Montana VA to Host Open House on March 17 for Bozeman Veterans

BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Montana VA Health Care System (MTVAHCS) is hosting an open house event at the Travis W. Atkins VA Clinic in Bozeman on March 17.  The open house is being held to celebrate the first anniversary of the state-of-the-art clinic’s opening. 

The open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 17 at 1101 East Main Street in Bozeman. One goal of the event is to make sure local Veterans are accessing all the services and benefits they have earned. Montana VA staff, who represent over a dozen services and programs, will be available to answer any questions (such as for caregiver support, mental health, whole health, women Veteran services, toxic exposure screenings, and more.).  

Also, with eligibility expanding under the PACT Act, Veterans who may not have been eligible for VA benefits may now be. Enrollment and eligibility experts will be available to answer questions. (Veterans can learn more about the PACT Act at www.VA.gov/PACT  or by calling 1-800-MY-VA-411). 

“The Montana VA has one, single-minded focus – Veterans,” said Montana VA Executive Director, Dr. Judy Hayman. “We are here for our Veterans and their families. On the anniversary of our new clinic in Bozeman, all Veterans are invited to see the beautiful state-of-the-art facility and learn more about the high-quality health care services that we provide. We also want to make sure that every Veteran is able to optimize the services and benefits they have earned.”  

The $3.6 million Travis W. Atkins VA Clinic is over two times larger than its former Bozeman location (increasing from 6,670 to 14,161 square feet). The clinic serves over 2,700 Veterans and include capacity to serve up to 3,200 Veteran patients. 

The clinic’s namesake, Travis W. Atkins, was born in Great Falls and moved with his family to Bozeman in 1981. Staff Sergeant Atkins enlisted in the U.S. Army.  On June 1, 2007, he was killed in action while fighting a suspected Iraqi insurgent near Baghdad. Atkins threw himself on top of the suicide bomber, pinning him to the ground and shielding his soldiers from the imminent explosion while bearing the brunt of the blast as the bomb detonated.  

His actions saved the lives of three nearby soldiers. Due to Staff Sergeant Atkins' undaunted courage, warrior spirit, and steadfast devotion, he received the Medal of Honor.  

Montana VA serves over 47,000 enrolled Veterans across Montana—an area roughly 147,000 square miles in size. Veterans are cared for by a staff of 1,400 at 18 sites of care across the state.  One third of Montana VA employees are Veterans. Veterans can connect to their VA healthcare records, information, and message their VA care teams 24 hours a day through the MyHealtheVet patient portal (https://www.myhealth.va.gov/mhv-portal-web/how-to-use-mhv). Montana VA information, updates, and events are available on the Montana VA website (https://www.va.gov/montana-health-care) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VAMontana).   

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Matthew Rosine, Public Affairs Specialist

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Katie (Catherine) Beall, VISN-19 Newsroom Chief

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