SWS heading to Montana
The American Legion’s System Worth Saving (SWS) team is heading to Helena, Mont., this month to conduct a town hall, meet with local U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) staff and work toward solutions to ensure that area veterans are receiving the best health care possible.
The Helena visit kicks off with a town hall where all local military veterans are invited to attend and share their experiences with VA. During the town hall, American Legion representatives, VA staff and others will be on hand to address issues and questions raised by veterans related to their health-care experiences at their local VA.
The town hall, which starts at 6 p.m. Sept. 23, will be held at American Legion Post 2, 3095 Villard Ave. Helena, Mont., 59601.
The event is free, and no prior registration or RSVP is necessary. However, veterans are invited to submit questions beforehand via www.legion.org/systemworthsaving/townhall
American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission Vice Chairman Alan Cohen will be participating in the event.
“It may be surprising to some that The American Legion is bringing its System Worth Saving visit to a fairly remote location,” he said. “But that’s precisely the point. These visits are instrumental in ensuring that every veteran receives the health care they earned through their service to our nation — regardless of whether they live in a big city like Chicago or Los Angeles or a more remote location.
“We are visiting Helena because we fight for the rights of veterans who live in a rural area just as much as we do for those who live in big cities. At this visit, we will listen to what veterans say about the care they receive, learn from VA staff about their challenges and identify solutions to ensure that all our veterans are receiving the best care possible.”
Each year, the Legion’s Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission conducts a series of site visits to VA medical facilities and regional offices across the country. While on site, American Legion representatives meet with veterans, their families and VA administrators and employees to discuss issues and solutions at each site. These observations are compiled into a System Worth Saving report that is distributed to VA officials, members of Congress and the public.
SWS town visits also have been conducted this year in Phoenix, Albuquerque, N.M.; and Tampa, Fla.