Director's Message July 14, 2023

You can find our job listings on USA Jobs. Join us for a hiring fair at the Hawaii Career Expo Neal Blaisdell Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on August 23, 2023. You can join us in-person or online -either way- see what we have to offer.

Infrastructure Update

Many Veterans in the Pacific Islands are eagerly awaiting new care options. VAPIHCS has been working to add services, build facilities, and expand partnerships with new care providers in the community to provide care to all Veterans as close to home as possible.

We are looking forward to opening the Danial K. Akaka Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Kapolei, where we hope to see patients in Spring, 2024. We are also working on expanded clinics in Kona and Guam. We will continue to work to build new clinics, and to improve access for all Veterans on all the islands in the Pacific.

Toxic Exposure Legislation

In August of 2022, the President signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT Act), a law that allows Veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service the ability to access expanded VA benefits. Since the passing of this law, we’ve held monthly events to register Veterans who are newly eligible. Our next event is in Guam on July 22 and July 23, 2023, at Micronesia Mall at 1088 West Marine Corps Drive, Space 215AB, Center Court, 2nd floor (near the food court) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days. This event will include PACT Act registration, vaccines, blood pressure checks, diabetic foot checks, VA Benefits Assistance, and health screenings. Veterans in Guam should come see us at this event if they are already signed up with us, or if they need to sign up. We hope to see you all there! Even if you don’t want to come to an event, you can still call 1-800-214-1306 and make an appointment to speak with a benefits counselor.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

It’s 1983, and 11 brave athletes line up to embark on a grueling, ultra-marathon, spanning 543.7 miles from Sydney to Melbourne, Australia. But one man stands out from the group of elite international athletes. His name was Cliff Young, a 61-year-old potato farmer who, at first, showed up to the race dressed in overalls and gumboots. He ran in a unique, shuffling style, very much different from the rest of the athletes. The race began, and just like many expected, Cliff Young lagged far behind as the other runners easily took the lead. Although he wasn’t the fastest runner, he turned out to be the most persistent. While the other elite runners would stop to sleep during certain intervals of the race, Cliff kept running, stopping to sleep only for very few moments. After the race, this resilient farmer said that what kept him motivated was that he imagined that a storm was coming, and he was running after sheep to round them up.  And at 1:30 AM, with 20,000 people watching, he crossed the finish line after 5 days, 15 hours, and 4 minutes. Not only did he shatter the world record (by over two days), but he was also 9 hours ahead of his nearest competitor!

Sometimes, how fast one is going doesn’t determine how far one goes.  For Cliff Young, although his beginning didn’t seem promising, his ending baffled everyone. You may be having a difficult time at the moment and may feel as though no one believes in you. But hold on. Persistence is often the secret ingredient that turns what’s impossible into becoming what’s possible. So, whether we have to run (or shuffle) down our race, let’s decide to never give up.

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

Website: https://www.va.gov/pacific-islands-health-care/ – submit your email to get our updates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VAPacificIslands/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/va_pacific_islands/
Podcast: https://vapihcspao.podbean.com/