Director's Message July 15, 2022

VA was also recognized as the Most Improved Large Federal Agency for 2021. The pandemic has been hard on those who work in health care. Seeing the VA listed among the top five places to work in spite of our health care facilities having to face the challenges of COVID-19 is monumental. It is a testament to how hard our staff have worked to be kind, understanding, and compassionate, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. I’m extremely proud to lead such a wonderful group of people. 

VA Seeking Land in Hilo

Department of Veterans Affairs Integrated Services Network (VISN 21) and VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System (VAPIHCS) has an ongoing need to provide medical and related services through localized Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC).  As part of the plans to expand care, VAPIHCS received Minor Construction Project approval in Fiscal Year 2019 to construct a new Hilo Replacement Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The next step is to acquire land on which to construct the new facility. 

“We’ve been looking to expand for a long time,” said Senior Facilities Planner Craig Oswald. “We want to respond to the increased demand for services with facilities that are needed. This is just one part of an overall expansion plan in VAPIHCS that has been taking shape over the last several years.” 

VA currently leases 7,020 net usable square feet (NUSF) of medical space for use as a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) on Mohouli St. in Hilo.  Due to increased demand for medical services in Hilo, HI, VA is seeking to acquire approximately two to four acres of land to expand services by constructing an estimated 22,500 square foot CBOC and Veterans Services "One-Stop Shop" on the island of Hawaii near the town of Hilo with Primary, Mental Health, Specialty, Telemedicine, Home Based Primary Care, and Women's Health care services. 

The building will also accommodate Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) staff, a VA Vet Center, State of Hawaii Office of Veterans Services staff, and approximately 60 veteran and staff parking stalls. This project responds to key veteran stakeholder demand and recommendations, while also supported by Hawaii government officials and U.S. Congressional delegation members.

If you own land in the area, or if you know anyone who owns land in the area, reach out and see if they would be willing to discuss acquisition by the VA. Parcels less than two acres will not be considered. Additional Contact Information: Marianne Marinucci, VA Office of Real Property at: marianne.marinucci@va.gov or (202) 632-5468

Ongoing COVID-19 Response

VA’s priority remains vaccinating as many individuals as possible and getting booster shots to those who have already had the vaccine. Vaccination is still the best way to prevent serious illness, and hopefully to end this pandemic. Cases are high in Hawaii right now, so please give us a call and make an appointment to get your shots today.

Many veterans are taking COVID-19 tests at home and testing positive. Please don’t wait until you are sick to reach out! Call your provider as soon as you test positive, and VA will send you anti-viral drugs when appropriate to help you through your illness. Call 1-800-214-1306 to get vaccinated or to get antivirals.

Be Involved in Your Health Care: Ask About Low Blood Sugars 

In July, VA wants to encourage conversations about blood sugar. If you have diabetes, talk with your health care team about selecting a safe and effective blood glucose (sugar) target range that is based on your own goals, priorities, and lifestyle. To learn more about managing your low blood sugar levels visit, “Ask About Low Blood Sugars - National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (va.gov).” Or, to speak with your care team, call 1-800-214-1306 to make an appointment. 

July Women’s Health Campaign: Navigating Menopause

In July 2022, VA Women’s Health is promoting communications targeted towards Veterans to help them navigate menopause. This campaign focuses on outlining the variety of menopause experiences veterans may have, and the full range of treatments available at VA. VA hopes to help women veterans learn about the stages of menopause, identify common symptoms, and learn about VA’s services to help them manage and treat bothersome menopausal symptoms. Women Veterans can call 1-855-829-6636 to learn more about all aspects of women’s health care, including menopause. 

VAPIHCS Commitment to Mental Health

I was appreciative of the news coverage of our Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Residential Recovery Program (PRRP) last week. Mental health care is a top priority for VAPIHCS, and I hope anyone who is struggling will reach out and make an appointment at 1-800-214-1306. If you’re not ready to make an appointment but you just want to talk to someone, you can call the Veterans Crisis Line at its new number, which is 988 and then press 1. The old Veterans Crisis Line number is still active, and that’s 1-800-273-8255, and then press 1. Someone is always available when you’re ready to talk, and the VA will remain committed to providing the highest level of care to all the men and women who have worn the cloth of our nation. 

Thoughts For Chaplain Richie

There’s an old folk tale that speaks of a skillful stone stonecutter who spent his days cutting stone off the side of a mountain and was sought after in his community as his stones would be used in home building and for gravestones. 

But it was a hot summer day. The stone cutter looked up at the sun as it shone proudly in the sky and thought “How powerful the sun is! I wish that I could be the sun!”

Magically, he then became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, and scorching the fields. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages. But soon he found that he was being pushed along by an even greater force and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, feared and hated by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – a huge, towering rock. “How powerful that rock is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a rock!”

He became a rock, and now felt invincible against the hot sun, the mighty winds, and felt secure against the other elements. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into his hard rocky exterior, and was confounded that even he, the mighty rock, was being changed by an even greater force. “What could be more powerful than I, the rock?” he thought.

He looked down, and to his amazement, it was a stone cutter. At that point, he made his final wish; he asked that he might once again become a stone cutter. His wish was granted. He returned to his former role, but this time, he learned to cut his stone with a smile on his face, because he now discerned that the grass was not greener on the other side and saw how much of an ability, he had to make a difference in the role he already had.  

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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