Meeting Veterans where they are: Inside VA Jackson’s statewide outreach tour
Outreach can mean going the extra mile. For employees at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery VA Medical Center (VA Jackson), it meant traveling more than 1,400 of them.
VA Jackson recently completed its fiscal year 2026 Veteran Town Hall round robin, taking leaders, employees and resources from Jackson to each of the seven Mississippi communities where the healthcare system operates a community-based outpatient clinic: Hattiesburg, Meridian, Greenville, McComb, Columbus, Kosciusko and Natchez.
The goal was simple: Meet Veterans where they are, expand access to VA services and make it easier for Veterans to connect with the people and resources available to them.
“Our community-based outpatient clinics are an important connection to the Veterans we serve throughout Mississippi,” said Rolanda Webb, acting executive director of VA Jackson. “Expanding access means looking beyond the walls of our medical center and finding ways to bring VA closer to Veterans. This initiative strengthened that connection by bringing our leadership and resources directly into communities where Veterans already receive their care.”
Taking town halls directly to Mississippi Veterans
The destinations were intentional.
VA Jackson already has employees caring for Veterans in each community, and the town halls built on that local presence by expanding access beyond a traditional medical appointment. Veterans could connect directly with healthcare resources, benefits information, medical center leadership and community partners closer to home.
The miles added up. Round trips from Jackson were approximately 180 miles to Hattiesburg, 184 to Meridian, 248 to Greenville, 158 to McComb, 308 to Columbus, 142 to Kosciusko and 206 to Natchez.
For a healthcare system serving more than 54,000 enrolled Veterans across 53 Mississippi counties and three Louisiana parishes, expanding access is not only about appointments. It also means making information, resources and the people who can help easier to reach.
At each stop, Veterans could speak directly with medical center leaders, ask questions, raise concerns and connect with employees who could help them navigate VA care and services. Resources included primary care, community care, enrollment, Whole Health, suicide prevention, toxic exposure information and Veteran experience services.
More than a town hall
The Veterans Benefits Administration, American Legion, other Veteran Service Organizations and local community groups also supported the effort. Bringing multiple services and partners together helped turn each stop into a community resource hub where Veterans could get information and make connections in one setting.
Public Affairs led coordination of the system-wide initiative, working with medical center leadership, clinic teams, employees and community partners throughout the rotation. Social media, digital communications, media outreach and livestreaming extended the conversation to Veterans who couldn’t attend in person.
Hundreds of Veterans, caregivers, family members and community stakeholders participated throughout the round robin, with additional Veterans reached online.
“The miles are significant, but what happened at each stop matters even more,” Webb said. “Our employees showed up, listened to Veterans, answered questions and helped connect them with resources. That is what meeting Veterans where they are looks like.”
The road trip ends, the relationships continue
For employees, the town halls also created something difficult to measure in miles: face-to-face time with the Veterans they serve. Those conversations gave Veterans a direct voice while giving employees an opportunity to better understand the questions and needs within each community.
Although the fiscal year 2026 round robin has ended, VA Jackson’s presence in these communities hasn’t. Its seven community-based outpatient clinics continue providing local access to VA care, while the relationships strengthened through the town halls will help guide future outreach and engagement.
Seven clinic communities and more than 1,400 miles later, the road trip is finished for fiscal year 2026. But the keys won’t stay parked for long. In October, VA Jackson will hit the road again, continuing its commitment to meet Veterans where they are, expand access and strengthen connections in the communities it serves.
“The round robin may be complete, but our commitment to these communities continues,” Webb added.
Author: Nikki Verbeck