I CARE: Integrity. Commitment. Advocacy. Respect. Excellence.

I CARE: Integrity. Commitment. Advocacy. Respect. Excellence. These are the core values staff at Bay Pines VA consistently strive to embody in service to Veterans.

During the performance of his routine duties, Jurgen Skroch was presented with the opportunity to live up to that ethos—and he didn’t hesitate to act.  

Skroch has 30 years of nursing experience under his belt and 19 of those have been spent proudly serving Veterans. A member of the Care Transition Clinic, Skroch and his colleagues are responsible for ensuring inpatients who are discharged from the hospital receive their instructions for follow-up care in a timely manner.

“This Veteran was being discharged and, when I went to see him, I realized immediately that he was very sick. I knew he needed help. When I saw the doctor for my section passing by I asked her to come evaluate the Veteran. We ended up taking him to the ER,” Skroch said.

His instincts were correct. At just 51 years old, Army Veteran Outhit Syhakhom had recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and the effects of the diagnosis were beginning to take their toll. By the time the medical professionals discovered it, it had already metastasized to his brain, lymph nodes and bones.

“We didn’t know what we needed to do.”

“My husband’s diagnosis happened so suddenly and it was a lot of information to take in. We didn’t know what we needed to do,” said Amy Syhakhom, wife of the Veteran.

Although Syhakhom already had a disability rating, the Veteran and his wife found themselves feeling lost within the process of ensuring this newfound condition was accounted for in his disability benefits. Then, Skroch came along.

“If just a few more people were like Jurgen, kind and compassionate, then maybe the world would be a better place,” Amy shared.

In addition to ensuring they had a means of contacting him if they had follow up questions, Skroch also took it upon himself to ensure coordination among various staff was conducted properly, eliminating the need for the family to bear the burden on their own.

“He saved me a lot of trouble by working with different staff to expedite the process. A lot of people have helped us throughout this journey, but Jurgen went the extra mile and got us to where we needed to go. He’s a godsend,” Amy said.

“Receiving that increased benefit saved us.”

Bolstered by Skroch’s efforts, Amy contacted a representative with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and her husband’s case quicky became a priority for it. According to Amy, after Skroch extended a helping hand, it only took a matter of weeks for the St. Petersburg Regional Office to deliver their decision of an increased rating.

“Receiving that increased benefit pretty much saved us,” Amy said. “My husband was the financial provider of our family and when he got sick and had to stop working, we had no money coming in. This has helped us tremendously in supporting our family.”

Since the dedicated VA nurse first encountered him, Syhakhom’s prognosis has improved drastically and his outlook remains positive. Despite the uncertainty, the Syhakhom family does not feel alone. The care they’ve received from family, friends and their extended support system makes it easier for them to cherish each day together and embrace their journey.

“You like to think you’ll be treated the way you want to be treated,” Skroch said. “I could see the concern in his wife’s face and I could see Mr. Syhakhom being scared about what was going to happen to his family. I’m just thankful I knew people who were able to help.”