Disabled American Veterans, North Central Chapter 7, Department of Minnesota, covers a large area of north-central Minnesota, as can be seen on the map below, with Bemidji being the host city for the chapter. It is our goal to provide information and aid to all of the Disabled Veterans and their families, along with other Veteran and their families, that fall within our area of influence. If you are a Veteran or know of a Veteran in need, please contact us through the Commander’s phone (218) 556-4592, or one of our Officers or by an Email
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Our general membership meetings are held at our Headquarters building located at;
5441 15th Street NW, Bemidji, MN.
They are scheduled for the 3rd Monday of the month at 1830 hours (6:30 PM) unless otherwise announced.
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CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS, Enacted 2021
Mission Statement
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Membership Application
Print the application, fill it out, then mail it to our local address or give it to one of our officers/members.
Lifetime membership is currently at $325.
The chapter will pay $150 towards membership and the DAV State Department will match
up to $100 when the remaining balance of $75 (your portion) is paid in full at the time of application!
Make applicable checks payable to DAV Chapter 7
Transfer Application
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Auxiliary and Junior Auxiliary
Meeting time and place is the same as Chapter 7
Membership Application
Fill out the application online, print it, and then mail to the address for the Auxiliary listed in the
upper right-hand corner of this page.
Make applicable checks payable to DAV Auxiliary Unit 7
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DAV STORE
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Use the following link to locate your MN County Veteran Service Office: MNCVSO
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Attention All Veterans!
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House Passes Four Veterans Bills
- S. 114: The Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act; S. 114 provides $2.1 billion to continue the Choice Program for six months while Congress works on other reforms to the Choice Program. It would also authorize 28 major medical facility leases and enhance the recruitment, retention, and training of the VA workforce. To offset that, the bill would extend the current $90 per month limit on pensions paid to veterans residing in Medicaid-funded nursing homes, extend the requirement to collect fees for housing loans guaranteed by VA and extend the authority to utilize other agency income information. Read the bill here.
- H.R. 2772: The VA Senior Executive Accountability Act; The VA Senior Executive Accountability Act, introduced by Rep. Taylor, will improve transparency by requiring VA to inform Congress about where senior executives are being moved. Read the bill here.
- H.R. 3262: Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act; The Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act, introduced by Rep. Kuster, would direct VA to carry out the Grow Our Own Directive or G.O.O.D. pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces with medical or military health experience for education and training as VA physician assistants.
- H.R. 95: Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act; The Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act, introduced by Rep. Brownley, requires VA to carry out a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing child care services for veterans receiving mental health and other intensive health care services. Read the bill here.
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SOME VERY INFORMATIVE LINKS
- Aging Vets – How to Plan Wisely for Your Future
- Residential Leases and the Military – Your Rights
- Resources for Vets & Families Living with Cancer
- Military Veterans Resource Center
- Assistive Tech for Veterans and Military
- Behavioral Health for Veterans
- Mental Health Needs of Vets & Families
- Justice for Vets
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MN DNR ANNUAL PARKS PASSES
AS of July 1st, 2017, Minnesota state parks and recreation areas offer new benefits for veterans. Active military personnel in any branch or unit of the United States Armed Forces and veterans with a service-related disability are now eligible to receive a free year-round vehicle permit, providing unlimited access to all 75 Minnesota state parks and recreation areas. These new benefits were proposed by the Department of Natural Resources and approved by state lawmakers during the 2017 Minnesota legislative session (Minnesota Statutes, section 85.053, subdivisions 8 and 10). “We are grateful to the men and women who have served in the military,” said DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr. “Providing free access to Minnesota state parks is just one way to thank them for their service and sacrifice.” To see all of the licenses, permits, and passes that are available to military personnel and veterans, and the form of identification that an individual needs to show, visit www.mndnr.gov.
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New Access & Quality in VA Healthcare website
www.accesstocare.va.gov
The VA has rolled out a new website and it is designed to increase transparency related to our quality and access data, providing Veterans with an easy to use, easy to understand website that allows them to quickly compare their VA with other VA’s and other comparable private sector healthcare facilities, enabling them to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Features of the website include:
1. How quickly can my VA facility see me?
a. Average wait times at individual facilities (including CBOCs) for various clinic appointment types.
b. Same-Day Services in Primary Care and Mental Health services.
2. How satisfied are Veterans with their care? This relates to Veterans’ experiences in accessing care (percentage of Veterans who reported they were Always or Usually able to get an appointment when needed for routine primary care). Data is from July 2016 – December 2016.
3. How does care in my VA facility compare to other hospitals in the area? (Fargo VA HCS is not yet part of this information).
4. How is the VA system doing with access nationally? No specific facility breakdown but rather national data on wait times and access to specialty care.
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New VA Call Center
The VA has introduced 1-844-MyVA311 (1-844-698-2311) as a go-to source for Veterans and their families who don’t know what number to call. This new national toll-free number will help eliminate the feelings of frustration and confusion that Veterans and their families have expressed when navigating the 1000-plus phone numbers that currently exist. However, if you have a number that works for you, keep calling it, none of the existing VA numbers will go away.
The future vision is that 1-844-MyVA311 will become a 24/7 one-stop information service platform for all VA services.
With 1-844-MyVA311, Veterans, their families, and caregivers can access information about VA services like disability, pension, healthcare eligibility, enrollment, and burial benefits, in addition to a self-service locator to find the nearest VA facility. If they’re looking for immediate assistance with housing or are having a mental health crisis, 844MyVA311 will route callers to the Homeless Veteran help line and the Veterans Crisis Line.
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VA to provide presumptive service connection for related diseases
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations to establish presumptions for the service connection of eight diseases associated with exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune, N.C. are effective as of March 14, 2017.
“Establishing these presumptions is a demonstration of our commitment to care for those who have served our Nation and have been exposed to harm as a result of that service,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. David J. Shulkin. “The Camp Lejeune presumptions will make it easier for those Veterans to receive the care and benefits they earned.”
The presumption of service connection applies to active duty, reserve, and National Guard members who served at Camp Lejeune for a minimum of 30 days (cumulative) between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, and are diagnosed with any of the following conditions:
- adult leukemia
- aplastic anemia and other myelodysplastic syndromes
- bladder cancer
- kidney cancer
- liver cancer
- multiple myeloma
- non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Parkinson’s disease
The area included in this presumption is all of Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River, including satellite camps and housing areas.
This presumption complements the health care already provided for 15 illnesses or conditions as part of the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012. The Camp Lejeune Act requires VA to provide health care to Veterans, who served at Camp Lejeune and to reimburse family members or pay providers, for medical expenses for those who resided there for not fewer than 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987.
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Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act
On August 7, 2014, President Obama signed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (Public Law 113-146), which is intended to address the VA health care access crisis. For more information click the link below to view the entire message on the web: https://www.votervoice.net/link/target/dav/JFQ9EyqKW.aspx
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Veterans Benefits for Seniors
http://www.benefits.va.gov/
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“Chapter 7 Area”
News and Events!
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Fellow Veterans, Military, and Educators
Veterans, guard/reserve or active-duty military service members are eligible for a $5,000 scholarship from Sanford Health created by its Veterans and Military Services Department.
The Sanford Health Military and Veteran Scholarship is accepting applications for the award, which will honor someone who possesses exceptional character and leadership in service, academics, and community involvement. Interested students should download and complete the application. The deadline to submit applications is Aug. 31. The below link provides all the details and application.
https://news.sanfordhealth.org/news/sanford-health-offering-5000-scholarship-to-veterans/
Please feel free to disseminate.
Yours in service,
CAPT Paul Weckman, US Navy(Ret)
Director, Veterans and Military Services
Sanford Health
605-312-7058
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Complete an Advance Medical Directive
What if, due to a sudden illness or injury, you were unable to make your own healthcare decisions. Who would make choices for you? Would it be your spouse, child or one of your closest friends: someone who cares the most for you? Now, imagine what would it be like for them if they knew what you wanted or what would it be like for them if they had to guess?
Join us, at “Begin Your Conversation”, to learn about the types of decisions that may need to be made and how to clearly communicate your decisions to those who need to know. We have two options for you, both of which are free! Contact us for more information about our FREE one-on-one sessions or small group classes at any of the following:
(218) 333-6060
Email: Acp.bemidji@sanfordhealth.org
Website: sanfordhealth.org/bemidji/patients/advanced-care-planning