VA Maryland Health Care System

Memorandum of Understanding Solidifies Partnership Between Federal & State Veterans Affairs Agencies

Dr. George Wolohojian, General James A. Adkins, and Dennis H. Smith sign the Memorandum of Understanding solidifying a  partnership to help returning veterans transition back to civilian life.

September 3, 2008

BALTIMORE—The Veterans Affairs (VA) Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore VA Regional Office, Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, and Maryland National Guard recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to solidify a partnership on behalf of Maryland’s returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.

VA Maryland Health Care System Director Dennis H. Smith, Baltimore VA Regional Office Director Dr. George Wolohojian, and the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs and Adjutant General of the Maryland National Guard General James A. Adkins, came together to sign a MOU to partner the four agencies and declare the successful reintegration of activated Guard/Reservists in their return to civilian life as a mutual responsibility and concern of all four agencies.

“The MOU really just formalizes what we have been doing for years to support Maryland’s returning veterans,” said Smith. “General Adkins and I have had a very strong relationship of working together on behalf of Maryland’s veterans, but we thought it was about time that we formalize this partnership.”

Wolohojian echoed similar sentiments, stating: “The signing of the MOU today outlines the spirit of cooperation that we have between our organizations to help our service members and veterans who are counting on this cooperation to rebuild and reshape their lives.” He added that he looks forward to many years of cooperative work ahead.

General Adkins talked about his concern for veterans returning to rural areas of Maryland, saying that it’s important to ensure that all the forces are involved in making sure the veterans are getting the support all across Maryland. “I think our veterans today are facing significant challenges,” he said, “and it takes all of us working together to help them solve their problems.”

General Adkins continued on to describe some of the ways the State of Maryland is helping returning veterans. “We began an initiative for behavioral health where we work in partnership with the VA to ensure, in rural Maryland, that veterans are getting the appropriate level of care.” He added that the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs recently opened three new benefits offices across Maryland in Hagerstown, Bel Air, and Charlotte Hall to assist the needs of returning veterans.

Wolohojian explained that the partnership will help expedite benefits claims by establishing a seamless transition of the returning veterans service treatment record from the Maryland National Guard, and expediting the process of scheduling an exam through the VA Maryland Health Care System — both necessary steps in the claims adjudication process.

Smith took the opportunity to discuss some of the benefits available to returning veterans through the VA Maryland Health Care System, including behavioral health, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury recovery programs. He also outlined the case management approach to caring for returning veterans to ensure they are not lost in the transition, and talked briefly about the post-deployment health reassessments held regularly for returning veterans at the Baltimore VA Medical Center.

“Our goal is to offer a seamless transition for Maryland’s returning veterans,” Smith said. “The post-deployment health reassessments allow these returning veterans to see our medical centers, meet our staff, and learn about our programs and services so they can immediately enroll for VA health care and start utilizing the services available to them.”