Ribbon Cutting for VA's first Mobile TMS Medical Unit and PACT Act Health Fair (in Billings)

Veterans and their families are invited to a ribbon cutting and PACT Act health fair at their Benjamin Charles Steele VA Clinic in Billings (1766 Majestic Lane).

RIBBON CUTTING & TOURS OF TMS MOBILE MEDICAL UNIT (11:00 a.m.)
The ribbon cutting celebrates the launch of the VA's first-in-the-country mobile medical unit that will travel across Montana to provide Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) treatment.  The mobile medical unit is a specially designed, high-tech vehicle that will travel across Montana to provide TMS treatment for rural Veterans. 

TMS therapy is a treatment option for Major Depressive disorder for patients who have not achieved a adequate response with antidepressant medication and/or psychotherapy. Recent advances in TMS have allowed for a more rapid treatment course (five days instead of six to eight weeks) that be more effective than standard TMS. 

TMS is a safe, non-invasive and effective therapy that uses electromagnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression. A TMS-trained psychiatrist prescribes and administers TMS treatments. The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved TMS in 2008 for treatment resistant Major Depressive disorder. 

PACT ACT HEALTH FAIR (11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
After the ribbon cutting, Veterans and their families are invited to tour the mobile medical unit and also stop by the Montana VA health fair to learn more about the VA services and benefits they have earned. Montana VA staff representing over 10 services and programs will be available to provide information and answer questions (such as for enrollment/eligibility, Veterans Benefits Administration, mental health, women Veteran services, toxic exposure screenings, and more).  

One goal of the health fair is to help connect Veterans who may have expanded eligibility and benefits thanks to the 2022 passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. There is no deadline to apply for PACT Act benefits, but Veterans are encouraged to file their PACT Act claim by August 9, 2023, which may make them eligible to receive benefits backdated to August 10, 2022. VA enrollment and eligibility experts will be available at the health fair to answer questions. (Veterans may learn more about the PACT Act at www.VA.gov/PACT  or by calling 1-800-MY-VA-411).