U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CMV - News Update

Transitioning from military to civilian life can be a stressful time for service members and their families – and VA is committed to supporting them throughout this process. In December 2019, VA implemented the Solid Start program to provide consistent, caring contact between service members and VA to guide them through understanding and using the benefits and resources available to them. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy Veteran Johann Balbuena, who served with Strike Fighter Squadron 41 supporting operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Johann Balbuena was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. [From VAntage Point]

We honor your service, Johann!

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson created National Hispanic Heritage Week to recognize people of Hispanic descent who share America’s thirst for freedom. “The people of Hispanic descent are the heirs of missionaries, captains, soldiers, and farmers who were motivated by a young spirit of adventure, and a desire to settle freely in a free land,” Johnson wrote. [From VAntage Point]

A team led by VA researchers Dr. Amy Justice and Dr. Christopher Rentsch found that race and ethnicity is associated with a greater risk of testing positive for COVID-19 – but not death – within a 30-day period after hospital discharge. Justice is a clinical epidemiologist at the West Haven VA Medical Center in Connecticut and Yale University. The study was published in PLOS Medicine on Sept. 22. [From VAntage Point]