U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CWV – News Update

Kayla Barron was born in Idaho in September 1987. She attended Richland High School in Washington state, graduating in 2006, before enrolling in the Naval Academy to study systems engineering. After earning her degree, she was commissioned in the Navy and, a year later, enrolled at the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar to complete her master’s degree in nuclear engineering. [From VA News]

We honor her service.

Dana Brunson has served as a social worker at VA for nearly 20 years. In 2016, she was appointed to a new position at her facility: LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinator (VCC). This new work immediately became a passion and focus of Brunson’s career, as she became increasingly aware of the need for improved health care for LGBTQ+ Veterans. [From VA News]

Army Veteran Jennifer Frisone knows that finishing the mission is what matters. Her mission is being a mother of three young children. That can sometimes feel like the mission never ends, especially when dealing with a chronic condition like rheumatoid arthritis. But Frisone isn’t doing it alone. [From VA News]

Throughout the pandemic, Veteran care has remained VA’s primary responsibility and mission. Our COVID-19 Response Report and its annexes detail the lessons learned from VA’s efforts, challenges and successes in support of Veterans, their caregivers and the greater U.S. population. The latest Annex D Interim Report covers the period from April 1, 2022, through July 31, 2022. [From VA News]

It was a rainless day, but a rainbow still appeared over Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital. For the first time, the hospital raised a rainbow Pride flag during a ceremony on June 1 to commemorate Pride Month and recognize the contributions of LGBTQ+ Veterans, staff and community members. “Hines flies this flag with immense pride today not merely as a gesture, but as a vivid testament to the inclusive environment we have cultivated within these walls,” said James Doelling, hospital director. [From VA News]

My name is Rishell Chambers, and I became eligible for VA Education benefits through my stepfather, a retired Air Force master sergeant. After obtaining his associate degree while on active duty, he turned his focus on family and career, potentially leaving the remainder of his Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits unused. He ultimately decided that the education benefit would best be used by his children, since he had already gone on to find success in his military career. [From VA News]

Sue Dauser was born in September 1888 in Anaheim, California. In 1907, she enrolled in Stanford University for two years before moving in 1911 to the California Hospital School of Nursing, from which she graduated in 1914. Three years later, Dauser joined the Navy, serving as a naval nurse. During World War I, she served as chief nurse in Scotland and the United States at Naval Base Hospital Number 3. [From VA News]

We honor her service.

This month’s author is Army Veteran Anita “Nikki” Gibbs-Bratton, who served as a 77F Petroleum Supply Specialist and who wrote a memoir called “Not Easy Being Me.” In “Not Easy Being Me,” Gibbs-Bratton offers insight into the good and bad of being a female in the U.S. Army, as well as the notion that rank doesn’t mean more privilege. [From VA News]

Women are the fastest-growing group of Veterans in the United States, with over 600,000 women using VA care this year. That makes our women’s health team more important now than ever before. We know that health care must adapt to the needs of the Veterans we serve, so whether you’re a physician, nurse, pharmacist, social worker, physical therapist or something else entirely, your expertise is a valuable asset to VA. [From VA News]

Navy Veteran Kathryn D. Sullivan has dedicated her life to studying the ocean and outer space. As the first woman to dive to the deepest known point on Earth (the Challenger Deep) and the first woman to walk in space, her work has led the way for women’s roles in science and leadership. Sullivan was born in October 1951 and grew up in Woodland Hills, California. [From VA News]

We honor her service.