Director's Message September 6, 2024

 September is Suicide Prevention Month, and we will hold an event to honor our commitment to suicide prevention on Friday, September 20, 2024, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great opportunity to talk with VA staff and learn more about the variety of services that we offer. The event will be held at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic, located at 91-1051 Franklin D. Roosevelt Ave, Kapolei, HI 96707. During this event we will also offer flu shots to all eligible Veterans. Remember, getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent illness, or to have milder symptoms if you do get the flu. Even for healthy Veterans who aren’t worried about getting sick, receiving their flu shot can help protect the other members of their household, some of which may be more vulnerable to flu due to health conditions or age. Get your flu shot today.

If you are having thoughts of suicide, call the Veterans Crisis Line at 988, then press 1. Help us spread the word to prevent Veteran suicide.

Ohana Open Market

We are having another Ohana Open Market event at the Daniel K. Akaka VA Clinic from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m on Friday, September 13, 2024, in the parking lot. This event is open to Veterans and active-duty service members to pick up cost-free groceries. We hope to see you there. 

Whole Health

At VAPIHCS, we believe in the concept of Whole Health, a philosophy that places the patient at the center of their care. We want to focus on what you want most, and then help you stay healthy, flexible, and strong enough to achieve all your goals. From Tai Chi to health coaching, VAPIHCS offers something for every Veteran. When you come in to see your primary care provider for your annual checkup, talk with them about Whole Health, and which programs and services might be right for you. We want you to feel involved and engaged in your care, and Whole Health can help you do that. 

Thoughts from Chaplain Jewel Davis – “That Which Binds”

People are inherently relational. We share a common humanity that thrives in community. We have emotions that allow for empathy, and connection at levels deeper than the superficial. We share interests that ignite passions and form alliances. We establish relationships that provide encouragement, camaraderie, strength, and togetherness. We create social networks for expansion, reciprocal support, even exchanges, and for mutual benefits. We are united on so many fronts: we think, we envision, we combine and synergize our expertise to bring plans to fruition. We build and fortify. We compare notes and devise solutions to solve difficult problems. We pursue our dreams and optimize opportunities to achieve our greatest desires. We exist, we work, and we play within the confines of a system known as time.

Time, a precious commodity that cannot be replaced. It cannot be harnessed for future use. It cannot be canned like food storage or placed on a shelf in a “time account.” It cannot be invested with an expectation of producing more of itself. It can neither be sped up, nor slowed down. It is unstoppable. It is linear; it goes forward; never reverses or goes backwards, and it waits for no one.  Time is a universal element that binds and encapsulates us. It renders each day in equally allotted 24-hour segments for us to take advantage of and use however we choose. But true to our human nature, portions of that time are spent sleeping.  Yet time is a gift. How we use it is up to us. 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

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