Director's Message November 4, 2022

On November 4, 2022, from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm, VAPIHCS will host a ribbon cutting for our first ATLAS booth to come online. This booth is on the Big Island, and it is located inside the Oceanview Community Center at 92-8924 Leliani Pkwy, Captain Cook, HI 96704. Veterans on the Big Island sometimes find it difficult to get to the Kona and Hilo Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) because of the long drive. Having an ATLAS booth at the Oceanview Community Center will allow veterans in the Volcano National Park Area an option that is closer to where they live. 

Our Ribbon Cutting event will also include a community call, with VA services available on-site. Come see us for a COVID-19 or flu vaccine, a diabetic foot check, or to apply for benefits under the PACT Act. We’ll have literature available about other VA services, and staff can answer questions and direct you to the right departments for follow-up care if you need it. 

Veterans are welcome to call and make an appointment today if they would like to utilize the new ATLAS booth at 1-800-214-1306. Additionally, two new sites are opening soon in Guam, and four more are opening in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas (CNMI), at the Kagman Health Clinic, the Tinian Health Clinic, the Rota Health Clinic, and the Community Guidance Center on Saipan. 

ATLAS booths will not replace home telehealth care, or in-person care. Veterans will simply have an additional option available to them. It’s another part of our plan to ensure that we can provide safe, compassionate, quality care close to where veterans live.

Decline in Veteran Homelessness

Earlier this year, President Biden reminded us, “There is not a single thing America cannot do—not a single thing beyond our capacity—if we do it together.” I agree wholeheartedly. I am proud to share an update that proves there is also not a single thing VA cannot do—if we do it together. 

The estimated number of veterans experiencing homelessness in America has declined by an impressive 55.3% since 2010. VA, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has announced results from the 2022 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, which is one of the ways VA estimates the homeless population nationwide. The results revealed an 11% decline in veteran homelessness since 2020. Our homeless programs have been working tirelessly to meet Secretary McDonough’s goal of placing at least 38,000 veterans into permanent housing by December 31, 2022. Thanks to their dedication, we have placed more than 31,000 veterans into permanent housing already this year. 

In the Pacific Islands, much of the credit for this goes to the hard-working folks that are a part of the Veterans & Community Engagement Task Force, headed by Dr. John Henry Felix. This Task Force includes dedicated people from many different agencies and has recently expanded its mission to include all veterans in need. VAPIHCS is proud to be part of it, and to continue to help in every way we can to ensure that veterans have every opportunity possible to get into housing and to get the resources they need.

Diabetes Awareness Month

Diabetes is a major problem in the Pacific Islands. November is American Diabetes Month, and this is an important time to raise awareness about a disease that effects a large percentage of our population. 

Diabetes is a chronic condition where the pancreases produces little to no insulin. There are various factors that can contribute to people having diabetes. However, even people with a genetic predisposition can help reduce their chances of getting Type Two diabetes by doing a few things: 

1. Avoid foods with added sugar. 
2. Eat less rice and bread, which metabolizes into sugar. 
3. Maintain a healthy body weight. 
4. Exercise whenever possible. 

Unfortunately, the American diet of processed foods is very high in added sugar and corn syrup. Remember that when in doubt, water is the best thing to drink. If you drink sports drinks or soda, try substituting a low sugar version of the drink you enjoy. Replace rice on your lunch plate with breadfruit, jackfruit, or other healthy starch alternatives. Most importantly, get up and move as often as you can. Regular physical activity significantly reduces the prevalence of disease and improves overall health outcomes. Make some small changes today, and you’ll see a big difference in your future.

National Family Caregivers Month

Caregivers are a vital part of the support that many veterans need as they age. That’s why VA offers a Caregiver Support Program. The Caregiver Support Program was created because VA employees saw there was a need for it. They saw spouses, siblings, friends, and family members bringing veterans in for their appointments, and they saw that these devoted caregivers were struggling. It was clear that VA needed a program just for them. Caregiver support offers a wide variety of help to the people who devote their time to the care of our veterans. Educational resources are a priority. Helping a caregiver to recognize what personality changes might mean, how to cope with the symptoms of a disease, or how to best manage diet and medications for a veteran, can alleviate a lot of stress. 

However, there is also a large focus on self-care. Caregivers have access to mental health services, and they have access to therapists to help them work through the difficulties of caring for someone full time. They can even learn coping strategies for difficult behaviors that can come up because a veteran is suffering from dementia or other mental health issues. Or, they can just have someone to listen. Caregivers also have access to several other self-care options, including meditation groups and yoga classes to help them maintain a balance and wellness. Classes are provided online and recorded to make it easier for caregivers to attend. 

In addition to all of that, some might say that the biggest thing caregivers get from the Caregiver Support program is help with case management. It can be very difficult to navigate any health care system. Paperwork can be confusing, and eligibility criteria can seem baffling. With the help of caregiver support, the people caring for our Veterans can get the help they need to make sure that they are getting every benefit they are entitled to. In  some cases, caregivers may even be eligible for monetary support. If you would like to know more, call and let us walk you through what’s available: 1-800-214-1306.
Lung Cancer Awareness Month

November is also Lung Cancer Awareness Month. I highly encourage everyone to avoid risk factors for lung cancer by avoiding smoking or being around people who are smoking, and getting your home radon levels tested. Remember that vaping is also dangerous, so do not view it as a healthy alternative to smoking. If you need to quit vaping or smoking, VA can help. Talk to your doctor about programs that we have available to assist in quitting. 

Remember that while there are things that can contribute to a patient developing lung cancer -such as exposure to radon, smoking or vaping, and having radiation treatments- cancer is a random mutation of cells. Sometimes people with no known risk factors develop lung cancer.  As with any cancer, VA will offer support and safe, compassionate, quality care.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

Charlie Plumb retired as a captain in the U.S. Navy. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, he served in Vietnam in the mid 1960’s, flying 75 missions from the aircraft carrier, USS Kitty Hawk. But his life would change on May 19, 1967, when his F-4 phantom jet was shot down during his 75th mission. 

Plumb was held as a prisoner for nearly six grueling years. Yet Charlie Plumb didn’t let that experience break him. Plumb was released from his imprisonment on February 18, 1973 and continued his career in the Navy. But an incident a year afterward would leave a lasting impression on his life, forever.  

One day, as he and his wife Kathy were eating in a restaurant, a man approached him and said, “You’re Plumb.” “You flew jet fighters in Vietnam”, he continued. “It was fighter’s squadron 114 on the Kitty Hawk. You were shot down, and you parachuted into enemy hands,” the man said. “You spent six years as a prisoner of war.”
As Charlie Plumb sat there with his wife, listening to a man turn the pages of his life experience, Charlie Plumb asked, “how in the world did you know that?” And that’s when the man replied, “I packed your parachute.”
Charlie Plumb was staggered. Stunned, and with a mixture of surprise and gratitude, stood to his feet and shook the hand of the man that was instrumental for his survival. What if the man who worked on parachute rigor devalued his own role? Though what he did was often anonymous and rarely thanked, his work directly impacted the life of someone else. Had the man not taken his role seriously, Charlie Plumb would have found out in the air, but at that time, it would have been too late.   

Sometimes, the biggest ways to impact the world come in small packages. For the man who packed the parachute, that was literally true. Let’s take a step back, and remember that what we do is part of a much bigger whole. Let’s allow that to motivate us to keep serving in our unique ways.  

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: hawaii.va.gov – submit your email to get our updates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VAPacificIslands/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/va_pacific_islands/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/PAOOffice1
Podcast: https://vapihcspao.podbean.com/

Weekly Radio VA Updates:
Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. on AM830,KHVH with Rick Hamada