Veterans deserve quality transportation

Keeping in touch

In an informative news article published earlier this month, covering the Governor’s Office of Economic Development Representative, Evan Barrett’s visit to our county, mention was made that public transportation continues to be a concern and cited the difficulty some veterans face in accessing necessary healthcare.

While public transportation is a concern, especially with the high cost of fuel these days, the difficulty expressed for the veterans accessing necessary healthcare is already being addressed and help is as close as your telephone, in fact the number is 242-0217.

For those of you not familiar with The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Volunteer Transportation Network, it is a resource readily available to help veteran’s access health care facilities in Montana and they have been doing so for many years.

For the past twenty years, the DAV Volunteer Transportation Network has logged ten million miles taking veterans to their VA scheduled appointments in Montana. Sanders County is home to one of the vans used for this purpose; and during the first five months of 2007, volunteer drivers logged three hundred sixty-six hours and seven thousand fifty-six miles while serving eighty-eight veterans. Growth in the numbers for the first six months this year, show an increase to seven hundred seventy-eight hours, twenty-two thousand sixty miles and two hundred fifty-four veterans!

Statewide performance for 2007 shows nineteen thousand veterans were served and seven hundred eighty-six thousand miles were traveled, all due to the efforts of two hundred seventy-five volunteers and local support in the form of donations to purchase the vehicles. Still, due to the lack of information being published, some people believe that veterans are having a hard time getting transportation to their healthcare appointments, however the statistics reveal that many are having their needs met. However, while many are being served some veterans are still not getting the “word” about transportation being as available as their telephone. This will be remedied in the near future as the DAV and the VA are working to publish a brochure to be mailed to every veteran in Montana.

Soon, every veteran will know all they need to know in order to obtain transportation to his/her healthcare appointments. The brochure will cover the main topics of “who we are what we do, how we do it, how to book a ride and the rules for travel.” Since all travel arrangements are made with the DAV Coordinator in that particular area, the brochure will list the telephone number to call for a ride.

The main requirements for using this DAV resource are that the veteran is able to get into and out of the van unaided, and that the call be placed at least seventy-two hours in advance of the VA scheduled appointment. All travel is on a first-come-first-served basis, so veterans need to call as soon as the appointment is made. Sanders County veterans can call 242-0217 and speak with the DAV Coordinator in Thompson Falls to book a ride to a VA appointment in Montana, or to travel connections beyond.

Now it’s your turn to “Keep in Touch” by contacting me regarding your questions, concerns or just to talk as you would with a friend over a glass of ice tea now that summer has arrived! I can be reached via e-mail at p, or call me at 827-4652 or by mail at P.O. Box 1151, Thompson Falls, Montana 59873.