VAMC Lake Nona, FL — Local services in Orlando

I've been going to this VA for over 6 years, and only because I couldn't afford any other healthcare. I might as well have not done anything at all, since only ONE out of my 40+ visits in that time ever amounted to any actual care. I can only comment on the departments I've had experiences in or have been witness to other patients' experiences in. I have a long list of stories, but to summarize:

Avoid women's health at all costs. Avoid mental health at all costs. Don't expect real treatment. Don't bother calling or asking questions. The Veteran's Choice program is a joke and doesn't work.

Women's health is an incompetent clique of snotty old bags who like to gang up on patients to yell at them and lecture them about respect.

Mental health is a gang of power-tripping control freaks. If you seek their help but don't feel comfortable with their treatment, they will involuntarily commit you to the cheapest run-down state crazy locker. If you have private insurance, go to a non-VA provider. If you don't, deal with any mental health issues on your own as best you can, but AVOID AVOID AVOID the VA.

For physical issues, get on any other team but the women's health team, and even then, don't expect real treatment. No matter what ailment you have, how long you have it, how bad it is, and how many times you come back complaining about it, they give you Ibuprofen for it and send you home, just like sick call on active-duty.

Want to all to ask questions? Nope. IF you have the hour to spend on hold, IF someone actually answers, and IF they don't redirect you to someone else who directs you to someone else who directs you back to the first person who again directs you to someone else who places you on hold some more, and IF someone actually answers your question eventually, the answer is likely to be wrong. You can call 6 times and get 6 different wrong answers.

Want to update your personal information? Nope. I've updated my address in person 9 times as well as online, and they STILL send my meds my address from 2 years ago. There is nothing on the site or in the main system that has my old address, but there must be some separate internal database that isn't connected to anything and doesn't get updated and which they occasionally but not always use.

The website is no better - it's down often, rarely updated, and buggy. The secure messaging never gets a response. The only part that works is the prescription refill request, BUT it's hit and miss. If you get meds mailed, they'll only get delivered to you about 85% of the time (the VA has sent mine to the wrong address 6 times in the past 3 years), when it does it get delivered to you, it's 2-3 weeks late EVERY TIME (the status updates on the site are a lie - they backdate the dates after it's delivered). Oh, and about 20% of the time, my prescription comes 1 or 2 pills short, or with 1 or 2 pills broken (split in half long ways), so I get shorted.

The scheduling system is a colossal fail. You'll miss appointments you never knew you had. Some appointments won't appear on the upcoming appointment list, random appointments will show up in your history as canceled or not kept.

If you're put in the Veteran's Choice program, you might think you're in luck out of the VA. You'd be wrong. The VA is responsible for setting up the first appointment with the outside provider, and they take AGES to do so. They have 30 days to schedule you, but guess what? They will miss that deadline. What happens then? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. When 30 days passes, they boot you off Choice and refer you back to your VA. Your VA still has no availabilities, so they refer you back to Choice for another 30 days. Your wait is never more than 30 days... each of the 10 times you wait.

The whole VA healthcare system is a joke. It should be dismantled entirely, and veterans should be automatically eligible for Medicare/Medicaid instead. My advice is: Buy private insurance or obtain it through your employer, save some money for co-pays, and go to a...

UPDATE 1/4/2017

I was first seen in the Women's (Liberty) Clinic in February 2016, as stated in my original review. When I checked out for that appointment I made an appointment for February 23, 2017. I recently had a hunch and went online to double check and saw that my appointment had been cancelled.

I called the clinic and was informed my appointment had been cancelled because the doctor would be out of town. I asked why I hadn't been contacted and given the chance to reschedule and was told they hadn't gotten around to it. When I asked for further clarification I was told the doctor would be back on February 21st. I repeated that my appointment had been scheduled for February 23rd and the woman I was speaking to seemed confused and had no idea why my appointment had been cancelled. She then told me they were booked up until August.

The woman I spoke to said I would be hearing from a nurse but I have yet to receive a phone call. I feel like this is probably going to be the last time I try with the Orlando VA.

ORIGINAL REVIEW POSTED 9/29/2016

I notice that most of the 5 star reviews for the Lake Nona VA are focusing on how new and shiny the building is and yes, it is! It's a gorgeous facility inside and out - I really can't fault them there. Unfortunately, most of what's going on inside is not great.

I moved to this area in October 2015 and enrolled at the VA almost immediately. They couldn't get me into the Women's (Liberty) Clinic until the end of February (4 months), so when I had a health concern I was sent to the Interim Clinic instead. Shockingly, THAT was an amazing experience, 10/10! The nurses, technicians, and doctors I encountered were all incredible and made me feel cared for and not like someone to be shooed out the door as quickly as possible. I thought that was indicative of Lake Nona VA as a whole, but nope.

I finally had my appointment with the Women's Clinic and that's where it went downhill. My assigned doctor acted as if I was wasting her time from start to finish. I went back at a later date to address a concern to do with a diagnosed anxiety disorder (they wouldn't refer me to the MHC), asking for a prescription for what had become frequent panic attacks. Instead, they stuck me in a holter to monitor my heart for two weeks. When it showed that my heart was normal (obviously) there was no follow up on the request for medication.

The last two times I've been in need of care I've been told they couldn't make an appointment for me but a nurse would call. The first time I never heard from anyone. The second time was yesterday. They said a nurse would call me back and she did... this morning while I was asleep. I didn't answer (because my phone was on silent) and the message said she'd tried to call but I missed the appointment (no one told me when I'd be getting a call) so I could call a triage nurse if I needed help. Instead I've made an appointment with a doctor outside of the VA.

I get it, we don't pay for the VA's services in the same way we'd pay an outside doctor or insurance company, but these people are literally there to provide medical care and it's next to impossible to get. It makes me wonder if they're purposely trying to frustrate us to the point where we just won't come back. Fortunately, I have other insurance and am able to go outside of the VA, but it makes me feel awful for veterans who don't have that option and have to deal with the nightmare service the VA provides or not get care at all. I worked in patient care during my time in the Air Force and I can't imagine treating patients the way I've been treated at this hospital. This really is...

I have never had much of a problem that a little questioning would not handle. However, 3 weeks ago, I had to go to the Urgent Care on the advice of my treating physician's replacement due to my PCP being on vacation.

I will NEVER go to Urgent Care again!!!! First off, I wear an oxygen tank and a mask over my mouth so I do not catch any colds or sneezes from someone who may happen to sneeze or cough. For starters, the ER Dr. came into the room, removed my mask and said "I need to see your face". I immediately placed it back over my mouth and said "I wear this mask for a reason - as you can see I am on oxygen and my teeth are broken. I try to avoid an infection getting to my lungs from other people's germs. I continued with I am not here for my breathing but for another issue." She apologized.

I thought all was well. I was sent to Urgent Care by my PCP's replacement while she was on vacation due to bleeding from the rectum.

Tests were done and it was determined that I had a urinary tract infection that was unbeknowst to me at all. The bleeding was due to hemorrhoids.

The problem did not start with the actual care - that was "okay". The problem started with when I went to inquire whether they called my antibiotic into the pharmacy as no one was visible at the window. I returned to the Urgent Care desk and the RN (or whatever title HE had and I truly believe it was RN) called to the back and said that Room # _ was inquiring. I could hear the voice through the earpiece that hung around the RN (or Clerk's) neck. Then I hear, "Room ___, that was the scary looking woman" I immediately started to blurt out: "The patient is standing" (right here) and that is when the RN (or clerk) cut the phone off. I was then told by the RN (or clerk) that there would be someone in Pharmacy very shortly. I walked away. But before I left the area, the Nurse (I assume) who answered the phone and I believe he was the individual who released me, came to the desk and asked "Did she hear any of that conversation?" I wanted to go back and let them know that I had.

I walked away with tears in my heart stating that I would never return to a place so unfeeling for our Veterans. I am not an ugly woman. I was sick, I was ailing and I wear a mask over my mouth and an cannular in my nose to help me to breathe. But as God as my witness, I will NEVER return to the Urgent Care at Lake Nona Medical VA EVER again.

I wear the oxygen to breathe, I wear the mask to protect myself from people who don't care enough about others to cover their mouth when they cough.

I can't afford to get sick. I am busy year round organizing benefits for our severely injured warriors and I need my health to keep me going. I will never let those uncaring individuals care for me again. My husband and I are both Veterans and I love my PCP and Specialists but I will NEVER succumb to those careless individuals anymore.

NO STARS FOR URGENT CARE!!!! Actually I had to place "1" or they would not let me post my comment.

Oh by the way, I am sending this to the Director too. He needs to know what kind of people he has hired to care for us Veterans - some of whom have no place else to go to for...