Director’s Message May 9, 2025

! Nurses Week is May 6-12, 2025, and here at VAPIHCS, each of our nurses are critically important to our success in providing the care that we do, and we thank them all for their hard work and dedication to excellence. 

This week, take some time to thank the nurses that care for you. Let them know that you recognize how much they do, and that it is appreciated. It only takes a moment to tell someone how much their work means to you, but for them, the effect of your words can last a lifetime. 

Nurses work in diverse positions. Many nurses specialize in a specific field, such as neuroscience, cardiac care, case management, education, and so much more, which requires extra education and commitment. Regardless of specialty, nurses are the embodiment of our ICARE values. They strive for Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence in all that they do. 

Thank you to our nurses!

Celebrate Heritage

In May, the United States celebrates Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander month. The Pacific Islands are home to a varied population of Veterans, and we serve all of them with the same diligence and care. No one is lifted above another, because all Veterans signed up to serve, and they are all entitled to dignity and respect in health care. We are proud to serve the Veterans of the Pacific Islands, and we recognize the distinctness of our location and all that comes with it. This month, we offer a recognition of the history and heritage of our Veterans in the Pacific Islands, and the proud traditions they carry. 

Veterans and Family Member Program (VFMP)

At VA, caring for Veterans is our top priority – and an essential part of caring for Veterans is caring for your families. Did you know that some dependents have access to VA-covered care through four specialty health care programs? Programs your dependents may be able to access are:

•  Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA)
•  Spina Bifida Health Care Benefits Program (SBHCBP)
• Camp Lejeune Family Member Program (CLFMP)
• Children of Women Vietnam Veterans (CWVV) Health Benefits Program

Each program has unique eligibility criteria and offerings, which can be a little confusing at first glance. For a simplified breakdown of VFMP, check out this VA news article to understand what might be available to you and your family. Additionally, we encourage you to visit the webpages linked above to learn how you can apply.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

On June 23, 2013, professional aerialist Nik Wallenda stunned the world as he walked for 22 minutes across a tightrope suspended 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River Gorge, near the Grand Canyon. No harness. No safety net. Just a 2-inch-thick cable stretched across. With winds gusts expected to be at 30 mph, the rope swayed beneath his feet as countless people watched with hearts pounding as he balanced—step after step—over a vast abyss.

Now, of course most of us have never imagined mimicking such a stunt, and neither would I recommend it, but we all have faced the very real challenge of maintaining a sense of balance amidst demanding schedules, personal responsibilities, and unexpected changes.

Here are three of the keys tightrope walkers (or funambulists) use to maintain balance:

1. Eyes Fixed Ahead

One of the helpful keys often followed by tightrope walkers is to never look down at your feet. Instead, they fix their eyes on a stable point at the end of the line. Why? Because looking down causes disorientation and imbalance.

Likewise, it’s crucial to always keep our gaze ahead, keeping the big picture in mind—our purpose, our values, and our ultimate “why”. Purpose has a way of fueling us with a sense of meaning and motivation amidst the various pulls of life’s demands.

2. Embrace the Tension

Tightrope walkers expect the tension of the pull of gravity.

Just like the tightrope walker, we’re often balancing between different forces in life — work and rest, giving and receiving, personal time and obligations. Maintaining balance means making constant, small adjustments. Rather than avoiding the tension, tightrope walkers learn to navigate it skillfully.

3. Use a Balancing Pole

Tightrope walkers often carry a long balancing pole to help distribute their weight, keeping them centered amidst the sway of the rope.

In our own lives, we also need a balancing pole. That might be a supportive community, a daily routine, a spiritual anchor, and other personal self-care practices that help us remain centered when life tugs at you.

Doing so, we are enabled to continue to provide effective service, while remaining anchored to what matters most.

One Team, One Ohana!
Thandiwe (Tandi) Nelson-Brooks, MPH, FACHE
Interim Medical Center Director
VA Pacific Islands Health Care System

Stay Informed

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