Director's Message April 12, 2024

Our new $130 million, 88,675 square-foot multi-specialty outpatient clinic offers primary and mental health care, x-ray, laboratory and diagnostic services, a pharmacy, and specialty care for Veterans on Oʻahu, and Veterans throughout the Pacific Islands who come here for care. If you are interested in enrolling with VA, or in transferring your care to our new clinic, please call 1-800-214-1306. 

Institute on Violence Abuse and Trauma Summit

This week the Institute on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma (IVAT) held their annual summit in Honolulu. I was privileged to be asked to speak at this event along with members of the VAPIHCS staff. I was also honored to be selected to receive the Felix-Stackpole award. The Felix-Stackpole award was created by noted philanthropist Dr. John Henry Felix and General Henry Charles Stackpole and is presented to a Veteran who has demonstrated dedication and outstanding advocacy in helping military personnel and their families, or Veterans and their families, who are recovering from trauma. 

At VAPIHCS, so many of our staff devote their lives to helping military Veterans and their families to recovery from trauma. Our Intimate Partner Violence Assistance and Prevention program does amazing work to help Veterans, their spouses, and their children. Our social workers are on the front lines meeting Veterans where they live and connected them with services. Our Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Residential Recovery Program (PRRP) does meaningful work healing trauma and helping Veterans move forward. From our Whole Health Program to every member of our clinical staff, everyone has a hand in improving the lives of Veterans in the Pacific Islands, and I am grateful to all my staff. Many Veterans also work through Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs) or community organizations to raise awareness, and your commitment to your communities and to helping those healing from trauma is meaningful and appreciated. 

Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month

VA facilities like ours provide a wide range of services for Veterans who experienced trauma. During Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) in April, veterans have the opportunity to learn more about Military Sexual Trauma (MST), and VA’s free MST-related resources for survivors.

It can be tremendously healing for MST survivors to learn that someone recognizes they have experienced trauma, validates their experiences, believes in their ability to heal, and offers tools and support to help when they are ready. That’s why VA’s message to MST survivors during SAAPM is “Finding Your Path to Healing.”

Survivors should know that VA’s MST-related services are comprehensive, and eligibility for MST-related care is expansive. No documentation of the MST experience is required. Veterans do not need to have reported the MST experience at the time it occurred, to have sought care within a certain time frame, or to have applied for service connection for an MST-related condition to get care.

I encourage all Veterans to learn more about VA’s MST-related services by visiting Effects of Military Sexual Trauma | VA Mental Health - Mental Health. You can also call 1-800-214-1306, then 2, then 4, and ask for the MST Care Coordinator at this facility, Dr. Angie Heiligenthal. You can even tell your primary care doctor during a routine visit and let them connect you with resources. It can feel hard to open up about issues, but we will always handle your care with dignity and respect.

Whole Health Month

April is Whole Health Month, and VAPIHCS is excited to celebrate with you! The theme this year is Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation. At VAPIHCS, we follow the philosophy of Whole Health in all that we do. This is a way of looking at Veteran health care which includes - not only diagnosing illnesses and prescribing medications - but also looking at a patient’s entire life, and what matters most to them. Every Veteran will have different health priorities, and we can customize health recommendations based on those priorities to help provide a more individualized care plan. When we talk about looking at the entire life of a Veteran, we mean that we talk with patients about their friends, family, and co-workers. We talk with them about what they eat and drink. We ask about how they sleep, what they do for exercise, and how they feed their soul. 

When we know what matters most to a Veteran, we can better understand how VA services and programs can fit into their life. For example, if a Veteran tells us that they worry they’re not getting enough exercise, we can refer them to the Move Program or Gerofit. If they tell us that they worry about their diet, we can refer them to a dietician or a health coach. If they worry that they are not nourishing their soul, Whole Health and Chaplain Services have programs to help. Knowing what a Veteran would like to address helps us to recommend the correct services for that specific person. 

Additionally, we offer all evidence-based complimentary treatments. If a Veteran has high blood pressure, we may want to prescribe some medicine to help lower it. However, we may also want to recommend yoga, meditation, or other complimentary therapies that can help reduce blood pressure. VAPIHCS doctors can help you ensure that you are aware of all the options that you have when it comes to managing your health. Visit our Whole Health resources online to learn more. Call 1-800-214-1306 to make an appointment with your doctor so that you can make sure you’re managing your health in the best way possible. Happy Whole Health Month!

Holocaust Remembrance Day

On Thursday, April 18, 2024, we mark the passage of Holocaust Remembrance Day. This day serves as a reminder to us that killing people for who they are or where they are from is always wrong. This year, let us pause and think about the decisions we make. Let us consider the implications of our actions and beliefs and consider who may be harmed because of them. We should never support ideas or beliefs that lead to discrimination, persecution, or murder. 

National Volunteer Week

Next week is National Volunteer Week. Many of you already volunteer in various capacities through a child’s school, a church, or a charity that you feel passionate about. However, you may not know that we have opportunities to volunteer right here at VAPIHCS! Here are opportunities we offer to volunteers:

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Volunteer Driver Program, which partners with Veteran Affairs facilities throughout the United States. The DAV Volunteer Driver Program helps Hawaii Veterans get to and from their medical appointments throughout the islands. Drivers must be 21 years of age, complete an interview, 7 training courses, medical clearance, and driver’s history upon qualification.

Community Living Center (CLC) (24-hour facility). Volunteers work with Recreation Therapists and assist with activities to include Art and Music therapies and maintaining the CLC garden.

Compassionate Contact Corps (CCC). This is a virtual program that matches a volunteer with a Veteran. Volunteers contact their matched Veteran at least once a week for a minimum of 15 minutes. This program was created during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep Veterans connected. It is a great way to give back to those who have worn the cloth of our nation.

Red Coat Ambassadors greet Veterans at the entrance of VAPIHCS facilities. Volunteers wear Red Coats (vests) to be easily identify and may assist in helping Veterans to their appointment.

Vet Centers (West Oahu and Honolulu). Volunteers assist with Outreach Events and incoming calls. 
Specialized volunteer positions are also available, so if you have questions, call us at 1-800-214-1306.  Please share these opportunities with your friends, family, and the community. Volunteering with VA is a wonderful way to help support Veterans!

One Team, One Ohana!
Adam M. Robinson, Jr., MD, MBA, CPE 
Director, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System
VADM, MC, USN, (RET)
36th Surgeon General, USN

Stay Informed

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