With a name that sounds like “botch-uh,” boccia can be hard for many to pronounce but easy to love. At the 2026 National Veterans Golden Age Games in Tampa, the pace on the courts may look slower than track or basketball, yet the intensity is just as real. Every roll, angle and inch matters, and athletes of all abilities compete on truly level ground.…
Veteran with Multiple Sclerosis finds new motivation at VA Wheelchair Games
Finding inspiration to be your best Inspired by the events of September 11, Calixtro “Cal” Garcia enlisted in the Army, where he served as a Multiple Launch Rocket System Operations Specialist for three years. Six years after his discharge, he began experiencing double vision, fatigue and loss of balance—symptoms that led to a diagnosis of…
Still in the game: A Veteran’s journey back to the Golden Age Games
At 75, James Chambers isn’t slowing down—he’s stepping right up to the table, paddle in hand, ready for the next rally. This summer, the Navy Veteran returned to national competition at the 2026 National Veterans Golden Age Games, competing in table tennis in the 75–79 age division. For Chambers, the Games are more than medals—they…
A guide to help Veterans manage stressors that increase suicide risk
Before it builds up: recognizing the life stressors behind Veteran suicide risk Suicide risk is often associated with clinical conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress (PTSD) or substance use disorder, but other pressures can matter just as much. A pile of bills, job loss or food insecurity can quietly erode a Veteran’s sense of stability and…
How social connection can support Veteran suicide prevention after service
After military service, a sense of purpose can help Veterans in their next chapter Suicide prevention can start with something as simple as helping a Veteran feel supported, connected and needed after the uniform comes off. For many Veterans, transition isn’t only about new routines, a different job or a move. It can also be…
Live Whole Health #324: Focused breathing targets your stress
Your heart races, your jaw is clenched, your muscles tighten. Maybe you’re stuck in traffic, your kid just dropped a jar of spaghetti sauce on the supermarket floor or your neighbor is running the mower in the middle of your summer barbeque. Regardless of the reason, stress can cause the whole body and brain to…
Provider Connect brings specialists into Primary Care visits
Connecting Veterans and providers with VA specialists with Provider Connect When a health issue arises, a Veteran typically starts with their primary care provider. But if they need care from a specialist, such as a cardiologist or a physical therapist, they traditionally must get a referral, schedule a separate appointment, and then wait for the…
PTSD Screening Day: Take the first step
June 27 is National PTSD Screening Day June 27 is National PTSD Screening Day. The National Center for PTSD is encouraging Veterans and others who experienced trauma to start the conversation about recovery. Learning whether you have symptoms that might be PTSD is an important step to getting the treatment you deserve. Giving it a…
Factor these 4 facets of VA primary care into your career choice
At the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), primary care careers aren’t just about processing patients. Here, we develop a bond with the Veterans we help heal, using every available opportunity to strengthen those ties and build a community of caring around each Veteran. How do we do that? By being patient-centric, team-built, care-focused and well-balanced. VA primary care is patient-centric For…
The Federal EHR: Real stories, real impact
Although recent deployments of the Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) in Michigan and southern Ohio have been successful, that success has been built on listening to and collaborating with the initial sites that deployed the system. Deployments started in 2020 and, since then, have stopped, restarted, paused, reset, restarted again and now accelerated. For early…
VA updates home loan appraisal requirements to help Veterans compete in today’s housing market
VA updated its appraisal process regarding Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs)—the standards a property must meet to be eligible for a VA-guaranteed home loan—to reduce delays, cut outdated rules and help Veteran homebuyers move faster in a competitive housing market. The updates are now in effect, reflected in the revised VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7), Chapter 12. What’s changing VA identified several long-standing MPR topics…
Veteran homelessness continues downward trend: 56% since 2010
Taking a closer look at the 2025 Point-in-Time Count results In May 2026, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced the long-awaited results of the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, the annual effort to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without a home. The data showed that on a single night in January…