FORT BRAGG, CA., 8/9/26 — A new chapter in veterans’ health care opened in Fort Bragg Thursday, Aug. 6, with the launch of a Veterans Affairs ATLAS (Accessing Telehealth Through Local Area Stations) site, bringing expanded health care services closer to veterans on the Mendocino Coast. The opening was marked by a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by veterans, community members, VA staff, and local officials.
North Coast veterans now have expanded access to VA health care closer to home, following two years of planning and program development that culminated in the high-spirited ceremony at the Fort Bragg Veterans Memorial Building.
The launch marks Northern California’s first ATLAS site, providing coast veterans with a secure, private location to connect with VA health care providers via telehealth appointments.
ATLAS locations are equipped with internet access, telehealth technology, and on-site assistance, helping reduce barriers faced by veterans in rural communities, including long travel distances to VA facilities and limited or glacially slow internet.
For veterans across Mendocino County’s north coast, the new service represents a major step toward providing access to primary care, mental health services, and other VA-supported health care options closer to where they live.
The San Francisco VA Health Care System, Mendocino County Department of Social Services and the Fort Bragg American Legion Sequoia Post 96 partnered to create this new pathway for veterans to access care without the burden of long-distance travel.
Cutting the ribbon, establishing the cord
On hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and giving welcoming remarks were Terri Sharp, associate director of patient care services and a nursing executive with the San Francisco VA Health Care System; Kennedy Cooper, First District commander of the California American Legion; Stephen White, assistant director of the Mendocino County Department of Social Services; and Barbara Forsha, interim executive director of the San Francisco VA Health Care System.
Hardwood chairs were carried out from the Veterans Building and set on the lawn in front of the Veterans Memorial Building on Harrison Street. Soon enough, every seat was taken and late-comers settled for standing room only.
Fort Bragg Mayor Jason Godeke addressed the gathering of VA staff, county officials, veterans, and their families. Godeke said, “I’m grateful that this is happening here. I’m grateful for those who participated in making it happen, and I’m honored to be celebrating,” Godeke said. “It’s a wonderful thing for our community.”
Sharp said the ATLAS project “has been near and dear to all of our hearts” and described the opening as a new chapter in the VA’s longstanding relationship with Fort Bragg.
Sharp delivered remarks on behalf of Theodora M. Mauro, MD, deputy chief of staff for clinical operations at VA San Francisco Health Care, who was unable to attend because she was seeing veterans at the San Francisco clinic.
Reading Mauro’s remarks, Sharp said, “San Francisco VA has remained linked to Fort Bragg, and today marks a new chapter in our commitment to providing exceptional care and innovative services from Fort Bragg.”
Cooper, First District commander of the California American Legion, recognized the community partnerships that made the Fort Bragg ATLAS program possible, including Mendocino County’s Department of Social Services, Veterans Services Office, and the San Francisco VA Health Care System. He also praised the local American Legion post.
“To the members of Sequoia Post 96, this is your house, and you opened its doors,” he said. “You are not the backdrop of this program — you are actually the stewards. Every veteran who walks in here for care walks into the home that you keep.”
Cooper acknowledged how the geography of the North Coast has long created barriers for veterans seeking VA care.
“So let me tell you why this matters here,” he said. “There is no harder place in California to reach VA care. We live behind the redwood curtain — winding mountain highways, a coast caught off by winter storms, some of the longest drives to a VA medical center in the state.”
“For a veteran here, getting to an appointment has meant a full day gone, a tank of gas spent, and too often care postponed or skipped,” Cooper said.
“Starting today, a veteran walks through these doors into a private room and sits down with their own VA provider — as close to face-to-face as we can bring them,” he said. “Primary care, mental health — the miles, the mountains, the closed roads, they are no longer the price of admission to a veteran’s own health care.”
Cooper said the Fort Bragg program could become a model for other rural communities.
“What we prove in Fort Bragg does not stop in Fort Bragg,” he said. “This site is a model for every remote corner of District 1, for our state and for our nation. Tell the veterans next to you to use it too, because no veteran in these counties should ever again have to choose between geography and their health.”
White, assistant director of the Mendocino County Department of Social Services, highlighted how easy the ATLAS system is to use. White said, “I was a little nervous about the technology — would it work and would it be easy to operate? But I was impressed by how easy it was. This partnership proves that when we stay focused on the mission, good things happen.”
Following the speeches, the ceremony moved to the front steps of the Veterans Building for the long-anticipated ribbon-cutting. Cheers and applause rose from veterans, community members, VA staff, and local officials as a red, white, and blue ribbon was cut.
Representatives from participating agencies were available to answer questions, provide information and connect with attendees. Guests enjoyed sparkling apple cider and homemade pastries as part of the celebration.
Several veterans then went inside the Veterans Memorial Building to sign up for the program, assisted by VA staff, and become familiar with the private room where ATLAS services will be provided.
The Veterans Affairs ATLAS program is located at the Fort Bragg Veterans Memorial Building, 360 North Harrison Street, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. The primary point of contact is Sharon Offril, VA, at 415-224-4810, ext. 22724. Additional contacts are Deidre Davis at 707-590-4035 and Maricel Bobadilla at 415-215-7188. ATLAS appointments are available Tuesdays and Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
✊🏾 as a redwood curtain carbon unit I thank you for bringing much needed services to the edge of a continent
This is truly a blessing for veterans and their families, the effort is appreciated.
As a veteran that has been able to access care locally through Adventist because of the travel distance hardship, I fear the unintended consequences will be that the distance to qualify will now be calculated from my home to a video screen rather than the Ukiah clinic.