Amarillo VA recently passed the mark of 20,000 toxic exposure screenings, signifying a milestone in its mission to fulfill the goals of the PACT Act, a new law that expands VA health care benefits and eligibility for Veterans.
The PACT Act was signed into law on August 10, 2022, and expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. The law helps VA provide generations of Veterans—and their survivor—with the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. As of March 5, 2024, VA expanded health care to millions of Veterans, years earlier than called for by the PACT Act.
Due to the size of this expansion, Amarillo VA created a team of health care providers to ensure the program’s success.
“This milestone clearly illustrates our health care team’s dedication to providing timely, efficient, ethical, safe, compassionate and quality health care to Veterans,” said Dr. Rodney Gonzalez, director. “The PACT Act has helped us build a stronger health care team with a more skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for benefits and services. We quickly adapted to the new program and learned to focus our energy on taking care of our Veterans and work toward completion of our goals within the program. We want every enrolled Veteran to have a completed toxic exposure screening and clear line of communication with their primary care provider.”
Over 75% of Veteran population screened
Over 75% of our Veteran population has been screened, allowing our health care teams to consider each Veteran’s specific health requirements, including medical conditions considered for presumptive status under the PACT Act. Veterans who are not enrolled but who are eligible to enroll have an opportunity to enroll and receive a quick 5–10 minute screening to identify any potential exposures to toxins during their military service and connect them to additional resources if they have any concerns.
“Not only is it our goal to screen every one of our Veterans, but in five years we are going to screen them again to ensure no new health concerns or symptoms have developed,” said Bryan McCann, toxic exposure team lead. “As the registry grows and our knowledge on exposures, conditions and symptoms expands, we become better as an organization, benefiting not only Veterans but our staff, allowing us to improve what we do.”
“We want Veterans to have their experiences acknowledged.”
According to McCann, toxic exposure screening is something Veterans had been asking for before the PACT Act was signed into law. “The occupational environmental exposures they have had is one of the factors that make our Veteran population unique. This expansion ensures more people qualify for health services and makes it easier for a provider to endorse an exposure and get them the care they need.
“The team assists both Veterans and their providers by providing the ease of use, continuity and maturity needed within the program. We ensure the program continues to be meaningful, holistic and has a solid infrastructure to effectively connect Veterans with much needed resources,” McCann added.
Because of the team’s success, the relationship between Veterans and the Amarillo VA health care team has grown more positive, creating communities within VA with a solid foundation in effective care, support and whole health.
“We want our Veterans’ lives to be easier, to have their experiences acknowledged and provide as much care for them as possible,” said Gonzalez.
All Veterans enrolled in VA health care can receive a toxic exposure screening at an upcoming appointment or sooner by contacting a Toxic Exposure Screening Navigator.
All enrolled Veterans should receive the screening at least once every five years. Depending on your response, you may be connected to support and resources, including a review by your primary care team.
Topics in this story
More Stories
Podcast panelists discuss PTSD and aging and potential treatment options.
Veterans are encouraged to be prepared for a disaster or emergency in their homes, businesses and communities.
The Help with Employment, Agency, Risk, Transitions and Housing (HEARTH) project helped ease this Veteran’s path back to civilian life.
This is just another political show. The VA doctors look at you with a blank face when you tell them what exposures you have been through. Acetone, Blue &Red Lead dust along with rust dust from grinding in closed up spaces on ships . Also Caddium from silver solder and brazing . A B reader showed me the specs on my lungs warning me that is what is going to take you out.
I have been screened under the PACT ACT, however the focus is primarily on Agent Orange and Burn Pit exposure. My examiner asked about my exposure and I said no. My exposure was daily over 15 years to toxic cleaning industrial solvents(TCE, MEK, PD-680 and Toluene) I have bilateral peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, sinusitis, rhinitis, eczema, all idiopathic diagnosed medical conditions. The most debilitating ED and PN were disapproved. It is know that many career fields in the military were constantly exposed to toxic solvents in performance of their jobs. Many have not been aware of their exposure may likely have been the cause of their medical conditions. All the listed toxic chemical solvents have been found dangerous to humans and removed from use long after I retired (1987) I feel there is a large group of military retirees that are not being adequately addressed that had exposure to these toxic industrial chemicals to clean and degrease aircraft and other systems and now have medical issues that more likely than not caused by these toxic chemicals.
You mention a review by my primary care team who in fact is dedicated in denying all claims and avoids using keywords that identify the veterans condition/disease under the presumption act. But, If your VA is adamant about deflecting the veterans issues and the review board is on board with this then my question would be how, is a veteran supposed to win a claim when there’s no documentation from the various va providers that conclude your Copd, manic depression, panic attacks, diseases, dermatology opinions other than; all the skin disorders fall under this condition called Psoriasis! I’m a veteran who’s constantly denied benefits because the Va system does not provide enough verification about your physical and mental conditions also the radiology department seems to be involved which is sure death to a veteran that needs yearly Aggressive monitoring for nodes on lower right lung that all of a sudden has gone away miraculously with no explanation of how this could be… I ask you: What is a veteran who suffers from undocumented conditions especially the presumptive disorders ?!
[Editor: Please seek the assistance of a certified VSO. They can help you gather and obtain the necessary evidence for submission.]
In response to the editor’s reply: I went to my local VSO for a valid and legitimate issue recently. I decided to present my issue to him, to utilize the procedural guidelines for resolving an issue at the lowest level possible. I was told to be careful what I say and to calm down. No help there.
I should also mention, I have emailed and left messages asking for the patient advocate to get in touch with me… This has not provided any results either.
My trust in the VA has diminished; to a point that I’ll lay here and waste away before turning to anyone for help. I’m too tired for this type of nonsense.
imsent in what i was exposed to. never heard a word back!
I was exposed to burn pits while deployed in Balad, Iraq. I now have a brain tumor; recently found by an MRI. I’m scheduled for another MRI with contrast in the coming months. I don’t think I’ve been offered the screening of hazardous materials, burn pits, since I’ve been talking with the medical team at the VA at Mather medical facility, Ca. I have recently been diagnosed with a basal cell carcinoma of the face, had it removed, have a painful scar, and not at one time have been asked about the toxic exposure screening. Obviously, I’ve been affected by toxins that have negatively affected my physical health/mental health/emotional health, and I feel like the VA is not doing what it should to help out with my conditions. In the coming weeks, I’ll be talking with the patient advocate office at the VA to discuss my concerns. However, with my previous experiences, I don’t know that anything will be done. So, I’ll be working with a private healthcare provider to ensure I get the treatment I need. It’s just so frustrating to see that the VA claims to be helping out veterans with toxic exposures posted on the news, the web, and ads, but when going through the process doesn’t seem to care much about the patients.
Dr. Gonzalez; in response to the PACT ACT, sir, I been telling or giving information that I have been stationed at Camp Lejune Marine Corps Base…from January 1974 through Aug 1977 and the lawyers ask me if I had any kind of Cancer…I told them I’m not a doctor that I didn’t know…so there response to me was when I do find out if I had cancer, then to call them to let them know, then I ask my primary doctor that I needed to be tested for cancer all I’m told the blood tests showed negative (no cancer) now according to the PACT ACT for Camp Lejune Marine Corps Base all an individual to qualify I needed to be stationed there from the years of 1957-1980, to qualify for the toxic chemicals in the water, all the individuals needed to qualify just to be station there is 30 days…now as I stated early I have been stationed there from Jan1974-Aug1977 around a little bit over 3 years…and by drinking water, taking baths, I was in an infantry combat Regiment at Camp Lejune Marine Corps Base, North Carolina …I so sorry I’m bothered you with this but I’m a disabled veteran, an my doctor did say that they are taking a look at my kidney, and liver that they were a little concerned that they found a very little lodge/stone close to my chest cavetie…so can you have your team to look at me…also I have been warned that the PACT ACT is coming to a stop and no more PACT ACT on 10Aug2024…I’m asking please help me salvaged this problem…I would appreciate with all my heart thank you in advance…!!!
Where can one get a toxic screening. My local VA office didn’t seem to know what I was asking for
My name is Roy McCuaig my father Dale Oakman Quig was in the army and he was in service during my eight years old with when he met my mom in the Korean wore he still in service and my disability goes back to eight. I’m also trying to file a claim for camp Lejeune and I need his medical records his DVR 214 and I don’t know nothing or how to do that. Can somebody please call me this is been a long time coming and the specialist to help me file clean for my dad‘s VA benefits or disability benefits, which do me some good right now I’m surviving McCuaig my family everybody’s dead so my father never told us about that so please can somebody contact me at email or phone call
How do we locate a Toxic Exposure Screening Navigator? My PCP doesn’t know anything about PACT Act screening.
It seems like that the modern day vet are receiving all the benefits that the Vietnam vets had to fight and scratch for. In early 1966 , one particular night we fired 600 8″ howitzer rounds. The cordite hung in the are, coughing our lungs out. Oh I am sorry you later combat vets ear protection was faulty, I really feel bad for you, all least you had ear protection……I didn’t. You guys had burn pits, so did the Vietnam vets. When a battery went out, we rarely had had infantry support, we did our own perimeters and support. We never was awarded a CIB, because of our MOS, and the Army discontinued the Combat Artillery Badge. Seven and a half months living in the field, I am sure I saw much more that 30 hours. We ate 90% C-rats, never a hot shower, or sleep in a bed. I didn’t even mention when I was thrown 20 or 30 feet hit a deuce and half, knocked me out (brain injury, concussion). When I woke up I was paralyzed from my waist down, medic gave a shown of morphine, after about 45 minutes I could move my legs. I wasn’t sent to the field hospital , was give a supply of Darvon and I stayed in the field. We had less carrying weight, never had a flack vest, just carried magazines and bandoleers, unless I was using the M-60.
I believe toxic exposure to so many chemicals cause permanent damage at the mitochondrial cellular level. I was a Corrosion Control Specialist and practically bathed in MEK cleaning my pneumatic spray gun after painting entire sections of aircraft and support equipment on a daily basis. My hair and eyelashes would be whatever color I painted that day. Sure, I wore a respirator, but it’s practically impossible to not be exposed to all the paints and solvents. I have been sick in so many ways throughout my lifetime as a result. Labwork knowledge must be perfected to truly realize the permanent damage caused to one’s brain and body.
How do I sign up for this.
Everytime I go to VA they say for information about burn pits or toxic exposures in Vietnam.
Got to be kidding me. Unbelievable people working in Va places with zero knowledge .
Burn pits went on everyday for 10 years.
Let me know.
Thanks
Ts.