Each year in November, a grateful nation takes time to thank our military veterans, and in so doing makes us one of the few places in the world where such respect is given to those living service members who committed a portion of their lives to the ideals of freedom and a democratic republic.
As the Executive Director of the Salem VA Health Care System, I am honored to lead a team of more than 1,800 individuals whose goal is to serve these courageous sailors, soldiers, airmen, Marines, Guardians and Coast Guard members every day of the year.
As part of the nation’s largest healthcare system, the Department of Veterans Affairs has implemented several programs in 2023 to better serve our nation’s Veterans.
In 2022, the VA helped house more than 40,000 homeless veterans, with a goal to place 38,000 more before the end of this year. Locally, the Salem VA HCS Homeless Program team exceeded our goals for housing local veterans in 2022 and is on pace to house more than 100 Veterans by the end of 2023.
Signed into law in August 2022, the PACT Act funds compensation and health services for more than 3.5 million veterans who suffered toxic exposure during military service. The Salem VA Health Care System has screened more than 25,000 local veterans for such exposures, ensuring that future medical care needs related to toxic exposure will be provided.
The COMPACT Act has been in place since January 2023, and provides mental health assistance to Veterans who may be in crisis. By allowing veterans access to any VA or community health facility for free emergency mental health care, we continue to care for all veterans – even those who are not currently enrolled in the VA health care system. The Act’s goal is to increase access to acute suicidal care and reduce the number of veteran suicides by offering immediate care when veterans are at their most vulnerable.
Locally, the Salem VA Health Care System has implemented programs aligned with these two key pieces of legislation. Additionally, we have held several hiring fairs to bring on more doctors, nurses, technicians, and other medical professionals and staff. In Fiscal Year 2023 the Salem VA HCS hired nearly 50% more physicians and nurses than it did the previous year, and we brought on board nearly 8% more staff than the previous year across all disciplines.
Since January, 1973, America has produced five decades worth of citizen soldiers – an all-volunteer force – that is widely recognized as the best in the world. As a nation, we equip and train America’s sons and daughters while on active or Reserve duty, and we continue to care for them long after they’ve put away their uniforms.
The Salem VA HCS currently serves more than 60,000 eligible veterans across 26 counties of Southwest Virginia, and each and every day presents an opportunity for us to say thank you to them – and their families – for their service and sacrifice.
I hope you will all join me this Veteran’s Day in thanking a veteran and their family, for their service and their willingness to sacrifice everything so we can continue to live in peace and prosperity in this land we call home.
To all our veterans – thank you for your service and for allowing the Salem VA Health Care System to serve you now.
Rebecca Stackhouse, CTRS, FACHE, is the Executive Director of the Salem VA Health Care System.
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