Steps to Archive a Closed Facility

Background: There are outside databases such as the Lighthouse API and VAST which provide information about each facility across multiple VA.gov sites/programs/apps, so it’s important that facilities are first archived within these databases before they are archived from the site itself. (Otherwise, there may be broken links strewn throughout VA.gov, which we want to avoid!)

Step 1: Locate the Point of Contact For Updating Facility Data

• Depending on the type of information that you wish to update, you will need to find the best point of contact for requesting changes to data that lives outside of Drupal.

• Before proceeding with the steps listed below, please read through the Knowledge Base article titled "How Do I Update My VAMC Facility's Basic Location Data?" and reach out to the appropriate contact(s) listed within the table at the bottom of this page.

• Next, contact your VAST administrator and let them know that the facility information needs to be removed or changed. Please also ask them to inform you as soon as the facility is removed or changed.

Step 2: Remove all Facility Health Services from the Facility in VACMS

• For example, if “Townsville Urgent Care” is listed under Townsville VA and the facility is currently closed, you’ll need to archive this particular health service page so that it doesn’t create a broken link.

Step 3: Save the Facility’s “Prepare for your Visit” Text if Needed Later.

• This text can be copied and pasted into Notepad or a Google Doc so that you can keep it on hand for future reference.

Step 4: Update the Page’s Operating Status to reflect the Current Status of This Facility

• For more information about how to update a VAMC facility operating status, please see the Knowledge Base article titled "How to Edit a VAMC Facility Operating Status." (Linked below under "Relevant articles")

Step 5: Update the Facility Introduction

• The facility introduction is the first text that is read and seen on the page, so it is advisable to edit this section to include information about how the location is now closed . In turn, folks who’ve directly bookmarked this link will see the new status right away.

Step 6: Submit Request to VA CMS Support to Have Facility Fully Archived

• Once the VAST administrator has verified that their database has been updated, the support team can go ahead and archive the facility page.