West Orange County residents fill sandbags at the West Orange Recreation Center in Winter Garden on Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in preparation for the impact of Hurricane Milton on the Central Florida region. (Rich Pope, Orlando Sentinel/TNS)
WASHINGTON — Dozens of hospitals and outpatient clinics run by the Department of Veterans Affairs in cities along Florida’s Gulf Coast are shuttering buildings, canceling appointments and moving in-person visits to virtual exams as Hurricane Milton is forecast to strike the Tampa Bay area by late Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center is describing Milton — packing winds of up to 145 mph to 180 mph — as the fifth-most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic. The storm is expected to cause immense damage and life-threatening conditions.
Florida Emergency Management has issued evacuation orders to residents along the southwest coast that spans several populous areas, including Naples, Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Hernando Beach.
VA Tampa Health Care is closed through at least Thursday for all in-person appointments, the VA said. Veterans who use the Tampa health system who have immediate needs can set up virtual appointments or receive a tele-emergency care exam by phone or online. The center is staffed with doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses and pharmacists to answer patient questions.
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa and a dozen VA clinics from Brooksville to Lakeland are not accepting patients for their scheduled office visits. Veterans are advised to contact their doctor to reschedule appointments after the storm. Schedulers also might reach out to veterans.
The VA Bay Pines Health Care System is operating under limited services and hours. The C.W. Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Bay Pines has closed its emergency department, according to a notice on the hospital website. Both in-person and virtual appointments with hospital clinicians are canceled, and veterans will be contacted to reschedule exams after the storm.
Hurricane Milton’s projected path across Florida. The hurricane has sustained winds of 145 mph to 180 mph and is expected to hit landfall on the Gulf Coast late Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024. (National Hurricane Center)
Eight outpatient clinics operated by the VA Bay Pines Health Care System also are closed through at least Thursday, including in Bradenton, Sarasota and Naples. Veterans will be contacted by schedulers after the storm, according to the VA.
The Orlando VA Health Care System, which is in northwest Florida, is moving in-person appointments Wednesday and Thursday to virtual visits or rescheduling office visits with clinicians.
Free shuttles also are being provided to massive temporary shelters that state agencies opened north and east of the Tampa Bay region, according to state officials. Many residents are driving to hotels in the Greater Miami area and other destinations in southeast Florida, hundreds of miles from the storm’s path, according to Florida officials.
Veterans with questions are advised to call the VA’s clinical contact center at 1-877-741-3400 or visit www.visn8.va.gov/ccc.asp for more information.
The VA has a pharmacy disaster relief plan in place that lets eligible VA patients in the Tampa Bay region obtain an emergency supply of medications at any pharmacy. Veterans must have a veterans health identification card as well as a written prescription or active VA prescription bottle. This does not include controlled substances.
For questions about billing or coverage, veterans or pharmacies can call Heritage Health Solutions at 866-265-0124, option 1.
