Director’s Corner

VAText Ready to Connect You with Upcoming Health Care Appointments

Larry D. Moore

Did you know that more than 9 million VA health care opportunities go unutilized each year due to missed appointments? To increase access to health care for all veterans, the Veterans Health Administration has created VEText, an interactive mobile solution to remind veterans of upcoming appointments via text messaging.

The VA’s goal is to offer a quick and easy way to confirm and/or cancel appointments and then make every attempt to schedule another veteran into that time slot. Veterans throughout the nation are receiving interactive VEText appointment reminders on their mobile devices. Every enrolled veteran with a cell phone number listed in their health record is automatically included in the program, so it is very important to ensure that your local medical center has your current phone numbers. You can update your phone numbers during check-in at your next appointment.

The first text message reminder will be sent seven days prior to the appointment, and a second reminder text message will be sent two days out. Veterans should review the date and time of each appointment and use the prompts provided in the message to either confirm or cancel the appointment. Veterans with multiple appointments on the same day will receive multiple reminders.

VEText works for VA health care appointments only and the text messages do not currently replace the letters and automated phone calls already sent as reminders. Veterans will receive text message reminders for clinic appointments at their local medical center and outpatient clinics. They will not receive text message reminders for appointments in lab, community care. If a veteran has multiple appointments on the same date, the system will send a single text message identifying both appointments and providing separate options for confirming or cancelling each appointment. If you do not respond to the text message reminder, your appointment will remain scheduled.

Please note that personal health information will not be included in text messages and that VEText will not replace letters, postcards, or automated phone reminders.

In Appreciation,

Executive Director