Montana VA unveiling VA’s first Mobile Medical Unit to treat Veterans with depression

Billings, Montana – On July 21, the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) will be unveiled at the Benjamin Steel VA Clinic at a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Montana VA Health Care System (Montana VA).

In an effort to help Veterans find their benefits, the Montana VA will also hold a health fair, and both occasions will be free to the public.

Information about the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act and tests for toxic exposure will be available at the health fair.

The MMU is a specialized, high-tech vehicle that will travel around Montana to treat remote veterans with TMS.

Those with Major Depressive Disorder (MMD) who have not experienced an adequate response to antidepressant medication and/or therapy may benefit from TMS therapy.

The mobile TMS medical unit has made it possible for rural veterans to obtain state-of-the-art mental health care, according to Dr. Elizabeth Walter, director of the TMS Program, and Dr. Emily McMillan, coordinator of the TMS Clinical Program. Suicide is significantly influenced by major depressive disorder, which is also associated with compromised health. The Montana TMS program aims to increase access to high-quality care, lower the expense and impairment brought on by depression that is resistant to treatment, and enhance the standard of living for Montana’s veterans.

A psychiatrist with TMS training prescribes and delivers TMS treatments, which employ electromagnetic fields to activate nerve cells in the brain to alleviate the symptoms of depression. TMS is a safe, non-invasive, and effective therapy.

TMS was authorized by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in 2008 for Major Depressive Disorder that was unresponsive to treatment.

“This is a tremendous innovation,” said Dr. Judy Hayman, Executive Director for Montana.

“We are so honored that we will be the first VA in the country to bring TMS to rural Veterans. Because Montana is so large and many of our Veterans live in highly rural locations, they would not normally have access to this kind of therapy. Now, we can travel to bring this incredible therapy to help Veterans find healing from depression.”

Veterans and their families are welcome to tour the mobile medical unit after the ribbon-cutting ceremony and visit the Montana VA health fair to learn more about services and benefits. The Montana VA staff and representatives from the Veterans Benefits Administration will be on hand to address inquiries on enrollment/eligibility, mental health, women’s veteran services, toxic exposure exams, and other topics.

The Health Fair is held at 1766 Majestic Lane from 11 AM to 2 PM after the ribbon-cutting ceremony, which is followed by open tours of the Mobile Medical Unit.

Over 47,000 enrolled Veterans are served by the Montana VA, which covers a territory of over 147,000 square miles. At 18 care facilities located throughout the state, 1,400 employees provide care for veterans. Veterans make up one-third of the VA workforce in Montana. Through the MyHealtheVet Patient Portal, veterans can login to their VA healthcare records, and information, and communicate with their VA care teams at any time. On the Montana VA website and Facebook page, you may get information about events and updates.