Stories
Read about what's happening in our VA Cheyenne health care community.
Do you know how to access your VA health care on federal holidays?
![A woman wearing a green blouse talking on a headset](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-05/Cheyenne%20VA%20HCS.png)
Joshua Deets, a former Corporal and Field Radio Operator in the U.S. Marine Corps, served from 1996 to 2003, including a deployment to Afghanistan. After his military service, Deets faced a challenging transition back to civilian life, struggling with isolation and substance use.
![Two men, one in a blue scrub and the other in a green shirt, standing in a storage room holding a paddle.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-05/Joshua%20Deets.png)
“We need to learn how to talk to each other in a more productive and healthy way,” said the wife of a U. S. Marine Corps Veteran during a couple’s workshop. “It had gotten to where we just existed in the same house.”
![Close up of a couples' hands with small fingers interlocked.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-02/W2SM%20cropped.jpg)
A 69-year-old Veteran, grieving the loss of his long-time friend, lived in a rural, isolated location. With only solar power, no cell or Internet service and no transportation, he lacked access to VA mental health services – until recently.
![Two men walking together, away from camera, on a rural path with woods on either side.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-02/BHIP%20Peer%20photo2.jpg)
Military police officer Jessica Mack left the U.S. Air Force never expecting to face social isolation and loneliness as a civilian. With undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and a severe brain injury, she struggled to find her fit in this “new normal.”
![Smiling elderly man with glasses, wearing military shirt and hat. He sits at a table with a plate of food and others socializing in the background.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-01/Veteran%20Socials%20stock%20image.jpeg)
In the wake of COVID-19, the significance of personal health care is more evident than ever. Join us for our VA health and wellness fair on Thursday, January 18, from noon to 7 p.m. at Cheyenne VA Medical Center and Northern Colorado VA Clinic.
![A female nurse is talking to a male patient. The nurse is standing, the man is sitting.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2024-01/Jennifer%20Young%2C%20RN%20and%20Veteran%20patient.png)
VA Cheyenne Health Care System has launched a Medical Foster Home (MFH) program helping Veterans to remain in their community, maintain their social connections and participate in everyday family life.
![man in wheelchair petting a dog that is sitting on a recliner. A nurse is watching and smiling in the background.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2023-12/VISN22MFHProgram.jpg)
Just inside the main entrance of the Cheyenne VA in Wyoming, visitors may encounter a greeter named Roderick “Rod” Romero.
![Man sits in wheelchair in hallway, photos behind him](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2023-12/Chy%20Greeter3.jpg)
“In my 30-plus years of working with Veterans, I’ve never seen anything as powerful as this at getting people to seek the help they need,” said Dr. Chuck Drebing, a psychologist with Cheyenne VA in Wyoming.
![Man in military uniform holds small film camera.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2023-11/Film-Web.jpg)
“This is the best care I’ve had and the most caring VA I’ve been in,” said Judy Brayton, a resident of Cheyenne VA’s Community Living Center.
![RN Sam Massie (left) and resident Judy Brayton offer their perspectives on the Cheyenne VA’s Community Living Center.](https://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/content.www.va.gov/img/styles/2_1_medium_thumbnail/public/2023-11/CLC%20Duo-Web.jpg)