The 9 Line

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 jo...

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 season...

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 possib...

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 prescrip...

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 f...

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 militar...

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 t...

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...

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 super...

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...

There are almost 200,000 Veterans housed in America's jails and prisons. While that may seem like a small number compared to the Veteran population as a whole, Veterans account for almost 7% of the total incarcerated population.  However, just because a Veteran may be involved in the criminal justice system, that doesn't mean the VA leaves them without resources. On this episode of The 9 Line, we...

When you talk about Veterans who need prosthetics, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is someone who lost a limb in battle.  While combat-wounded Veterans are certainly patients we see in our Prosthetics Department, we also help a lot of Veterans with non-combat injuries.  Whether it is someone who has lost a limb due to diabetes, or someone who needs help with wheelchairs and adap...

The United States has delivered over 170 million COVID-19 vaccines across the country, and in five months vaccine production has ramped up so significantly that any enrolled Veteran who wants the vaccine can walk into our North Las Vegas Medical Center and get one.  However, despite that widespread availability, there is still a significant portion of the population who is very hesitant to get the...

There are many different specialty clinics here at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System that treat a wide variety of issues and ailments.  But while not everyone who walks in the door to our facilities will visit Oncology or need to undergo dialysis, everyone we treat does require healthy nutrition.  Cooking a good, healthy meal is something some folks enjoy, but there are others who see eatin...

Many Veterans who seek care with the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System will have issues that can't be solved strictly through medical or clinical needs, or they'll need help from sources outside of our VA umbrella.  Whether it is seeking care for addiction issues, getting assistance to see someone through a time of homelessness, or just being an advocate for someone, our social workers are the...

One of the things that sets the care the VA Southern Nevada Health Care system apart from other health care facilities is our Primary Care method of delivering service.  Under this model, instead of having just one doctor, our Veterans are treated by a team of providers who are all networked together to get our Veterans the right care as soon as possible. On this episode of The 9 Line, we talk wit...

Throughout the COVID Pandemic, VASNHS nurses have been one of the most vital components to our response.  Not only have they continued to provide high-quality bedside care to patients, but they were frequently thrown into situations that aren't part of their core missions, such as being the first screeners at our doors and filling out call centers as we shifted to virtual care. However, a nursing...

While the number of women who have joined the military has risen dramatically in the recent years, they still represent only a fraction of the total Veteran population.  However, just because our female Veterans are a small part of the total patients we serve it doesn't mean they only get a fraction of the resources they deserve. On this episode of The 9 Line, we speak with Jenny Childers, the VIS...

Covid-19 vaccines are approved and going out to medical facilities around the country, including the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System.  But who is eligible to get them?  How many Veterans have we been vaccinating so far?  Those are just some of the questions people are asking about the vaccine now that it is being rolled out nationwide. On this episode of The 9 Line, we talk to Dr. Felix Aceve...

On Thursday, Dec 10th, the FDA is expected to announce Emergency Use Authorization for the first of many COVID-19 vaccines in the pipeline seeking approval.  Shortly after that authorization, the vaccine will be distributed across the country to start vaccination of our most vulnerable populations. However, we know many people still have concerns and questions about the vaccine.  Is it safe consid...

Coronavirus is surging just as the holidays are about to hit, and colder weather is driving everyone indoors.  However, there is room for optimism as multiple vaccine candidates are showing promise they'll play a huge role in curtailing the virus.  But, we're not in the clear yet.  In this pre-holiday episode of The 9 Line, we'll talk to Dr. Jason Dazley, our infectious disease expert, and Dr. Myr...

Once an ingrained part of military culture, services have been de-emphasizing smoking for years now, both through promotion of smoking cessation classes and through regulations restricting where one can smoke.  However, according to the Centers for Disease Control, tobacco use among Veterans is still higher than tobacco use in the general population.   On this episode of The 9 Line, we'll speak wi...

If there is one thing Americans love to do, it is eat, and eat a lot.  In fact, over 75% of Veterans in America are classified as either overweight or obese.  The VA has a number of nationwide programs aimed at getting Veterans putting healthier foods and more reasonable portion sizes on their plates.  On this week's episode of The 9 Line, we'll talk to VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System's MOVE...

The VA's Caregiver Support program exists to provide assistance to those who care for Veterans who can't care for themselves.  This assistance can take the form of training and education, mental health counseling, and even financial stipends and other care-related compensation.  On this episode of The 9 Line, we'll speak with Tianna Edler and Sheri Shileika about the program, who's eligible for it...

Every day, almost 20 Veterans make the decision to end their own lives.  However, on average 14 of those Veterans are not connected to VA care in any way.  It's the mission of VA Suicide Prevention to reach out and help those Veterans.  In this episode of The 9 Line, we talk to Tim Jobin, our Chief of Mental Health and Keva Rice, Suicide Prevention Coordinator, about how we're trying to expand men...