JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Veterans and caregivers got the opportunity to ask questions and learn about the many services provided at the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center.
The Mountain Home VA hosted a town hall to get community input and to see how they can better care for their veterans.
“This is our opportunity to listen to, communicate with, share information and likewise, thank our veterans for trusting us with their care,” said Dean Borsos, James H. Quillen V.A. Medical Center Director. “We’re here to support and serve our veterans, and that’s very important to us. So, we want to make sure that they know any of their needs. We’re here. Talk to us. Let us know, please come in and visit us.”
Medical staff presented information on services including enrollment, benefits, the PACT Act, travel pay, community care and much more. Services like the Whole Health Program was presented where veterans can participate in approaches like stress reduction, yoga, acupuncture, and health coaching. The Whole Health Program works with veterans to build a personalized health plan focusing on self-care, skill-building and support.
Robert Hartman, a U.S. Navy Veteran, attended the town hall to help his husband get burial information. He also came out to get information on any programs he might be missing out on.
“They shared a whole bunch of information that I never would have known about, because I’m not inquisitive enough when I come to the center,” said Hartman.
Hartman says he is interested in the acupuncture that’s part of the Whole Health Program.
He encourages other veterans to come out to the VA to know about the valuable resources they provide. He believes it’s important that the VA holds these town halls, so veterans can share how they need help.
“They [The VA] can know what to provide because maybe there’s a certain area that our veterans are not getting cared for,” said Hartman.
Mountain Home VA plans on having town halls quarterly. They encourage veterans to check James H. Quillen VA Medical Center’s website and social media to find more information about resources.
“The VA thanks our veterans for trusting us with their care and we sincerely thank them for everything that they’ve done for our community, for our hospital, as well as for serving the country,” said Borsos.
Borsos also thanks the VA staff and wants the community to know that the VA is hiring as they’re trying to increase their staffing by 5% a year.
“So, we can better serve our veterans, provide better access and higher quality care as we move forward,” said Borsos.
