Last updated Oct. 30, 2020 – NOTE: This page is updated regularly with new COVID-19 information and guidance for the Fargo VA Health Care System's medical center and community based outpatient clinics.
The Fargo VA HCS is currently offering expanded services beyond urgent, emergent, and telemedicine. The Fargo VA is currently not allowing visitation in any of the inpatient departments.
The Fargo VA HCS's number one priority is to provide services in an environment that is safe for our Veterans and staff. We continue to screen everyone entering our facilities for coronavirus to ensure minimum exposure to you, your caregivers, and our staff. Please feel free to talk to our staff about our facility screening process and the precautions we're taking to ensure your safety.
If you’re a Veteran seeking medical care, call before visiting (701-239-3700). You can also sign in to My HealtheVet (www.myhealth.va.gov) and send a secure message to your Primary Care Team. You may be able to get diagnosed and receive care through VA telehealth without having to come in at all. Appointments currently scheduled as some type of telehealth will remain this way unless you instruct us otherwise.
We continue to ask that you not bring any additional people to your outpatient medical appointments unless they're required to assist with your transportation or medical care.
We are allowing walk-ins only for the designated walk-in clinic and for urgent and emergent issues. Individual departments and clinics in primary care and specialty medicine are not taking walk-ins. Regardless of the scenario, Veterans who are seeking medical care are highly encouraged to call before visiting (701-239-3700).
As mentioned, we continue to screen everyone who enters the Fargo VA Medical Center or a VA outpatient clinic. All patients and visitors are highly encouraged to use VA’s COVID-19 Screening Tool when entering our medical center or community based outpatient clinics.
- Simply text the word ‘screen’ to 53079.
- You will then receive a follow-up text with a link to the screening questions.
- Complete the screening questions – show your phone to the screener at the entrance.
If you don’t have a phone or the ability to use this tool, you will be screened by a staff member at the entrance. We encourage you to adopt this tool to help make our screening process more efficient.
Upon entering the Medical Center in Fargo, you'll see our centralized check-in. Our centralized check-in is located inside the main entrance on the north side of the Medical Center, so you should ensure you park in the north parking lot. If you park in the south parking lot, you will not be able to enter the Medical Center through the south entrance – you will be guided to the north entrance. Please arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment. You may be asked to wait in our front lobby, rather than in the clinic area, to enhance our ability to social distance.
All staff, patients, visitors, and anyone else entering Fargo VA HCS facilities – to include our community based outpatient clinics – is required to wear a face covering, mask, or face shield. Everyone who enters a Fargo VA Health Care System facility will be provided a mask or face shield, if they do not already have one, at the entrances when they are screened. If you're unable to wear a mask for medical reasons, you will be provided a face shield. If you currently have your own face covering, we encourage you to wear it when entering our facilities.
You may be tested for COVID-19 within VA and we may ask you to distance yourself from others while waiting for your results. Please be sure to inform your VA provider if you receive a COVID-19 diagnostic test outside of VA. You and your provider will discuss your treatment options and overall health status while COVID-19 safety restrictions still exist. You will discuss the risks of certain treatments or procedures, taking into account your overall health status, risk for complications, and urgency of the considered treatment. Your VA provider may recommend that you continue to postpone routine but highest risk procedures, including dental and eye examinations.
Our Eye Clinic will remain closed to unscheduled walk-in services - optical services are currently provided by scheduled appointment only. Please call the Eye Clinic at (701) 239-3700 extension 3748 to schedule an appointment for any eyeglass fittings, adjustments, or repairs.
Only one visitor/companion per Veteran is allowed in our facilities for Veterans who require assistance for outpatient visits. We are currently not allowing visitation in any of our inpatient departments. Exceptions may be made for visiting inpatients in compassionate cases when Veterans are in their last stages of life on hospice units. We’re very sensitive to the separation visitation restrictions cause our patients and their loved ones, but this measure of protection is essential at this time to keep people safe. In the cases where visitors are allowed, only visitors without COVID-19 symptoms will be permitted to enter our facilities. Thank you to all of our visitors and Veterans for helping us protect the safety of everyone within our facilities. It's important to keep in mind that while there are currently several visitor restrictions, access will be determined on a case-by-case basis where the visitor is critical to the care of the Veteran.
The Fargo VA is accepting donations of masks and face coverings. Donations can be sent to the Fargo VA (2101 Elm St. N, Fargo, ND 58102) attn. Voluntary Service. If you have any questions about donating masks or face coverings, call the Fargo VA Voluntary Service Department at 701-239-3700 extension 3395.
Stay current on our COVID-19 information and operations by visiting our website at www.fargo.va.gov or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.