The Hines VA Medical Center outreach team is continuing to visit Gardner in 2022

At Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, our health care teams are deeply experienced and guided by the needs of Veterans, their families, and caregivers. Located 12 miles west of downtown Chicago and at six outpatient clinics across the region, Hines VA offers primary, extended and specialty care to Veteran patients in the Chicago area. We are the largest VA in the state of Illinois, where more than a million Veterans reside. The hospital treats more than 44,000 veterans from World War II through the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As part of our mission to serve veterans in the area we have an outreach team that travels our service area to engage and educate veterans regarding their health care benefits.

The Edward Hines Jr. VA Medical Center Outreach Team along with the Grundy County Veterans Assistance Commission will be at the South Resource Center of the Community Foundation of Grundy County at 229 Liberty Street Gardner, IL from 10:00 AM to 2:00 pm on Tuesday January 18, 2022.

The event is to educate and assist veterans with a variety of VA and other veterans’ benefits. This event is free and open to all veterans.

Seasonal flu shots are available for eligible veterans, the nurse can also provide information regarding other immunizations available from the VA.

If a veteran is interested in enrollment in the VA Health Care System, please bring a copy of your DD214 and a government issued photo ID. You may be eligible for VA health care benefits if you served in the active military, naval, or air service and didn’t receive a dishonorable discharge. If you enlisted after September 7, 1980, or entered active duty after October 16, 1981, you must have served 24 continuous months or the full period for which you were called to active duty. There are other conditions under which you might be eligible, attending these outreach events will allow you to discuss your situation with the enrollment coordinator directly.

“Were you aware that VA health care is not a health insurance? The VA is a health care provider. With VA health care, you can do regular checkups with your VA primary care provider or seek out specialty care from specialists like cardiologists, gynecologists, and mental health providers. You can access Veterans health care services like home health and geriatric (elder) care, and you can get medical equipment, prosthetics, and prescriptions.” said Ken Buck, Superintendent of the Grundy County VAC.

If you would like more information about the Hines VA outreach program, please call Patrick Grimes at 708-904-1473.