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US Veterans Affairs staff due on Saipan next week
To help eligible veterans enroll in VA health clinic
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Posted on Sep 06 2022
Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan
Staff from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will visit the Saipan Veterans Affairs clinic from Sept. 14 to 16, 2022 to help all eligible veterans enroll in VA health clinic, according to Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP).
Sablan in his e-kilili newsletter published Saturday also disclosed that on Tuesday last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded the CNMI’s Division of Agriculture $125,000 under its Micro-Grants for Food Security Program to increase the quantity and quality of locally grown food through small-scale gardening, herding, and livestock operations.
On the U.S. DVA staff visit, Sablan said all veterans who may qualify should enroll, even if they don’t plan on using the VA health care.
“Enrolling with VA is a service to our veterans community, because a larger pool of registered vets will help support more VA services in the Marianas,” he said.
The delegate said the upcoming enrollment push is a result of the passage of the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 that he co-sponsored securing access to life-saving care for the 3.5 million veterans exposed to deadly toxins in the line of duty.
PACT Act addresses health care, presumption of service-connection, research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service.
With respect to $125,000 grant for food security, Sablan said CNMI Division of Agriculture plans to conduct outreach to encourage eligible entities to apply for funding, including individual farmers, ranchers, food pantries, Head Start, Public School System, and Northern Marianas College Community Research and Extension Services.
