For Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Trivero Wilson, the road to recovery meant more than medical care—it meant regaining the ability to drive. Paralyzed from the chest down after a 2005 combat injury, Wilson worked with specialists at James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida, to train on adaptive driving systems through VA’s Driver Rehabilitation…
VA facilities nationwide honor POW/MIAs with remembrance ceremonies
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…
Santa Salutes brings cheer year-round to Veterans
The halls of the West Palm Beach VA Healthcare System (WPBVAHCS) Community Living Center (CLC) filled with cheer as Santa Claus made his rounds, not just for the holiday, but as part of a new year-round initiative designed to brighten the days of Veterans in the CLC and Hospice units. The program, Santa Salutes, is…
San Francisco VA offers new therapies for early-stage Alzheimer’s
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…
Layered protection for moments of a suicide crisis
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…
Expanding access to cancer care for rural Veterans
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…
The mission never ends
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…
Four hundred hackers gather in Tampa to improve Veteran care
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:…
Serving those who served
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…
PAWS changing lives one wagging tail at a time
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…
A story of service and strength
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…
Connection helps Army Veteran manage PTSD
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…