The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it has successfully reduced prescription opioid use in patients within the VA health care system by 64%, from more than 679,000 Veterans in fiscal year 2012 to 247,000 in fiscal year 2020 through quarter three. VA achieved this reduction by aggressively emphasizing the safe and responsible […]

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the launching of its Veterans Signals (VSignals) surveys to assess education benefits processes. VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) will email one of three surveys to randomly selected Veterans and beneficiaries who have recently interacted with VA’s education benefits program. The survey focuses on the experience at one of three […]

Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), along with the Departments of Energy (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the formation of the COVID-19 Insights Partnership, an initiative to coordinate and share health data as well as research and expertise to aid in the fight against COVID-19. The COVID-19 Insights Partnership creates […]

Breath–something we do 20,000 times a day–is one of the body’s most important functions, and one that we can notice in every moment. Check out this 6 minute, 53 second video and learn some simple breathing exercises that will help you manage stressful situations. You can learn simple instructions for four breathing practices that help […]

One of the best things we can do for our health is to allot time to rest and relax. Regular periods of relaxation decrease our heart rate and blood pressure, improve our sleep, help maintain normal blood sugar levels, reduce stress hormones, improve our concentration and mood, and so much more. Do you have time […]

We often don’t appreciate how well our body works until it doesn’t. Every Veteran had a time in life when he or she felt physically fit. Many Veterans still carry a photo of themselves in their dress uniform as a reminder of those younger, healthier days. Injuries, inflammation, the passage of time, and lifestyle choices […]

This week’s VA News focuses on three ways the department uses technology to ensure Veterans can access its services and high quality health care.

Today, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie released the following video messagein honor of Memorial Day 2020. Our country has been blessed with men and women whose sacrifices allowed us to flourish as individuals, as a society and as a nation. On Memorial Day, we pause to remember, honor and express our gratitude to all those […]

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today a new initiative requesting the public to make donations to help provide emergency relief and facilitate remote access to health care for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals and organizations are asked to donate essential items such as […]

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie announced the department will begin to reintroduce health care services in select VA facilities May 18, as states reopen from COVID-19 shutdowns. Each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) has selected Lead Sites to be the first to implement a phased approach to reintroducing select health care […]