St. Louis VA News & Events

The information presented on this page will help to keep you up-to-date with what is happening at the St. Louis VA Medical Center.

2009 Local Veterans Creative Arts Festival

We’re looking for veterans to share their visual and performing arts.

Veterans receiving care at the St. Louis VA medical center and our associated outpatient clinics are invited to participate in the St. Louis VA Creative Arts Festival. Come out and share your talent!

This year we are celebrating the talents of area veterans with 2 very special programs. On February 12th, in conjunction with our National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans programs, we’ll showcase the skills of veteran performers in the VAMC’s program, ‘VA’s Got Talent’. The second program will be an Art Exhibit which will be held Friday, Feb 27th. Veterans can enter visual arts including paintings, sculptures, craft kit projects, wood working, leatherworks, photography, figure painting and many other categories.

Local first place winners in each category will have the opportunity to compete in the 2009 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival. A panel of judges from the local performing and visual art community will select winners based on established national criteria.

For information on submissions in the Creative Writing, Dance, Drama and Music Categories contact 314-652-4100, Becky Ballard, Ext 64512 or Matt Luitjohan, Ext 66602.

For information on submissions in the Arts, Fine Arts and Craft Categories contact 314-652-4100, Karen Wait, Ext 64535 or John Schmeink, Ext 66341.

Both programs are open to veterans, family members, volunteer, employees and community members.

Link to the photo gallery for the 2008 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival 

New Website: National Resource Directory

The National Resource Directory is an online partnership developed by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families and those who support them. Click here to read more information about this service. (This information is in a PDF formated brochure. If you do not have Adobe's Reader on your computer please go to Adobe Acrobat Reader* to download the reader for free.)

Click on the *National Resource Directory to be taken to this web site.  The link to the National Resource Directory is located on the St. Louis VA Medical Center Spinal Cord Inujry Patient Resources page.

Two Open Invitations to all OEF/OIF Vets

Team River Runner (TRR) established in August 2004 in the Washington, DC area, is an all-volunteer organization run by kayakers.

Through whitewater kayaking on various rivers, Team River Runner promotes health, healing and new challenges for wounded Veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars. The focus of Team River Runners is on soldiers recuperating and getting back into active lifestyles.

St. Louis will be initiating a program at the St. Louis VAMC, and would like you to be involved. The first classes will be learning the basic skills in the kayaks at the Jefferson Barracks pool. For more information contact:

Jean Ferguson, Recreation Therapist Polytrauma Unit 314-652-4100 x64015 E-Mail: jean.ferguson@va.gov

Social Recreation Night at the JB Gym

Jean would also like to invite any OEF/OIF veterans to join her on Thursday evenings in the Jefferson Barracks Division gym for SOCIAL RECREATION NIGHT. How about playing some basketball or working out while socializing in the gym? We would like to form basketball and bowling leagues. The gym is presently open Thursday evenings from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm for OEF and OIF veterans. You will need a personal exercise clearance from your physician to participate in the activities. For additional information Please contact Jean Ferguson at the phone number or email address listed above.

Safety Tips when Receiving Medications by Mail

Are you getting medications mailed to your residence by the St. Louis VA Medical Center through use of the U.S. Postal Service or FedEx? If you are, you need to be aware of the following. Recently many veterans have reported that they did not receive their medications through the mail. In most instances the tracking number on the package revealed that the parcel was delivered to the veteran’s home and left with someone at the residence or in the veteran’s mail box. In some instances investigations revealed that the medications were stolen by family members, friends, or acquaintances. There have also been several instances reported that when the medication mailer arrived, the mailer had been opened or tampered with and then resealed. The results, medications were missing from the package. To keep you from becoming a victim of such crimes, we ask that you follow the advice below:

• If the VA is mailing medications to you, do not share that information with anyone other than those you can absolutely trust and have a need to know. Sharing such information with your friends, neighbors or even other veterans on your visits to the Medical Center could result in mediation thefts. Be careful who you entrust with such information.
• Ensure that persons you do entrust with information about pending medication deliveries can really be trusted.
• When calling in refill information, make every effort to be at home when the medications are delivered and take immediate possession of the medications after delivery. Secure your medications in the home where they cannot be easily lost or stolen by visitors.
• When receiving packages through the U.S. Postal Service, retrieve them as quickly as possible from your mailbox. Examine the package and if there are any signs of tampering, DO NOT open the package. Immediately notify your local Post Office and local police. If possible have the local police come to your address to view the package and then open it in their presence to see if all your medications are there. If something is missing file a local police report and get the report number. Then contact the St. Louis VA Police by calling 314-289-6326 to report the incident and give them the report or case number given to you by your local police. The St. Louis VA Police will then contact the Pharmacy to help resolve your medication loss. Always be suspect of consuming any medications received that are in a mailer that has been tampered with, opened, or torn open during shipment. Error on the side of safety and do not accept the shipment and return the damaged parcel to the St. Louis VAMC and request that the medications be replaced.
• If a package is delivered to you via FedEx and it appears to have been tampered with or was resealed in another mailer, do not accept the package and instruct FedEx to return the package to the St. Louis VA Medical Center. Then, immediately call the St. Louis VA Police at 314-289-6326 and/or Pharmacy and report the problem. Upon return of the package to the St. Louis VA, it will be inspected and appropriate action taken to send you new medications.

If you have any problems with future medication shipments, do not hesitate to call the St. Louis VA Police or the St. Louis VA Pharmacy.  Help us protect your veteran benefits!

Become Authenticated for My HealtheVet

If you are a registered user of My HealteVet and want to take full advantage of the services of the web site you need to be authenticated.  The process is called In-Person Authentication (IPA).  It is quick and easy.  Once you have become authenticated you can view your prescriptions by drug name.  Future enhancements to My HealtheVet for which you will need to be authenticated include viewing lab results, appointments, co-pays, and sections of your health record.

Here is what you need to do to be authenticated at the St. Louis VA Medical Center:

• Present your VIC card or two other forms of valid ID (one must be a photo ID)
• Must already be registered in My HealtheVet
• View an orientation video on the My HealtheVet website.  If you are unable to view the video online from a computer a copy of the video is available at the medical center office where you will be authenticated.
• Sign a Release of My HealtheVet Form (Form 10-5345a My HealtheVet is available in the office where you will be authenticated)

When you are ready to be authenticated please visit one of the following two locations:

• John Cochran Division--Visit Release of Information (ROI).  The Release of Information Office is located in the Basement Level Room B146. You may reach ROI at 314-289-6553.
• Jefferson Barracks Division--Visit the Medical Library.  The Medical Library is located in Building 24, Room 102 (above the cafeteria/retail store). You may reach the library at 314-894-6630.

Click here to visit My HealtheVet learn more about In-Person Authentication!

* Links will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs Website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites. The link will open in a new window.