Category: VA

Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks and Central Arkansas Veterans Health Care System hosted a faith-based outreach event for faith-based community members to combat Veteran suicide. VA Secretary Denis McDonough came to endorse the mission and vision of the event. The all-day suicide prevention training held at the Global Campus Professional and Workforce Development…

Oklahoma City VA recently launched a new app called “VA Health Chat” to help Veterans “chat” directly to health care professionals. VA is constantly developing new ways to improve communication with primary care doctors, pharmacy and all communication services provided to Oklahoma City Veterans. The goal of VA Health Chat is to improve Veteran satisfaction…

Nurses are the backbone of VA, and with all that they do for Veterans, we’re proud to embrace the next generation of nurses as they join us in our mission of serving those who have served. From emergency departments to intensive care units, from Community Living Centers to outpatient clinics (and everywhere in between), our…

How grateful are you? Gratitude is important for physical and emotional well-being, but let’s consider two aspects of gratitude that may be overlooked: appreciating the struggles you’ve experienced, and sharing your gratitude with others. There was a study that asked 2,000 Americans whether they had experienced any of 37 different negative life events over the…

Detective Brendan Dougherty from the Upper Marion Township Police Department recently worked with Montgomery County’s Veterans Response Team (VRT), and came away impressed. Adopted from another community, Montgomery County’s VRT began under the guidance of a Veteran Justice Outreach social worker at Coatesville VA Medical Center. The Veterans who qualify for health care are likely…

Eight VA employees are joining the newest cohort of VHA Innovation Ecosystem fellows this year. Fellows receive resources from the Innovation Ecosystem to further develop or expand their projects that improve Veteran health care and VA employees’ experience. VHA Innovation Ecosystem Fellowships are a unique opportunity for VA employees to become catalytic leaders across the…

Heritage is valuable to Veterans of every generation, and that can be said of the southwest San Antonio community who showed up in force to celebrate the new Southwest Military VA Clinic Nov. 9. Not only was this a time to see a new clinic, but it was also an opportunity for South Texas VA…

Nurse Joe Herndon is known as Sam Rayburn Memorial Veterans Center’s walking encyclopedia of knowledge and organizational history. And his patients sing his praises. “I love coming to VA to see Joe because it’s more like visiting a friend than coming to an appointment,” said Arthur Finley, Jr., Army Veteran and longtime patient. When you…

Bay Pines VA became the latest recipient of a new Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) after delivery of the vehicle to the C.W. Bill Young VA campus. Last year, Bay Pines VA helped VA surpass the national goal of permanently housing 38,000 Veterans, with support to 638 local Veterans. The arrival of the MMU allows the…

I’m starting this article on suicide prevention with a short, simple quiz. Who do you know better than anyone else? Their fears, their hopes and their dreams? Who do you spend all your time with? If you answered “me,” you’re correct. But, how often do you take the time to check in with yourself? It’s…

The words “homeless” and “Veteran” should not exist together, and ensuring Veterans have access to services that can help them with homelessness is amongst VA’s top priorities. Homelessness among Native American Veterans is of special focus for VA as Native Americans serve in the military at higher rates than other subpopulations of Americans. But part…

During GivingTuesday, Nov. 28, VA encourages community organizations and individuals to help support local Veterans through charitable donations or volunteer opportunities. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: A day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into an annual movement inspiring millions of people to give, collaborate and…