Health

Thanks to innovative research at the Baltimore VA, older Veterans are making strides — literally — in their ability to move about, stay balanced, prevent falls and get up from a fall if they do have one.

After giving up cigarettes and alcohol, Army Veteran Mark Weingarth decided it was time to take his health to the next level and lose weight. He was looking for a program to help him make lifestyle changes, not just lose weight. With his faith in God as the driving force behind his motivation to lose weight, he joined the MOVE program at Truman VA.

All this month, VA medical centers across America celebrate the holidays with Veterans and employees. At the Memphis VA, there are six Holiday Open House events to greet the season.

In 2010, two nurses from the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center’s Community Outpatient Clinic in Texarkana, Ark., Delta Morris and Stephanie Greer, heard a Veteran say he did not have enough food for him and his wife.

Veterans use art as a means of expression on the road to recovery, developing goals while gaining hope and a sense of accomplishment, which are critical to the recovery process.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) — first used in the 1930s to treat decompression sickness in deep sea divers — is now being offered through VA to a small number of Veterans diagnosed with PTSD. It’s the latest effort from VA’s Center for Compassionate Innovation (CCI) to promote promising treatments for chronic health conditions that may resist traditional therapy.

Dr. Norberto Fas knew he needed to help his fellow Puerto Ricans following the destruction left by Hurricane Maria when it made landfall Sept. 20. The storm’s powerful 140-mph winds and destructive surge left much of the Caribbean island without potable water, electricity, or adequate health care. 

A dad and son embrace; both are sobbing. Two years earlier they were barely speaking. There is not a dry eye in the courtroom. “There is no other day quite like graduation day in Veterans Court. This is the pay off.” says Amy Earle, Veterans Justice Outreach Coordinator.

The VA is employing a relatively simple fix — known as the Rapid Access model — to make sure Veterans receive the follow-up care they need after being treated in an emergency room.

Veteran Clinton Lanier was “sick and tired of being sick and tired.” Read how the Savannah VA Medical Center’s STAR program taught him skills to help cope with addiction and how to set realistic goals.

Every flu season is different, and influenza infection can affect people differently.

Currently five mobile medical units are operating in Beaumont and staff are seeing more than 100 patients a day.