Director's Message May 31, 2024

The Center for Pacific Islander Veterans Health serves Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and US-Affiliated Pacific Islander Veterans in the Continental US, Hawaii, US Territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas), and the Freely Associated States/COFA nations (Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia). The Center is housed at VAPIHCS under the supervision of the VA Office of Health Equity, with a mission to promote health and eliminate health disparities of Pacific Islander Veterans; to ensure all Veterans have a fair and equal opportunity to attain their highest level of health and well-being. Our research team has been hard at work coordinating research that will benefit Pacific Islander Veterans by studying co-morbidities related to location, genetic factors, and other considerations that make care for those in the Pacific Islands unique. We look forward to leading the way in providing the best care possible to Pacific Islanders who have worn the cloth of our nation.

Festival of the Pacific

From June 6th to June 16th, 2024, the island of Oahu will host the 13th annual Festival of the Pacific at the Hawaii Convention Center. This year, the theme is Ho’oulu Lahui, or “Regenerating Oceania.” This festival is hosted on a different island every year, and it is an opportunity for Pacific Islanders to showcase their art, dances, fashion, songs, food, and much more. VAPIHCS will have a booth throughout the event where Veterans can enroll for care, submit a PACT Act claim, and learn more about the programs we offer. We continue to focus on outreach because many Veterans in the Pacific Islands are not aware of changes in policy that have increased eligibility for Veterans for all eras of service, and we will strive to ensure that all Veterans get the care and benefits that they have earned and deserve. We hope to see you there.

Enroll Now for Care at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic 

In April, we opened our new Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic in Kapolei. We are very excited to have new services and programs to offer Veterans, and we will continue to expand services at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic into 2025. If you would like to know more, or if you are interested in transferring your care, please call us at 1-800-214-1306. 

Hurricane Season is Here

In 2023, VAPIHCS responded to three (3) tropical cyclones related incidents that affected three (3) of our Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). In May and October 2023, Guam CBOC and Saipan Clinic were hit with Super Typhoon Mawar and Tropical Strom Bolaven respectively and in July 2023, Hilo CBOC felt the effects of Tropical Storm Calvin. VAPIHCS is unique in that our area of operation spans 4.8 million square miles which covers different weather patterns and differences in seasonal occurrences.

• Hawaiian Islands: Hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, though storms are also known to appear outside of this seasonal window.
• American Samoa: Hurricane season runs from November 1 through April 30, though storms are also known to appear outside of this seasonal window.
• Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands sit in a region of the western North Pacific known as Typhoon Alley. Tropical cyclone activity peaks around July to November, but storms can and do form throughout the year.

Part of maintaining your health is ensuring that you are prepared for emergencies. The Central Pacific hurricane season outlook/forecast was shared on May 21, 2024 and NOAA predicts a below-normal 2024 Central Pacific hurricane season. Even though the “hurricane season” is established, that doesn’t mean that tropical storms can’t happen at any time. The following websites with comprehensive information and useful tools can help you prepare:

The State of Hawaii (https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-ready/)

Guam (https://ghs.guam.gov/)

Saipan (https://www.cnmidr.gov.mp/home-m)

American Samoa (https://www.fema.gov/locations/american%20samoa)

Having a “family readiness” plan is the key to being prepared for a disaster that affects you at home. The State of Hawaii (https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/get-ready/prepare-your-family/) and Hawaiian Electric (HECO) (https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/safety-and-outages/storm-center/emergency-preparedness-handbook) provides a useful disaster checklist that can be used by every Veteran, regardless of location. Staying informed about any dangerous weather or other potential disasters ensures that you are ready when an emergency occurs.

Islands are almost completely dependent on supplies from the mainland, and those supplies may not be able to come if the weather is extreme. You should have 14 days of food and water on hand in case of an emergency, as well as a backup charger for your cell phone, and clothes and hygiene products. The islands could lose power and water services in a disaster, and it could take days or even weeks to restore those services. It’s important to be prepared for the worst-case scenario so you’re not left without needed supplies.

For those with disabilities, a disaster can be even more challenging. It’s important to make sure that you always have at least 14 days’ worth of your medications on hand, as you may not be able to get them after a hurricane or other disaster. For more information, please visit: Inclusive Preparedness Resources | American Red Cross

For older Veterans, both the American Red Cross and FEMA published a comprehensive guide. Disaster_Preparedness_for_Srs-English.revised_7-09.pdf (redcross.org)

Disaster Preparedness Guide for Older Adults   

Thoughts from Chaplain Jewel Davis

Pins are falling, and voices are heard all around while heavy balls barrel down oil-patterned, slippery bowling lanes. With speed, and moving toward their designated targets, these balls have only one objective, and that is to knock down as many pins as possible. They’re aiming for direct contact but depending upon their precision, some balls will knock down all the pins, some will knock down several or a few pins, and some will completely miss their targets, knock no pins down, and end up in the gutter.

Now imagine those pins, standing there minding their business when these balls arrive so quickly that there’s no time to react or get out of the way. When the balls hit, and no matter where or with which pins they make contact, the peaceful setting of those pins is completely disrupted. And even if the balls swerve into the gutter, the results of their intended impact would probably have had a lasting effect.

But in the background, equipped with a sensor and seemingly out of nowhere, when a pin or pins get knocked down, a pinsetter swoops down and lifts the ones that remain standing while a sweeper, creating a protective barrier from the next ball, gently moves the fallen pins out of harm’s way. Then, when the coast is clear and the threat has passed, the pinsetter reorganizes and restores all the pins to their proper positions.

Resonating with the “Ouch!!” of these pins, for many people, life has been riddled with difficult situations that arrived so quickly, and without warning, that they had no time to react. Many people have faced and fallen under the blows of life-interruptions. And for those individuals who are the “untouched,” the trauma of close calls did not leave them unscathed.

But like the pinsetter that reaches down to lift and restore, and like the sweeper that shows up to shield and move the pins to safety, so too is our sensitivity and instinct that motivates us to respond with urgency and compassion when others have fallen under the weight and speed of swift blows to their stability.

In caring for Veterans, may we be embrace our dual nature of being both susceptible to unforeseen situations and of being protectors and participants in processes that facilitates restoration and reset. We therefore have the wonderful privilege to empathize with and care for Veterans and colleagues.

May is also Jewish American Heritage Month, so I close with this quote from Jewish scholar Bernard Meltzer: “There is no better exercise for [the] heart than reaching down and helping to lift someone 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

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