OKC VA brought Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribal Communities PACT Act resources

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The PACT Act is a new law that expands VA healthcare and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. 

The Office of Tribal Government Relations Specialist, Mary Culley, knows how difficult it is for some Veterans to travel to a VA facility to receive healthcare, navigate the VA systems or digital pathways for online services. It can be overwhelming for Veterans—especially the elderly population.

“The first challenge was knowing where to start to get all the right resources in the right place and getting the Mobile Units here to perform Compensation and Pension exams was a huge advantage.” Culley said, “Our goal is to try to get as many Veterans as possible into these events so we can get them through the entire process—from start to finish— in one day.”

PACT Act Resource fairs bring multiple resources and agencies together to meet the needs of Veterans in rural communities.

“You’re addressing so many issues, right here, on the spot and you have all the right people in one location who can address most of your VA questions and concerns,” Culley said. “We have all the key staff in place, so let them do the research, let them do the investigation and dig into each case and when you walk out of here, you’ve done everything you need to figure out if you are eligible for VA compensation, or not.” 

“In Tribal communities, the demographics are completely unique. These Veterans see a lot of different challenges in rural areas, they are in places that are hard to reach, they might not have medical facilities in close proximity, transportation may be an issue and there are barriers that we have to understand and work around.” said Heather Osborne, Management Analysist with Medical Disability Management Office “So if they can’t come to us, we want to bring the mobile medical services to them, and we want them to know that we are in an area that is a safe environment and we are here to help them with the medical exam process and let us help you get the benefits they you are entitled to and deserve.” 

At the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes PACT Act event, the organizers invited Tribal leadership to help encourage participation.

“We have seen cases where Indian’s don’t feel comfortable talking to certain groups of people and when you bring resources like this to them, in their own Tribal lands, they feel more comfortable coming out, asking for help to navigate different systems and getting answers to questions that they may have had for many years.” said Gillbert (Gib) Miles, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, Lieutenant Governor,

“Per capita, we serve in the military more than any other race. This is in our culture and engrained in our children and grandchildren—it is our Warrior Spirit,” Miles said. “I want to let all the Veterans out there, you have earned this benefit, you deserve to get your VA compensation for serving, come out to these PACT Act events and let this group of VA and VBA experts help get your VA claims fixed and go get it.” 

“Let’s just say, the VA isn’t what it used to be in the 70’s.” said Mr. Robert Wilson, Army Veteran. “After Vietnam, the VA wasn’t much help to old timers like me, and we had bad experiences. The VA has come a long way and in a positive direction. My Veteran brother, Edward, has been getting on me to finally get registered in the VA system and to finally apply to get my benefits. Today, I went through the process and got my benefits awarded. It’s a great feeling and comfort to finally get this process 100% completed.” 

“Our OKC VA Healthcare System is growing very rapidly, we have more Veterans trusting us than ever before, more Veterans moving here from other states, and choosing Oklahoma VA to provide for their healthcare needs.”  said Wade Vlosich, the OKC VA Director. “Bringing our VA resources to rural communities, like Concho, is our way of showing Veterans that we value your service to our country, we want you to trust us and let us help provide you with the health care you deserve.”  

One of the areas that is in desperate need to have more representation and focused communication efforts are on the Veteran widows.

“It is also important to invite our widow population to come out to these events and ask questions. Let our team of experts do the research, find out if you qualify for widow benefits and   eligible for widow compensation.” Culley said, “Just because your Veteran is no longer with us, that doesn’t mean that you are not deserving of your spouse’s benefits. The only way to find out is to come out and ask the questions to the right people.”

The next Tribal PACT Act event is at Pawnee Indian Health Services (IHS) Clinic located at 1201 Heritage Circle and scheduled on Wednesday, July 19, 2023 from 9am-4pm and Lawton IHS at the Apache Casino Event Center, 27 July from 9am-4pm.

To learn more about the PACT Act, please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website or click the link below The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs