With more than half of all VA emergency department visits involving a Veteran over the age of 65, VA is continuing to build on its recent efforts to become the largest specialized geriatric emergency care provider in the U.S. Since starting this initiative in 2019, VA now has 67 accredited geriatric emergency departments (GED) spread out…

We may feel like we get less time with the sun in winter than in the summer, but it’s actually a perfect time to practice sun salutations! This yoga movement may help improve your strength, balance and flexibility. The sun salutation is a series of yoga postures that takes the body through various movements. Some…

Candance Thomas could have been one of those Veterans who slipped through the cracks during the transition to civilian life. But, with a helping hand, Thomas was able to access the VA services and support she needed to avoid becoming homeless. That hand belonged to Steven Brown, her sergeant major in the Army and now…

A prestigious award recognizes a VA doctor’s diabetes research on pancreatic islets and the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Loss or dysfunction of these cells contributes to all forms of diabetes, which has significant relevance to VA’s patient population. Dr. Alvin C. Powers, Tennessee Valley VA physician, has earned the prestigious William S. Middleton…

The upper peninsula of Michigan covers more than 16,000 square miles and contains only one homeless shelter serving Veterans. Here, without the resources you might find in a more populated area, a small but mighty team out of Iron Mountain VA’s Healthcare for Homeless Veterans (HCHV) Program does all they can to shelter unhoused Veterans…

Marcus Jackson is ready to return to VA. The Veteran and former North Texas VA nurse was one of 102 applicants applying for critical nursing assistant and nurse positions at a recent targeted nursing job fair held in Bonham, Texas.  “I left VA to work for the local county, but I really miss my tribe…

Tragedy, loss and grief can bring us to our knees. Sometimes we rise to an unexpected new path. Eighty-one-year-old Army Veteran Michael Charzuk faced a trauma that initially wrecked him, but ultimately put him on a path to bring hope and healing to other Veterans as a Whole Health peer facilitator. Five years ago, Charzuk…

Contract specialists are in high demand at VA, as our need for goods and services has increased dramatically over the past few years. In addition to the increased demand, the services we require have become more technically complex, and the contracts in question are often of a longer duration, which means we need experts like…

With a new year upon us, we’re looking back at our resolutions from last year (spoiler alert: we aced quite a few of them) and setting some new ones for 2024. On the December 2023 episode of Ending Veteran Homelessness, guest Monica Diaz, executive director of VA’s Homeless Programs Office, talks about how new Veteran-centric…

January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month. This month is dedicated to raising awareness about human trafficking and to educating the public about how to identify and prevent this crime. Human trafficking is a nationwide public health concern impacting Veterans, their families and caregivers. VA has a critical role in this global effort to eliminate…

A Texas Veteran is now breathing easier thanks to a groundbreaking procedure he recently received at Michael E. DeBakey VA in Houston. In November, Eric Johnson received the second of two, tiny, leadless pacemakers implanted in his heart through a first-of-its kind technology approved by the FDA in June. Houston VA offers Veterans with abnormally slow…

VA understands that traumatic experiences may affect the lives and health of many women Veterans before, during and after military service. You have access to trauma-informed care at VA. Our health care staff are specifically trained to help you feel comfortable and safe at every appointment, in each exam room and across all VA medical…