Courtesy Photo | The Atlanta VA Medical Center will participate in the nationwide VA initiative called...... read more read more
ATLANTA - A new nationwide initiative – a “Summer of Service” – seeks the help of citizens in Atlanta to create and build partnerships to grow the number of individuals and organizations serving veterans here. The Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC) will host an open house Monday, June 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ground floor Atrium, 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur. As part of VA’s Summer of Service, the Atlanta VAMC event is an effort to spur increased local engagement and welcome members of the community interested in supporting the needs of veterans.
“We have made progress over the past year addressing the challenges we face in delivering care and benefits to millions of veterans and their families,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald. “While there is more work to do to honor our commitment to veterans, we also recognize that VA cannot do it alone. We are asking Americans everywhere to join the Summer of Service and help us give back to those who have given so much to our nation.”
In the coming weeks, the Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC) will work closely with congressional partners, veterans service organizations, mayors and local communities, private sector and nonprofit organizations, and VA employees to identify new and innovative ways to support VA’s commitment to care for those who “have borne the battle” and their families.
Atlanta VAMC Chief of Voluntary Service Anthony Cooper says this event is necessary to engage the surrounding community and generate new volunteers.
“With this event, we hope to increase awareness about voluntary service, increase our pool of potential volunteers and increase the service we provide veterans,” said Cooper.
The VA will build upon the ongoing work of its more than 350,000 employees and 76,000 volunteers around the nation – and the 660 volunteers at the Atlanta VAMC. While the central focus of the campaign will be increasing volunteerism and partnerships, it will also provide individuals and communities an opportunity to support other important priorities. Despite a hiring effort that brought more than 11,000 net-new employees on board over the past year, VA still needs more health care providers, claims specialists, medical support assistants, and cemetery directors to continue to expand needed services. VA’s partners can help by getting the word out this summer.
In an effort to improve the veteran’s customer service experience, VA has begun the most comprehensive reorganization in its history. The initiative, called MyVA, has been guided by ideas and recommendations from veterans, employees and stakeholders.
“There is no mission more noble than serving veterans and their families. At VA, we constantly strive to improve the way we do our job,” said McDonald. “State by state, community by community, person by person, there are a number of ways we can all come together to serve veterans. From expanded partnerships with the private sector and nonprofit organizations, to accelerating hiring, to celebrating the commitment of VA employees and volunteers – we need the help of communities everywhere to succeed.”
Volunteers can help serve veterans by visiting http://www.volunteer.va.gov/ to find out the needs of your local VA facility.
About the Atlanta VAMC-Atlanta VA Medical Center (VAMC), a Joint Commission and Magnet Accredited medical facility sits on 26 acres in Decatur, Georgia—just minutes from downtown Atlanta. The main medical center is a level 1A tertiary care facility providing patient-centered healthcare via an array of comprehensive medical, surgical, geriatric specialty services, as well as state-of–the-art diagnostic testing throughout 14 sites of care. With 445 inpatient beds, including a 120-bed Community Living Center, a 40-bed domiciliary, and a 12-bed Residential Treatment Program, the Atlanta VAMC is uniquely positioned to serve the healthcare needs of more than 130,000 enrolled veterans living in 50 counties across northeast Georgia. The Medical Center, also a teaching hospital, provides hands-on and state-of-the-art technology, education and research to residents in collaboration with Emory University School of Medicine and Morehouse School of Medicine.
| Date Taken: | 06.23.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2015 10:06 |
| Story ID: | 167750 |
| Location: | ATLANTA, GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 114 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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