I was contacted last week by an official at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center to obtain a location in Demopolis for them to conduct a health fair for area veterans. I was able to set up a location . The following information is what I have on this event:
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008
Time: 10am to 1 pm.
Location: Theo Ratliff Center
Sponsor: Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Services that will be available:
Blood Pressure Screening
Glucose Screening
(I have requested that cholestoral screening be added)
Information on how to enroll for VA healthcare
Counseling for Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Counseling specifically for women veterans
Marengo County State Veterans Service Officer will provide counseling on state and federal benefits.
Many of my Disabled American Veterans leaders from district and state level are scheduled to attend to counsel disabled veterans.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars will be available for counseling veterans who have served in combat.
The American Legion has also been invited.
Local home health and hospice caregivers who serve veterans have also been invited to take part in this health fair.
This health fair is for veterans I also advise spouses and children of veterans to attend. Counselors will provide information to them concerning benefits available from the VA for their infirmed or deceased veterans. For example, some veterans who are confined to bed may be eligible for hospice or home health care through VA. Family members may also have questions concerning VA grave markers or other burial benefits. Also some widows(ers) of veterans may also be elgible for compensation based on their spouses service. There are also possible benefits available for minor children of deceased veterans.
Watch for radio and newspaper publicity on this event.
Please PM me if you have any questions that I may address here.
Last edited by Eagle101; 04-29-2008 at 13:05 PM.
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You would have to undertake such an endeavor while I am out of town Eagle101!
I wish I was in town for this. I would be more than happy to volunteer time to assist in the screening of the veterans or in any manner I could assist. It isn't much, but it would be just a small way I could show my appreciation for what these veterans have afforded me with their sacrifices.
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My husband uses the VA in Tuscaloosa and I can't say enough about the assistance he has recieved at this facility. The doctors and nurses on staff show so much care for our veterans there. The first time we were up there, we were like, "Wow...these people care!" We had fought at other VA facilities, with very much frustration I may add, whose locations shall remain nameless. When they transferred his stuff to Tuscaloosa, it's been smooth sailing from there!
I think it's great that they are going to do this here in Demopolis.
Mike Grayson for Mayor!!
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This is not my endeavor or that of local veterans organizations. We were contacted to help locate a site for this. The Tuscaloosa VA is conducting this health fair partly due to the efforts we did to have a health fair for veterans in Demopolis a couple of years or so ago. The VA has also been directed to contact veterans to make the aware that they may be eligible for benefits. Also the VA budget is based in whole or part on how many veterans are ENROLLED in the system and not on how many veterans there are. Local home health and hospice agencies have also been invited to take part in this event. They provide services for veterans funded by the VA.
I have also been informed that the VA is working on establishing an outpatient clinic in Selma. Demopolis will be the next location for one. I hope to connect the VA with Mike Marshall at BWWMH for possible clinic space. I noticed that Dr. Chu is now located in the outpatient clinic. Since he is, as reported, building his own clinic, this space may be available soon. It depends on how much space the VA needs. The time to establish these clinics depends if a building has to be constructed or an existing location is available. These clinics are being established to better serve our veterans in rural areas. Most likely they will handle check-up and minor ailments. For more serious cases the attending doctor will then refer them to the VA Hospital in Tuscaloosa.
This will be the last event for veterans that I will helping with in an official position. After ten years or so it is time to give someone else a chance to excel.
Last edited by Eagle101; 05-01-2008 at 08:05 AM.
Reason: spelling
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Anyone desiring to help provide light refreshments for this health fair should contact me. Soft drinks, juices, chip and dips, cookies.etc. will be most welcomed.
Bumping this up. We need to have a great turn-out for this health fair. Demopolis needs to show that it is the right location for the new proposed VA out-patient clinic for the area. At least four of our top state level Disabled American Veterans officers and and service officers are detailed to attend this event. Light refreshment are still needed. All donations will help offset the expenses of the local veterans organizations who have been tasked to provide them.
Mike Marshall, CEO of BWWMH in Demopolis and his counterpart at the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center had a great phone conference last week. The TVAMC is planning to establish a VA Health Clinic in Demopolis. They first have to complete the process to extablish a clinic in Selma. The TVAMC now know that space will be opening up soon at BWWMH. Mike stated they also talked about using some of the services at BWWMH such as X-Ray and the Lab. This process will take a long time to complete. I will do all I can to push this forward. This clinic will help our veterans in many areas but one important one is preventing a three hour round trip to Tuscaloosa for a sometimes five minute vist with a doctor.
Help is still needed with refreshments for the health fair. Donations may be mailed to DAV Chapter 31, P.O. Box 131, Demopolis, AL 36732. Note on memo line that the funds is for the heath fair. Food or drink items need to dropped off at the Ratliff Center by 9am on May 29. Tables will be ready to place the items and will give time to go purchase items needed.
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The TVAMC is planning to establish a VA Health Clinic in Demopolis. They first have to complete the process to extablish a clinic in Selma. The TVAMC now know that space will be opening up soon at BWWMH. This clinic will help our veterans in many areas but one important one is preventing a three hour round trip to Tuscaloosa for a sometimes five minute vist with a doctor.
This is a much needed service for this area ...but, the wheels do turn slowly. I first heard about this over a year ago when I worked at the VA in T-town.
"If you believe, and God exists, you gain everything. If you disbelieve, and God exists, you lose everything." Pascal's Wager
Congressman Artur Davis will be holding his annual town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 27, 6-8pm at the Demopolis Civic Center. This new VA outpatient clinic is one item I will be asking him to support. I don't know if the hold-up in establishing the clinic is a funding problem or if the VA i
