First visit · what to expect
What to expect
After you contact Valor Medica, we aim to respond within two business days and then schedule a first assessment of 45 to 60 minutes covering your health history, medications, pain, sleep, mood, substance use and housing. You leave with a written plan and a scheduled follow-up, and charitable care costs you nothing.
No surprises. Here is the whole sequence, including how long each part takes.
1 · You tell us what is going on
By form, phone or through a Valor Villages case manager. You can be brief. You do not need to have it organized, and you do not need a diagnosis.
2 · We respond
We aim to respond within two business days. If what you have described is urgent, we will say so and tell you where to go instead of waiting for us.
3 · How long is the first assessment?
Usually 45 to 60 minutes. Longer than a standard appointment, deliberately — the whole point is to look at the whole situation rather than one complaint. We will cover your health history as best you can recall it, current medications, pain, sleep, mood, substance use, and your housing situation.
You will not be asked to prove anything before being taken seriously.
4 · A plan you actually have a copy of
What we think is going on, what we propose, what happens first, and who is responsible for each part — including us. If your care involves Valor Villages case management or VA services, the plan says how those connect.
5 · Follow-through
Follow-up is scheduled before you leave, and transport is arranged if getting here is the obstacle. Where we are measuring something, we measure it the same way each time so the comparison means something.
What should I bring to my first visit?
None of this is required, and not having it does not delay care:
- Any ID
- Medications, or photos of the bottles
- Discharge paperwork (DD-214) if you have it
- Names of doctors or hospitals that have seen you
- Insurance or VA card if you have one
How much does a visit cost?
Charitable care through Valor Medica is provided without charge to the patient. There is no fee to be assessed and no application fee.
If you have VA eligibility or insurance, we will help you use it — that makes donated funds go further. Inability to pay never decides whether you are seen.
Your privacy
Health information you give us is handled under the same confidentiality rules any medical practice follows. We do not share it with Valor Villages case management unless you agree, and we do not share it with donors, funders or anyone else. Records relating to substance use treatment carry additional federal protection.
What you will not be asked to do
You will not be asked to prove your circumstances before being taken seriously, to arrive with documents you do not have, or to be sober. You will not be asked to explain a gap in your medical history, and you will not be treated as a problem to be managed.
What if I miss an appointment?
Tell us and we will rearrange it. Missing one does not remove you from the service, and it does not require an explanation. The most common reasons people miss appointments here are transport and a phone that stopped working, neither of which is a reason to stop treating somebody.
Can I get a copy of my medical record?
You get a copy of your plan and you can have a copy of your record. Where care involves another organization, information moves with your consent and not otherwise.
Frequently asked questions
What should I expect at the first visit with a new doctor here?
Expect a longer conversation than a standard appointment. We look at your whole situation, not one complaint: your health history as best you recall it, current medications, pain, sleep, mood, substance use and housing. You will not be asked to prove anything before being taken seriously. You leave with a written plan and a follow-up visit already scheduled.
What should I not do before going to the doctor?
Do not put off the visit because you lack paperwork, sobriety or a tidy history. None of those is required, and not having ID or records does not delay care. When you first reach out you can be brief, and you do not need a diagnosis. If getting here is the obstacle, tell us; transport is arranged when that is what stands in the way.
How soon will I hear back after I reach out?
We aim to respond within two business days, whether you reach us by form, by phone or through a Valor Villages case manager. If what you describe sounds urgent, we will say so and tell you where to go instead of waiting for us. Then we schedule your first assessment.