Tag Archives: Chillicothe VAMC

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“2K Battle Buddy Walk” To Bring Awareness To Veterans With PTSD

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(CHILLICOTHE) — Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects more people and their families than you may think.  While VA medical centers nationwide are well versed in treating PTSD, it is important to understand that this condition does not just affect Veterans. 

PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic or life-threatening event.  Those impacted by PTSD may find it difficult to function in typical daily activities such as going to work, going to school or spending time with people, friends or loved ones.  

Common reactions associated with PTSD include:  

  • nightmares
  • distressing memories of the trauma
  • changes in how you feel such as strong unpleasant emotions
  • changes in how you think about yourself, others or the world
  • feeling disconnected from others
  • feeling especially alert and watchful
  • irritable behavior or angry outbursts
  • sleep difficulty
  • suicidal ideation
  • disruption in relationships

Being aware of the signs and symptoms is the first step to a diagnosis and learning about treatments available that can improve quality of life.  Treatment can be helpful even if symptoms have been ongoing for years.  Learn more about PTSD by visiting www.ptsd.va.gov and talk to your healthcare provider about available treatments.

The Chilicothe VA Medical Center offers evidence-based PTSD treatments including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, Eye Movement Desensitization & Processing as well as psychotherapy for insomnia, which is called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia.  PTSD therapy is completed individually and involves completing practice assignments outside of scheduled sessions.  Peer support led groups are also available.

Veterans who have experienced difficulties following a trauma are encouraged to contact the Chillicothe VA PCT Clinic Coordinator at 740-773-1141, extension 16557 or 17871, Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

In recognition of PTSD Awareness Month, Veterans and community members are invited to participate in the 2K Battle Buddy Walk at the Chillicothe VA on Wednesday, June 30, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.  Check in will be at the VA Memorial Stadium parking lot.  There will also be a Facebook Live event on June 30 at 3 p.m.   Visit the following link to hear from experts about services available to Veterans experiencing homelessness with PTSD: https://bddy.me/2SlbHqk

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Veterans Appreciation Night At The Paints

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

The 13th Annual Veteran’s Appreciation Night is July 9th, sponsored by the VA Medical Center and the Ross County Veteran’s Council.

Military veterans are permitted to bring up to two guests that night at V.A. Memorial Stadium.

Activities include:
Veterans Information Booths- 4:30pm
Free food- 5:35pm
Paints Game- 7:05pm

To register, call (740) 773-1141- ext. 17333 or email vahcllvetnightregister@va.gov

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Girl Scout Cookies Sent To Area Veterans

Presented By Classic Brands

Watch our interview with Bobbi Jo Hoffman and Jamie Russell

The annual sale of Girls Scout cookies is a treat for many of us, and veterans of the U.S. military are no different.

This year, a group called Soldiers Angels helped facilitate the delivery of 9,092 cases of the cookies to the Chillicothe Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Bobbi Jo Hoffman of Soldiers Angels says that many cases totals more than 100,000 boxes of cookies.

Jamie Russell, Voluntary Service Specialist at the Chillicothe V.A. Medical Center says the cookies are presented to the hospital’s in-patients and out-patients, along with the Veterans Service Office distributing Girl Scout cookies to veterans in the community as well.

Hoffman says this is one of the many things Soldiers Angels does to help make veterans lives “a little brighter.”

She says they need more volunteers and hopes to see more people in our area get involved.

For more information on how you get become involved volunteering with Soldiers Angels in our area, contact Bobbi Jo Hoffman (740) 520-4252 or email bhoffman@soldiersangels.org

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Opioid/Alcohol Addiction Treatments Available For Veterans

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(CHILLICOTHE) — The Chillicothe VA Medical Center is offering Veterans a program designed to help Veterans recover from addiction to opioids and/or alcohol using a Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program along with counseling.  Through the MAT program, medication such as buprenorphine (Suboxone) or naltrexone (Vivitrol) combined with counseling and behavioral therapies provides a “whole health” approach to the treatment of substance use disorder.  The goal of the program is to help Veterans recover from addiction and live healthy and productive lives.

Veterans can participate in the MAT program at the VA as an outpatient or through a residential service for substance abuse or mental health program offered at the main Chillicothe campus.  To qualify for the program individuals must:   

  • be a Veteran
  • meet criteria for having an opioid use disorder or alcohol use disorder
  • have a means of reliable transportation to and from appointments
  • have reliable contact information – cell or home phone number

To learn more about the program or schedule an appointment to initiate the process of enrolling in the MAT Clinic contact the Chillicothe VA Medical Center MAT Clinic, at 740-773-1141, extension 16893 or 17610, Monday – Friday, 7:30a – 4 p.m.

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V.A. Medical Center Reopens Gym For Veterans Use

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

(CHILLICOTHE)— Effective Monday, April 19, 2021, the Chillicothe VA Medical Center will re-open the gymnasium, building 247, to Veterans.  The gym will be open during the following times.  The gym will be sanitized every two hours per public health measures.

Monday – Friday

7 a.m. – 9 a.m.

9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Prior to using the gym, Veterans must have a consult for medical clearance from their Primary Care Provider.  Consults older than 1 year must also be renewed prior to use of the gym.  Once the consult is received, Recreation Therapy Staff will contact the Veteran. 

Although the gym will be open, the pool and shower facilities will remain closed until further notice due to COVID related safety precautions. If public health or facility operational conditions change, the gym may be closed on short notice.

Gym occupancy will be limited to 10 Veterans at a time and visits may be limited to one hour depending on utilization demand.  Veterans must undergo screening for COVID related symptoms and fever before entering the gym and must properly wear an appropriate face mask/covering (over both the nose and mouth) at all times.

Contact Recreation Therapy, at 740-773-1141, extension 7813, for more information, or contact your primary care provider to request a consult to use the gym.

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Virtual Listening Sessions Planned For Chillicothe VAMC

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin” It!

( CHILLICOTHE) — The Chillicothe VA Medical Center will hold a virtual listening session with stakeholders on April 12, 2021, at 8:30 a.m. to hear from Veterans and the communities VA serves.

This is one of 50 public virtual listening sessions across the country from March through June 2021 to hear from Veterans on how to design a health care system of the future and grow services for Veterans in a way that reinforces VA’s role as a leader in the U.S. health care system.

“We want to hear from Veterans and other stakeholders in the communities VA serves and understand their vision for VA health care,” said Dr. Kathy Berger, Medical Center Director.  “VA’s goal is to collaborate closely with Veterans and other stakeholders to build the best VA health care system that meets the needs of Veterans today and for generations to come.”

An equitable, high quality, Veteran-centered manner and develop a plan for investing in VA’s aging infrastructure.  The feedback will be used to develop the recommendations VA submits to the Asset and Infrastructure Review (AIR) Commission in January 2022.  The AIR Commission will also conduct public hearings as part of their review of VA’s recommendations before submitting its recommendations to the President and Congress for review and approval in 2023.

To register for the Chillicothe VA’s listening session, please visit https://www.va.gov/HEALTHPOLICYPLANNING/listening.asp. Contact the Public Affairs Office at 740-773-1141, extension 7080, with any questions. 

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Chillicothe V.A. Medical Center Serving Multiple Needs & Locations In Southern Ohio

Presented By Atomic Speedway

(CHILLICOTHE) — The Chillicothe VA Medical Center is the provider of choice for military veterans in the Southeastern Ohio region.

Along with a full hospital, the Chillicothe site also offers a wide array of services and specialties, as well as six community clinics. The Chillicothe VA is regularly preparing for disasters- including the transporting of staff and equipment, and working with community partners at the local, regional and national level. As their staff crossed over the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to see the impact of this training.

The Chillicothe V.A. Medical Center has had medical personnel and staff deploy all over the country to hotspots to assist with the pandemic as part of VA’s Disaster Emergency Medical Personnel System (DEMPS) and their Fourth Mission responsibility to back up the national health care system. During the past year, Chillicothe staff supported COVID deployments to Long-Term Care Facilities and State Veterans Homes in Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, and New Jersey. They also supported other VA facilities located in Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Texas. In August and September, staff deployed to Lake Charles, Louisiana to assist with Hurricane Laura recovery operations. The widespread devastation brought to the region by the category 4 hurricane during a worldwide pandemic provided an unprecedented challenge to everyone on the ground.

In December 2020, the Chillicothe VA began a rapid deployment of the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine to high risk Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare utilizing the VA’s Vaccination Plan. The plan and staff, more than 13,200 doses have been administered to Veterans and VA staff to date.

Over the past year, VA staff have continued to provide exceptional healthcare to area Veterans. As part of an online survey, VA Signals, Veterans are asked specifically about their preference in health care. For Fiscal Year 2021 to date (October 1 – now), the Chillicothe VA Veterans rate their trust of the medical center at 93.0%; this is 3.1% above the national average for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities and 19th in the nation out of 140 facilities.

Enrolled Veterans can schedule a vaccination appointment by contacting the Chillicothe Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 17273 State Route 104 Chillicothe, Ohio 45601-9718

VA at 740-773-1141, extension 5575, or one of the following VA Clinics. Veterans who have received a vaccination outside of the VA can also call extension 5575 to include in their medical record.

Athens 740-592-7220

Cambridge 740-432-1963

Lancaster 740-653-6145

Marietta 740-568-0412

Portsmouth 740-353-3236

Wilmington 937-382-3949

In order to receive VA health care, Veterans must enroll and meet certain eligibility requirements under current law, which may include income limits. Veterans not enrolled in the VA health care system are encouraged to visit www.chillicothe.va.gov/enrollment.asp to register or call 740-772-7170 with questions.

Veterans can get the latest information and sign up to receive updates on VA’s COVID-19 vaccine webpage (www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/stay-informed) or contact your VA healthcare team.

For more information about the Chillicothe VA, visit our webpage (www.va.gov/chillicothe), follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/ChillicotheVAMC) and twitter (@chillicothevamc).

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Additional 200,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Shipped To Chillicothe V.A. Medical Center

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

Building 9 houses the VA Medical Center COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic, Chillicothe, Ohio. Dan Ramey/Litter Media

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care facilities received a one-time supplemental allocation of 200,000 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses last week from the Department of Health and Human Services.

This distribution is in addition to VA’s normally scheduled delivery of approximately 125,000 doses of both Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines each week.

“In accordance to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s phased allocation considerations, VA has worked diligently to offer and administer the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible to Veterans who receive care at VA,” said Acting VA Under Secretary for Health, Richard Stone, M.D. “The additional doses will help us to continue reaching our Veterans at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 during this period of limited supply.”

VA facilities already receiving the Moderna vaccine, as well as several new sites, received additional doses last week from the supplemental allocation. VA is currently providing vaccines at more than 215 sites nationally and is reaching out to Veterans who are currently eligible for vaccination.

As of Feb. 10, VA has administered at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine collectively to 1,047,187 Veterans, employees and federal partners. VA’s goal is to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to all Veterans who are enrolled and eligible to receive VA health care. Veterans who are not enrolled can learn about eligibility by visiting www.va.gov//health-care/eligibility/.

The Chillicothe VA Medical Center is administering the Moderna vaccine and is currently offering the vaccine to enrolled outpatient Veterans who are 40 years-old and older.  To date, 6,278 employees and Veterans have received the first dose of the vaccine and 3,588 second doses have been given for a total of 9,866 doses administered. 

Learn more about VA COVID-19 vaccines at www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/ or contact your care team.

Enrolled Veterans can call 740-773-1141, extension 5575, to schedule an appointment.  Veterans not enrolled in the VA healthcare system are encouraged to visit www.chillicothe.va.gov/enrollment.asp to register or call 740-772-7170 with questions.

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Congressmen Stivers & Wenstrup Meet With Chillicothe VAMC Officials

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO – On February 22, the Chillicothe VA Medical Center Director, Dr. Kathy Berger, hosted a visit with Congressman Brad Wenstrup and Congressman Steve Stivers.  Discussions centered on current operations and other potential plans for the future of the Chillicothe facility.  Dr. Berger responded to the congressional questions about services offered at the Chillicothe VA, and questions about the new travel voucher program.

Dr. Berger also shared plans for working with VA market partners in southcentral Ohio, which may enhance/expand services.  Some areas that have proposed changes include additional mental health services and rehab services.  Those proposed changes are currently under review.  Veterans and staff can be assured that the Chillicothe VA remains ready to care for Veterans’ needs.

The COVID vaccination program was also discussed and the facility highlighted its current progress with vaccines being offered at the main campus and Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) locations.

As a healthcare delivery system for Veterans, the Chillicothe VA is committed to continually assessing Veterans’ needs in the 17 counties served and meeting those needs in the most appropriate way possible.  

Chillicothe VA is very appreciative of the continued support of Congressional members and stakeholders and is committed to ongoing communication.

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Chillicothe VAMC Continues Improvement On Analytics Scorecard

Presented By McDonald’s, I’m Lovin’ It!

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO – The Chillicothe VA Medical Center (VAMC) has continued to show improvement with the Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning Value Model also known as the SAIL report. SAIL is a scorecard that measures, evaluates and benchmarks quality and efficiency at VAMCs across the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).  It is designed for internal comparisons to promote high quality, safe and value-based health care across all its VAMCs. 

VA Medical Center Director, Dr. Kathy Berger, has placed high priority on quality of care outcomes and the Chillicothe VA continues to work at maintaining that high level of value and effectiveness in the quality of healthcare provided.  The Chillicothe VAMC uses the SAIL report to pinpoint strengths and opportunities for improvement. 

The Chillicothe VAMC recently received the Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 fourth quarter report on facility performance which shows continued meaningful improvement in overall quality from previous scores in the fourth quarter, FY 2019.  Chillicothe VAMC has continued to sustain improvement in 15 of the 24 metrics and have improved in four metrics moving up from second quintile to first quintile, which is the highest quintile. 

The Chillicothe VAMC continues to work at delivering the highest quality care to the Veterans we serve, and the SAIL report is one tool we use to objectively measure our success.

Please contact the Public Affairs Office at 740-773-1141, extension 7080, with questions or to learn more about the Chillicothe VAMC, visit our webpage (www.va.gov/chillicothe), follow us on facebook (facebook.com/ChillicotheVAMC) and twitter (@chillicothevamc).