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VA » Health Care » MIRECC / CoE » VISN 20 MIRECC » NewsFlash | Resources

MIRECC / CoE

NewsFlash | Resources

Resources

RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

RecruitMilitary and DAV Job Fairs are events where job seekers with military experience can meet with recruiters from local and national companies. DAV’s employment program connects transitioning active duty, Guard and Reserve members, veterans and their spouses with employers. Partnering with RecruitMilitary, DAV sponsors job fairs including virtual events, to connect veterans and spouses with employers nationwide who are committed to hiring them. Upcoming Recruit Military/DAV events being held in states served by VISN 20:

RecruitMilitary, a leading recruitment firm dedicated to the military community, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious "Patriot Employer" distinction by DAV. Regional and National Virtual Career Fairs for Veterans are held online at https://my.recruitmilitary.com/.

VISN 20 Stand Downs and Job Fairs

Stand Downs are collaborative events serving Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. The events are coordinated between VA, the Department of Labor (DOL), other federal, state, and local government agencies and community-based homeless service providers. Stand Downs are typically one- to three-day events providing supplies and services to homeless Veterans, such as health care screenings, mental health and substance use treatment, food, clothing, and VA Social Security benefits counseling. A DOL VETS-funded Stand Down event serves Veterans experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. The critical services provided at these events are often the catalyst that enables Veterans to reenter the workforce. DOL's Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) awards Stand Down funding through the Homeless Veterans’ Reintegration Program (HVRP) on an annual basis, pending funding reauthorization. State, Territory, and Possession, county, city, local, special district, and Native American tribal governments and agencies, non-profit and for-profit entities, state and local workforce boards, institutions of higher education, public and tribal housing authorities and faith-based organizations are eligible to apply. VETS awards noncompetitive grants on a first-come, first-served basis to support one-day or multi-day events at up to $7,000 or $10,000, respectively. Veterans Stand Downs Events Calendar

Veteran Outreach and Events

VA Outreach and Events – You can join our outreach events to learn about VA benefits, meet other Veterans, and more. Find in person and online events to join.

VA Vets Resources – VA VetResources shares VA and non-VA programs and service that Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors can use right now.

VISN 20 Military Appreciation Events, Airshows, and Fleet Week

Military Appreciation events span a wide-array of events highlighting community support for military members, including Active Duty, National Guard Reservists, Retirees, Veterans, and their families.

Seattle Fleet Week 2026 – The celebration starts with the Parade of Ships through Elliott Bay followed by a week of events where the public is invited to meet the sailors and guardsmen, enjoy free music, and take ship tours. Seafair has hosted Fleet Week on the Seattle Waterfront since 1950 in celebration of the men and women who serve our country.
Boeing Seafair Air Show 2026 Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels – Seattle, WA. August 1-2, 2026 – The ultimate thrill-seeker’s dream come true! From the awe-inspiring U.S. Navy Blue Angels to the aerial acrobatics of local stunt planes; the air show is a showcase of some of the most elite aviation acts on the planet. And it’s not just the military that gets in on the action! The Boeing Seafair Air Show also features incredible displays by civilian pilots, vintage aircraft, and parachute demonstrations that will leave you breathless. What’s more, the air show takes place over the stunning backdrop of Lake Washington, making it an event that’s as visually stunning as it is thrilling!
Arctic Thunder Air Show and Open House – Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson AFB, AK. August 8-9, 2026
Oregon International Air Show Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels – McMinnville, ORE. August 15-16, 2026 For over 35 years, the Oregon International Air Show has been part of the local Oregon community, promoting aviation and supporting location charities.
Yellow Stone International Air Show Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels – Billings, MT. August 22nd-23rd, 2026
Magic Valley Air Show Featuring the U.S. Navy Blue Angels – Twin Falls, ID. August 16-17 2025

Guide to Air Shows and Demonstrations

Have you ever felt the ground shake as an F/A-18 Hornet buzzed overhead? Or stood by as four jets flew so close to each other that their wings almost touch? Air demonstrations and trade shows provide an opportunity for people to see U.S. military air capabilities in action and meet the service members who fly and maintain the equipment. Visit these resources to find out what shows are happening in your area.

Support and Wellness

Military Warriors Support Foundation

The mission of Military Warriors Support Foundation is to provide programs that facilitate a smooth and successful transition for our nation’s combat-wounded Heroes and Gold Star families. Military Warriors Support Foundation programs focus on housing, transportation, outdoor recreation, and leadership development. Military Warriors Support Foundation Programs:

Homes4WoundedHeroes & Homes4GoldStars
Transportation4Heroes
Skills4Life
Leadership4Life
Hope4Heroes

Military Warriors Support Foundation has proudly awarded over 900 mortgage-free and gift-tax free homes as well as over 130 payment free vehicles to Wounded Heroes and Gold Star Families, in all 50 States. In addition to the homes or vehicles, the families receive financial literacy training; 3 years for home recipients and 1 year for vehicle recipients.

Veteran Check-In

The Veteran Wellness Alliance will work with you to find a provider within our clinical partners that are able to serve your needs. Connecting best-in-class mental health care providers and peer veteran networks. We’ve assembled an incredible team. Veterans and Service members experiencing difficulties in daily life or in distress can reach out to Check-In and trust that an advocate will find a licensed professional who can help. You and your loved ones are able to receive mental and brain health services regardless of your discharge and length of service. With our collaborative effort through the Veterans Wellness Alliance, Check-In provides mental and brain health services in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. We offer in-patient and outpatient services as well as telehealth options, depending on your individual needs and geographic location. With proper care, active duty Service members and Veterans can continue to thrive on and off the battlefield. Connecting veterans with the support and services they need to live happier, healthier, more successful lives-and to make sure U.S. veterans are treated like people, not case numbers, every step of the care journey. Through the Veteran Wellness Alliance, Check-In’s clinical providers offer mental and brain health services to you and your family at no cost.

The Blue Angels Foundation

Committed to supporting critical services for our nation’s wounded warriors and their families including transitional housing assistance and post-traumatic stress treatment. The Blue Angels Foundation’s mission is to support wounded veterans. The wounded veterans who proudly volunteered to serve our nation and preserve our freedoms are the same people today who need our time, treasure and talents to provide a path of transition back to the civilian community and a life of dignity and fulfilment. Thanks to you, each year we are expanding our footprint and impact in critical areas facing the wounded veteran and their family through our association with key benefactors around the nation. We have identified and are supporting organizations that assist veterans in key areas: transitional housing, counseling, PTSD resolution, permanent housing, life skills, transportation and employment.

Avalon Action Alliance

A post-trauma wellness nonprofit helping Veterans and their families gain control over issues related to brain health and mental wellness. Avalon provides a single point of contact and one integrative assessment for the symptoms of post-traumatic stress (PTS), TBI, and substance abuse (SA) to identify and guide clients to the most effective clinical or non-clinical pathway towards healing. Location of Veterans is not a barrier for treatment. Avalon Action Alliance will arrange travel to the facility best-suited for the client. Avalon’s alliance of posttraumatic growth programs provide a seven-day non-clinical training program for veterans and first responders who suffer from symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression. Avalon Action Network partners with Boulder Crest Foundation to implement their Warrior PATHH (Progressive and Alternative Training for Helping Heroes) programs based on the science of Post-traumatic Growth (PTG) through non-clinical training delivered by highly qualified peer guides. Warrior PATHH PTG is available to Veterans and First Responders.

Warrior Posttraumatic Growth (PTG)

Warrior Progressive & Alternative Training Helping Heroes (PATHH) PTG is our nation’s first non-clinical, peer-to-peer program designed to cultivate and facilitate Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). PTG occurs when a person turns adversity, trauma, or other challenges into positive psychological change. That is a shift that enables an individual to stop simply surviving and instead begin to THRIVE – not in spite of, but because of their life experiences. This transformative, lifelong, post-traumatic growth training program focuses on veterans and first responders struggling with traumatic stress symptoms (some of the collateral damage associated with a life dedicated to service, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and other challenges associated with trauma), giving them the training necessary to make peace with the past, live in the present, and plan for a great future. Throughout the program, students learn proven techniques to regulate thoughts, feeling, and actions, work to connect head and heart, and realize the opportunity to make peace with past traumatic experiences. This individual development enables our warriors to transform times of deep struggle into profound strength and lifelong growth. Warrior PATHH programs are available for both men and women who are veterans (active-duty or veteran) and first responders. To be eligible to attend PATHH training, applicants MUST be an active, retired, or separated veteran -or- an active, retired, or separated certified first responder. Locations and Partnerships:

Avalon Action Alliance partners with TBI Centers from around the country to provide integrated and interdisciplinary care with innovative assessments and treatments in an intensive outpatient setting. TBI Centers are open to all Veterans regardless of discharge status. No clinical diagnosis is required to attend. Avalon Action Alliance partners with Warriors Heart for substance abuse treatment providing both inpatient and outpatient treatment for dependency, alcohol abuse, and co-occurring psychological disorders. Avalon Fund started in 2019 with a $40 million commitment from Home Depot Co-Founders, Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank in launching the Gary Sinise Foundation Avalon Network.

Transportation

Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

DAV operates a fleet of vehicles around the country to provide free medical transportation for ill and injured veterans. Ford Motor Company has been a loyal friend to DAV for over 120 years. In 1922 Henry Ford provided 50 Model T Fords to help disabled World War I veterans attend the organization’s second national convention. DAV stepped in to help veterans get the care they need when the federal government terminated its program that helped many of them pay for transportation to and from medical facilities. Since the program’s inception in 1987, DAV departments and chapters have donated 3,833 vehicles and Ford Motor Co. has donated 269 vehicles at a cost of more than $100 million. The vans are driven by volunteers, and the rides coordinated by more than 133 Hospital Service Coordinators around the country. Our nation’s heroes travel around the globe to protect our freedoms—it’s only right that we return their dedication.

Volunteering to drive a Vet ensures that even those living remotely from VA hospitals can make their appointments and never go without the treatment they need. To find out whether there is a van near you use the DAV Hospital Service Coordinator Directory to contact your nearest HSC for information or assistance. Please remember that the DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it is unable to cover every community. In 2024, VA's VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement worked with the Disabled American Veterans to provide rides to 238,102 Veterans, with an average round trip of 39 miles, for a total of 9,337,177 miles.

DAV is dedicated to a single purpose: keeping our promise to America’s veterans. Navigating the resources available to veterans can be confusing, but DAV believes no veteran should have to go it alone. All services provided by DAV are free of charge. Any Service member who was not dishonorably discharged and sustained an injury or illness during their time in the military—whether service connected by the VA or not—or anyone who aggravated a previous injury during his or her time in service, is eligible for DAV membership so long as they served during a period of armed conflict. Ford Motor Company commitment continues to this day. Ford extends special, money-saving offers to all DAV and DAV Auxiliary members.

Collaborations and Care Networks

Elizabeth Dole Foundation

Through collaboration with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and corporate partners, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation have made significant strides in advancing the cause of military and veteran caregivers. From the beginning, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation has been rooted in evidence-based research.

Star Behavioral Health

A collaboration between the Military Family Research Institute at Purdue University and the Center for Deployment Psychology. SBHP is supported by the National Guard Bureau and the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration along with numerous other organizations that provide additional support for state-specific programs. SBHP provides training to licensed mental health providers on military culture, the deployment cycle and treatments that have shown to be effective with military-connected clients. Then we place those trained providers in our online registry, where you can find one near you who matches your needs.

Real Warriors

Real Warriors, a program through the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE), provides information and resources about psychological health, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and traumatic brain injury. Call 1-866-966-1020, available 24/7. Chat online 24/7.

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Center for Deployment Psychology

The Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) trains military and civilian behavioral health professionals to provide high-quality, culturally-sensitive, evidence-based behavioral health services to military personnel, Veterans and their families.

Traumatic Brain Injury Center of Excellence

TBICoE unifies a system of TBI health care, reliably advancing the science for the warfighter and ready to meet future brain health challenges. Traumatic brain injury is a significant health issue which affects service members and veterans during times of both peace and war. The high rate of TBI and blast-related concussion events resulting from current combat operations directly impacts the health and safety of individual service members and subsequently the level of unit readiness and troop retention. The impacts of TBI are felt within each branch of the service.

Hidden Heroes

Hidden Heroes is a multi-year, multi-faceted campaign that brings vital attention to the untold stories of military caregivers and seeks solutions for the tremendous challenges and long-term needs they face. Hidden Heroes seeks to raise awareness of the issues military caregivers confront every day and inspire individuals, businesses and leaders from civic, faith and government organizations to take action.

PsychArmor

Access more than 250 military culture educational products for healthcare providers, Veterans, employers, military family members, caregivers, and more.

Warrior Care Network is a partnership between Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) and four world-renowned academic medical centers, providing veterans and service members living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), military sexual trauma (MST), and other related conditions with a path to long-term wellness.

Participants and their families receive first-class treatment tailored specifically to their needs and individualized care to support their unique journey. All treatment and accommodations are provided at no cost and financial assistance is also offered to help cover everyday expenses like groceries, utilities, and housing.

Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)

WWP began in 2003 as a small, grassroots effort providing simple care and comfort items to the hospital bedsides of the first wounded service members returning home from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. As their post-service needs evolved, so have our programs and services.

Traumatic Brain Injury Centers

Intrepid Spirit Center

Ground was broken for the Intrepid Spirit Center at Madigan Army Medical Center, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington on October 29, 2015, and the center was officially dedicated on April 5, 2018. The Madigan Traumatic Brain Injury Program provides comprehensive health care, education and research across the continuum of care, ranging from the impact of trauma exposure to the effects of all grades/types of brain injury, while striving to address the impacts of co-occurring conditions. The $12 million center specializes in treating Service members with traumatic brain injuries and related conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic pain. It is the 6th Intrepid Spirit Center to open nationally, thanks to a partnership between the Army and the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.

Cohen Veterans Network (CVN)

CVN seeks to improve the quality of life for Veterans, including those from the National Guard and Reserves, active duty, and their families. CVN works to strengthen mental health outcomes and complement existing support. Our vision is to ensure that every Veteran, active duty Service member, and family member is able to obtain access to high-quality care that enables them to lead fulfilling and productive lives. In VISN 20, Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics are in Alaska and Washington.

VA and National Resource Directory

Military2VA (M2VA)

Every VA medical center has a specialized Post-9/11 Military2VA (M2VA) team ready to welcome you as you transition from Service member to Veteran. Your Post-9/11 M2VA team will assist you, your family, and caregivers in navigating the VA health care system and support you in achieving your health and wellness goals. Often when Service members leave the military, they find difficulty with sense of identity, financial strain, employment/education barriers, relationship changes, mental/emotional wellness, and physical limitations as a result of their time in the military.

National Resource Directory

The National Resource Directory (NRD) is a resource website that connects Service members, wounded warriors, Veterans, their families, and caregivers to programs and services that support them. The NRD is a partnership among the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The NRD is hosted, managed, maintained, sustained and developed by the Defense Health Agency's Recovery Coordination Program and provides access to services and resources at the national, state and local levels to support recovery, rehabilitation and community reintegration.

VA Launchpad for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Launchpad helps Veterans and their Caregivers find and use VA apps. The VA Launchpad organizes VA apps and capabilities to help you more easily find the tools VA has made available for you. Apps are available for Veterans, Family and Caregivers, and Health Care Professionals.

Military Health mobile apps

Providing information and support to Service members, Veterans, and their families for a variety of health issues. Download these free apps on either Android or iOS devices.

National Center for PTSD

The mission of the National Center for PTSD is to advance the clinical care and social welfare of America's Veterans and others who have experienced trauma, or who suffer from PTSD, through research, education, and training in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of PTSD and stress-related disorders.

Veterans Crisis Line

The Veterans Crisis Line’s new number—Dial 988—gives Veterans in crisis a shorter, easier-to-remember way to get support as quickly as possible. The Veterans Crisis Line connects U.S. Veterans and Service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text. You’re never alone. Veterans Crisis Line responders answer day and night. They listen to you and make sure you’re safe. Dial 988 and Press 1. Chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat. Text to 838255.

Make the Connection

Veterans can experience a range of life events, opportunities, and challenges after they leave the military. Connecting Veterans with information, resources, and solutions to issues affecting their health, well-being, and everyday lives. Make the Connection helps Veterans and their families recognize that they are not alone—there are people out there like them who are going through similar experiences, overcoming challenges, reaching positive outcomes for treatment and recovery, and finding paths to fulfilling lives.

September is National Recovery Month – Hear Veterans share how prioritizing mental health and opening up about their experiences helped them become healthier versions of themselves. Veterans from all military branches and eras talk about their experiences, challenges, and recovery year-round at Make the Connection. VA’s Make the Connection campaign is raising awareness through public service announcements, advertising, and partnerships with Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) and mental health service providers nationwide. Are you a Veteran looking for mental health support? In most cases, it is not necessary for Veterans to get assistance from an attorney. However, many Veterans choose to get free assistance from organizations such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), and the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). These organizations will typically ask you to sign a limited power of attorney, which will allow them to speak with the VA on your behalf. They can help you determine status, ask the VA to reconsider the severity of your rated ailments, and help you with other support actions. An accredited attorney, claims agent, or VSO representative can help you file a claim or request a decision review. Use our search tool to find one of these types of accredited representatives to help you. Note: You’ll need to contact the accredited representative you’d like to appoint to make sure they’re available to help you. Raise awareness of the mental health challenges Veterans may face after service and the treatments available to help them thrive by downloading and sharing resources for Veterans, their loved ones, and the general public. VA introduced the "Make the Connection" campaign in 2011 to create ways for Veterans and their family members to connect with the experiences of other Veterans—and ultimately to connect with information and resources to help them confront the challenges of transitioning from service, face health issues, or navigate the complexities of daily life as a civilian. Share these materials — social media, print-ready flyers, digital meeting backgrounds, newsletters, web banners, and e-billboards — to show your support for Veterans’ mental health. For more information, visit MakeTheConnection.net or VA’s mental health services website at www.mentalhealth.va.gov. Contact VA's Make the Connection at outreach@MakeTheConnection.net.

VA Vet Centers

Vet Centers in VISN 20 are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Space Force service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. Life isn't always easy after a deployment. That's where we can help. We offer confidential support for Veterans, service members, and their families at no cost in a relaxed, non-medical setting. Our services include counseling for needs such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the psychological effects of military sexual trauma (MST). We can also connect you with more support in VA and your community. Around the clock confidential call center for combat Veterans and their families at 1-877-WAR-VETS (1-877-927-8387) to talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in their readjustment to civilian life. The staff is comprised of combat Veterans from several eras as well as families members of combat Veterans. This benefit is prepaid through the Veteran’s military service.

NW MIRECC disseminates mission-relevant knowledge through publications and continuing health care education programs across VISN 20 and nationally. Sign up for email updates or access your subscriber preferences: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVHAVISN20/subscriber/new.

Use of these Materials and Finding VA Health Care

Please note that the health care information provided in these materials is for educational purposes only. It does not replace the role of a medical practitioner for advice on care and treatment. If you are looking for professional medical care, find your local VA healthcare center by using the VA Facilities Locator & Directory. This page may contain links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.

VA Web Disclaimers
Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
Disclaimer of Hyperlinks: The appearance of external hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Veterans Affairs of the linked websites, or the information, products or services contained therein. For other than authorized VA activities, the Department does not exercise any editorial control over the information you may find at these locations. All links are provided with the intent of meeting the mission of the Department and the VA website. Please let us know about existing external links which you believe are inappropriate and about specific additional external links which you believe ought to be included.
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Reference from this web page or from any of the information services sponsored by the VA to any non-governmental entity, product, service or information does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the VA or any of its employees. We are not responsible for the content of any "off-site" web pages referenced from this server.
Disclaimer: The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products or services on the part of the VA.

VA Regional Offices

Wounded Warrior holding American flag on snowy mountainside The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) helps service members transition out of military service, and assists with Veterans with education, home loans, life insurance and much more. Service members, Veterans, their families, and Survivors are invited to request information on VA Benefits including disability compensation, pension, fiduciary, education, Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E), Home Loans, and Insurance. In addition to information on VA Benefits Veterans may initiate an intent to file and request assistance with filing compensation and pension claims. Visit regional office websites to learn about the services the regional office provides, directions to the facility, hours of operation, and the leadership team that serves the regional office.

Find out if you can get VA health care as a Veteran

The following four categories of Veterans are not required to enroll but are urged to do so to permit better planning of health resources:

Veterans with a service-connected (SC) disability rated at 50% or more.
Veterans seeking care for a disability the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, but which VA has not yet rated, within 12 months of discharge.
Veterans seeking care for a SC disability only or under a special treatment authority.
Veterans seeking health registry examinations. VA’s health registry evaluation is a free, voluntary medical assessment for Veterans who may have been exposed to certain environmental hazards during military service. The evaluations alert Veterans to possible long-term health problems that may be related to exposure to specific environmental hazards during their military service. VA has established several health registries to track and monitor the health of specific groups of Veterans. You may be eligible to participate in one or more of these health registries: Agent Orange Registry, Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, Gulf War Registry (includes Operations Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn), Ionizing Radiation Registry, Depleted Uranium Follow-Up Program, and Toxic Embedded Fragment Surveillance Center. Use the chart below to help determine your eligibility.

Environmental Health Registry Evaluation for Veterans chart to help determine eligibility.

Find out how to apply for VA health care benefits as a Veteran or service member. For other mental health services, contact a VA medical center for information on eligibility and treatment options.

Community Care (Mission Act)

The MISSION Act became law in 2018, bringing the VA’s previous Veterans Choice Program to an end and establishing the Community Care Program. VA provides health care for Veterans from providers in your local community outside of VA. Veterans may be eligible to receive care from a community provider when VA cannot provide the care needed. This care is provided on behalf of and paid for by VA. Community care is also available to Veterans based on certain conditions and eligibility requirements, and in consideration of a Veteran’s specific needs and circumstances. VA offers urgent care services to eligible Veterans at in-network urgent care clinics to treat minor injuries and illnesses that are not life-threatening, such as colds, strep throat, sprained muscles, and skin and ear infections. Community care must be first authorized by VA before a Veteran can receive care from a community provider.

Vet Centers in VISN 20

VA Vet Center Logo Vet Centers in VISN 20 are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. 1-877-927-8387 is an around the clock confidential call center where combat Veterans and their families can call to talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in their readjustment to civilian life. The staff is comprised of combat Veterans from several eras as well as families members of combat Veterans. This benefit is prepaid through the Veteran’s military service.

Alaska

Anchorage Vet Center (Anchorage, AK)	Fairbanks Vet Center (Fairbanks, AK)
Kenai Vet Center Outstation (Soldotna, AK)	Wasilla Vet Center (Wasilla, AK)

Idaho

Boise Vet Center (Boise, ID)

East Idaho Vet Center (Idaho Falls, ID)

Oregon

Central Oregon Vet Center (Bend, OR)	Eugene Vet Center (Eugene, OR)
Grants Pass Vet Center (Grants Pass, OR)	Portland, OR Vet Center (Portland, OR)
Salem Vet Center (Salem, OR)

Washington

Bellingham Vet Center (Bellingham, WA)	Everett Vet Center (Everett, WA)
Federal Way Vet Center (Federal Way, WA)	Seattle Vet Center (Seattle, WA)
Spokane Vet Center (Spokane, WA)	Tacoma Vet Center (Tacoma, WA)
Walla Walla Vet Center (Walla Walla, WA)	Yakima Valley Vet Center (Yakima, WA)

Plan your trip to VA

In 1946, Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) was established by law to provide comfort and well-being to America’s Veterans. With our many retail stores, cafés and coffee shops across the country, we serve those who have served our country. VCS is proud to offer Veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, their families and VA employees exclusive shopping benefits online through Patriot Store Direct. Product categories range from Military Caps and apparel, Outdoors, Electronics, Automotive tires (Goodyear, Bridgestone, Firestone, and Fuzion), Tickets and Travel, Vision (Glasses and Contact Lenses), Home and Kitchen, Floral, Toys, Gifts, Watches, and more. We are honored to give back to the VA community through many programs established for the health and well-being of our nation’s heroes. Revenues generated from VCS are used to support a variety of programs, such as VA’s Rehabilitation Games, Fisher Houses, Poly-Trauma Centers for OEF/OIF/OND Veterans, disaster relief efforts, Substance Abuse Cessation, VA’s Homelessness initiatives, Women Veterans, Veteran Suicide Prevention and other activities.

VCS operates over 200 Patriot Stores in Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Centers nationwide. Many of our stores have been recently updated and expanded to provide our customers with a modern, clean and comfortable shopping experience. Our stores welcome our customers with wider aisles, wood-like floors, enhanced lighting and directional signage. PatriotStores have expanded hours of operation to provide service for customers on weekends at most locations.

The Patriot Cafe is the best place in the VA Medical Center to enjoy delicious, freshly prepared breakfast or lunch served hot or cold each weekday. Providing Veterans, their families, VA employees, volunteers and visitors a place to relax and enjoy a meal or take-out for their convenience. With a wide variety of food from traditional comfort food, specialized menu selections and a large assortment of healthy choices; there is something for everyone's taste buds.

Hospital Service Directory

To find out whether there is a van near you, use the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Hospital Service Coordinator Directory to contact your nearest HSC. The vans are driven by volunteers, and the rides coordinated by more than 133 Hospital Service Coordinators around the country. Our nation’s heroes travel around the globe to protect our freedoms—it’s only right that we return their dedication. Volunteering to drive a Vet ensures that even those living remotely from VA hospitals can make their appointments and never go without the treatment they need. Please remember that the DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it is unable to cover every community. Learn more about the DAV transportation network through the VISN 20 NewsFlash Resources section.

Today's VHA - the largest of the three administrations that comprise the VA - continues to meet Veterans' changing medical, surgical, and quality-of-life needs. There are 18 Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) in VHA operating as regional systems of care to better meet local health care needs and provides greater access to care. In the Pacific Northwest, VISN 20 serves Veterans in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, most of Idaho, and one county each in California and Montana. Spanning 23% of the US land mass, VISN 20 is the largest geographic region of VA. Operating across three time zones over 817,417 square miles, VISN 20 is home to 273 federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes. According to DoD, American Indians and Alaska Natives have one of the highest representations in the United States Armed Forces. VA consults with American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments to develop partnerships that enhance access to services and benefits by Veterans and their families. VA is committed to ensuring that Native American Veterans and their families are able to utilize all benefits and services they are entitled to receive. As of the end of FY2024, 39% of VISN 20 enrollees resided in rural or highly rural areas.