Open House for Lamar’s VA Clinic

Barbara Crimond | Aug 29, 2019 | Comments 0

TeleHealth Apparatus at VA Clinic

If any Lamar area veterans had health-related questions for the VA, this past Wednesday, August 28^th was a good time to ask. Close to 50 vets, spouses and visitors attended the VA open house at the Lamar clinic at 1401 South Main Street. VA staff was on hand to explain the medical equipment available for standard testing as well as the telehealth video computer which can automatically connect a care giver and a patient in real time. Visitors viewed the medical offices, enjoyed some snacks and received information from the staff regarding their current and future medical issues and treatments.

The Mobile VA Vet Center was available to any veteran through the day and was parked in the rear of the Clinic. The Vet Center Program was established by Congress in 1979 out of the recognition that a significant number of Vietnam era vets were still experiencing readjustment problems. Vet Centers are community based and part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The goal of the Vet Center program is to provide a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to eligible service members, veterans, and their families in order to help them make a satisfying post-war readjustment to civilian life.

Numerous information brochures were available including the VA MISSION Act of 2018 which provides better access and greater choice in health care, either at VA or a community provider. The Act was passed by Congress and signed into law on June 6, 2018. The legislation provides for streamlining and improving community care for qualified veterans, establishes a new Urgent Care benefit, expands caregiver’s eligibility, and strengthens VA’s Workforce and the VA’s infrastructure.