Director's Message October 25, 2024

VETS Waianae housing. A telehealth access station is now located at U.S. VETS Waianae, 86-638 Farrington Hwy, Waianae, HI 96792. This remote care site will help expand access to VA services and help Veterans get care closer to home. For questions, Veterans may call 1-800-214-1306.

Guam Community Call

VAPIHCS will hold a PACT Act Registration and Community Call event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ChST) on November 2-3, 2024, in the Micronesian Mall at 1088 West Marine Corps Drive Dededo, Guam 96929, in space 121, 122, and center court. The event will have member service representatives ready to enroll Veterans who have never enrolled or those who have become newly eligible under the PACT Act. Veterans who are already enrolled may also come for health services such as diabetic foot checks, vaccines, and blood pressure checks. All Veterans can come with health and benefits questions. For more information, call 1-800-214-1306. We look forward to seeing you there.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. You would be surprised what can be shared about you from your online behavior: website history, online shopping, social media, and more comprise your digital footprint. This includes personal data traces left behind, which can be used by cybercriminals to steal your identity or access your personal accounts.

Posting personal information online like your current location or hometown, or even referring to your favorite movie could give cybercriminals answers to commonly used security questions. This is why data privacy should be a priority concern for each of us. Data privacy is the right to choose what information you share. Although it’s nearly impossible to keep all your data private from everyone, you still have options. The first step is knowing your privacy rights on any given website or device (pro tip: always check Privacy Policies) and sharing only the data you deem appropriate.

You can proactively take these steps to manage and protect your data: 

• Limit the information you share. The first line of your personal data defense is you. If you share your personal information online, you risk having it leaked. You can significantly improve your data security if you keep it private. If you want to share it online, read the site’s Privacy Policy to ensure it doesn’t store and share your data with third parties.
   
• Save passwords to your browser or Operating Systems (OS) password keeper. Using a browser or OS password keeper is the best way to ensure that you’re using complex, unique passwords across all websites and services. These password keepers can notify you if one of these passwords is compromised. Even if your device is stolen, your password keeper is still protected and will typically use multi-factor authentication or biometrics (such as your fingerprint) before allowing you to access saved login information. Learn more about password protection.
   
• Don’t click on unfamiliar attachments and links. Cybercriminals often use email to access your data through phishing. Phishing is unsolicited emailing or calls that aim to deceive the receivers into providing money, personally identifiable information (PII), or other sensitive information such as credit card numbers, passwords, or W2s. Once you click a suspect link, your device will get infected with malware. The safest practice is to avoid clicking on unfamiliar attachments and links. Learn more about how to up your phishing game.
   
• Update all your tools, applications, and Operating Systems (OS). Every app and tool you use, including the underlying operating system, is a piece of software that requires regular updates. These updates don’t just include the new and improved features but also vulnerability patches and security updates. It’s paramount to update your operating system, apps, and tools to prevent vulnerability and keep your data safe.
   

Data breaches and cyberattacks continue to rise. It is critically important to minimize your visibility to cybercriminals by understanding and monitoring your online activity. Given the risks, adopting strong cybersecurity and privacy practices is a powerful way to protect your data. Start with this cybersecurity checklist!

Thoughts from Chaplain Jewel Davis – Encompassed

Envision taking a road trip, or being on a ship, or an airplane, or a bicycle, or walking, or just standing still observing as much of the sites around us as our eyes can see. Earth: this great, big, vast sphere, and its content that surrounds us, has boundless elements from which we can glean wonderful inspirations. Take for instance, observations made from locations on land, in the air, and at sea.

If we were to drive along a country road and notice our surroundings, we would probably see open fields, various wildlife species, foliage, and some parts of unadulterated nature.  If observing from the sky, we may get aerial views of interesting topographies, mountain peaks, layered canyons, waterfalls, tributaries, underwater masses, and white foam touching and receding from beaches. While at sea, we might see dolphins or whales fly into and out of the water. We may witness schools of fish performing a synchronized swim just beneath the surface. We may see reflections of the sun rising and setting beyond the horizon, or perhaps observe the rippling reflections of the moon as it ascends high into the night sky. Regardless of our vantage point, we are perpetually encompassed by Earth’s natural elements that offer hope and inspiration.

Like foliage, we can find the inspiration to be resilient in diverse situations. We can be inspired to be open and receptive of possibilities; to be adaptable like land and marine mammals, and to embrace the ebbs and flows of change. We can find inspiration in every sunrise that encourages new beginnings, and every sunset and moonrise that invites pause for reflection and rest. We can also be inspired by the interconnectedness of everything in nature that works harmoniously to maintain balance and renew life cycles. And we can always hope for more goodness.

As persons encompassed by our VAPIHCS family and friends, may we be inspired by the amazing people round us and by the individuals to whom we provide our greatest services and care. Thank you for also being wonderful inspirations. Blessings and Mahalo.

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: https://www.va.gov/pacific-islands-health-care/ submit your email to get our updates
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VAPacificIslands/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/va_pacific_islands/
Podcast: https://vapihcspao.podbean.com/