Category: VA

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries (TBI) may face a heightened risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Research shows that chronic stress from PTSD can accelerate brain aging while certain injuries to the spine can disrupt brain signals, both of which increase vulnerability to neurodegenerative conditions…

One of the most important things you can do for your health and longevity is take steps to prevent certain conditions from happening. Prevention, which works to keep you safe from and aware of the issues that may affect your path to healthy living, can take several forms. VA’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) is researching…

Every role matters in our mission to serve and support Veterans, and filling these critically needed clinical positions across VA means opportunities for you to not only make a difference in the lives of Veterans, but to find unity of purpose and the employment benefits you deserve. Whether you’re a physician, nurse, physician assistant, psychologist,…

In this episode of the PTSD Bytes podcast, host Dr. Colleen Becket-Davenport discusses PTSD and chronic pain with Dr. Jennifer Murphy, national director of VA’s Pain Management program and lead author for the VA’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain (CBT-CP) initiative and Dr. Katie Hadlandsmyth, clinical pain psychologist and health services researcher at Iowa…

I’ve heard it said that there are only two things that motivate us—winning and trying not to lose. We get excited when we think we’re winning (“I got a great job,” “That was a fantastic meal I cooked,” “My daughter made the basketball team”) and anxious when we think we’re losing (“This traffic is going…

Coast Guard Veteran Grady Kendall shows how VA’s Housing First approach changes the lives of Veterans experiencing homelessness. He demonstrates this impact every day because it changed his life for the better when life knocked him down.   Kendall enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1981, serving on the Coast Guard Cutter Westwind, an icebreaker…

Marc Robinson is a physician assistant working in primary care at a VA outpatient clinic in Cadillac, Michigan. In a single calendar year, he was recognized by Veterans, caregivers and coworkers with 27 “I CARE” awards. Marc Robinson I CARE awards recognize VA employees who have gone above and beyond in their role to care…

Army Veteran Samantha Hoving (pictured above) was one of 49 women Veterans showered with love, gifts and support at Houston VA’s ninth annual Veteran baby shower in early October. Hoving, pregnant with baby number five, was thrilled to participate in the event. The baby shower was aimed at honoring women Veteran mothers-to-be in their third trimester…

This week’s Honoring Veterans spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Michael Clothier, who served from 1987 – 1991. Clothier was born in June 1965. After attending John Dickinson High School in Wilmington, Delaware, he matriculated at Hodgson Vocational School, where he discovered a love for electrical trades. He entered the Navy in October 1987…

We recognize Breast Cancer Awareness Month throughout October, which follows on the heels of Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in September, to acknowledge how VA oncologists make a huge impact across the nation. Our oncologists play a critical role in providing access to the latest technology and approaches to individualized care, and with the support of…

Wilmington VA has housed 161 Veterans who were experiencing homelessness in Delaware and southern New Jersey this fiscal year. A total of 112.2% of these Veterans have not returned to homelessness and 171 unsheltered Veterans in this network have been engaged to ensure they have access to the housing and other wraparound services they need.…

For years, Navy Veteran Earl Buckwalter, 59, endured chronic pain and a limited range of motion that made it difficult for him to sleep and perform daily activities. Traditional treatment options had not provided the relief he needed. However, with the expertise of Office of Advanced Manufacturing’s (OAM) 3D printing team at VISN 12, led…