Veteran town hall scheduled for Oct. 21 in Sikeston

SIKESTON — The John J. Pershing VA Medical Center will host a town hall event Oct. 21 at the Sikeston VFW Post 3174, located at 709 Smith St.

An informational program with speakers detailing several aspects of VA health care will begin at 5 p.m.; however, program booths and outreach opportunities with key staff members will kick off at 4 p.m.

This event is open to all Veterans, whether enrolled in VA health care or not, along with their families and caregivers.

“This town hall is designed to provide information to area Veterans about the VA health care services they may qualify for, but not know about,” said Interim Medical Center Director James Warren. “Plus, the 2022 PACT Act greatly impacted how Veterans qualify for VA health care benefits, and we want those who served to understand how it may help them.”

Outreach booths covering topics like telehealth, enrollment and eligibility, caregiver support, women’s health, home-based primary care, the My HealtheVet program and much more will be available, and local Veteran Service Organizations also will have representatives on hand. A team from the Veterans Benefits Administration will be on site to assist Veterans, as will staff from VA’s Fisher House, which serves to house Veterans who must travel to St. Louis for certain medical care.

Additionally, a nursing team will be offering free blood pressure checks during the event.

A question-and-answer session with medical center leadership and key program staff also will be held during the event, giving Veterans the chance to offer input and have their questions answered by subject-matter experts.

“We’ll do our best to answer any questions you may have, but we also want you to tell us your opinions about the health care you receive at our facilities,” said Warren. “We want to know not only what you think we are doing right, but also what you feel we can improve upon to serve you better. We hope you’ll join us and take advantage of this opportunity.”

For more information about this event or the programs and services offered at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, its Sikeston and other clinics, call 573-686-4151 or go online to www.va.gov/poplar-bluff-health-care/