Introducing VEText
Introducing VEText
Iowa City VA Healthcare System is proud to announce an exciting new initiative for
VA Appointments!
What is VEText?
• An automated, interactive text message system to remind Veterans of upcoming
VA appointments. Veterans can respond to confirm or cancel an appointment.
Why is VA introducing VEText?
• For one reason or another, Veterans miss more than 9 million health care appointments each year. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of the time or it may be difficult to cancel appointments. This program will send timely text alerts. Veterans can confirm or cancel the date and time with a simple text back. VA will then offer any newly opened appointment times to other Veterans.
What does VEText do?
• Reminds Veterans of appointments.
• Send reminders a week before your appointment and again the day before.
• Allows Veterans a useful cancellation option if desired.
What do Veterans need to do to get started with VEText?
• Update or provide an active cell phone number with VA staff.
• No need to opt-in; text appointment reminders will occur automatically.
• Veterans may STOP the texts by following the instructions within the texts.
• No cell phone? No problem. VetText does not replace other reminders. It simply improves the experience.
• VEText does not show personal information—just a simple reminder of an appointment and offers tools to manage the appointment.
• VEText will only recognize the confirmation code (example: Y1) or cancellation code (example: N2).
• Any other response, including questions, will not be recognized. VEText does not allow staff to respond via text. You’ll receive an automated message with the clinic phone number if you respond with anything but the confirmation code or cancellation code.
