VA Podcast

The Standing Ready season one finale, “Competitive Adaptative: A History of Sports in the VA,” looks at the past, present and future of VA adaptive sports.

Volunteers have built communities of care and support and continue to meet the needs of Veterans. They are deeply rooted in our history. Hear how they have been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

An insightful discussion with Acting Undersecretary of Health Dr. Richard Stone on the 75th Anniversary of the Veterans Health Administration.

For our last episode of the first season of the "My Life, My Story" podcast, we decided to record the story of the oldest Veteran we've ever interviewed. "Charlie" was nearly 108 when his story was written in the spring of 2020. That means he was old even for World War II Veterans. By the time he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, he was already 32.

When we ask Veterans to tell us about their lives, some choose to avoid painful subjects, and that's just fine by us. The aim of "My Life, My Story" isn't to drag out confessions or extract difficult memories. Here, Jess opened up. 

A common theme that pops up in our My Life, My Story stories is perseverance. Anyone who lives a long life will, of course, go through hard times at some point. But for many of the combat Veterans we've interviewed, hard times are thrust upon them at an early age. That was the case for "Hank," whose story we hear in this episode.

Standing Ready in an inside look at the histories and untold stories of VA's Innovations, highlighting the significant contributions of the nation's largest health care system through a historical lens.

VA podcasts are valuable resources for Veterans. They contain information on programs, services, tips, stories and news from the VA, Veteran and military communities. These accessible, downloadable podcasts are created specifically for Veterans.

In this short wrap up episode, hosts Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea look back on the first season of the Vets First Podcast, including topics and guests.

Dr. Christie Thomas, a nephrologist at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Healthcare System, discusses his favorite organ, the kidney.

In this episode Vince and David, a father and son pair, talk two days before their kidney transplant surgery for Vince, an Air Force Veteran.

In this and the following two episodes, Veterans and their caregivers talk about their experiences with chronic kidney disease and transplants through VA.