Director's Message December 23, 2022

With that in mind, it’s a good time to think about some of the things that VAPIHCS accomplished in 2022. An important accomplishment on the part of Congress was the passage of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. This Act expanded VA care to cover veterans that were in conflicts from Vietnam through Afghanistan, making new services and benefits available to them, and to their survivors.

I encourage everyone who thinks they might be eligible to go to a VA facility and apply for care and benefits. Don’t assume you’re not eligible. Come in and let us figure out what you qualify for and how to get it to you.

When you come into a VA facility, I’d like to also encourage you to get a flu shot and a COVID-19 booster shot. You can get them both at the same time, and it’s so important to be protected against these viruses. People die every year from the flu, and people are still dying from COVID-19. Please protect yourself and your family by getting vaccinated.

The PACT Act didn’t just expand coverage for veterans; it also created additional funding for new staff. As we grow, we need people to help us do that. That’s why VAPIHCS participated in a national onboarding surge event to get new staff on board quickly. It was a success, with over 60 firm job offers made during the event. However, VA still plans to hire 52,000 employees nationwide every year for the next five years. What that means is: Keep an eye on our posts on USA Jobs. If you are looking for work, or if you know someone who is, please keep VA in mind.

The holiday season is a time of joy for many. However, for those without families or support, the holidays can be a difficult time. VA offers a variety of mental health resources. The most important of these is the Veterans Crisis Line: dial 988, then press 1. You can also call 1-800-214-1306 and make an appointment with someone in our Mental Health department. Please make sure to share these resources with anyone in your life who may need them.

As we work to improve and expand our services, we’re proud to have opened a new Accessing TeleHealth Through Local Area Stations (ATLAS) booth on the Big Island, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota, and to have two more opening soon in Guam. Expanding services helps us to reach into communities and make an even bigger impact, to serve our veterans with the highest quality of care possible. The ATLAS booths are already used in states across the US, and bringing them to VAPIHCS will allow veterans to access care in remote areas, which is an important development. Our goal is to get care to veterans where they live whenever possible, and we will continue to work to expand access to health care across the Pacific Islands in every way available.

The Daniel K. Akaka Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) is also under construction. This project has been in the planning for years, and as the construction continues, we get closer to the tangible reality of a clinic on the Leeward side of the island that will allow Veterans greater access to VA services. The Akaka clinic is a partnership between VAPIHCS and the Hunt Companies Hawaii. Hunt will build and own the clinic, and the VA will lease the space. This partnership allows the project to be built faster, so we can expand services on Oahu as soon as possible.

The Daniel K. Akaka CBOC will be an 88,000-square-foot facility which will house a variety of services, including Primary Care, and specialty clinics like Audiology, Optometry, Women’s Health, Nephrology, Mental Health, and Prosthetics. In addition, the project will include laboratory and pharmacy services. It is intended to serve as a closer point of service for the veterans who live on the Leeward side of Oahu. We look forward to welcoming our veterans to the Akaka clinic in 2024.

Another accomplishment of note was the Community Calls we held in Guam, American Samoa, and the Hawaiian Islands. We were able to send teams out into the community to enroll new veterans under the PACT Act, and to provide care to the veterans already enrolled with us. We gave flu shots, COVID-19 vaccines, introduced veterans to programs and services they might not know about, and did health checks to refer those who needed it for immediate care. It was wonderful to be able to go back out and help people in the community again, and we will continue to do this moving forward.

This year, I was proud to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Center For Aging (CFA). The CFA building houses the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Residential Recovery Program (PRRP) as well as the nursing home, named the Community Living Center (CLC). The CFA was the first building that VA built in the Pacific Islands, and it represents our enduring commitment to serve the Veterans here.

The holidays are a good time to reflect on our lives, and to be grateful for all the blessings that we have received. Here at VAPIHCS, we’re grateful for our Ohana who work hard to provide safe, compassionate, quality care to veterans. We’re also grateful for the support of those in Government to help us do our work and fund the progress that we are making. Most importantly, we’re grateful for the opportunity to serve our veterans. VAPIHCS is proud to celebrate another year of commitment and serve to the men and women who have worn the cloth of our nation.

There truly are many accomplishments to be grateful for this year, and I hope everyone will take some time to reflect on how far we have come, and on how much farther we need to go. From my Ohana to yours, I want to wish you a very happy holiday season, and a joyful new year in 2023!

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

A story is told of a carpenter who developed a reputation for being the best home builder in his area.

But coming into his golden years, he felt it was time to spend more time with his grandchildren. So he informed the general contractor of his plans, and his boss was sorry to hear the news.

But then his boss got an idea. The general contractor asked the carpenter to build just one more house, and offered him an almost unlimited budget for this last project. 

The carpenter reluctantly agreed and out of spite, used the cheapest materials. He chose the worst flooring and selected the least favorable location to build the home. In the end, it would be the worst home he had ever built. 

After the carpenter completed the home, the general contractor came with keys to the front door, and with a smile, handed the keys over to the carpenter. Surprised and confused, the carpenter wondered why the keys?

The general contractor replied, “these keys are for you. I asked you to build this last home because it was my parting gift to you. I have also chosen to cover all the expenses for the build.”

If only the carpenter realized that the house he was building was really a gift to himself, how differently would he have built it!

Service is much the same way. It can feel like it’s something we’re only rendering unto someone else, but in reality it’s also the greatest gift we can give to ourselves. The ability to touch lives and meet the needs of Veterans is a priceless gift, as there are few things more satisfying than knowing that one’s life has become a conduit of relief and goodness for another. 

In this Christmas season, let’s not forget of the blessing that comes from giving.

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

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