Director's Message March 18, 2022
VAPIHCS Veterans, VA enrolled the first participant into the Million Veteran Program (MVP) in 2011. Since then, the program has grown quickly, with nearly 850,000 Veteran partners. The people who have already donated have helped the VA start research into many projects that will benefit Veterans.
They have already discovered a genetic marker for PTSD, and they know that this is more commonly found in Black Veterans because over 150,000 Black Veterans have contributed to the program. This research is invaluable and will help improve screening and treatment options in the future. Veterans who would like to donate to the MVP should contact Sedra Graves at 808-433-0125 or email at Sedra.Graves@va.gov. Let’s make 2022 the year that they reach their goal of one million Veterans!
National Sleep Awareness Week
This week is National Sleep Awareness week. VA encourages all Veterans and VA Pacific Island Health Care System (VAPIHCS) employees to make sure that you are doing everything you can to get a good nights’ sleep. Remember to put away your phone and other screens one hour before you go to bed. Try not to eat right before you go to sleep, as well. Keep your bedroom free of light, and make sure to get in enough exercise during the day so that you’re not restless at night. A helpful tip is to take a walk after dinner to aid in digestion and help you get in enough exercise to sleep peacefully. Sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy weight, maintaining a healthy mind, and healing cuts and bruises. If you are having trouble sleeping, make an appointment to talk to your doctor about it: 1-800-214-1306.
National Pulmonary Awareness Week
This week is also National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week. National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week serves as an opportunity to celebrate the success of Pulmonary Rehabilitation, raise awareness of the benefits it provides to patients with lung disease and to thank all those who play a role in COPD treatment and research.
Brain Awareness Week
Brain Awareness Week was created to educate the public about the progress into brain research along with prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. The brain is complex and plays a significant role in the overall health and well-being of a person, so it is important to continue to support neurological research. Knowledge about the brain will help foster the prevention, accurate diagnosis, and treatment of many conditions and keep people healthy. VA is involved in a wide variety of research, including research into brain injury and brain degeneration.
VA Ranked Among Top Employers
Forbes ranked the VA among the top large employers to work for in the United States. The company asked 60,000 respondents to rate their willingness -on a scale of zero to ten- to recommend their employer to friends and family. The final list ranks the 500 large and 500 midsize employers that received the most recommendations. This honor, which VA earned last year, fortifies our recruitment messages and initiatives. I’m so glad that so many VA employees are proud to work here, as I am.
MS Awareness Month
March is Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Awareness Month. Worldwide, more than 2.3 million people have a diagnosis of MS. MS is the most common disabling neurological disease of young adults with symptom onset generally occurring between the ages of 20 to 40 years. Understanding someone with MS can be difficult since many symptoms are hidden and someone with MS may “look healthy” one day while experiencing a relapse the next day, going from well to un-well within a matter of hours.
Women’s Health Month
March is also women’s health month, and we want to make sure that we’re taking good care of our women’s Veterans. VA has a variety of specialty care available in our women’s health clinics, from In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) to breastfeeding classes. As rates of women enlisting increases, so too does the number of women Veterans. VA works hard to meet the needs of the women who have worn the cloth of our nation. If you want to learn more, please call 1-800-214-1306.
I hope you all had a happy St. Patrick’s Day, and that you have a safe weekend!
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