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Director's Veterans Message January 16, 2026

New IMCD Veterans Message

This past week, I had the privilege of traveling to our VA Pacific Islands Health Care (VAPIHCS) clinics in Guam and Saipan meeting with the teams who serve you, and with our military and community partners who stand alongside us in support of Veterans.

Aloha Veterans, 

This past week, I had the privilege of traveling to our VA Pacific Islands Health Care (VAPIHCS) clinics in Guam and Saipan, meeting with the teams who serve you, and with our military and community partners who stand alongside us in support of Veterans. It was encouraging to witness the shared dedication to improving access and ensuring Veterans in the Pacific are connected to the care and benefits they have earned. I look forward to visiting all of our sites of care and building relationships within each of our communities. 

Honoring Vietnam Veterans 

This week marked the opening of The Wall That Heals, the traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Located at University of Hawaii – West Oahu (91-1001 Farrington Hwy, Kapolei, HI 96707), our VAPIHCS team will be present 10:00am to 4:00pm throughout the weekend to support healthcare enrollment and PACT Act registration. If you plan to visit the memorial, we encourage you to stop by and connect with our team for assistance, information, or simply to say hello. 

Resolve to prioritize your Whole Health 

It’s January again, and for most, that means the creeping dread of coming up with New Year’s resolutions is setting. Veterans transitioning from military service to civilian life are no different. This year, however, why not try something different? Why not try a SMART goal?  

SMART stands for:  

  • Specific
  • Measurable  
  • Action-oriented  
  • Realistic  
  • Time-based 

A SMART goal, part of your greater personal health plan and in line with your Mission, Aspiration, and Purpose, is all about achieving something that’s unique to what really matters to you. After all, living your life to the fullest should be your new mission post-service. That’s the philosophy of VA Whole Health, a holistic approach that blends conventional care with complementary and integrative health services.   

Check out our VAPIHCS Whole Health Resource page here.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

It’s amazing how the simple things of nature hold silent lessons about life. Take a seed, for instance, and the lessons it offers about humility and growth.

Descend to Rise

Before a seed emerges and stands tall as a towering tree, with its canopy scraping the sky, it first grows downward. Before it ascends, it first descends. The seed understands that while climbing heights might look impressive, unless it first develops the root system to sustain operating at those heights, in time, it would only collapse under its own weight.

A seed in its downward growth might appear dormant and inactive, but mighty things are happening beneath the ground. The seed recognizes that just because its growth is not always visible, doesn’t mean it’s not real. It’s more interested in reality, than in perception. 

Humility is not about self-deprecation, but about being in-tuned with the reality of who you are. It’s about accepting both your strengths and acknowledging your limitations. Humility is where personal growth truly flourishes, because the first step towards growth is an honest acknowledgment of what needs to change.

Planted, Not Buried

Few enjoy being covered in dirt, but a seed realizes that the soil holds vital nutrients for its growth. While burying a seed in a blanket of dirt might look like its end, a seed knows that this only marks its beginning. The roots extract nutrients from the soil to develop into what it was always meant to be. In life, setbacks, hardships, and criticism can feel like dirt being thrown our way. However, if we can extract lessons from these experiences, and learn from them, we may find that they contain the ingredients needed to propel us upward.

Express Hidden Potential

Why does a seed become a tree? That tiny seed already holds the tree’s entire blueprint encoded within. The tree existed in the seed all along. The seed, however, had to decide to break out of its “shell” and bring to fruition all that it was meant to be. By embracing the lessons of the seed, we too can bring to life more of what we were designed to be.

Thomas A. Steinbrunner FACHE

Interim Executive Director

VA Pacific Islands Health Care System