Dublin VA’s fall festival a fun introduction to VA care

This ain’t your grandpa’s VA.

Carl Vinson VA’s first fall festival featured a car show with a near flawless 1969 Camaro Super Sport, petting zoo, horse exhibition, and perfectly grilled hot dogs and sausage.

Customer service manager Vashon Brown…festival grill master

Open to the public, dozens of booths showcased many of the programs and services Dublin VA offers to Veterans, including enrollment, Whole Health, Women’s Health, Medical Foster Home, battlefield acupressure and much more.

So many people showed up to celebrate the Fall Festival, Dublin VA cooked 500 hot dogs, 150 hamburgers, and gave away 600 sodas and 150 bottles of water… and that wasn’t enough to last the five-hour festival.

This is YOUR VA

On second thought, this is your grandpa’s VA. In fact, Dublin VAMC is your VA, too.

“We put our Veterans at the center of everything we do and our fall festival is meant to show our community all the great things we offer beyond health care,” said Medical Center Director and Army Veteran Manuel M. Davila. “Engaging with our community is integral in building partnerships and spreading the word to unenrolled Veterans that we provide world-class health care and programs to care for Veterans medically, spiritually, holistically and emotionally.”

Warrior’s Ranch rider showed basic riding skills

Guests visited booths learning about various services and programs provided by Dublin VA and community partners. They also took part in games and activities, such as the climbing wall, bounce houses, and bebopping to a variety of music over loudspeakers.

Reaching out to Veterans not enrolled with VA

“Our fall festival serves as another outreach tool we use to show people in the community what we do for Veterans not currently enrolled with VA,” said Keith Griffin, chief of the Center for Development and Civic Engagement and an Air Force Veteran. “Access to care is one of Secretary McDonough’s top priorities and we work hard to be the healthcare provider of choice for America’s heroes.”

Veteran residents from the domiciliary and community living centers especially enjoyed the festival. A few bed-bound Veterans found their way out via nurse escort to mingle with the crowd and enjoy the upbeat atmosphere.

A world of options to receive great care

Local law enforcement and emergency services had their units on display. An armored county sheriff’s vehicle was parked in front of an open ambulance which showed the tight conditions emergency medical technicians work in to save people on their way to the emergency room.

“I love enrolling Veterans for VA health care as it opens up a whole other world of options for them in terms of receiving great care under one roof,” Health Benefits Advisor Madison Powell said. “Watching Veterans enroll and making Dublin VA their VA is heartwarming and fulfills my mission of helping Veterans.”