National Health Awareness months in January

Ensuring the well-being of America’s Veterans includes raising awareness of important health topics. That’s why we’re highlighting the following national health awareness campaigns and how they relate to ways you can get involved in advancing Veteran care.

Glaucoma Awareness Month

Nearly 300,000 of our Veterans have glaucoma, a group of eye diseases in which the normal fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rises, leading to vision loss or even blindness. To help prevent and treat these conditions, VA’s Ophthalmology Services professionals encourage patients to get eye exams on a regular basis. What’s more, our Center of Excellence for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss is making advancements through new detection methods and treatment strategies. This includes portable digital eye cameras paired with cutting-edge software that automatically analyzes images of the eye to diagnose glaucoma and determine if it’s changing with time.

National Blood Donor Month

January is a time when organizations like ours and the American Red Cross honor blood donors while encouraging other people to donate as well. We also take this month as an opportunity to recognize the health professionals who make blood donations and transfusions possible, including our nurses and lab techs.

Cervical Health Awareness Month

Every year, around 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Fortunately, the disease is almost always preventable with vaccinations and appropriate screening. So in addition to providing routine exams and other cervical cancer screening services, the VA Office of Women’s Health Services has developed posters and other materials to raise awareness of the risk of cervical cancer and to promote regular Pap tests.

If you’re interested in a career with one of these departments or in another area of our health system, explore our opportunities and apply today.