Director's Veteran Message Jan. 23, 2026
Aloha Veterans, This week, I am excited to share with you some valuable resources and upcoming events that can enhance your health and well-being.
We are committed to providing comprehensive support through our Whole Health program, which emphasizes personalized, proactive, and patient-driven care. As part of this commitment, we encourage you to explore the Live Whole Health app—a free tool designed to supplement your care. By downloading the app, you can fill out your personal health inventory, set goals, and learn more about how to live a healthier and more fulfilling life. Download the app here: https://mobile.va.gov/app/live-whole-health
Saipan PACT Act Community Call
On January 23, 2026, from 12 PM to 4 PM (ChST) and January 24, 2026, from 8 AM to 4 PM (ChST) we are hosting a community call in Saipan, which will take place at the Multi-Purpose Civic Center on Beach Road in Susupe, Saipan, 96950. This event offers a fantastic opportunity for Veterans to register for the PACT Act, file travel reimbursement claims, renew VA ID cards, and receive health care services such as vaccines. Additionally, assistance will be available for those looking to get information about their disability claims.
Kailua Kona Veteran Town Hall
On January 27, 2026, we are hosting a Community Call and Veteran Town Hall at the West Hawaii Civic Center, located at 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua Kona, HI 96740. Starting at 3 PM, Veterans can come to enroll in health care, renew their VA ID cards, and update their vaccines. Following these services, we will hold a Veteran-focused town hall meeting at 5 PM, where you can speak directly with VAPIHCS leadership.
Thank you for your continued service and dedication. Your well-being is our top priority, and we are here to support you every step of the way.
Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles
In 1799, a young boy named Conrad Reed found a shiny yellow rock while fishing on a Sunday in Little Meadow Creek in North Carolina. Curious, but unaware what it was, he brought it home. His father, John Reed, decided to keep it, but thought this unusual 17-pound rock-like substance could be used as a good doorstop, and so it laid on the floor of his home for three years. Eventually, Conrad’s father took it to a jeweler—asking only $3.50 for it, which turned out to be only one-tenth of one percent of its actual value. That 17-pound yellow rock that Conrad Reed found would be considered the first authenticated finding of gold in the United States!
Perhaps you’ve never mistakenly used a gold nugget as a doorstop, but we all can perhaps relate to the human tendency of overlooking the value of what’s within our grasp in preference for something that is “out there”. Ironically, some only discern the value of what they have, when they no longer have it. Just like a car’s side mirror, sometimes a person’s blind spots lay in what’s closest to us. Overlooking what’s close, in preference for what’s “out there” can lead us to downplay our strengths, underestimate our impact, and fail to see the value and potential of our present opportunities– all because they’ve become too familiar.
But when that golden nugget fell into the hands of a jeweler, someone who recognized its worth, everything changed.
What if you took a moment today to view your present reality through different eyes? What if the very thing you’ve considered a “doorstop” was an actually treasure waiting to be maximized?
Someone once said, “it’s not about having what you want, but wanting what you’ve got”.
John Reed and the golden nugget demonstrates that sometimes, the key is not always getting something else—but rather realizing the value of what you already have
One Team, One Ohana!
Thomas A. Steinbrunner FACHE
Interim Executive Director
VA Pacific Islands Health Care System