Director's Message December 29, 2023
VAPIHCS Veterans, We will have a Community Call event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on January 27, 2024, and January 28, 2024 in Agana Shopping Center at 302 South Route 4, in the Rectangle Court & Room 223 (2nd Floor) in Hagåtña, GU 96910.
The event will feature PACT Act registration, vaccines, blood pressure checks, health screenings, diabetic foot checks, and benefits assistance. If you have any questions, please call our new toll-free number for Veterans in Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, and the Philippines: 1-800-698-2411. We look forward to seeing you there.
National Veteran Golden Age Games
Each year, Veterans who are 55 and older are eligible to participate in the National Veteran Golden Age Games (NVGAG). The NVGAG team has been working hard in preparation for the upcoming event in Salt Lake City, Utah from August 24-29, 2024. Competition highlights include the Visually Impaired Division, the Wheelchair Division, and the Ambulatory Division. If you would like to get involved, start by making a profile now before registration opens. Go to https://eauth.va.gov/accessva/ and select “I am a Veteran.” Select the “Sports4Vets” button. Then, use your MyHealtheVet, DS Login, or ID.me username and password. Select “Registration4Vets.” Once you do that, you can complete your profile and be ready when registration begins.
Happy New Year’s Eve
It’s important to me that everyone has a safe New Year’s Eve. One thing that is key to safety is to name a designated driver before going out to a party or event. Any time you go out with friends or family, make sure that one person will stay sober to drive everyone home. Remember that even if you are not the designated driver, it is still prudent to limit alcohol intake. Do not feel pressured to drink alcohol - remember that setting limits is part of a healthy lifestyle.
New Year’s Eve is also a popular time to set off fireworks. Please remember that fireworks can be very dangerous. Never shoot a firework at another person or at a building or structure. Always aim fireworks at the sky and be careful when lighting them. Never let children light fireworks, and do not engage in setting off fireworks after drinking alcohol. Emergency rooms see people every year with firework injuries, but we can change that if everyone commits to celebrating responsibly. Please celebrate safely so that you can enjoy the new year.
VAPIHCS clinics will be closed on Saturday, December 30, 2023, and Monday, January 1, 2024, in observance of New Year’s Day Holiday. Happy New Year!
Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles
When we think of relentless dedication and intense focus, it’s difficult to think of another athlete that embodies those qualities more than the late Kobe Bryant. Winning five NBA championship titles, two Olympic medals, and a record four NBA All-Star Game MVP awards over the span of his 20 years in the NBA, he played on levels that few could even come close to matching. A Team USA trainer once got a glimpse into Kobe Bryant’s training regimen, and discovered that Kobe wouldn’t be content with finishing that training session until he made 800 jump shots in practice. Kobe Bryant was known to even refuse to allow injuries to stop him from playing on the basketball court.
But as unfathomable as his NBA career was, his approach to basketball after retiring from basketball was equally baffling. In a 2017 Good Morning America interview, he was asked if he missed the game of basketball. And to the surprise of everyone, Kobe Brant said “No, I don’t”…
How could someone who dedicated so much to his craft be willing to peacefully close that chapter of his life, and move on? I think one of the secrets is that he lived with the deep inner satisfaction of knowing that he gave basketball all he had, while he had it. As he looked back, I’m sure he had little to regret. Because while he may have made mistakes, he knew he put everything he had on the court.
We may not be on the verge on ending an illustrious 20-year NBA career, but we can find similar inspiration for heading into 2024, and saying goodbye to 2023. While goodbyes are seldom easy, I find that there’s a degree of satisfaction with closing out a year when I can look back and know that I gave that year everything I had. Let’s allow Kobe Bryant’s approach to help us spring forth into the new year on the right foot, determining to bring forth everything we have to make this new year even more memorable.
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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