OWASSO, Okla. — Eagle OPS, a local organization dedicated to helping Veterans transition home, is hosting a "VETFEST" resource fair for Oklahoma Veterans.
Many Veterans have questions about PACT Act claims, so there will be availability for toxic exposure screenings, VA benefits help, community connections, and more.
The PACT Act is said to be one of the most extensive healthcare and benefits expansions in the history of the Veterans Administration.
The VA has been holding similar events around Oklahoma to help Veterans get their questions answered, but those events are on a smaller scale.
Johnathon Shepherd with Eagle OPS explains how VETFEST differs.
"VETFEST is going to be that same one only with instead of having three or four agents, we're going to have 30 plus both healthcare and the VA or VBA," Shepherd said. "So all their service officers will be at VETFEST. And it is focused on a larger community of getting more Veterans through that event and helping them with anything from the healthcare side getting plugged in answering questions about VA health care and/or benefit of getting them plugged into VA claims."
Shepherd said the PACT Act will be a significant portion of the event, with several areas for toxic exposure screenings.
"It's going to be a questionnaire type screening and that sense of 'do you have, or have you had these issues?'" Shepherd said. "And they'll go through the list. And then what they'll end up doing is, as I go through that list, if you check yes or no, there'll be, 'okay, we need to get you in do bloodwork and do some of these other tests, physical tests.' So, they'll schedule them an appointment back at the VA, their 91st Street Clinic, or Muskogee, or our new clinic here in Claremore, just down the road at one of those locations."
- Learn about the PACT Act: Veterans encouraged to file with PACT Act
While plenty of resources are available to Oklahoma Veterans, it won't cost anything to attend.
"This is going to be 100% free," Shepherd said. "It's only going to be the VA and Veteran Support Organizations. Any true Veteran Support Organization on that side should not charge. Otherwise, they're a for-profit, you know, we're not. We're a nonprofit”."
Shepherd said the location provided the perfect opportunity.
"We're in the education center of the First Baptist Church," Shepherd said. "So, it's classrooms. And so, we'll just going to lead them through each one of those classrooms. As they have questions, we're going to put them in that room with those subject matter experts and let them answer those questions for them independently.”
VETFEST is Saturday, September 30, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at First Baptist Owasso.
For additional details on the event, visit Eagle OPS' website here.
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