Organization Name: Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center (part of the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System)

Tell us about your organization: – The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System (EOVAHCS) is a Joint Commission accredited system that consists of a 61-bed hospital in Muskogee, OK, as well as four outpatient clinics located in Tulsa, Vinita, McAlester and Idabel, OK. The health system is a Level 2 facility. A separate Behavioral Medicine clinic is located in Tulsa, as well as a separate Behavioral Medicine group clinic in Muskogee. Comprehensive care is provided through primary care, tertiary care, and specialty care in areas of medicine, surgery, psychiatry, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology, oncology, dentistry, and urology. EOVAHCS has specialized programs including Mental Health Intensive Case Management, Homeless Program/Compensated Work Therapy, Military Sexual Trauma, Telehealth/Telemedicine Care Coordination, Tele-ICU/ED and Tele-Stroke. On Dec. 27, 2020, the president signed a law approving $120 million in federal funding for a new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT), which will be the first hospital to be built under the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (CHIP-IN Act). The new Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic opened July 19, 2021 and new outpatient clinics for Bartlesville, OK, and Claremore, OK, are expected to open in 2023.

How many people are employed at the VA Hospital? – Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System employs approximately 1,800 people, with about 1,180 located in Muskogee.

What jobs are you currently trying to fill? – We are always looking for nurses, specialty providers and janitorial staff. We currently have a need for bio-medical engineers, human resource staff, and dental techs/assistants.

There has been a lot of buzz about the VA in the past few months. It has been settled that the hospital will remain open, but what changes can the public expect over the next few years? – It’s too early to tell what new services will be offered in Muskogee.

Veterans Days is coming up on Friday, November 11, 2022. What advice would you give the public as to how they can best honor the veterans in our community this year? – We are fortunate that we get to serve our nation’s heroes every day. But the easiest way to honor a Veteran is to thank them for their service. You can ask them what branch they served in, how long they served and why they joined. You can send Thank You cards to the VA hospital or Vet Center. Another way to show your appreciation is by volunteering your time at the hospital. For more information about volunteering, please contact our Center for Development and Civic Engagement at 918-577-3621/3622.

Thank you to everyone at the Jack C. Montgomery Medical Center for giving us the opportunity to meet and learn more about your organization and the great work that you do in our community and around the nation.