Valerie the Veteran Fosters Caring Environment for Women Vets, Discovers it at Bay Pines VA
From experiencing her family’s evacuation out of Saigon, Vietnam, to navigating her career as a woman in uniform, retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Valerie Lavin is no stranger to adversity.
After devoting nearly 22 years of her life to the battle for lasting freedom, Lavin is relieved to know that the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System is a space where she can breathe easy.
“From the moment I enrolled, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the quality of care I’ve received,” Lavin shared. “I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve had to wait more than 10 - 15 minutes for an appointment. Every person I’ve interacted with has been pleasant and helpful.”
For this proud Missourian, genuine and efficient service is not the exception, it’s the rule. Thanks to the virtues of her father, a U.S. Army Vietnam Veteran, Lavin’s upbringing was framed by accountability and discipline. Despite this early exposure to the principles of the military, donning a camouflage uniform wasn’t what Lavin envisioned for her future. Then one afternoon, while on a self-imposed break from college, the light bulb sparked.
“I’m so thankful for that little voice in my head that told me to join the Army,” Lavin said. “As hard as it was, it was the best 20 plus years of my life, and I don’t regret any of it. It prepared me to be the woman who I am now.”
The Lavin of today is an entrepreneur and a person who remains devoted to her Veteran community. She is the proud partner of three businesses that are all military or Veteran-focused and she has her sights set on a fourth: a podcast for women Veterans and prior first responders. “I want to be a woman in our community who other women Veterans know they can come to,” Lavin shared.
As life carries her further away from her time in uniform, Lavin looks forward to doing her part to help fellow women Veterans discover spaces like Bay Pines VA’s Women Veteran Program.
“I like what Bay Pines is doing with the women-Veteran series and the education – I wish I could participate more,” Lavin shared. “The events from the WVP provide women who may not have felt supported in the service, an opportunity to find that support and connection here.”
Lavin continued, “To women who aren’t enrolled in VA healthcare, I would say just give it a try. VA health care is a benefit you deserve because you earned it.”