The 9 Line

Your teeth play a very important role in your life...not only do they help you chew and eat food, but they are also a big part of talking and speaking clearly, and your smile is one of the first things people notice about you when they meet you.  Keeping your teeth and gums healthy can also have many benefits to keeping other parts of your body in top condition.  The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare...

If you've listened to our show before, you've heard us talk at length about the VA's implementation of the Whole Health concept of caring for our Veterans.  Whole Health is an approach to care that supports Veteran health and well-being while centering around preventative education and finding out what matters to a Veteran.  This means a Veteran's health team will get to know them as a person, bef...

When a new year rolls around, it is a tradition for people to make resolutions to change the things they want to improve in their lives.  But usually, by the end of February, most resolutions have fallen by the wayside, waiting to be picked up again in 10 more months when the next January arrives.  But, did you know the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System has coaches who can help you with whateve...

This week, the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System played host to Mr. John Boerstler, the Chief Veterans Experience Officer for the Veterans Administration.  In his role, he oversees all of the surveys and customer service data we use to gauge how satisfied Veterans are with the care they recieve not only locally, but nationwide as well.  During his visit, he toured our North Las Vegas VA Medical...

Eating well in this day and age can be a challenge…from large portion sizes when you go out to eat to highly processed foods in your kitchen when you’re cooking at home, many hurdles exist for those looking to live a healthy lifestyle where your body gets the nutrition it needs.  For Veterans, the task can be made even more difficult because the military lifestyle doesn’t always lead to great eati...

Las Vegas was recently chosen as one of six cities of focus for unsheltered Veterans this winter by the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System (VASNHS) is increasing its outreach efforts to help meet VA’s goal to house 38,000+ Veterans experiencing homelessness nationwide in 2023. Throughout the winter months, VASNHS Community Resource and Referral Centers (CRRCs) wil...

When most people think about the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System's medical facilities, the first thing on their mind is probably our North Las Vegas VA Medical Center.  But, that relatively new and modern building isn't the only place we deliver healthcare in our network, as we have four clinics in Las Vegas and we also have clinics in rural Laughlin and Pahrump.  Providing care at those outl...

Smoking cigarettes kills close to 500,000 Americans every year, and even for those who do not die from smoking-related illnesses, smoking costs Americans roughly $600 billion a year in lost productivity and health care costs.  Veterans are not immune to the impacts of smoking and Veterans have multiple factors that increase the likelihood they'll start or continue to smoke.   On this episode of Th...

Many organizations talk about having "quality," and the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System is no different.  But, what exactly "quality," how do you measure it, and how do you become an organization that is a trusted name for customers and employees to rely on?  Suffice it to say, providing great service using the right mix of taxpayer dollars and manpower resources doesn't just happen.    On th...

The VA's Caregiver Support program exists to provide assistance to those who care for Veterans who can't care for themselves.  Taking care of another who needs help with everyday tasks can be a very daunting task, and one that has the potential to take a great toll on the caregiver, both mentally and physically. The Caregiver Support Program is there to help caregivers learn not just what kind of...

On our last episode, we highlighted the fact that September is National Suicide Prevention Month and talked about some of the issues surrounding Veteran Suicide.  One of the issues we didn't address is the barrier that some Veterans feel exists when they need to access immediate care to keep themselves safe from self-harm and they are not exactly sure how it works or how much it will cost them.  T...

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and the VA's top clinical priority is preventing suicide among all Veterans, whether they seek their medical care here or not.  When it comes to Veteran suicide, the one statistic you may have heard most prominently is "22 Veterans a day take their own life."  Whether it is on Social Media posts, in conversations with friends or even on bumper sticke...

If you're a follower of the show, you know we've had multiple conversations with folks involved in managing our Adaptive Sports programs, which help Veterans who have experienced limb loss or some other debilitating condition get out and be active.  However, we've never really had a chance to talk to the Veterans themselves who are a part of these programs and gotten their perspective on what Adap...

On July 26th, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recognized the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System with a 5-star rating in their Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings.  The CMS uses 5 categories to determine if hospitals are doing a good job in the realms of safety of care, mortality, readmissions and timely and effective care.  Achieving a rating of 5-stars just doesn't happen out o...

The PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances, signed into law in August 2022.  In just under a year, the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System has screen approximately 48,000 Veterans for toxic substance exposure under the PACT Act, helping to get about half of that number on their way to filing claims for...

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD, is something that impacts countless Veterans and if untreated, can have serious consequences for Veterans and for those around them. According to the American Psychiatric Association, those suffering from PTSD may relive a life-threatening event through flashbacks or nightmares; they may feel sadness, fear or anger; and they may feel detached or estranged fr...

The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System is committed to creating a welcoming environment and improving healthcare for everyone, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Veterans.  Part of that welcoming environment is recognizing June as Pride Month, where we celebrate the members of our LGBTQ+ Veteran community and help inspire, educate, and inform Veterans about how we...

Recreational Therapy and Adaptive Sports programs provide Veterans with opportunities for health and healing through a multitude of sports and art programs. These specialized rehabilitation events aim to optimize Veterans’ independence, community engagement, well-being, and quality of life.  Additionally, they give Veterans an opportunity who may be of a more competitive spirit and outlet to compe...

Going to any hospital can be a stressful experience.  The buildings are usually large and it can be easy to get lost, you may have questions about if you're in the right place, and you may not know exactly who you need to talk to.  Going to a VA hospital can be doubly stressful when you add in benefits and enrollment requirements and a whole slew of other things unique to VA care.  The VA Southern...

For many people, warmer weather means an uptick in the amount of physical activity they end up doing, as they get outside, take walks, and start shaking off the winter rust.  That also holds true at the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare system as we use the spring to stress activity among both our Veterans and our Staff through many initiatives, including the upcoming VA2K Walk and Roll.    On this ep...

The VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System sees patients every day who have experienced limb loss, or have limb difference requiring them to have prosthetic devices that allow them to live as close to normal as possible.  But, the Prosthetics Department here is just part of the story, we also have staff at our facility that helps Veterans learn HOW to use their prosthetics to regain mobility and man...

March 29th marks the 50th Anniversary of the removal of American combat troops from the Vietnam War.  In 14 years of American involvement in Vietnam, 2.7 million servicemembers saw time in-country and close to 60,000 lost their lives.  The war in Vietnam also dramatically reshaped American culture, how Veterans were treated when returning from combat, and transformed many elements of the American...

Becoming a medical professional is a lot of work and requires a lot of training.  Not only do hopeful future doctors, dentists and optometrists need to complete medical schooling in their chosen profession, but they also have to take part in a residency program that tacks on a few additional years to their training before they can practice on their own.  At the VA Southern Nevada Healthcare System...

'Degree inflation’: the rising demand for bachelor’s degrees in jobs that didn’t always require one, is something workers in just about every American industry is facing.  It is an issue where the people currently doing the work don’t have degrees, but as they retire or leave their positions, their replacements will be expected to. In the United States today, 37.9% of Americans between the ages of...

Every year, almost five million people will need a blood transfusion, which translates to someone needing a blood transfusion every two seconds.  But even with such a vital component of life being needed so frequently and constantly, only three percent of eligible people in the United States donate blood every year.  So few people donating blood is critical enough, but when you add in the fact tha...