Director's Veteran Message December 8, 2023

 This year, our holiday parade will take place from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on December 13, 2023. We would love to see you there! If you’d like to attend, please email Theresa Ruggerio at Theresa.ruggerio@va.gov or Maria Clariza at Maria.clariza@va.gov and let them know.

New Toll-Free Number

For Veterans in our coverage areas of American Samoa, Guam, Saipan, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, there is now a toll-free way to call VAPIHCS. Our new number for those islands is 1-800-MYVA411 (1-800-698-2411). Veterans in the Philippines may also use this number.

Whole Health: Health Helps Veteran Cope with Grief

Army Veteran Starlette Price struggled with grief and anger after her mother died. The anger she felt spilled over into her job, where she felt defensive and stressed. Her Whole Health coach taught her to lean on her faith to cope with her grief, lessen the pressure she felt at work, and gain peace. Learn more here.

Kailua-Kona Clinic Move

We are excited to let our Veterans in the Kailua-Kona area of the Big Island know about the new Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) that we are preparing to move into. As you know, our current CBOC in Kailua-Kona is located at 75-377 Hualalai Road, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740. The new location (located at 73-5618 Maiau Street-Suite 200, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740) will provide an even better space for our Kailua-Kona Veterans, and we plan to open the new clinic in the spring of 2024.

New Vet Center Outstation to Serve CNMI

Last week, VA leaders announced a commitment to open new Vet Centers and Vet Center Outstations in Arizona, California, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). VA reports that this Vet Center Outstation for CNMI is in the leasing phase, with the anticipated opening date to be determined. Vet Center Outstations are intended to improve access to counseling for Veterans and service members. We look forward to working with leadership to increase the VA presence in CNMI for the benefit of Veterans in that region.

Veteran Transportation Service in Guam

VAPIHCS is pleased to announce the Veteran Transportation Service (VTS) launch in Guam, which started on December 4, 2023. This essential service underscores the VA’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that all qualifying Veterans on Guam have access to necessary medical care through reliable, convenient, and free transportation. The service will operate Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and scheduling will be available 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Veterans are asked to schedule their rides one week in advance. They may do so by calling: 671-475-5833.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

Have you ever received criticism that felt unfair and even ill-intentioned? We probably all experienced this at one point of our lives or another – and sometimes, those words of critique might come from the very places we least expect. But as heavy as those words may have us feeling at first, I’ve found that there’s often a gift if we look at critiques more objectively.

Like a jeweler who holds up a diamond to the light to appreciate it’s brilliance from different angles, when we take a step back to analyze those critical words more objectively, we might be surprised to unearth hidden gems that could help us grow and bring out the better in us – even if that was not the intended end to which the sharer of the critical words desired. Sometimes life’s greatest lessons come in sweet packages, but other times, they’re veiled in bitter exteriors. However, a lesson, regardless of the source, is still a lesson. Either way, we can grow from these experiences and become better versions of ourselves if we choose to.

I’m reminded of an old fictional folktale that speaks of bunnies who were hopping around in a forest. One of the bunnies fell into a pit, and out of spite, the other bunnies began to push dirt down the pit, intending to bury the fallen bunny and cement its fate. But the opposite happened. As each fresh new pile of dirt fell upon the bunny’s head and shoulders, the bunny would shake the dirt off. Eventually, the bunny realized that the very dirt he shook off became fresh new grounding under the bunny’s feet, elevating the bunny higher and higher. Rather than bury the bunny, each new pile of dirt thrown on the bunny made his escape closer and closer. What was meant to bury the bunny, became the bunny’s ladder. What made the difference? The bunny’s choice to capitalize on what was thrown its way. Let’s discern the value in the critiques that come our way, and watch yourself rise higher and higher.

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/