By Larry Dandridge
Did you ever wish you had one place you could go to find the location, phone numbers, and email addresses for the Veterans Administration, State Departmental Veteran Affairs, your County Veterans Service Office, and other veteran-related helpful phone numbers? Look no further.
Know who you want to call (County, State, or Federal Veteran Services)
Each state has a State Department of Veteran Affairs and all states either have county or area veterans service offices. Find State Department of Veteran Affairs Offices at the National Resource Directory webpage at https://www.nrd.govor by just entering your state and Department of Veteran Affairs in your computer’s search engine.
SC Department of Veteran Affairs (SCDVA)
Read about SCDVA and its services at https://scdva.sc.gov. The SCDVA is located at 1800 St. Julian Place, Suite 305, Columbia, S.C. 29204, phone 803-734-0200, Email va@scdva.sc.gov.
State of SC Nursing Homes
Learn about South Carolina Veterans Nursing Homes at https://bit.ly/3L8D6Uu. There are five state-run veteran nursing home facilities in South Carolina. Admission to these facilities is limited to veterans who have been separated from the U.S. Armed Forces under general or honorable conditions and qualify as South Carolina residents who are in need of skilled or intermediate nursing home care.
To obtain additional information, or to apply for admission, contact your local county Veterans’ Affairs Officer or the nursing home.
1. S.C.’s Veterans Victory House 461 Sidneys Road., Walterboro, S.C. 29488, 843-538-3000.
2. S.C.’s E. Roy Stone Veterans Pavilion, 2200 Haden Street, Columbia, S.C. 29203, 803-737-5301.
3. S.C.’s Richard Micheal Campbell Veterans Nursing Home, 4605 Belton Highway, Anderson, S.C. 29621, 864-261-6734.
4. S.C.’s Veteran Village, 1200 East National Cemetery Road, Florence, S.C. 29506, 833-444-1776.
5. S.C.’s Palmetto Patriots Home, 120 Hampshire Drive, Gaffney, S.C. 29341, 864-649-2000.
SC County Veterans Affairs Offices
There is a County Veterans Affairs Office in each county of South Carolina. Veterans should use the Veterans Service Officers (VSOs) in the County Veteran Affairs Offices, a VSO in a VA Regional Office, or the VSO in many Veteran Service organizations (VFW, DAV, AL, etc.) local chapters to help them apply for veterans’ benefits. Find your county Veterans Affairs Office at https://bit.ly/3qbLVSL.
Some S.C. VSOs in the footprint of The Island News include:
- Beaufort County, 100 Clear Water Way, Beaufort, S.C. 29906, 843-255-6880, website https://bit.ly/3ryd5qS (Dr. Caroline P. Fermin is the new Director).
- Beaufort DAV Chapter, VSO Michael Vergantino, 843-301-2543 and mlv1030@gmail.com.
- Jasper County, Alton Jenkins, 651 Grays Highway, Ridgeland, S.C. 29936843-726-7727, ajenkins@jaspercountysc.gov and jcwebsite@jaspercountysc.gov.
- Hampton County, Sharon R. Johnson, B. T. DeLoach Building, 201 Jackson Avenue, West Hampton, South Carolina 29924, Phone: 803-914-2085/2087, Email sjohnson@hamptoncountysc.org.
- Colleton County, Janet Smith, 219 S. Lemacks Street, Suite 124, Walterboro, S.C. 29488, 843-549-1412, cvao@colletoncounty.org.
Some Georgia VSOs in the footprint of The Island News:
- Chatham County, Ga., Manager Miguel Rivera (Bi-Lingual), 912-920-0214, Ext. 2412191, Miguel.rivera5@va.gov, 1170 Shawnee Street, Savannah, Ga., 31419. Also, VSO Sheri Shellman, 912-920-0214 Extension 412194, and VSO Robert Jones 912-920-0214, Extension 412193. Located in the Savannah VA Clinic.
- Liberty County & Hinesville, Ga., Shannon Daniels, 912-408-2948, shannon.daniels@vs.state.ga.us, and Dennis Boothe, 912-408-2900 ext. 352750, dennis.boothe@vs.state.ga.us, 500 East Oglethorpe Highway, Hinesville, Ga., 31313. Located in the Hinesville VA Outpatient Clinic.
The VA
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has three, separate administrations aimed at serving veterans. Find helpful VA phone numbers at the VA’s webpage https://www.va.gov/resources/helpful-va-phone-numbers/. To be sure you are interacting with the proper administration within the VA, here are short descriptions for each VA administration:
VHA
VA’s Veterans Health Administration is the largest integrated healthcare network in the United States, with 1,255 healthcare facilities serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
VBA
Through the Veterans Benefits Administration, the VA helps service members transition out of military service, and assists with education, home loans, life insurance, and much more.
NCA
The job of the National Cemetery Administration is to make sure those who served this nation are never forgotten. NCA provides dignified burial services for veterans and eligible family members by maintaining 142 cemeteries as national shrines and providing lasting tributes that commemorate their service and sacrifice.
Find VA locations online
Find VA facility addresses and phone numbers for VA Health, Urgent Care, Emergency Care, Community in-network Providers, Community in-network Pharmacies, VA Benefits, VA Cemeteries, and Vet Centers) using the webpagehttps://www.va.gov/find-locations.
Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Healthcare System (RHJVAHCS) Headquarters
Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, 109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401-5799, Main Phone: 843-577-5011, Mental Health Phone: 843-789-6500. Find the RHJVAHCS webpage and phone directory at https://bit.ly/3CUTuUj.
My VA Primary Healthcare Team
Ask the VA for their names and phone numbers and write them in below.
My Primary care Physician (or PA or NP) _______________________________
My Primary Care Registered Nurse ____________________________________
My Primary Care Social Worker _______________________________________
My VA Specialty Healthcare Providers
Ask for the VA for their names and phone numbers and write them in below.
My Specialty Care Physician No. 1 _______________________________________
My Specialty Care Physician No. 1 _______________________________________
My Specialty Care Physician No. 1 _______________________________________
RHJVAHCS Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCS)
Beaufort S.C. CBOC, 1 Pinckney Boulevard, Beaufort, S.C. 29902-6122, Main Phone: 843-770-0444, Mental Health: 843-789-6500
Savannah Ga. CBOC, 1170 Shawnee Street, Savannah, Ga. 31419-1618, Main Phone: 912-920-0214, Mental Health: 843-789-6500.
Find the locations and phone numbers for the Hinesville, Ga.; N. Charleston, S.C.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Goose Creek, S.C.; and Trident Va. CBOCs, at https://bit.ly/3CUTuUj.
VA Helpful Resources
Learn more about important VA helpful resources and phone numbers at the Helpful VA Phone Numbers webpage at https://bit.ly/44xIyHq.
Helpful Va Phone Numbers
| MyVA411 main information | 800-698-2411 |
| VA health benefits hotline | 877-222-8387 |
| My HealtheVet help desk | 877-327-0022 |
| Civilian Health and Medical Program of the VA (CHAMPVA) | 800-733-8387 |
| CHAMPVA Meds by Mail | 888-385-0235 and 866-229-7389 |
| Foreign Medical Program (FMP) | 877-345-8179 |
| Quit VET (stop smoking) | 855-784-8838 |
| MISSION Act, | 800-698-2411, Secect1 (24/7) |
| Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits | 888-820-1756 |
| Caregiver support line | 855-260-3274 (M-F & Saturday) |
| VA benefits hotline | 800-827-1000 |
| GI Bill hotline | 888-442-4551 |
| Students outside the U.S. | +1-918-781-5678 (not toll-free) |
| VA loan guaranty service | 877-827-3702 |
| National pension call center | 877-294-6380 |
| Support for SGLI or VGLI | 800-419-1473 |
| All other VA life insurance programs | 800-669-8477 |
| Special issue hotline (Blue Water, Gulf War, Agent Orange, etc.) | 800-749-8387 |
| National Cemetery Scheduling Office | 800-535-1117 |
| Headstones and markers | 800-697-6947 |
| Women Veterans hotline | 855-829-6636 |
| National Call Center for Homeless Veterans | 877-424-3838 (Hours: 24/7) |
| Debt Management Center (collection of nonmedical debts), | 800-827-0648 |
| Vets Center call center | 877-927-8387 (Hours: 24/7) |
| Veterans Crisis Line | 988, Select 1 (Hours: 24/7) |
| Integrity and Compliance Helpline | 866-842-4357 (Hours: 24/7) |
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
