Award recognizes VSO collaboration and late DAV leader

VA is motivated by its mission to care for those who have served in our nation’s military and for their families, caregivers and survivors. Yet VA cannot do that alone, and it relyies on collaboration with industry partners, academic institutions, non-profits and government agencies as force multipliers.

Advancing VA’s mission together

For the Veteran perspective, VA relies on Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs). They are the eyes and ears of every community where Veterans live, work and thrive. A VSO’s understanding of Veterans outside of health care settings, combined with their role in advocating for their members, makes them ideal resources for better understanding what Veterans want in their interactions with VA.

VA, collaborating with VSOs to advance the future of Veterans health, understands this collaboration helps to foster Veteran trust and increases their engagement with VA care.

This month, VA opened nominations for the first annual Garry J. Augustine VSO Collaboration Award designed to recognize VA employees or teams who are harnessing innovation to impact the care, services or experiences at a VA facility.

“Our goal is for VA to be the provider of choice for all Veterans, and collaborating with VSOs to better understand and develop solutions that will meet their unique allows us to do that,” said VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal. “We are proud to announce this new award, recognizing an upstanding member of the VSO community, Garry Augustine.”

Honoring a Veteran leader

The late Garry J. Augustine (pictured above) was a combat-wounded Vietnam Veteran who dedicated his life to advocating for Veteran care and benefits and promoting collaboration between VA and VSOs. Augustine was a 50-year life member of Disabled American Veterans (DAV), where he served as National Service and Legislative Headquarters executive director in Washington, D.C. Augustine’s advocacy was critical in passing pivotal legislation and programs that expanded care and services for Veterans and caregivers.

“He felt so strongly that he benefited so much from his time at VA and all the rehab and support that they gave him that he needed to spread the word,” said Chelsea Canning, Augustine’s daughter. “This award is a monumental way to honor the work that he did and to encourage other members of the Veteran service community to continue on for Veterans.”

With the support of their VSO collaborators, VA employees may submit nominations for this award until Aug. 14 by visiting this internal VA portal. The award will celebrate VA employees who have demonstrated a commitment to engaging VSOs as they work to deliver high-quality, world-class care for Veterans, their families and caregivers.

The inaugural award will be presented to the selected VA employee or team and VSO collaborator in October 2024 and thereafter annually at the VHA Innovation Experience event hosted by VHA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning. With questions about the award, please reach out to the VHA Innovation team.