The event might say veterans. But the Baraga County Veterans Health Fair is open to more than those who have completed their military service. This weekend the Baraga County Veteran Service Office and the Baraga County Memorial Hospital has sponsored the Baraga County Veterans Health Fair.
We do a free veterans’ health fair. We offer screenings for any health, mental health, social determinants of health, or any kind of needs that veterans and their caregivers may have. We help them access different resources that are available both at the Legion on the same day and with other resources that may not be available then. Getting them the help they may not even realize that they need. – Lori Karavonen, LPN Veteran Coordinator, Baraga County Memorial Hospital
The fair offers veterans, active-duty service members, and their caregivers free health screenings. For members of the Delayed Entry Program planning for a military career, the screenings can check for conditions young people did not know they had.
Those who are in the military right now, when they get out, they don’t always have every option available to them. So knowing that there are veteran services out there, especially job training and things like that, that will be available here on Saturday, is big for them. A lot of times you have someone who’s in 11th or 12th grade who’s on a delayed entry program to go in. And they may have a blood pressure issue that they don’t even know about. So it’s cool to be able to get them in here, a lot of times young teenagers don’t go to the doctor unless they’re sick. – Lori Karavonen, LPN Veteran Coordinator, Baraga County Memorial Hospital
BCMH Veteran Coordinator and LPN Lori Karavonen says that the fair has many of the region’s veterans services, and organizations working with veteran programs also set up at the Baraga American Legion Post 444. Baraga County VA Accredited Veteran Services Officer Doug Gray adds that veterans who haven’t signed up for benefits from the PACT Act can find his booth for more information and sign up.
and maybe medical issues they were denied for in the past. But with the PACT Act, what it does is it creates a lot of presumptive conditions that veterans could have been exposed to, whether it be to Agent Orange from Vietnam or it be burn pits in the Gulf Coast. – Doug Grey, Accredited Veteran Service Officer, Baraga County Veteran Affairs Office
16 professionals and veteran service officials plan to volunteer at the fair. While at the fair veterans and caregivers will have the option for blood pressure and blood sugar screenings. As well as help access resources for primary care, nursing, social work, and mental health services. Gray adds that benefits guaranteed to veterans have expanded in recent years.
When they meet with me, I try and get as much information as I can from them, and I try to set up an appointment for them to come and see me in the office. The point of it is, that I try and get them, whether it be compensation benefits, pension benefits, or medical care, just trying to find out everything I can about the veteran so I can know how to help them with benefits they rightfully deserve. – Doug Grey, Accredited Veteran Service Officer, Baraga County Veteran Affairs Office
The Baraga County Veterans Health Fair will start at 1 pm on Saturday at the Baraga American Legion Post 444 on Superior Avenue. No appointment is necessary. A free soup and sandwich lunch will also be available for veterans while waiting for their next screening or socializing with others in the area.
The American Legion Post will accept donations for the Operation Copper Country Active Duty gift campaign for active duty service members during the fair. Those interested in learning more about the Baraga County Veterans Service Office, or want to learn about the Veterans Health Fair on Saturday can find more details here.
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