Many VA Medical Centers across the country are re-opening their doors and expanding services. To ensure the protection of both patients and staff, the VA’s Office of Information and Technology launched the COVID-19 digital pre-entry screening tool.

The digital pre-entry screening tool allows Veterans, caregivers, and employees to answer questions on their mobile phones and share their results at VA medical facility entrances. The digital pre-entry screener helps reduce wait times, ease stress, and lowers exposure risk.

Though it consists of only a few multiple-choice questions at present, the pre-entry screening tool is a great example of innovation in action at VA. The VA plans to update the tool’s features as needed.

Some of the tool’s features include:

• Clear results.
• Quick access to crisis support.
• Easy-to-update screening protocols.

Currently in use in several VA Medical Centers, including Lowell, Massachusetts; Columbia, South Carolina; Baltimore, Maryland; and Los Angeles, California, the digital pre-entry screener has delivered over 140,000 screening results to date.

To start using the COVID-19 digital pre-entry screener, VA Medical Centers can simply direct patients and staff to text “screen” to 53079.

For additional information concerning VA compensation and pension benefits, visit:

VA Compensation and Pension Benefits