I have reported in the past about the Maine Veterans Coordinating Committee (MVCC).  For those who don’t read and/or remember everything that I have written, I’ll refresh your memory.  The MVCC is an organization that is made up of most of Maine’s Veteran Service Organizations whose mission is to function as a platform to share pertinent information across the veteran community including Congressional Delegation, federal, state and local veteran’s organizations. We do this by holding monthly ZOOM meetings with the Directors of the VA Healthcare/Togus and Benefits Regional Office , the Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services (MBVS), CEO/President of the Maine Veterans Homes, our four congressional representatives staff, and members of the various Maine service organizations.  But all veterans and those interested can “Zoom” in.  The Zoom link is always ID: 847 7321 7133 and Passcode: 236644. Or send me and email, dapatch@roadrunner, and I’ll send you the link. The next meeting is Dec. 4 at 3 p.m.  

At the October meeting Tracye Davis, Director VHA/Togus, updated the committee on the new Residential Treatment Facility that will be built between buildings 206 and 207. The facility will treat those with substance abuse disorders.  Those with those disorders now have to be treated out of state, meaning many don’t get treated as they don’t want to leave Maine.  If you have been to Togus lately, you will see a huge building project happening next to building 207. That is the new Community Living Center which will house long term care, memory care and transitional care. The hospice unit will remain in building 207.   

Since the government shut down is always in the news now, the VA reported that most VA employees are considered “exempt,” meaning that if the government shuts down, the VA employees have to work but without pay.   

Unusual delays are being experienced with submitted claims. The recent law called our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, the largest health care and benefit expansion in VA history, caused a huge push for veterans who were exposed to toxic materials to submit claims.  Exposures include Agent Orange and burn pits that can be contributed to a long list of disabilities.  Those who were in Vietnam have filed their claims for AO but the PACT Act included many other areas where AO veterans could have been exposed. Over 1 million claims were submitted which caused a back log of 225 thousand claims.  A back log is any claim that is over 125 days.  To address this backlog, the VA is hiring and those working on those claims are on mandatory overtime. 

Togus is also looking for warm clothes for veterans.  Those who would like to donate warm clothes can bring them to Building 205, 3rd floor, Voluntary Services.  If you can’t deliver them to Togus, you can bring them to the Legion and we will deliver. 

The next Post meeting is Nov. 13.