Va echcs to host resource fairs, town halls for rural veterans | va eastern colorado health care | veterans affairs

Aurora , CO — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (ECHCS) will host resource fairs and town halls Aug. 8-12 for Veterans in five rural communities. VA ECHCS provides health care to

Veterans in Eastern Colorado and surrounding states. Through a series of resource fairs, Veterans, along with their spouses and caregivers, will get one-on-one support with understanding,

accessing and using VA benefits and services. VA ECHCS Director Michael Kilmer will finish the fairs with town halls, encouraging an exchange of information and feedback that will help VA

health care meet Veteran needs in rural communities. The events kick off Aug. 8 in Burlington, continue Aug. 9 in Lamar; Aug. 10, La Junta; Aug. 11, Alamosa; and Aug. 12, Salida. “I’m a big

believer in Veterans returning home to supportive communities, where VA is the backbone of health care delivery,” said Kilmer, who encourages Veterans to get in-person assistance with their

personal needs prior to the concluding public forum. “Our Veterans will always benefit from community-level collaboration. Let’s keep discovering ways to work together. Let’s keep

identifying local opportunities and challenges. Importantly, let’s strengthen the partnerships that help our nation’s Veterans access world class care.” Kilmer said community input is used

in developing VA health care infrastructure investment strategies. It’s vital to increasing access and improving outcomes in Eastern Colorado, including ways to jointly identify, test and

evaluate innovative solutions for rural Veterans. When rural Veterans overwhelmingly called for restoring in-person appointments with VA providers during the COVID-19 pandemic, VA ECHCS

launched a “reverse telehealth” pilot program, whereby providers in rural clinics may offer telehealth to urban Veterans that are more adept to virtual care modalities. “This model of care

delivery,” said Kilmer, “it’s showing potential in increasing access to VA providers in our rural markets, while increasing capacity for virtual care in our urban markets.” ONE-ON-ONE

SUPPORT DURING RESOURCE FAIRS During resource fairs, Veterans confirmed as eligible for VA health care will get assistance with enrolling and scheduling their first appointment. For more

information on how to apply, including the requested documents, visit VA.gov/health-care/how-to-apply. A licensed clinical social worker will explain long-term care, caregiver support, home

health and applying for home improvement grants or resolving case management issues. A Veteran experience officer will ask about the moments that matter and offer help in resolving issues.

VA ECHCS Office of Community Care representatives can clarify how consults get processed and offer updates. Community providers can learn how to partner with VA through TriWest. A social

worker with the suicide prevention team can talk about screening for suicide risk, promoting connectedness, improving care transitions and increasing lethal means safety, as well as

community engagement, coalition building and change initiatives for suicide prevention. Veterans can learn about VA homeless programs and community-based initiatives. A program expert will

explain what efforts are crucial to increasing permanent housing placements and enabling a full accounting of Veterans experiencing homelessness to keep it rare and brief. “This is an

important opportunity for our Veterans,” said Dennis Hunter, commander, American Legion Post 64, the Salida venue. “Come talk to VA professionals about your eligibility and care, then stay

for the town hall to listen to and interact with their leadership.”   MONDAY, AUG. 8: BURLINGTON VA RESOURCE FAIR, TOWN HALL Resource fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; town hall, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Ambulance Shed 1576 Lowell Avenue Burlington, Colorado 80807 TUESDAY, AUG. 9: LAMAR VA RESOURCE FAIR, TOWN HALL Resource fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; town hall, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Lamar Senior

Center 407 East Olive Street Lamar, Colorado 81052 WEDNESDAY, AUG. 10: LA JUNTA VA RESOURCE FAIR, TOWN HALL Resource fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; town hall, 5:30-6:30 p.m. La Junta Senior

Center 114 East 2nd Street La Junta, Colorado 81050 THURSDAY, AUG. 11: ALAMOSA VA RESOURCE FAIR, TOWN HALL Resource fair from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.; town hall, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Colorado National

Guard Readiness Center 1877 Old Sanford Road Alamosa, Colorado 81101 FRIDAY, AUG. 12: SALIDA VA RESOURCE FAIR, TOWN HALL Resource fair from noon to 2 p.m.; town hall, 2-3 p.m. American

Legion Post 64 235 West 10th Street Salida, Colorado 81201