Director's Message February 17, 2023

As VA kicks off a national campaign this month about Dignity and Respect, I want to let everyone in VAPIHCS know that welcoming veterans of every walk of life is a priority for me.

There have been missteps in the past. Veterans have faced unfair treatment during their service, and after they have left the military. Instances of racism, sexism, and discrimination against LGBTQIA+ veterans have been identified throughout the country.

For me personally, I think even one instance of discrimination is too many. I’ve said before that one of my priories is to ensure that every veteran who walks through our doors feels welcome. I am committed to this idea because I know that VAPIHCS serves veterans from all walks of life. We serve Chamorro Veterans, American Samoan Veterans, Native Hawaiian Veterans, Asian Veterans, Black Veterans, and so many more. We serve veterans who are gay, veterans who are transgender, and veterans who are non-binary – and we’ll continue to serve every person who has worn the cloth of our nation.

As veterans, we all have our stories from our time in service, and I know we all share a love of our country. However, we also have differences that need to be recognized and celebrated. I want each and every one of you to know that you are welcome here.

The first pillar of the Dignity and Respect campaign is: “It starts with you.” Our programs and services do start with you. That’s why we have a robust Women Veterans’ Health Program, support for LGBTQIA+ Veterans, and cultural sensitivity trainings for our employees. We have started with you -with all of you- and created programs to support you. Don’t forget that what you think matters. Please remember to fill out the surveys that you are sent after your appointments, and make sure to let us know what we’ve done well, and what we could do better. Your feedback helps us ensure that you feel like you’re being treated with Dignity and Respect.

PACT Act

As you know, President Biden signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act into law in August of 2022. This historic piece of legislation aims to expand VA coverage to veterans who were exposed to toxic chemicals during their service. For families who have lost a loved one to toxic exposure, it provides compensation and benefits. Many see the passage of this Act as an important step towards living up to the commitment that our government has made to veterans by extending benefits for conditions that are presumed to be service connected.

Since this Act was passed, we have been working hard to enroll newly eligible Veterans. There have been several scams identified as being related to the PACT Act, and so we have made an effort to be on the ground on every island in the VAPIHCS ensuring that veterans can speak with us directly, rather than going through an intermediary and being taken advantage of.

I’m pleased to say that so far, we have had very successful Community Call events to enroll Veterans in the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and Saipan. Our latest Community Call will be held on the island of Kauai on March 30, 2023, and March 31, 2023. This event will be from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will take place at the Kauai Veterans Center at 3215 Kauai Veterans Memorial Highway, Lihue, Hawaii 96766. Benefits counselors will be available for questions and to enroll veterans under the PACT Act. Veterans who are already enrolled can join us for health services like vaccines, blood pressure checks, and infectious disease screening. If you’re on Kauai, please come out and see us. Even if you don’t think you’re eligible for coverage under the PACT Act, come out and let us find out what you are eligible for. We want to talk story with you.

COMPACT Act

VA has released new guidance on helping veterans who are dealing with suicidal ideation.

It’s called the Comprehensive Prevention Access to Care and Treatment (COMPACT) Act, and it has the power to help millions of veterans receive emergency care for free. No matter their VA status, veterans can receive free emergency care at any health care system if they’re in a suicidal crisis.

“Veterans in acute suicidal crisis will be able to go to any VA or non-VA health care facility for emergency health care at no cost – including inpatient or crisis residential care for up to 30 days and outpatient care for up to 90 days. Veterans do not need to be enrolled in the VA system to use this benefit,” the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs described in a release.

While there are some requirements for length of service, it’s believed this could help up to nine million veterans.

Eligible individuals, regardless of VA enrollment status, are:

• Veterans who were discharged or released from active duty after more than 24 months of active service under conditions other than dishonorable or higher.
• Former members of the armed forces, including reserve service members, who served more than 100 days under a combat exclusion or in support of a contingency operation either directly or by operating an unmanned aerial vehicle from another location who were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
• Former members of the armed forces who were the victim of a physical assault of a sexual nature, a battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment while serving in the armed forces.

Veterans don’t have to worry about getting a bill, which helps remove a barrier that had existed between suicidal veteran and health care. Hopefully, this will help combat veteran suicide.  

Save 988 dial 1 for Veterans in your phone for Veterans Crisis Line.

Drivers Needed

VAPIHCS needs volunteer drivers for our Disabled Veterans of America (DAV) Van Transportation. These volunteers will drive our veterans from their homes to VA appointments in our different island clinics, and then back home. Drivers are needed in Oahu, Kailua-Kona, Hilo, and Kauai. Please contact us if you are able to drive: 808-433-3377.

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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