VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System

03/23/2026

You don’t have to carry it all alone.

Starting mental health treatment and opening up can be intimidating, but we’re here to help.

VA has resources to address the unique stressors and experiences that Veterans may face: Mentalhealth.va.gov/get-help/index.asp

03/20/2026

03/19/2026

McMinnville Veterans, we look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the McMinnville Veterans Town Hall hosted by VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.

Veterans and their guests who pre-registered are reminded to bring their ID for check-in. Walk-in registrations are welcome and will be asked for their contact information and ID to complete check-in.

A few things to know before you go:
✅Doors open at 5:30 p.m. CT.
✅Enter from the main entrance off 201 Locust Steet.
✅Please have your ID ready for check-in.
✅Veterans in wheelchairs and with mobility limitations will have reserved seating in the front two rows.
✅Weapons are not allowed inside the Warren County Administrative Building.
✅The early voting room in the Warren County Administrative Building will serve as an overflow room for walk-in registrations.
✅Light refreshments and snacks will be available courtesy of VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System’s Veterans Canteen Service.

Unable to make it? The town hall will be livestreamed on our official page starting at 6 p.m.

Visit https://www.va.gov/tennessee-valley-health-care/stories/mcminnville-va-clinic-transition/ for more details.

03/17/2026

Friends, family, and the whole community play a critical role in su***de prevention. Staying connected to the Veteran in your life can help make it easier to recognize when they might need support.

Learn more about prevention: MentalHealth.VA.gov/su***de_prevention/prevention.

03/16/2026

VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System is recruiting volunteers to assist Veterans in Clarksville. We need volunteers with base access at Fort Campbell VA Clinic – Blanchfield Army Community Hospital (BACH), and the Clarksville VA Clinic.

We need volunteers to serve at the information desks. We also need volunteers to drive golf carts to pick up veterans and their family members to transport them to the clinic entrance.

For more information, Ms. Janis Hardy, Volunteer Service Specialist at 931-645-3552, ext. 64115.

03/16/2026

03/13/2026

For Lana Hammonds, a single conversation changed the trajectory of her life.

“I can remember when I was probably about 13,” she said, recalling a discussion with an aunt who shared one regret: never enlisting in the military. “That just stuck with me. So now if I have an inkling that there’s something that I want to do, I will at least give it a try.”

“I didn't realize the benefits of how one decision like enlisting in the Army would make on my life now,” Hammonds recalled.

“If it hadn't been for my time in the service and the quality of care that I can get with the VA, I wouldn't have made it through a lot of life.”

Her advice to women considering enrolling in VA health care, or even military service, echoes the lesson she learned from her aunt years ago: “I would say give it a shot, because you never know what doors are going to be open to you.”

Article link: https://www.va.gov/tennessee-valley-health-care/stories/my-mantra-give-it-a-try/

03/12/2026

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be a challenge. Stop by the Chattanooga VA Clinic March 17 from 1 – 3 p.m. ET to chat with our expert dietitians on how to find nutritious and healthy foods that won’t break the bank.

03/11/2026

Attention McMinnville Veterans! Registration for the McMinnville Veterans Town Hall is now closed as we are nearing the venue’s capacity. Walk-ins will still be accommodated.

If you did not register or unable to attend, we will livestream the town hall on our page. For the latest information and news, please visit our website for more details about the transition: https://www.va.gov/tennessee-valley-health-care/stories/mcminnville-va-clinic-transition.

03/11/2026

A small gathering of VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System employees had assembled in the lobby for a special celebration.

Their guest of honor, though unaware of the occasion, had already arrived. Everett Plante, a World War II Veteran whose very presence embodied resilience and history, was seated patiently in a row of chairs, his hands folded calmly in his lap.

As the group of employees approached him, a collective smile spread across Plante’s face. He received a centenarian letter and coin from the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize his 100 years of life.

Read more at https://www.va.gov/tennessee-valley-health-care/stories/100-years-and-counting/

03/10/2026

“I knew I had to stay strong for my kids and my family. I never let breast cancer disable me.”

Heather Elliott was 31 years old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, nearly three decades younger than the average age of diagnosis in the United States. Genetic testing showed no hereditary link. There was no family history to explain it.

In 2021, she filed her first disability claim seeking service connection for her breast cancer.

“[The claim] was initially denied. But this was before the PACT Act,” Elliott said.

She began her appeal, working with her oncologist to write supporting letters.

In late 2023, after the implementation of the PACT Act, her breast cancer was officially recognized as service connected.

Read Elliot's cancer journey at https://www.va.gov/tennessee-valley-health-care/stories/i-never-let-breast-cancer-disable-me/