News Room
ST. CLOUD VETERAN WINS GOLD MEDALS
AT THE VA’S NATIONAL GOLDEN AGE GAMES
St.Cloud, MN—St. Cloud veteran, Charles Lidberg, won two gold medals at the VA’s national Veterans Golden Age Games in Indianapolis. The only veteran participating from Minnesota, Mr. Lidberg also carried the Minnesota state flag in the Games’ Opening Ceremony.
Lidberg, who is legally blind, won first place in the national competition’s bowling and horseshoes competitions. Lidberg’s bowling score was 226. He beat competitors in the horseshoes events 13 to 10 with one “ringer” and 18 to six with three “ringers.”
Mr. Lidberg, who had been featured in an August 24th issue of the St. Cloud Times, also participated in swimming events but did not win a medal in those competitions.
The VA Golden Age Games are held annually as part of VA’s senior adaptive rehabilitation program in the U.S. The games are the only national multi-event sports and recreational seniors’ competition program designed to improve the quality of life for all older veterans, including those with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. It is one of the most progressive and adaptive rehabilitative senior sports programs in the world. This year’s games were held August 20-24.
Two New Veterans Outpatient Clinics Approved for Minnesota
Peake: Expansion Will Bring Care Closer to Home
WASHINGTON - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake today announced plans for two new community-based outpatient clinics to bring the world class health care of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) closer to home for Minnesota veterans.
"VA continues to make access to care easier through an expanding outpatient system focused not only on primary treatment but also prevention of disease, early detection, and health promotion," Dr. Peake said.
The new clinics, scheduled to be activated over the next 15 months, were approved for the Douglas County and Northwest Metro areas. In the coming months, VA will firm up the exact locations, staffing, services to be offered and a timetable for development.
The new Minnesota facilities are part of a VA clinic decision involving 44 new clinics around the country that ultimately will increase VA's network of independent and community-based clinics to 782, an increase of more than 100 in five years.
This growth in community clinics has helped VA meet veterans' expectations for prompt, quality service with 98 percent of veterans seen within 30 days of their requests in all types of VA primary care facilities throughout the country.
VA's 21 regional networks develop applications for new clinics in consideration of reducing the distance veterans travel to their nearest VA hospital or clinic, as well as local demand, existing hospital, clinic workload and other factors.
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