VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System

01/23/2026

01/22/2026

Eastern Colorado, especially Southern Colorado, is expected to experience dangerously cold temperatures beginning Friday and lasting through the weekend. Exposure to these temperatures can become dangerous within a few minutes. Please take precautions throughout the weekend to avoid prolonged exposure to the cold weather. If you experience an emergency related to the weather, please call 911.

Visit www.ready.gov for tips to stay prepared, and you can continue to monitor weather updates at www.weather.gov/.

Visit our VA ECHCS website for shelter information.
www.va.gov/eastern-colorado-health-care/health-services/homeless-veteran-care/

Continue reading, and view the attached images, for more winter weather tips.

What is Frostbite?

Frostbite is an injury to the body caused by freezing body tissue. The most susceptible parts of the body are the extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, or the tip of the nose Symptoms include a loss of feeling in the extremity and a white or pale appearance. Medical attention is needed immediately for frostbite. The area should be SLOWLY re-warmed.

What is Hypothermia?

Hypothermia is abnormally low body temperature (below 95 degrees Fahrenheit). Warning signs include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion. Medical attention is needed urgently for hypothermia. Warm the body slowly.

01/22/2026

01/20/2026

Recovering from the effects of military sexual trauma (MST) can be very difficult, but you don’t have to go through it alone. VA offers free, personalized support for Veterans who have experienced MST.

Learn more: Mentalhealth.va.gov/msthome/treatment.asp

01/19/2026

Please join VA ECHCS in honoring the incredible legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His message of freedom and equality for all shaped our nation’s history and continues to guide our future.

01/19/2026

On Wednesday, January 21, at 5 p.m., we will be hosting a patient Tele-Town Hall event for Eastern Colorado Health Care System patients. Agenda topics for the event will include leadership and health care system updates, as well as answering patient questions live on the call.
For the event, we are only able to dial out to a small sampling of our patient population to participate, but all are welcome to join. For patients on the randomized dial out list, you will receive a robo-call the night before, making you aware of the call the next day. If you do not receive a robo-call the night before, and would like to participate, patients can dial the event call-in line at 5 p.m. when the call begins. The event dial-in line for patients is: 855-274-9533.

For more information, please visit: https://www.va.gov/eastern-colorado-health-care/events/85126/

01/16/2026

All VA ECHCS outpatient clinics and administrative offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 19, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Outpatient services will resume normal business hours on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

Inpatient and emergency services will remain open during the holiday. In case of emergency please call 911, go to the nearest ER or visit the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center Emergency Department.

VA Health Connect is open ALL federal holidays to provide scheduling, nurse triage, pharmacy services and acute virtual visits. Health Administration staff, Pharmacy Technicians, and Registered Nurses will be available and can engage Veterans for virtual care with medical providers within VA Health Connect, if needed.

To get connected, call our main line at 303-399-8020, and follow the prompts, according to your needs.

01/16/2026

It’s not always easy to talk about su***de, but starting the conversation could save a life. If you don’t know what to say, start here: VeteransCrisisLine.net/CrisisConversationHandout.

01/15/2026

Air Force Veteran Auston Duncan is training for a marathon in Greece and dedicating the race to VA. Learn why: https://www.va.gov/eastern-colorado-health-care/stories/training-for-greece-dedicating-a-marathon-to-va

01/15/2026

Winter weather can make it harder to get to appointments or know who to contact for care.

VA Health Connect helps you stay connected to your VA health care when travel isn’t safe. Call your local VA medical center at the number listed to talk with a nurse, schedule appointments or get help with prescriptions.

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01/15/2026

Combat Veterans: Your story is vital.

If you’ve deployed in support of combat operations, your experiences can help shape the future of Veteran health care. Take the new Military Experiences and Toxic Exposures Survey in your Million Veteran Program (MVP) online dashboard and contribute to groundbreaking research that could improve care for generations of Veterans.

Veterans may join MVP today and be part of the change. www.mvp.va.gov.