Martinsburg VA Medical Center

VA Medical Center staff assist attendees at Welcome Home event Sept. 15-16 during "Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Open House and Air Show."

Photo by Jason Dominguez.

MARTINSBURG, W. Va. - The Martinsburg VA Medical Center held its annual “Welcome Home” event Sept. 15-16 during the “Thunder Over the Blue Ridge Open House & Air Show” at Shepherd Field, hosted by the West Virginia Air National Guard’s 167th Airlift Wing.
 
The Medical Center hosts a yearly “Welcome Home” event to honor Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation New Dawn (OND), active duty service members and all other Veterans. In addition, the event provides Veterans with information about health care services and eligibility.
 
This year’s air show included a C-5K run, parachute demonstrations, aerial performances, aircraft displays, a kids’ village and a performance by “School Time,” a jet-engine-fitted school bus.

The Martinsburg VA Medical Center offers general medical, surgical and psychiatric services for Veterans in the area, including West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. While some of the Veteran attendees were already registered to receive care at the Medical Center, many were unaware of their benefits. VA staff assisted more than 2,000 Veterans, their families and significant others with questions related to enrollment; eligibility; benefits; suicide prevention; OEF, OIF and OND services; women’s health and My HealtheVet.

Ann Brown, medical center director, said the air show was a great place to welcome Veterans home and engage the community. “I’m pleased we had the opportunity to talk with so many Veterans about their VA benefits and medical care,” Brown said. “This is the second year we have assisted Veterans at the air show. In addition to providing the best care for their medical needs, we offer lots of great resources and tools.”

The My HealtheVet program is just one example of the many resources available to Veterans. My HealtheVet is an online service where Veterans can view certain excerpts from their medical records, access prescription history and connect with health care providers. Richard Nappi, My HealtheVet program manager, said every Veteran should take advantage of this free service.

“Many Veterans at the event did not know My HealtheVet provides such helpful information,” Nappi said. “My HealtheVet is an online service that allows Veterans to refill prescriptions, view upcoming appointments, access lab results and communicate directly with their medical team through Secure Messaging.”

In addition to My HealtheVet, the Medical Center’s Women Program is another great service available to women Veterans. Matthew Funke, Women Veterans program manager, said his team educates women Veterans about their benefits.

“Our mission is to help and inform our women Veterans,” Funke said. “Our women’s program provides comprehensive health care for women Veterans, including mammograms, pap smears for cervical cancer, infertility services, birth control and much more. The air show was a great place to get out, meet Veterans in the community and talk about what VA can do for them.”

For more information about benefits eligibility for Veterans and their dependents, call
1-877-222-VETS (8387).