Minneapolis VA Health Care System Media Advisory
PRESS RELEASE
October 3, 2023
Minneapolis , MN — The Minneapolis VA and Catholic Charites Twin Cities are holding a joint ribbon cutting to launch a partnership in providing on-site medical services for Veterans experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness utilizing the Minneapolis VA Mobile Medical Unit (MMU).
Who: Minneapolis VA and Catholic Charities Twin Cities leadership, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and US Veteran Sidney Patterson (previously experienced homelessness)
When: Tuesday, October 3, 2023, from 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Where: Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation St. Paul Opportunity Center, 422 Dorothy Day Place, St. Paul MN 55102 (parking lot behind building)
Why: VA is employing 25 new Mobile Medical Units, or MMUs, across the country to increase care for Veterans experiencing homelessness or those who are at risk of experiencing homelessness by meeting them where they are. The Minneapolis VA is a fortunate recipient of one MMU and, on October 3, 2023, will launch a partnership with Catholic Charities Twin Cities at the Dorothy Day campus in St. Paul. MMUs are vans or trucks that move from one location to another that can provide Veterans with services such as health assessments and education, preventive care, referrals to VA homeless programs and other resources in the community. MMUs provide VA’s Homeless Patient Aligned Care Teams, or HPACTs, staff with the necessary infrastructure to provide care in community-based settings, all in a safe and confidential space with medical supplies and equipment readily available. HPACT MMUs provide a one-stop shop for wrap-around services that are integrated and coordinated, engaging Veterans in intensive case management, and providing high-quality, culturally sensitive health care. MMUs provide a much-needed service in the homeless Veteran community.
Media availability and photo opportunities immediately following the ceremony. Parking: Parking is available in the lot adjacent to the Saint Paul Opportunity Center. The lot is accessible from St Joseph Lane (the street that runs between the Opportunity Center and Assumption Church.) Please RSVP for parking code access information.