Category: VA

Across the country, VA medical centers and partners gathered to honor America’s prisoners of war (POWs) and those still missing in action (MIA). From James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson, Veterans, staff,and community members joined together to pay tribute, reflect and recommit to…

When thoughts of suicide overwhelmed Army Veteran Jeremy Ruspantine, he had no layers of protection and no one from his support network between him and his lethal means. He intended to end his life that day, had immediate access to his prescription drugs and, instead of reaching out, took the whole bottle of pills Coming…

Veterans facing the challenges of early stage Alzheimer’s disease now have a powerful ally in the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Recognizing the urgent need to address Alzheimer’s in the Veteran community, VA is stepping up with groundbreaking treatments that give Veterans more time, more independence and more hope. Alzheimer’s: A growing challenge for…

Michael Donnelly, a Marine Corps Veteran, never imagined that receiving cancer survivorship support could happen so close to home. Before VA’s expanding access to cancer care initiative, Donnelly and his wife were often driving a grueling 280-mile round trip twice a week to the nearest VA Medical Center in Sacramento. “It’s been a huge blessing to…

For Retired Chief Master Sergeant George “Steve” Cum, service has never been just a chapter of life, it’s been the entire book. After more than three decades of distinguished service in the Air Force, Cum continues his mission as a Strategic Planner for the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS).  His path to the military began with…

As the transportation and beneficiary travel supervisor at VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, Army Veteran and VA employee Theerawong “Odie” Suksutthirot oversees the transportation program that gets Veterans to their health care appointments. That includes emergency ambulance services and travel reimbursements. Serving rural Veterans “Many of our Veterans live in rural areas without…

Tampa VA hosted the 2025 Veterans Health Hackathon in conjunction with The American Legion National Convention this August. Powered by Microsoft Artificial Intelligence Technology and in collaboration with the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, The American Legion and MIT Hacking Medicine, the Veterans Health Hackathon brought more than 400 participants from more than 40 states, Guam and Puerto Rico together for one purpose:…

After years of service and silent battles, retired Army Chaplin and now Miami VA Chaplain Brad Turner rediscovered connection, purpose and healing sparked by the companionship of a four-legged friend through Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS). Turner wasn’t seeking transformation; he was simply curious. What started as a tentative step toward healing became a life…

For more than 80 years later, Lee O. McKinnon has been telling the story of the North Africa invasion in 1942, when the then-17-year-old Navy steward stood on the deck of USS Calvert as war exploded around him. “All of a sudden, the firecrackers began. Submarines were hitting those ships—men screaming, fire, burning…” On July…

A new buzz is in the air at the Cleveland Botanical Garden, thanks to an 8-week beekeeping course for Veterans in the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System’s Whole Health program. The course, launched earlier this summer, is a partnership between VA’s Innovations and Whole Health teams, the Cleveland Botanical Garden and Youth Bee Works, a…

For almost nine years, Ryan Flynn served in the Army as a military police officer. Service was his calling, but life after the uniform brought a new kind of battle: severe PTSD. Today, Flynn has found a surprising source of calm: driving the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center’s new golf cart. As a volunteer…

The radiation oncology team at VA plays a pivotal role in diagnosing and treating over 56,000 Veterans annually. VA’s radiation oncology professionals are at the forefront of mission-critical care—providing life-changing treatment and bridging compassionate care with cutting-edge technology. VA boasts 41 dedicated radiation oncology services, which are all accredited by an external radiation oncology-specific accreditation…