct. 11.  Clinic status will be updated as the hurricane path progresses.
• Employees and Veteran patients can stay up-to-date with the most recent medical center and CBOC statuses by visiting the facility website at www.charleston.va.gov or following us Facebook at VAMCCharleston or on Twitter at CharlestonVAMC.

For the latest updates from VA, visit the facility’s website and social media sites listed below. Every VA medical center website has an Operating Status page (linked in the left navigation) to let Veterans know if a VA medical center or its outpatient clinics are closed during weather or other emergencies.

You can also sign up for emergency notifications from any VA medical center’s website homepage — via the “Connect With”  box in the right menu.

• Miami VA Medical Center area ( Miami VA Healthcare System ) ~ Main page ~ Twitter  ~ Facebook ~ Miami VA Healthcare System Hurricane Preparedness Page
• West Palm Beach VA Medical Center area (West Palm Beach VAMC) ~ Main page ~ Facebook ~ West Palm Beach VA Medical Center Hurricane Preparedness Page
• Orlando VA Medical Center area ( Orlando VA Medical Center)  ~ Main page ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Orlando VA Medical Center Hurricane Preparedness Page
• North Florida/South Georgia VA Health System area (Malcom Randall VAMC, NF/SGVHS) ~ Main page ~ Facebook ~ North Florida/South Georgia VA Health System Preparedness Page
• Tampa VA Medical Center area ( James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital ) ~  ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Tampa VA Medical Center Preparedness Page
• Bay Pines VA Healthcare System  ~ Main Page ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Bay Pines VA Healthcare System Preparedness Page
• Charleston VA Medical Center ~ Main Page ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Charleston VA Medical Center Preparedness Page

VA National Cemeteries

Four VA National Cemeteries will close in preparation for the storm. It is expected that they will remain closed through Friday and will assess when they reopen after the storm has passed.

• Beaufort National Cemetery is closed as of Thursday morning.
• South Florida, Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville National Cemeteries will close Thursday afternoon.

Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Offices

VBA Regional Offices in the southeast region are following local evacuation orders and will assess any impact on operations once the storm has passed.

After the hurricane

If you have a VA loan and your home was affected by a natural disaster, click here for a checklist (PDF format) of the steps you should take to ensure you receive the assistance you need.

For general information on actions to take when you receive a hurricane watch or warning alert from the National Weather Service for your local area, click here to visit Ready.gov. This website provides tips on what to do before, during and after a hurricane.

If you are in the path of Hurricane Matthew, you can search for local resources in your area on https://www.disasterassistance.gov. For resources from VA, click here to visit the site’s Assistance by Federal Agency page.