September is a busy month for the many students returning to school, but it can also be a great time to learn about what VA has to offer. We’ll be attending events with: Pri-Med East, from Sept. 12-14, 2024. American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), from Sept. 24-28, 2024. American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP),…
Category: VA
Current Veterans Administration (VA) news and information
Preventing Veteran suicide in local communities
Since its launch in 2022, the Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program (SSG Fox SPGP) has helped organizations around the country provide a range of suicide prevention services for Veterans and their families. This grant program assists in further implementing a public health approach that blends community-based prevention with evidence-based clinical strategies.…
Bridging the Gap: Regiment Gaming aims to bring eSports to the National Veterans Golden Age Games
The National Veterans Golden Age Games has long celebrated camaraderie, resilience and competition among Veterans. This year, among traditional sports like archery, bowling and horseshoes, a new activity quietly made its presence felt—online gaming. Regiment Gaming, a Veteran-based gaming community focused on fostering camaraderie and welfare through online gaming, brought gaming computers and their partner…
Houston VA clinic: ALS Certified Treatment Center of Excellence
A Houston VA clinic designed for Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, has received designation as a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Association. Michael E. DeBakey VA’s multidisciplinary ALS clinic opened in 2022 to offer Veterans a “one-stop-shop” to treat the disease which attacks nerve cells in the brain…
The G.I. Bill changes lives
Storyteller and Army Veteran Dustin Elias joked he grew up “po” because his family couldn’t afford the “r.” As a child, he imagined that $200,000 would be kept in a briefcase handcuffed to someone’s wrist, as in the movies he watched. While he was deployed overseas, his wife, Maureen, also an Army Veteran, suggested they…
New episodes of Let’s Talk Virtual Care podcast
VA just released episodes five and six of the “Let’s Talk Virtual Care Podcast.” The two episodes form a series discussing older adults and their use of VA Video Connect. VA Video Connect is VA’s secure videoconferencing application designed to help Veterans and their caregivers quickly and easily meet with VA health care providers through…
Meeting the mental health care needs of Veterans
With San Antonio being one of the fastest growing areas of the country for Veterans, the need for mental health care for Veterans there is expanding. At South Texas VA, the Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor (LPMHC) internship program is not only helping to meet that need but strengthening VA from within. In 2020,…
Exploring Rural VA Communities: Sheridan, Wyoming
Like the Veterans we serve, rural communities are as diverse and exciting as you can imagine. You may find an opportunity to be closer to family and friends, or just enjoy a greater sense of privacy. Perhaps the lower cost of living or even the allure of open space appeals to you. Today, we explore…
Live Whole Health #236: Avocado Black Bean Salad charms with flavor and fiber
“Beans, beans the magical fruit. The more you eat …” DYK: The gassy effect we associate with beans is simply a product of our gut bacteria breaking down some of the fiber and nutrients in the beans. Beans: A humble nutrient powerhouse Beans are more than just a cost-effective pantry staple, they’re a nutritional powerhouse…
VA brings vision-saving eye screening closer to home for Veterans
Robert, a Veteran from a rural town in Iowa, recently visited the Mason City VA Clinic to establish his VA care. As part of the process, he was sent to the Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) room for an eye screening. Dr. April Maa Around the same time and several states away, another Veteran named…
Navy Veteran creates smiles with dental technology
Meet Archie Jugarap, Navy Veteran turned health systems specialist for VA’s Office of Advanced Manufacturing (OAM), whose work in dental technology is revolutionizing dental care for Veterans. Archie Jugarap Jugarap is using his extensive experience in the dental field to aid dental clinics in crafting 3D-printed dental prosthetics for Veterans. “In blending artistry with technology,…
Bay Pines VA nurses complete residency program
Bay Pines VA remains committed to improving the Veteran experience. One way it does this is by ensuring future nurses are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to serve those who served us. Recently, Bay Pines VA nurse residents Nee Nguyen, Emily Warner and Nneka Sinclair were highlighted by VA’s Office of Academic…
