VA’s Million Veteran Program Makes History: 1 Millionth Veteran Joins MVP

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The Columbia VA Health Care System[DJ1]  is extremely proud to have played its part in this effort, with many local Veterans joining MVP at our facility. One of those Veterans, retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Rongio Fonville when asked what joining MVP meant to him, said, “What MVP means to me is the ability help any veteran. I want to give back to any veteran past, present, and future. I’ve wanted to help Veterans once I retired from the military in any shape of form I can.  Once I found out about MVP, I quickly joined and gave a sample of blood hoping and praying that I’m able to help someone.”

MVP: History in the Making

Since its inception in 2011, MVP’s goal has been to improve overall health and wellness for all Veterans—regardless of race, gender, age, or service branch. Since then, MVP has become the largest and most diverse genetic research program in the world. Every Veteran who has joined MVP gives researchers the opportunity to explore how genetics, lifestyle, military experiences, and exposures affect various health conditions that matter to Veterans. This work is already yielding outcomes with real-world applications—outcomes that will positively affect the future of health care for America’s Veterans and beyond.

Dr. Sumitra Muralidhar, MVP’s Program Director, expressed immense pride in reaching one million participants while thanking the Veterans who make MVP possible. “MVP’s success starts with Veterans—it’s because of their willingness to continue to serve that we were able to reach this historic milestone and continue this research that will improve health care for generations to come,” says Dr. Muralidhar. “We’re incredibly grateful to these Veterans, and to each and every member of the MVP team throughout the country who dedicates their time and energy to this work every day.”

“I am so proud of our Veterans for joining this important program,” said Rebecca Strini, Columbia Health Care System Acting Medical Center Director. “Our Veterans have given so much already, yet they continue to give, which allows us to give back to them in the future,” she added.

Improving the Future of Veteran Health Care

Even as MVP celebrates this momentous occasion, the program remains focused on the work to come. This past year, MVP researchers found genetic markers associated with prostate cancer in male Veterans from varied racial and ethnic backgrounds. These markers are now being tested in a clinical trial to see if they can better predict who is at a higher risk for prostate cancer. Research like this is proof—one million is just the start. 

If you’d like to learn more about the discoveries MVP is making on the road to its next milestone, visit www.mvp.va.gov.

If you’re a Veteran who’d like to join 1,000,000 of your fellow Veterans who’ve enrolled in MVP, you can sign up at www.mvp.va.gov or call 866-441-6075 to make an appointment at a participating VA facility. You don’t need to receive your care at VA to participate.