Veterans Resource Fair

When: July 22
Where: Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, 1 Vavala Way New Castle, DE 19720                                                                                                                                This event is hosted by Senator Tom Carper in collaboration with the Wilmington VA Medical Center and the Delaware National Guard

Major Updates

VA extends presumptions of service connection for three new cancer types, June 14, 2024

An addition to the PACT Act has been made through a sub-regulatory policy letter published to the Federal Register, the following three cancer types have been included in the list of presumptive diseases:

• Male breast cancer.
• Urethral cancer.
• Cancer of the paraurethral glands

This policy establishes presumptions of service connection for eligible Gulf War and post-9/11 Veterans who deployed to Afghanistan, Somalia, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Uzbekistan, and the entire Southwest Asia theater of operations, which includes Iraq. Presumptive service connection means VA automatically assumes service connection for the disease and provides benefits to eligible Veterans who have submitted claims with evidence of a diagnosis.

Veterans and survivors can apply or learn more about the PACT Act by visiting VA.gov/PACT or by calling 1-800-MYVA411.

Read More Here

VA announces updates to help Veterans using VA home loan benefits remain competitive in the housing market, June 11, 2024

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that eligible Veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses who use the VA-guaranteed home loan benefit can pay for certain real estate buyer-broker fees when purchasing a home beginning Aug. 10, 2024.

This will help ensure that Veterans remain competitive and are not disadvantaged on the homebuying market due to changes that may result from a key class-action settlement involving the National Association of REALTORS®, which is slated to take effect later this summer. Previously, Veterans could not pay their buyer-broker fees when using their home loans benefits.

For more details about this new update and its impacts, visit this FAQ in VA News and Circulars: Calendar Years 2021 to Present – VA Home Loans. More information on the VA Home Loan Program, loan volumes by state and county and a video are available through these links.

Read More Here

Learn About the Wilmington VA Acupuncture Program

From Tragedy to Triumph: VA Employee’s Success with Acupuncture and Hands-On Medicine “Pain can be acute and sudden, or it can be quite the opposite,” said Wilmington VA Acupuncturist Celia Hildebrand as she explains the Wilmington VA’s first ever acupuncture program for pain management. Since the start of acupuncture at Wilmington VA in December of 2023, Hildebrand has made a large impact on pain management for Veterans.  “I have guys come to an appointment at a level 10 pain and leave feeling so much better,” said Hildebrand.  Read More Here

Important Veteran Information

PACT Act Section 103 Health Care Eligibility

All Veterans who meet the basic service and discharge requirements and who were exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving our country—at home or abroad—can enroll directly in VA care under the PACT Act. Specifically, this applies to three new cohorts:

• Veterans who participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) while serving on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training.
• Veterans who performed active service while assigned to a duty station in (including airspace above) certain locations during specific periods of time:
• On or after August 2, 1990, in the following countries: Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, or the United Arab Emirates.
• On or after September 11, 2001, in the following countries: Afghanistan, Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Uzbekistan, or any other country determined relevant by VA. (Note: VA has not determined any other country relevant at this time.)
• Veterans who deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Freedom’s Sentinel, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Inherent Resolve, or Resolute Support Mission.

Nominate a Veteran for the Wilmington VA Veteran Wall of Honor

The Wilmington VA Medical Center is currently looking for Wall of Honor nominations.

The Wall of Honor was created to recognize a deceased Veteran who made a significant contribution in their community or during their military service. 

Completed applications and questions can be emailed to pao.wilmington@va.gov.

Applications Here

VISN 4 Tele Emergency Care Call 1-833-3874    Available 24/7/365  Are you experiencing a medical or mental health symptom and unsure what to do? Our nurses are ready 24/7 to help, and our providers can evaluate and determine next steps for treatment.

Important Links

VA Health Chat  VA Health and Benefits App    Enroll in VA Healthcare

June Recap

Wilmington VA Pride Walk  VA Employees, Veterans, and their families were all invited to enjoy a walk together around the facility to raise awareness of heath care for LGBTQ+ Veterans. Pride goodies, whole health information, suicide prevention information and rock painting were available. Learn more about VA Pride here.

Dialysis Ribbon Cutting Since 2019, the Wilmington VA Medical Center has buzzed with plans to open a new state-of-the-art dialysis suite to provide expanded services for its Veterans. Learn more about the new suite here.

Veterans Town Hall Wilmington VA leadership spoke at a Veteran Town Hall on June 27, at the American Legion Stahl Post 30 in New Castle, Delaware. VA services on-site included eligibility, filing a claim, homeless program, patient advocacy, toxic exposure screenings and whole health.

Greenhealth Awards 2024 This year the Wilmington VA received a Greenhealth Emerald Award which recognizes Wilmington VA as part of the top 20 percent of applicants focused on advanced sustainability programs and exemplary scores in a range of categories. This is Wilmington's 10th National Greenhealth Award.