FACEBOOK
TWITTER
VA reaches out to rural veterans
DVA
By News14
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – There was a different sort of greeting at the Kmart on Bridford Parkway Friday morning.
“Good morning, have you ever served in the U.S. Military?” asked Amanda Conley, a Pharmacist for the Veterans Administration.
Among the shoppers and Kmart specials, there was a display for the VA with about a half a dozen staffers on hand.
“It’s the VA getting out and reaching out to the veterans in rural communities,” said Dwight Holmes, a spokesman for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “We talk to them about their health care, the VA’s healthcare.”
Pharmacists and nurses are on hand to talk to veterans and others.
“We also have our social worker here, in case people have questions about depression or PTSD,” said Holmes.
While shoppers looked for bargains, over the loudspeakers came the message, “good morning Kmart shoppers, today with have some friends with us, the VA.”
In addition to taking blood pressure for vets or anyone else in the store, they also have pamphlets on various health matters.
Jarrad Williams, 47, served six years in the U.S. Coast Guard in the 1980′s.
“I’ve used VA health benefits before, but it’s been some time so I’m probably out of the system,” said Williams. “Now’s as good a time as any to get back in the system.”
Efforts like this are designed to reach veterans in rural areas who don’t know about or don’t take advantage of VA health benefits.
“We’re trying to reach out to those veterans and let them know, listen, you earned your benefits, take advantage of them, they’re here for you,” said Holmes.
Many of the older veterans say they’re using benefits. But VA workers want to make sure Vietnam vets don’t fall through the cracks or those who served in the Persian Gulf conflicts.
They had booths at the Coca-Cola 600 and Merlefest. Hundreds have applied for benefits in the state since the program started in April.
“I’m just grateful to see that they’re out here,” said Williams.
For more information on the Veteran’s Administration’s Rural Health Program, you can call the Salisbury Medical Center at (704) 638-9000, extension 4958, or visit the VA’s website.
Related Posts:
Short URL: http://www.veteranstoday.com/?p=40564
Posted by Yanira Farray on Jul 17 2010, With 0 Reads, Filed under Benefits, Vet News, Veterans Affairs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
COMMENTS
To post, we ask that you login using Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, or Hotmail in the box below.Don't have a social network account? Register and Login direct with VT and post.
Before you post, read our Comment Policy - Feedback
VA still not reaching out to me and many others!
Denied care in local clinic while homeless social worker said toO much work..after said simply not avaIlable despite what the VA WEB PAGES ADVERTISE.
DENIED PTSD care locally SAID we do 2or 3 30 minute session only for PTSD and you have too much trauma and too many other disability needs.
CAN’T take bus, cant Afford OUT OF county Travel and they wont do out of net work care.
LB VA angry crisis line called they only do suicide!?
WHY does VA still do least work vs best care – wait for the 50/50 odds either too late or we can dump vets to an institutional bed for a week or two?
Why? because they don’t care
When? Who What?
liers