The 9 Line

Episode 32 -Going Pink

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and nationwide you'll see events aiming to increase visibility and raise funding for breast cancer research.  Women Veterans also happen to be the fastest growing single demographic served by the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, and we continue to add more and more services to better meet their needs.  

On this episode of The 9 Line, we're joined by Cindy Clements-Miller, our Woman Veteran Program Manager, to talk about all of the work that's being done to improve our care for Woman Veterans, from conducting focus groups and town halls specifically geared towards women Veterans, to planning out a new Women's Health clinic building.  Not only will we talk about what we're doing locally, we'll also discuss with her the full slate of events we've planned for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Episode 31 - Flu Season

Every fall, Americans gear up for flu season by going to their healthcare providers or their local pharmacy and getting their yearly flu vaccine.  Last year, flu metrics dropped across the board, largely because of the measures put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.  Masking requirements and social distancing managed to not only slow the spread of COVID, but also kept a whole host of seasonal respiratory illness at bay as well.

With the introduction of effective COVID vaccines, many COVID protocols have gone by the wayside and the Delta variant of COVID is ripping through communities right as flu season is about to start.  On this episode of The 9 Line, we'll speak with Dr. Myron Kung and Dr. Jason Dazley about this year's double shot of COVID and flu, some information about how the flu vaccine is going to interact with COVID booster shots, and provide an update on the COVID-19 variants of concern circulating around the country and the world. 

Episode 30 - Leaving Afghanistan

The United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the events and pictures surrounding it is proving to be a very emotional time for a lot of Veterans.  Questions about whether their service and sacrifices there were "worth it" are common, and many Veterans are going through a wide range of feelings, from despair, to anger.  The Department of Veteran Affairs is trying to be as proactive as possible by setting up a variety of resources, both locally and nationally, to help Veterans process their feelings and give them a place to talk about what they're going through while watching events in Afghanistan unfold in real-time.

On this Episode of The 9 Line, we're joined by Las Vegas Vet Center Director Joe Lasky, and Dr. Robert Moering, VASNHS' Local Recovery Coordinator, and we're going to take a look at what Veterans in the area are going through, why they feel the way they do about the drawdown in Afghanistan, and discuss some of the local options available to Veterans who may want someone to talk to about their experiences.

Episode 29 - Your Pharmacy Teammate

One of the advantages of Veterans getting care through the VA is the fact we provide care under the Patient Aligned Care Team, or PACT model.  This means Veterans don't just have a primary doctor they see, but are surrounded by whole team of individuals who are focused on providing the best care.  One of the members of this team is the PACT Pharmacist.  Where pharmacies normally just fill prescriptions a doctor has ordered, the PACT Pharmacist works hand-in-hand with a Veteran to make sure the medications they're taking are meeting their needs.

On this episode of The 9 Line, we speak with PACT Pharmacists Dr. Roseann Visconti and Dr. Cara Knabenshue about all of the ways a PACT Pharmacist helps a Veteran, why the VA includes Pharmacists as part of the PACT model, and some recent changes to the program.

Episode 28 - It's Not All Fun and Games

Just about everyone has hobbies or other activities they do in their free time for enjoyment or for education.  Hobbies can also help someone beat addiction, recover from injury, or help them move past a traumatic incident.  The therapeutic uses for sports and other activities is the whole reason the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System has a Recreational Therapy program to help Veterans recover for past injuries and also to simply enrich their lives.

However, Recreational Therapy at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System is changing, and getting ready to add artistic and creative outlets for Veterans.  Join us on this episode of The 9 Line as we speak with Rec Therapist Chris Hayes about how the Rec Therapy program here in Southern Nevada helps Veterans and what the future holds.

Episode 27 - Making The Switch

For many Veterans, leaving the military is a major life transition that brings with it more questions than answers.  The military has a multitude of programs set up to help Veterans find employment, deal with new stresses of civilian life, and help them transition to a different working culture than they may be used to in uniform.  

 

But, what about medical care?  Transitioning out of the military's medical system and getting into care in the outside world can be very confusing.  

Fortunately for Veterans seeking to enter the VA's healthcare system, there is the M2VA program, which assists Veterans in getting signed up and smoothly transitioning from the military's medical system.  Join us on this episode of The 9 Line as we speak to Bill Powlus and Lisa Paoni about the first steps of transitioning to VA care, some of the changes the M2VA program has seen in recent years, and their role as the VA's "welcoming committee" to newly separated Veterans.

Episode 26 - COVID Fights Back

Over six months into the campaign to vaccinate Americans against the COVID-19 virus, over 380 Million vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, and over 57% of the population over the age of 18 is fully vaccinated against the virus.  However, those numbers fall far short of what is needed for herd immunity and the ability to stamp out COVID-19 in America.  With 35% of Americans having not taken any COVID-19 vaccine at all, this has given the virus a prime opportunity to continue to spread, and also to potentially mutate into different, more dangerous variants of the virus.

On this Episode of The 9 Line, we'll speak with Dr. Jason Dazely and Dr. Myron Kung, our two experts on COVID-19, about the risks of not getting vaccinated, how they deal with those "hardcore" vaccine refusers, and give you the latest info on the new Delta variant, which appears to be much more easily spread than previous strains of COVID-19.

Episode 25 - They Go Hand-In-Hand

June is National Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month, a month designated to increase the awareness of PTSD in the population, reduce the stigma associated with PTSD, and help ensure that those suffering from a condition that is usually invisible to outside observers can get the help they need.  For the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System, combating PTSD is closely linked to one of our biggest priorities...reducing instances of Veteran suicide.

On this episode of The 9 Line, we speak with Dr. Nicole Anders, Clinical Psychologist, and Candice Bodie, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, about the links between PTSD and suicide, some of the programs Veterans experiencing PTSD can use to get needed help, and also how PTSD is manifesting in many Veterans now that COVID restrictions are being relaxed.

Episode 24 - How We Get Better

Like any organization, feedback is vital to understanding a Veteran's opinion of how we are doing providing their health care.  But, when you serve as many Veterans as we serve, over such a wide geographical area, how do we accurately gauge whether or not we are meeting Veterans' health care needs?

On this episode of The 9 Line we speak with Charles Ramey, our facility's Veteran's Experience supervisor, about how we solicit feedback from Veterans, what we do with that information once we have it, and he'll provide some tips on the best way to work to resolve any issues you may have with your care.

Episode 23 - Looking For Answers

The VA isn't just a healthcare system that provides medical care to Veterans, we're also one of the nation's most capable medical research institutions.  VA researchers were part of the innovative teams that developed effective treatments for tuberculosis, invented the CAT scan, and performed the first-ever liver transplant.  The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System's own Chief of Staff, Dr. Ramu Komanduri, was part of the team that developed the nicotine patch to help smokers curb their addiction.  Everywhere you look, the VA is on the leading edge of research in America.

On this episode of The 9 Line, we talk with Dr. Alicia Brown and Marisa Kristovich about what we're doing here locally to help further the VA's research mission, and highlight our accomplishments as the VA celebrates National VA Research Week.