Director's Message September 30, 2022
VAPIHCS Veterans, MyHealtheVet (www.myhealth.va.gov) is our online patient health portal that helps veterans engage with their health care. The main features include Rx Refill, View/Request Appointments, Secure Messaging, and viewing personal VA Health Records
MyHealtheVet empowers veterans by connecting them to their providers to manage their overall health, make informed health decisions, record, store, and share important health and military history information. Veterans are also now able to provide Patient Generated Health Data (PGHD) directly to providers through the Shared Vitals feature. Currently, Shared Vitals includes blood pressure, blood sugar, body temperature, body weight, heart rate, pain, pulse oximetry, and respiratory rate. The most popular features veterans use MyHealtheVet for is refilling medications, viewing VA appointments, and Secure Messaging with VA Providers. Secure Messaging is a valuable tool at our facility and continues to grow users taking advantage of the convenience.
For more information go to www.va.gov, to www.myhealth.va.gov.
If VA Staff or veterans have any questions about MyHealtheVet, Secure Messaging, or any of the online features available you may contact Matthew Handel, your MyHealtheVet Coordinator or Program Office directly at 808-433-0419. Please check our MyHealtheVet on the Department of Veterans Affair’s YouTube Channel! Welcome to MyHealtheVet - YouTube
Whole Health
Most of you will have heard by now that Dr. Shereef Elnahal, our new Under Secretary for Health shared his top priorities for VHA recently. Whole Health for veterans, caregivers and survivors made the top six priorities along with suicide prevention, access to care, enrolling veterans with a history of toxic exposures, being a High Reliability Organization, and improving hiring. I truly believe that we must treat the whole veteran; mind, body, and spirit. I hope you’ll speak with your doctor about Whole Health, and what matters to you.
Get Vaccinated
Flu Season is already well under way as children go back to school this year. VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) hopes that you will come in and get your COVID-19 vaccines and your flu vaccine this fall. Remember, being vaccinated is the best way to prevent against serious illness. Both COVID-19 and the flu are still proving to be fatal to people across our country. Let us keep you safe. Call 1-800-214-1306 to make an appointment.
On Saturday, October 1, 2022, we will have a flu shot clinic at the Spark Matsunaga Ambulatory Care Center (ACC). If you are interested in getting a flu shot, please come see us between 7:30 am and 3:00 pm. We will have both the standard flu vaccine, and the high dose flu vaccine for patients who are 65 and older. We hope to see you there!
Suicide Prevention Proclamation Signing
I’ve mentioned before that September is Suicide Prevention Month. I’ve also talked about how suicide prevention isn’t just a priority for VAPIHCS in September. We’re committed to working to improve veteran’s mental health all year long. This Monday, September 26, 2022, I signed the Suicide Prevention Proclamation. This is a commitment to work as a community to improve mental health for all veterans. It’s important that we partner with our active-duty military counterparts, veteran organizations, family members of veterans, and all other partners in the fight to prevent veteran suicide. That’s a commitment that I take seriously.
If you need help, reach out. The Veteran Crisis Line is 988, then press 1. You can also make an appointment with Mental Health Services. More importantly, don’t wait until you’re low before you ask for help. Call an old friend from the service. Make a connection with family. Join a local Veteran Service Organization. No one exists alone. We are all part of a community, and we must make an effort to interact with that community and not become isolated.
COVID-19 made many of us feel alone. However, we overcame that obstacle with Telehealth, Zoom birthday celebrations, and all kinds of innovative ways to connect. Now, more than ever, it’s become easy to reach out to your doctors and your family and friends. Let’s take advantage of that ability. During those conversations, remember that it’s okay to ask someone if they are experiencing depression or difficult emotions. A big part of suicide prevention is ending the stigma around talking about it. It’s okay to ask if a friend or loved one is having a hard time. If you find yourself discouraged and you don’t have anyone to lean on, please call VA. We are here for you.
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
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