Stories

Drake Slattery, the grandson of a Veteran, doesn’t seem to slow down.

When Tracy Shrier shows up for a volunteer shift at the Fisher House at the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System (VASLCHCS), he is ready to do whatever is needed.

Shortly after midnight on August 27, leaders at the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System received an unexpected call, notifying them of a substantial water leak in the facility. In a matter of hours, the medical center’s plumbers and engineers determined a hot water pipe broke.

At 79, Marine Veteran Douglas B. Hatch was paralyzed by Guillain-Barré syndrome, a condition in which the body attacks its nerves. Now 83, he’s training to compete again in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

For many Veterans, accessing fresh and nutritious food is a challenge.

Army Veteran Kenneth Warkocki will participate in adaptive Alpine skiing at the 2025 Winter Sports Clinic after rebuilding his health through VA Salt Lake City’s Whole Health and recreation therapy programs.

“I wake from a coma. As things start to make sense, I see my wife struggling to tell me that my left leg is gone,” said Michael Martell. So he beat her to it. Smirking, he asked, “So, I’m a [expletive] pirate now, huh?”

Haunted by trauma — The lingering trauma from his service in Desert Shield and Desert Storm followed him home, silent but suffocating.

No more long phone waits or trips to the VA medical center. The VA: Health and Benefits App lets you refill prescriptions, message your care team and check benefits anytime, anywhere. With a 4.8 rating in the app store, many Veterans feel it's an essential tool for managing their VA health care.

As temperatures dipped to around 20 F, a group of dedicated volunteers from VA Salt Lake City Health Care System gathered before dawn, ready to play their part in addressing homelessness within their community by taking part in the annual Homeless Point in Time (PIT) count.