• Ambulatory Surgery

• Community Clinics

• Community Nursing Home

• Hematology/Oncology

• Hemodialysis

• Infectious Disease

• Mental Health Diagnostics and Treatment

• Neurology

• Nursing Home Care

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

• Readjustment Counseling

• Rehabilitation

• Sleep Studies

• Spinal Cord Injury

• Substance Abuse Treatment

Personal Services

Canteen

The Canteen, located on the first floor of the main hospital building, consists of a retail store, cafeteria,  and vending machines.  Services available include a steam table, grill, frozen yogurt, fried chicken, deli sandwich counter, and pizza parlor.  Click here for hours of operation and detailed information on services offer by the Canteen.

Check Cashing

Patients and family members may cash personal checks in the VA Canteen Retail Store. Checks may be cashed for as much as $25. A canteen employee will call your bank to verify adequate funds before accepting the check.

Barber Shop

The barber shop is open Wednesday and Thursday from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The barber cuts hair on the wards and nursing home on Tuesdays and Fridays from 7:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The cost is as follows:   Haircut - $8.00, Shave - $4.25, Shampoo - $3.25.

Library

The library contains a variety of bestsellers, newspapers, magazines, and crossword puzzles, as well as information written at the layman's level on a number of diseases, procedures, medications, and natural products.  Two computers are dedicated for use by patients.  One provides e-mail, an Internet connection, and  word processing capabilities.  The other provides access to MyHealtheVet, the health portal for veterans.  The library is located in the basement, Room F-26 and is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Newspapers

Daily newspapers in vending machines are available outside the front entrance and urgent care.

Lost and Found

Lost and found is located in the telephone operator's office behind the information desk in the hospital lobby, room L-105.  It is open seven days per week 24 hours per day.

Mail

Your mail will be delivered to you on your unit. All mail received after you have been discharged will be forwarded to your home address.  It is, therefore, important to ensure that we have your current address.  Mail sent to you while a patient should be addressed as:

(Your Full Name, Unit and Bed Number)
G. V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center
1500 E. Woodrow Wilson Dr.
Jackson, MS 39216-5199

Notary Service

Notary services are available for inpatients. Please check with the clerk at the nursing station on your unit.

Televisions

Television sets are provided for your entertainment and comfort. Televisions should be turned off by 11:30 p.m.

The following are TV channels available for viewing in your room. If you have any comments or your television is not working properly, please contact your nurse or the unit clerk.

Religious Services

Your spiritual welfare is of primary concern to our Chaplain Service staff. Our chaplains are on duty seven days a week, visit the units daily and are available for private consultation. If you should desire a special visit, please ask your nurse to call the Chaplain Service to make arrangements. The Chapel is on the first floor and is open 24 hours a day for prayer and meditation.

Protestant Worship Services         Catholic Worship Services
Sunday in the Chapel                          Sunday in the Chapel
9:30-10:00 a.m. Bible Study               8:30 - 9:00 a.m. 
10:00-11:00 am. Worship Service

Clinical Services

Pharmacy

The Pharmacy Service is responsible for the distribution of all medication used at this medical center. Upon discharge, the nursing staff will arrange for your medications which can be picked up at the outpatient pharmacy window from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Monday through Friday and 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Release of Medical Information

Medical information will be released upon receipt of your written request and consent. If you wish any medical information released, please contact the unit clerk located at the nursing station or a Release of Information Clerk at ext. 1566.

Patient Education

Patient Education Services are available through the medical and nursing staff or the Education Office staff at ext. 1355.  Other available education resources for patients and families may be found in the library, through the MyHealtheVet  website.

Patient Telephone Usage

Patient bedside telephones are provided so you may keep in touch with your family and friends and are available on all wards, except 3K and 3CS.   The phones are available for your use 24 hours a day.  However, incoming calls are restricted from 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

• Calls may be made without cost to the following locations by dialing  9 + area code + 7 digit number: 
  Jackson, Edwards, Madison-Ridgeland, Bolton, Flora, Raymond, Brandon, Florence, Terry,
  Clinton, Hermanville, and Utica
• Long distance service is provided by Best Connect Service.  To make a 1ong distance call, dial 9 + 1 + 800 + 333-1300, then you will be able to charge your long distance call to a credit card, a phone card, or place a collect call.
• If you want to receive calls from family/friends while you are in the hospital, you will need to let them know the last 4 digits of the telephone number assigned to your bedside phone.  They can contact you at the VA toll-free number, 1-800-949-1009 + 1 + the last 4 digits on the bedside telephone.
• If you have problems with your phone, notify the ward clerk to report the problem.
• Telephone Numbers

  Chaplain Service	Ext. 1313
  Disabled American Veterans (DAV)	Ext. 1410
  Home Based Primary Care (HBPD)	Ext. 5460
  Hospital Based Home Care (HBHC)	Ext. 1828
  Blinded Veterans Association	Ext. 5650
  Mississippi State Veterans Affairs Commission	Ext. 1451
  Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)	Ext. 1411
  Patient Information	Ext. 1229
  Patient Representatives	Ext. 1253
  Police & Security Service	Ext. 1235
  Public Affairs Office	Ext. 4488
  Social Work Service	Ext. 1255
  Visual Impairment Service	Ext. 1551
  Voluntary Service	Ext. 1312

Social Work Assistance

Social workers are assigned to each unit in the medical center and are available to help you with personal or family problems. Our social workers have information about many community agencies and resources that may be of assistance to you and your family while you are undergoing hospital treatment.  The social worker can also help those who need special post-hospital care to plan and prepare for whatever is needed.  Please notify the unit staff if you need to contact your social worker.

Veteran Benefits Counselors

Veterans Benefits Counselors are available by telephone to assist you in matters concerning VA benefits such as compensation, pension, government insurance, education, GI loans, vocational rehabilitation, etc.  If you need information or assistance, you may contact a counselor by dialing 9-1-800-827-1000 from your bedside phone. 

Service officers or representatives of the following organizations, located on the second floor, are also available to assist you.

• Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Room 2270
• Masonic Service Association & Blinded Veterans Association    Room 2277
• Mississippi State Veterans Affairs Commission Room 2274
• Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA)  Room 2276

Voluntary Service

The staff of the medical center is reinforced by approximately 350 veteran service organizations and community volunteers who contribute thousands of hours of service each year to the medical center and to the Meridian and Hattiesburg Community-based Outpatient Clinics. Medical Center services include the provisions of personal hygiene items, newspapers and other items as needed. If in need of specific services, ask your nurse or unit clerk for assistance.

Radiation Therapy

Radiation Therapy is located on the west side of the hospital in the basement.  The closest entry is the outpatient entry next to the patient parking lot.  We are located directly below the Primary Care Blue clinic.  Hours of operation are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Patients are encouraged to meet appointments as scheduled so as to encounter no waiting time. The Radiation Therapy Service can be contacted at (601) 368-4487 if the need arises.

Pain Management

The Medical Center is committed to effective pain management.  As a patient here, you have the right to have your reports of pain recognized, treated promptly and appropriately by competent health care professionals.  As a patient, you are expected to help health care professionals assess your pain.  You are expected to discuss worries about taking pain medications, report pain when it begins, and report pain that is not relieved.

When you have to come to the medical center...

We know coming to the medical center can cause you and your family to worry.  We also know when you have to stay at the medical center you and your family may worry even more. This is normal.

Our hospital staff will ask many questions about you and your health. This is so we can know more about you and take good care of you. This also helps us make plans with you about care you might need after you leave the hospital. These plans may include clinic appointments and having a nurse come to visit you when you go home.

You may also have many questions when you have to stay in the medical center. These questions might include:
What is my sickness?

•  Why do I have to stay?
• How long do I have to stay?
• What will happen to me at the medical center?
• What will happen when I leave?

You may talk to our doctors, nurses and other staff about any of your worries. You may also talk to one of the Patient Advocates. Don't be afraid to ask our hospital staff any questions.

Making tough choices…

Recent medical advances have made it possible to maintain a person's life, in certain circumstances, by means other than the body's own natural processes. Some people have strong feelings about whether or not they would want such treatment if they were already terminally ill and there was little or no hope of getting well. For example, you might consider whether you want:

• a machine outside your body to keep you breathing
• tubes placed in your nose or stomach to give you food and/or fluids
• dialysis to rid your body of waste products

In some cases, these and other treatments are considered to be "life sustaining".  This means that under the circumstances, these treatments are not expected to improve your medical condition, but are expected to maintain you for a period of time in your current condition.

A patient must always give his or her consent for any treatment. As long as you have "decision making capability", nothing will be done that you have not agreed to.  Sometimes, however, a patient's condition is such that he/she cannot make informed decisions any longer.  Click here for more detailed information on advance directives.