VA NJ Healthcare System – East Orange

The people here at the East Orange VA medical center have been very kind and respectful to me. I got angry and concerned over one tiny matter only because of other VA occurrences and because I was homeless and highly… stressed. The ladies I have talked on the phone with there, and when I call, are very sweet and I really appreciate them. I want to thank them for staying patient with me. The doctor and nurses were also very professional and were concerned for my well-being. I recommend this VA hospital without hesitation. Thank you NJVA for striving to provide seamless medical care to veterans. David Altese

I've been going to this East Orange facility since 1990. My overall experience has been good there. The only problem I have is most Doctors there use this facility as a stepping stone and spend a year there then move on… to another location. That's good for their resume but what about the patients? Now you gave to get a new primary doctor who doesn't know anything about your medical history.

Doctors and nurses are on point

My only experience with this VA is the ER. I have never had a good experience. The staff is nice and that is the only plus. The rush through the process makes the care inadequate. I always have to leave here and go… somewhere else for treatment. It is truly a last resort for me.

I got a colonoscopy and from start to finish everyone was great ! AnnMarie Daisy and Eileen were awesome.. Thank you ladies ! And of course the doctors as well

Great hospital

If I can give 0 stars I would . Been waiting for a mental health appointment since they are booked out till JANUARY for therapy here in east Orange . Told I can get community care so I agreed , I’ve called about 8… times. 4 messages have been sent by a VA team to try and get in contact to see when my appointment will be . Tried to call the supervisor and sent to voice mail. PATIENT ADVOCACY SUCKS as much as the VA in general , sent a message to my psychiatrist which was a whole other story. Where she told me to just “wait” it’s been 2 months … no one here wants to do their job . Patient advocacy was called 3 times today and not an answer. I’ve exhausted all of my resources and it’s extremely disappointing to see that the things people say about the Va are 100% true . Disgusting honestly and no communication whatsoever when it comes to mental health psychiatrists . They have a bunch of residents running around one litterly listed me about 20 medications they can put me on as if I knew what any of it meant,and 80 year old providers who can barely talk with an awful attitude who don’t even let you finish your sentences . My experience here has been AWFUL and extremely scary not to say the least .

**VETERANS: PLEASE KEEP YOUR OWN MEDICAL RECORDS** First, I want to be completely clear: **the doctors, providers, nurses, and staff at this VA center are excellent.** I continue receiving care here because I trust and… appreciate them. They work hard, listen to my concerns, and do their best to help. My concern is not with the staff. It involves the challenge of maintaining accurate records across a large medical system with many appointments, departments, and outside providers. Even when everyone is doing an excellent job, information can be misunderstood, entered incorrectly, or repeated in later notes. Some clinical or administrative documentation may also be difficult for veterans to locate or may not appear clearly in a Blue Button report. Blue Button is valuable, but veterans should not assume it necessarily contains every document available to their healthcare team. The most serious problem is that, in my experience, there is an internal documentation system containing notes or information that providers can see and rely upon, but that I could not see in my Blue Button report. I am not saying the doctors intentionally hid anything; the providers have been excellent. The problem is that when incorrect information appears in this internal documentation, a veteran may not know it exists and therefore has no reasonable opportunity to review or correct it. Other providers may then repeat and rely upon the same incorrect information. Veterans need to understand that the records visible to them may not show everything influencing their care, so they should ask providers what documentation they are relying upon and maintain their own complete medical history. In my case, several important facts were recorded almost completely backward. Once inaccurate information enters a record, it may influence later appointments without the veteran realizing it. **My advice is to maintain your own organized medical history.** After every appointment: - Record what conditions were discussed. - Write down what the provider recommended. - Keep copies of diagnoses, imaging, laboratory results, medications, referrals, and treatment plans. - Document what each test showed and what it did not establish. - Review the visit summary for inaccurate or incomplete information. Before an appointment, bring a short medical summary with important conditions clearly identified. Ask whether it and your supporting documents can be included in your medical record. If you use Community Care, request copies directly from those providers. Do not assume every outside report or image automatically reached the correct VA department. Older records can also be difficult to locate. I suffered a neck injury while serving in 1990. The related record was only recently found because it had not been properly identified as an X-ray in the index. Locating older records may require specific dates that can be extremely difficult for disabled veterans to remember. If something appears incorrect, identify the exact statement, provide the correct information, and include supporting documentation when possible. An error may become harder to address after it is repeated. Again, **this is not criticism of the doctors, providers, nurses, or staff. They have been excellent, and I appreciate their care.** It is simply a reminder that every veteran should keep independent records and verify important information. Protect your records. Keep copies. Ask questions. Advocate for yourself. I hope continued improvements make VA records even more accurate, transparent, and accessible for veterans and the excellent professionals who care for us.

I came here while traveling for work due to acute back pain. Everyone I encountered was respectful and cared about doing a good job. I was seen in the ER in about 20 minutes. Got seen by the nurse and physician, who… were great. Got back brace from prosthetics, an X-Ray, pain and inflammation injections, meds to take home, referral to my primary care for follow up all within about two hours. Showed up around 3pm, out the door feeling better and with a path forward for follow up by 5:30 pm. Not sure if after hours would have been as quick and easy. Five stars - Great job East Orange VA!

I have been working with Dr Mariam Rasheed and Dr Sara Dehbozorgi for my Allergies and they have been fantastic! A+++

The staff of 12B are amazing people that will go a long ways for you.

I want to express my deepest gratitude for your incredibly supportive presence. I have experienced nothing but the utmost respect and the highest standards of care from various departments, teams, and individuals. Thank… you.

Love the care I receive here.

Professional staffing throughout the medical center. They took very good care of me. Easy directions throughout the medical center with posted placards and colored arrows on the floor. I only got turned around one time… because the clinic moved to a different location. Overall 5 star rating for the East Orange VA Medical Center. The only thing, It was difficult finding a parking spot.

The Travel claim department is HORRIBLE! My claim was denied because I didn't know I needed authorization for Travel after Community Care sent me to the appointment Community Care is trying to fix the problem , they are… great for trying to help. The Travel claims supervisor needs to given a new assignment.

Had a terrible experience at this hospital! Nurses were rude and unsympathetic. Did not follow my father's plan of care! Do not leave your eldery loved ones at this hospital!!!!!!

Great hospital for medical care.

I think both East Orange and Lyons are really one unit joined by the services they offer. Lyons has no ER which is a shame because I live near PA but also same day surgery is offered only at East Orange as well as oral… surgery and neurology. Both do what they do exceptionally well. Most employees are friendly and dedicated and decidedly not rude. The only thing I can fault at either hospital is the parking situation especially at East Orange. They had valet there and it was working well in my opinion.

I went to the ER a couple of days ago, and everyone I encountered from beginning to end were so polite and helpful. Even random employees that were just passing by my room gave me blankets and food to keep me… comfortable. I truly appreciate all the employees here. Each one thanked me for my service.

Mixed feelings about this VA. I enjoy some departments, however, I did not have a good relationship with my primary care doctor, the ER doctor I experienced once was a total jerk, and dental does not answer the phone!

The medical teams the VA has put together for this Hospital and so many outpatient clinics are the pinnacle of quality health care. My allergy clinic pre-appointment interview here with Nurse Roselyn revealed other… potential problems. She was really intuitive during the interview about my condition and very kind, recommending she'd take me over to ER for a quick check after the clinic appointment. The ER team found pneumonia and medically induced hyperthyroid from heart meds. There are no hacks here. These folks are pros! I was kept thereafter for 5 days of care, observation, exams and applications of newer heart meds because I was overdue for. With one increased. another canceled and tweaking I got better very quickly. The professional staff here amazed me in every way and I left in complete gratitude, thanks to my medical team pictured and wonderfully performing nurses. These folks at the VA work in teams making results bountiful but still maintaining effeciency and I chose propose three nurses on staff for Daisy Awards. I could have written a grest report on almost everyone there actually. They go beyond the call of duty. I must add the meal menu is extensive and never disappointing. They take care of our veterans.