Lovell Federal Health Care Center to co-host Veteran Town Hall at McHenry County College

On Thursday, Sept. 19, the Capt. James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center invites veterans, their families, students, community partners and the public to a Community Town Hall from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

It will begin with a reception from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Luecht Auditorium, B170, at McHenry County College, 8900 Route 14, Crystal Lake.

McHenry County College welcomes Dr. Robert Buckley, Lovell Federal Health Care Center Director; Mike Iwanicki, Superintendent of the McHenry Veterans Assistance Commission; and Hughes S. Turner, director of Veterans Benefits Administration, Chicago Regional Office.

The town hall forum will cover the topics of both Department of Veterans Affairs health care (provided through the Lovell Federal Health Care Center), and VA benefits.

Patients of the Federal Health Care Center's McHenry Community Based Outpatient Clinic and MCC student veterans are urged to attend.

"We want to get the word out and reach McHenry County veterans and their family members and caregivers to inform them about the benefits, including health care, they are entitled to," Buckley said.

Lovell Federal Health Care Center's main hospital is located in North Chicago; however, the list of services and care provided locally at the McHenry Community Based Outpatient Clinic is growing, Buckley said, pointing out the Federal Health Care Center continues to expand telehealth services that make it easier for veterans to get health care closer to home, or even at home in a growing number of cases.

After short updates from Buckley and Turner, there will be an open question-and-answer forum. The town hall affirms the commitment of Lovell Federal Health Care Center to provide transparent communication with the community.

For information, call (815) 759-2306 or visit www.lovell.fhcc.va.gov.

The McHenry Community Based Outpatient Clinic sees patients by appointment only.

The Lovell Federal Health Care Center is the nation's only fully integrated medical facility between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. It serves active duty military personnel, their families, military retirees and other veterans.

Lovell Federal Health Care Center, which is located in North Chicago, operates four Great Lakes Naval Station clinics and three community based outpatient clinics in McHenry and Evanston, Ill. and Kenosha, Wis.