Town hall meeting for veterans held in Braxton County
Representatives with the VA Medical Center talked about an upcoming claims clinic for veterans to get health benefits through the PACT Act. Passed in 2022, the PACT Act expands VA health care for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange and other toxic substances. The clinic will be on May 7 at the Nathan Goff Armory from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Executive Medical Center Director Barbara Forsha encourages veterans to come out and see if they qualify for benefits as the PACT Act added a number of conditions that allow veterans to gain treatment.
Senator Capito visits Braxton County Middle School for 'West Virginia Girls Rise Up' event
Representatives of the VA Medical Center also talked about the treatment it's offering for sleep apnea as well as the medical services it's offering virtually.
At the meeting, Forsha made mention of the federal job cuts that hit the VA, saying that at Louis A. Johnson, the cuts were limited and that it won't affect the quality of care. Forsha told 12 News that Louis A. Johnson lost four probationary employees total.
Louis A. Johnson will host a number of other town halls this spring. One at the Morgantown Vet Center on March 27 at 5 p.m. and another at the Tucker County Senior Citizens Center on April 10 at 5 p.m.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


American Press
4 hours ago
- American Press
Vietnam vets impacted by Agent Orange given new recognition
Applications are now open for Vietnam veterans eligible to receive an Agent Orange Medal. A special pinning ceremony will be held 4-6 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 5 4-6 p.m. as part of Agent Orange Awareness Day at the Vietnam Wall display in Kinder. The names of medal recipients will be read during the ceremony, and those in attendance will be pinned. Valarie Trahan, of the Allen Parish Tourism Commission, said the medal and ceremony aims to recognize veterans who were exposed to, affected by and continue to suffer from the effects of Agent Orange, a herbicide and defoliant used during the Vietnam War. 'We want the medal and the ceremony to be our way of letting these veterans know they were not forgotten because this was a tragedy for our veterans,' Trahan said, noting that many veterans are still suffering from the side effects of being exposed to Agent Orange. 'Hopefully this will help heal their heart and somehow let them know they are not forgotten.' There are 18 medically acceptable conditions for the medal, including amyloidosis, non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, prostate cancer, Parkinson's seaside, respirator cancers, multiple myeloma, hypertension. Applications for Agent Orange Medal are being accepted through Aug. 25. Applications are available at the Allen Parish Tourist Commission Office on U.S. 165 in Oberlin or by calling the Tourism Commission at 337-639-4868. Over 60 applications have been received so far. The American Veterans Traveling Tribute, a replica of the national memorial in Washington, D.C. will be on display Nov. 3-7 next to the Inn at Coushatta on U.S. 165 in Kinder. This eight-foot-high, 360-long-foot wall serves as a powerful tribute to those who served in the Vietnam War and the more than 58,000 who lost their lives, according to Allen Parish Tourism Director Adagria Haddock. 'These men and women gave their all and for the ones who survived, this will be a welcome home,' Haddock said. 'This is our time to honor and love them and show them the respect they deserve.' Special crosses will also be on display to honor Allen Parish soldiers who died in the war. The wall will be escorted from I-10 along U.S. 165 to Kinder at 10 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 2, by a motorcade of police and emergency vehicles, motorcycles, and vintage cars. Local Vietnam veteran and Coushatta of Louisiana tribal member Lovelin Poncho will serve as grand marshal. The wall will officially open at 10 a.m. Monday, Nov. 3 with a ceremony and will remain open to the public 24 hours a day through 10 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7. The exhibit will also feature the Cost of Freedom Wall, a 72-panel exhibit listing all wars, including the 9/11 attacks and the names of fallen soldiers. A Vietnam War museum will also be on display. Daily ceremonies will include guest speakers, wreath laying and other presentations, a Farewell to Soldiers ceremony, candlelight vigil and sounding of Taps each evening. A special Nightingale ceremony will be held at 6 p.. on Thursday, Nov. 6 to honor nurses who served during the war. For more information, to volunteer or to make donations, contact the Tourism Commission at 337-639-4868.


Medscape
16 hours ago
- Medscape
Prostate Cancer Survivorship in Veterans
More than 200,000 US veterans are living with prostate cancer. About 1 in 5 men who have served in the military will be diagnosed with the disease. Many of these survivors have experienced a range of physical and psychological effects, including urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and treatment regret. In this panel ReCAP, produced in partnership with the Association of VA Hematology/Oncology (AVAHO), Drs Michael Goodman, Michael Chang, and Jeffrey Jones discuss how healthcare professionals can address the needs and concerns of these patients. The panelists begin by reporting that veterans are disproportionately diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier than men in the general population, and typically they have more aggressive cancers. The doctors next examine treatment options for these men and how related effects of surgery, radiation, and androgen deprivation therapy affect those decisions. They also discuss the psychosocial effects of prostate cancer, including the risk for embarrassment from incontinence and erectile dysfunction as well as the psychological burden relating to risk for recurrence. Finally, the experts emphasize the importance of multidisciplinary care and shared decision-making. They outline how urologists, oncologists, and radiation oncologists need to work together with their patients to ensure the physical and psychological needs of veteran prostate cancer survivors are met.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
ImmunityBio (IBRX) Reports 60% Revenue Growth as ANKTIVA Adoption Accelerates
We recently published . ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) is one of the best healthcare stocks. ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) is among the best healthcare stocks. It is a clinical-stage biotech company developing advanced immunotherapies and vaccines targeting cancers and infectious diseases by activating immune cells such as natural killer and T cells. A key recent milestone is the FDA-approved immunotherapy drug ANKTIVA for bladder cancer, specifically for patients with BCG-unresponsive non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) carcinoma in situ (CIS). ANKTIVA, designated a Breakthrough Therapy, is expanding its clinical use, notably with the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston becoming one of the first VA hospitals to administer the treatment to veterans, a population at higher bladder cancer risk. In Q2 2025, ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) reported a 60% revenue growth quarter-over-quarter, reaching $26.4 million and a year-to-date total of approximately $43 million. This growth is driven by increased commercial momentum post-approval and supported by an $80 million capital raise in July 2025 to fuel ongoing development and expansion. ImmunityBio, Inc. (NASDAQ:IBRX) is transitioning from a clinical-stage biotech to a commercial-stage company with ANKTIVA's expanding adoption, including recent UK regulatory approval for ANKTIVA plus BCG. The drug addresses an underserved cancer indication with the potential to reduce invasive treatments like cystectomy, backed by clinical data showing durable bladder preservation up to 36 months in responders. While we acknowledge the potential of IBRX as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you're looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock. READ NEXT: The Best and Worst Dow Stocks for the Next 12 Months and 10 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Double Your Money. Disclosure: None. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data