Marc Robinson is a physician assistant working in primary care at a VA outpatient clinic in Cadillac, Michigan. In a single calendar year, he was recognized by Veterans, caregivers and coworkers with 27 “I CARE” awards.
I CARE awards recognize VA employees who have gone above and beyond in their role to care for Veterans, families, caregivers, survivors or fellow employees by exhibiting VA’s Core Values of Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect and Excellence.
“I CARE awards are special because they reflect not only great care that we give to Veterans but that the Veterans recognize the great care,” Robinson said. “I don’t think we hear enough from Veterans who are happy with the great care we provide. I tell my Veterans in their initial visit that I wouldn’t be a care provider at VA if the care wasn’t superior.”
Robinson is an Air Force Veteran and has also been honored with certificates of appreciation, high reliability organization awards and a local ceremony to thank him and his team for providing crucial assistance during a medical emergency.
Pictured above are Robinson, nurse Sally Ingraham, medical support assistant Janet Rauch and licensed practical nurse Ron Chadwick, from the patient aligned care team.
“Every ICARE write-up is special and meaningful to me, but the ones that recognize the entire team and mental health, specialty care and community care really stand out,” he shared.
A win for the team and VA
“Recently, we had a Veteran who had been treated poorly upon return to the U.S. from Vietnam. He had several physical and mental health issues and we were able to get a good plan of care established for him. He wrote that the, ‘Entire team was very professional… and made me feel at ease.’ He put in separate ICAREs for each person that was involved on his initial visit here. That was a win for the entire team and for VA. We get a fair number of walk-in patients and some of them are from out of the region. We get a relatively high number of acute [and] potentially life-threatening medical emergencies in the clinic due to our proximity to the freeway and the local summer vacation hotspots in northern Michigan.”
Cadillac is a rural town of about 10,000 people with about one million visitors each year who enjoy fishing, boating, hiking, skiing, snowmobiling, hunting and golfing.
“I feel strongly that taking care of my brothers and sisters is my calling in medicine. I worked through neurosurgery, trauma, medical-surgical acute care, emergency department and Intensive Care Unit positions before I got to my primary care position. We are blessed to have a great team here in Cadillac, [with] so many great nurses, medical support assistants, audiology and mental health providers.”
Robinson also serves as the education coordinator for physician assistants.
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ICARE, unless YOU don’t. There are 20 Preventable Veteran Suicides a day! Gruesomely, that’s 73,000 dead Veterans in a ten year span (20×365×10), and ICARE stands out as an achievement. You want to curtail that Suicide scourge? Try this proposal…{100% rating to 25/30 year Retired injured Veterans; 50% to 20-24 year Retired injured Veterans; 30% to all other injured Veterans. Exceptions allowed by processes already contained in 38CFR.} No more archaic, biased, or lackadaisical methodology in the rating or approval process. No denials. No fighting. No paperwork. No 13 years long litigation for that measley $171.73 (10% rating). Veterans potentially lose up to and over $400,000 in 10 years due to that one key denial. Where are these Veteran’s portion of the $369 billion money, that Congress approves and sends, going anyway? No faking ICARE! No PREVENTABLE VETERAN SUICIDES!!! Let’s see if YOU truly care. I care!!
It is great to see positive news associated with the VA and a team that makes a difference recognized. People need to realize that the VA is a government hospital. The customers do not want to be there and there is zero room for error and since it is a government agency, they can’t hide the errors and the large ones become national headlines. I am a former VA employee who is also a VA patient. I will be the first to say there are some major problems. I have horror stories personally, but I understand that my experiences are an outlier and I also have some great stories. For example, I was injured by an IED that resulted in one of my wounds being a paralyzed half lip with scar tissue. My top lip would just hang under my tooth so I would bite my lip every time I ate. As I mentioned, I am a former VA employee and my position was in contracting where I saw how hard the VA does try to recruit the top physicians. One of my contracts had a surgeon who happened to be the guy who fixed my lip, and I knew from that contract that the guy was one of the top surgeons in the country. End result – I don’t bite my lip anymore when I chew. The VA community-based-care service line is extraordinary and a few years ago, the VA lost the best nurse in the world, Susan Byerly, but we still have Mary Frances Pilarski. A close friend was one of the Army Rangers who was able to keep his legs after being hit by 3 grenades. He had problems here at home and I recommended he see Mrs. Pilarski. After his appointment, he called me and said he never felt so loved in his entire life. Don’t just focus purely on the bad. There is a lot of good to enjoy, too.
I was in basic training g and helped fellow solsier that was thinking of suicide back in 82 fir me bringing it to attention soilder had nervioys break down told I was going to go away for long time rest unit saw him come down hall way rest were in shower head crying blood on his boxers the deal affected my contrition on my own training to finish came there for was not give an ultimatum Co traverse just now recieved all my document national archive what written my record is wrong why right something worse not the true still get honorable discharge the other soldiers was going way for along time said I would make choice not anancered mail box but, need to know where to go didn’t get finish training and later in life went work for dept of corrections and same sort situation arose worked there several years in calif, cdc came down with past diagnosed through the social security. Later found had learning disability test jc level college Napa calif said I was color blind while in line at post office could not go into infantry offer sis pick random people out line still saw,saw, green took several asvab test existing in USARMY also don’t need to confused with two other family members or my dad that were in the military, plus nefews nieces.airfirce and army, confidential have record now from St Louis mo. 1arvcives dr.military record they did great job finding my records been missing or destroyed and original honorable discharge. Would lije to know where do start to apply for benefit I’m going to be 64 years old, suffered from past past 30 some years did great job service for calif dept correction lost my retirement but won law suit was fired if I did not return to work was already deem disable un social security and get a letter about my cal per state cal personell dept captain Rod Hickman wha made there to me led to over dose in 97 same king pressure,what I has in training in 1982 at ft Dix New Jersey .later that captain was fired relieve of his duties by Govener Arnald Swartinegger, .he got his retirement 10 years after I left personl board said he put in my personnel file that I was Awol return to work scared to go back to work from threats proven out court should given medical and medical out service .maybe non of this I had spine surgery March 2023 and open heart surgery March of this year 3 endoscopy this year several year of ulsers no body new I was in the service if did ask wa t to be dog handle greT dog trainer since kid obed competions and field competition in school I had to have books on tape note taker tutors .but I volunteer to go in to the military, struggle now but national organisation’s called Nami has veterans in it my diagnosis still stands ptsd and all else falls under that category I’m very sorry to take up any one time thank all you finished did great job thank you for your service career in keeping America safe not looking for award only where to start to get the benifitsbefor sent this read below dis regard this not can be of any help
These awards are apparently not across all VA facilities. I have submitted to this program for a nurse in Fort Smith Clinic. She has to knowledge received nothing. There various programs depending on the location as I understand it. They should be standardized so every submission would receive the appreciation they deserve. I think it a concern that many are shown the appreciation and that it develops int further employee turnover resulting in lower quality care, mistakes, and disgruntled employees’.
Filed one with the North Hampton Leeds VA in Massachusetts and no award was granted, no follow up, just discouragement. Be real nice if this was to happen with all VA facilities but I’ve given up on ours.