Key Takeaways from the Virtual Veterans Town Hall
The Executive Leadership team of the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System held a virtual Veterans Town Hall on December 10 to engage with Veterans and provide updates on health care services.
The Executive Leadership team of the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System held a virtual Veterans Town Hall on December 10 to engage with Veterans and provide updates on health care services.
Executive Director Stephanie Young opened the event with an overview of services provided at Charles George VA Medical Center and its community clinics in Hickory, Franklin, and the Master Sgt. Jerry K. Crump VA Clinic, noting the system serves more than 49,000 Veterans across Western North Carolina. She reported that the system recently earned a Dual 5-Star Rating for Overall Experience and Patient Satisfaction from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and contributed to the VA’s effort to permanently house 51,936 homeless Veterans nationwide, including 116 locally.
Young also announced that VA has extended many community care authorizations to a full year for 30 standardized specialty services, such as cardiology, dermatology, and mental health, allowing eligible Veterans to receive 12 months of uninterrupted care at VA expense. This policy shift reduces repeated reauthorization and is intended to cut down on administrative delays and interruptions in treatment.
During her presentation, Young underscored several resources, including the 2025 Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents, and Survivors guide, which outlines available federal benefits and how to access them. She also reminded attendees that suspected fraud, or scams can be reported directly to the VA Office of Inspector General via its website or by calling the toll-free hotline at 1-
Veterans were also encouraged to use the VA Health and Benefits mobile app to submit and track “mileage-only” travel reimbursement claims from a smartphone or mobile device. The app also allows users to manage appointments, view claim status, and access other VA health and benefits tools in one place.
Chief of Staff Ashfaq Ahsanuddin, MD, reviewed recent performance metrics, noting that 49,835 patients received care in the most recent fiscal year through the Western North Carolina VA Health Care System. He detailed ongoing efforts to transition Veterans to modern sign-in credentials for online health tools, reporting that thousands who previously lacked updated credentials have now been successfully verified.
Ahsanuddin urged Veterans who have not yet completed the transition to visit VA’s secure sign-in information page to ensure continued access to online services such as prescription refills, secure messaging, and appointment management through the modernized My HealtheVet experience on VA.gov.
Deputy Chief of Staff Douglas Huntley, MD, focused on respiratory illness prevention and emphasized staying up to date on recommended vaccines as respiratory viruses circulate. He reiterated that basic measures such as handwashing, covering coughs, staying home when ill, and masking in crowded or high‑risk settings remain effective in reducing the spread of respiratory infections.
Huntley outlined multiple ways Veterans can obtain free vaccines, including scheduled primary care and specialty visits, vaccinations offered prior to discharge from inpatient stays, and the Community Care Network, which allows enrolled Veterans to receive vaccines at participating retail pharmacies and urgent care centers. He also highlighted walk-in vaccine availability at the Primary Care Vaccine Clinic and community-based outpatient clinics during posted hours.
Following the presentations, leaders answered pre-submitted and live questions on topics such as pharmacy services, reporting emergency visits, stakeholder management, and disability compensation. While disability claims are administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration, officials noted that a VBA representative is now on site at Charles George VA Medical Center every Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. to assist with claims navigation.
Veterans seeking help with disability claims can schedule an appointment with the on-site VBA representative by phone or email, ensuring they receive in-person guidance on documentation, filing, and next steps in the claims process. To schedule an appointment, they can call