Milwaukee VA Medical Center

03/02/2022

March is National Nutrition Month! To celebrate and get involved, use this toolkit full of tip sheets and handouts, games and activities, PowerPoint presentations and more: https://sm.eatright.org/NNMtoolkit

03/02/2022

The Appleton and Cleveland VA community-based outpatient clinics are experiencing telephone and Internet connection issues after a fiber cut caused widespread disruption to circuits in northeastern Wisconsin. We do not have an estimated time of repair.
Veterans should call the Green Bay Health Care Center for medical assistance at (920) 431-2500 until the system is corrected,

03/02/2022

During March, VA dedicates Women’s History Month to celebrating our nation’s front-line women for their contributions, achievements, and tireless effort in serving others and providing healing and hope to all. Follow @DeptVetAffairs and @CenterforWomenVeterans on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see how VA is honoring women on the front lines.

03/02/2022

Due to recent world events, Veterans may be feeling emotional distress as they may be reminded of their own deployment experiences.

03/01/2022

Nutrition and Food Services develops and provides comprehensive evidenced based nutritional services for our Veterans across VHA’s health care facilities. This March for National Nutrition Month check out healthy recipes and nutrition information from VA at: https://www.nutrition.va.gov/Recipes.asp

03/01/2022

During March, VA dedicates Women’s History Month to celebrating the contributions and achievements of our women front-line workers. Follow Women Veterans Health Care as they share stories throughout the month of how it started, and how it’s going: Learn more: https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/

02/28/2022

Milwaukee VA nurse's actions lead to recall of defective syringes | VA Milwaukee health care | Veterans Affairs

The eagle eyes of a Milwaukee VA nurse contributed to the recall of millions of defective syringes -- and has earned him national recognition. https://www.va.gov/milwaukee-health-care/stories/milwaukee-va-nurses-actions-lead-to-recall-of-defective-syringes/

“Hey guys: This is an issue.”

02/28/2022

Registration open for 2022 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego - VAntage Point

Registration for the 2022 National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic is open until April 1 and limited to the first 150 Veteran applicants.

02/25/2022

Milwaukee VA takes February health awareness campaign to heart. Check out how Veterans can recognize symptoms of heart disease and work with our providers to build a heart health plan. https://www.va.gov/milwaukee-health-care/stories/milwaukee-va-takes-february-health-awareness-campaign-to-heart/

02/25/2022

New ad campaign targets veteran suicide in Wisconsin

Great story here from WFRV in Green Bay about ongoing efforts to prevent Veteran suicides. The clip features Zablocki VA head of mental health services, Dr. Bert Berger, and the www.reachoutwis.org public service ads include Milwaukee VA employees and local Veterans.

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) — It is a topic not many people talk about, which is exactly why one organization wants to tackle suicide and especially how it affects veterans. “For Wisconsin, …

02/25/2022

Starting a Business? | theSITREP

If you're a Veteran or military spouse looking to start a small business, the Small Business Administration has free programs and services to help you succeed. Watch this episode of #theSITREP to learn more.

02/24/2022

Improving your heart health can be as easy and as enjoyable as spending some extra time with someone you love. This month, take some time and have a heart-to-heart with someone special. Share this post with or tag that extra special person in the comments below and make plans to catch up and reconnect sometime soon! #Care4urheart

02/24/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans and employees sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Dr. Christina Orr is the assistant director at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center and has spent much of her career serving America's Veterans. Both of Orr's grandfathers were Veterans. Her paternal grandfather died when she was seven, but he left a lasting impression in her life. "He was an Army cook, a great cook. It was a joke in our house that he could actually cook better than my grandmother. He made sure that all his children had what they needed. That was an important goal in his life. He was big into the church, the community, and his family," Orr said. " Both of my grandfathers prioritized family and community. They were some of the smartest men and kindest men that I've ever known. Our Black History Month observance is important here at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center because while we all share American history and we have a commonality in that, it's nice to also celebrate the differences that we bring to strengthen our community. It is often said that diversity makes us stronger as a team. My grandmother has a collection of beautiful hand-sewn patchwork quilts that will be handed down to me someday. What makes them beautiful is all the diversity among the patches. For me, the Milwaukee VA diversity makes us stronger and beautiful as a community, just like those quilts."

02/24/2022

Vaccines. They work. And getting the right ones for you at VA can help prevent at-risk Veterans from getting cancer. Learn more about how vaccines and other preventative measures can help lower your cancer risk. https://bit.ly/36wiuUJ

02/23/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Rayvon Bufkin (U.S. Air Force 1985-2005 | Active Duty) served in the Air Force for 20 years before joining the Milwaukee VA. One of his most vivid memories was being part of the honor guard detail for President George H.W. Bush and French President Francois Mitterand. He also remembers spending the day with four Tuskegee Airmen when he was an Air Force recruiter in 1999. Every year during Black History Month, he looks forward to learning about the contributions of African Americans who helped grow America. “I think, at a minimum, every year you should learn at least one thing you didn’t learn in school about our contributions to the nation,” he said. Rayvon retired as a tech sergeant and has been with the VA for 14 years. He works in the office of Quality Management and Patient Safety.

02/23/2022

Iwo Jima Day

Today is Iwo Jima Day: After five days of intense fighting on Iwo Jima, Marines raised a flag on the top of Mount Suribachi Feb. 23, 1945. We honor those brave Marines and sailors and their service. #USMC #USN #navy

02/22/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Gilbert Johnson (U.S. Air Force 1977-1980 | Active Duty) worked as a security police officer in the Air Force. Because he was in charge of aircraft security, he spent a lot of time on the chilly flight lines at Minot (N.D.) Air Force Base. “It was cold,” he said. “Oh my God, it was cold!” As a senior airman, he drove 13 miles from home to the base, and then back home. “It was treacherous weather. Wisconsin has nothing on North Dakota when it comes to chilly temperatures!” Gilbert said his schedule was six days on, with three days off, but invariably he got called in on his off days because of exercises. He said someday he would move back to North Dakota, as long as he didn’t have to stay on the flight line guarding aircraft. Today Gilbert works at the Milwaukee VA as a dietetic technician in the call center. He’s been a VA employee for five years. Gilbert said Black History Month is a time to reflect on his heritage and culture, and to pay it forward.

02/22/2022

Mental health concerns like stress and depression might put you at a higher risk for heart disease. Mindfulness techniques like yoga, tai chi, or meditation can help you manage your stress and improve your mental health and your heart health. Share this post with or tag your yoga partner in the comments below and plan your next yoga session! #care4urheart

02/22/2022

VA Suicide Prevention leads national charge with array of strategies - VAntage Point

Meeting the diverse needs of Veterans with resources to effectively reduce suicide risk but also promote wellness and protect against future risk.

Meeting the diverse needs of Veterans with resources to effectively reduce suicide risk and promote strategies against future risk.

02/21/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Clayton Bohannon (U.S. Army 1989-1991 | Active Duty 1991-2005 | Army National Guard) joined the Army at age 31 as part of the “two years, try two” deal. He deployed to the desert several times as a “12 Bravo” combat engineer. He earned the rank of private first class during Desert Storm, and later left the Army as a specialist. While deployed, he saw a lot of demolitions and land mines. Clayton later joined the Army National Guard as an “88 mike” and “13 bravo,” most often working as a truck driver. He also served as a cannoneer in field artillery, and later transitioned to launching rockets systems. “I shot really big bullets that could travel as far as 15 miles,” he said. Clayton enjoyed the camaraderie, meeting people from all over the world, and working together as a team. Today Clayton leads a team at the Milwaukee VA as a housekeeping supervisor. He has been employed at the VA for six years, starting out part time and becoming a supervisor in his first 18 months on the job. “The VA changed my life and gave me pride and dignity,” he said. Clayton said Black History Month is a time to reflect on the accomplishments of African Americans. He comes from a family that has served in the armed forces since 1918. As a Gulf War Veteran, he is passing on his history to his children and grandchildren.

02/20/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
“Once a Marine, always a Marine.” Officer Allen Perry (U.S. Air Marine Corps 1982-1986 | Active Duty) served in the Marine Corps as an amphibious assault crew chief. He called the ships “battlefield taxi cabs,” referring to how they transferred the troops from ship to shore. He earned the rank of corporal (E-4), and was stationed at Camp LeJeune, N.C.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; and Quantico, Va. He also spent one year overseas in Okinawa, Japan. Officer Perry said his time at Quantico stands out because he was so close to Washington, D.C., and really got to know the inner workings of federal government. He also recalls devastating typhoons in Okinawa that often shut down the base. He said during Black History Month he takes time to reflect on leaders from the past who fought for the rights we enjoy today.

02/19/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans and sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Tanya Rutherford (U.S. Army 1990-1998 | National Guard) is as a registered nurse in the emergency department of the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. At age 17 she enlisted in the U.S. Army National Guard. She considers herself a “mama's girl,” and until leaving for basic training she had never flown in an airplane. She arrived at Fort Dix, New Jersey completely terrified. It was a big eye-opener for her, and being away from her family was difficult.
Soon after returning home from basic training she found herself “young, in love and pregnant.” “Becoming a mother at 18 changed everything,” she said. "It wasn't just about me anymore."
Rutherford was assigned as a 91B medical specialist, but she trained as a combat medic and attained the rank of E4. Her unit was male-dominated, and she had to prove herself, but her fellow soldiers became like brothers and father figures to her.
Rutherford said she had to show her son she wasn't just a statistic. "All of my success in the military demonstrated that I could do anything. It was important to me that he see that." she said. "I learned to speak up and represent myself as a female soldier."
Rutherford said she appreciates Black pioneers who paved the way for her to have opportunities, especially Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first Black nurse, and Dr. Martin Luther King for eloquently stating “I have a dream.”

02/19/2022

Today we recognize retired USAF Col. Gail Halvorsen who passed away on Feb 16 at 101 years old. He is best known as the “Berlin Candy Bomber" or "Uncle Wiggly Wings" and gained fame for dropping candy to German children during the Berlin Airlift from 1948 to 1949. He served in both the Army Air Corps and USAF from 1942–1974.
“Seek a positive outlook on life and the world will be manageable, even if difficult. Attitude is not everything but it does influence everything.” - Gail Halvorsen
We salute you, sir!

02/18/2022

This February, the Zablocki VA Health Care System is featuring Veterans sharing their thoughts about Black History Month.
Kevin Butler (U.S. Army 1986-1994 | Reserve) is a licensed practical nurse in the internal medicine clinic at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. He has been with the Milwaukee VA Medical Center for 12 years. He previously worked at Advocate Aurora Health for 21 years.
Butler enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1986 and trained as a 91A combat medic, attaining the rank of specialist. While on assignment with the 961st Engineering Battalion, Butler noticed alarming symptoms in one of his fellow soldiers. Thanks to his EMT experience, he knew exactly what to do and was able to assist in evacuating the service member from Iron Mountain in Michigan. "We trained all the time, and in this case we were able to recognize, call for help, respond and evacuate the patient," he said. The service member was taken by helicopter to the nearest hospital. He received care and was back with the unit the next day. "I will never forget him." said Butler. “It’s such a great feeling to use my skills to save a life.” To Butler, Black History Month means never forgetting the shoulders he’s standing on to be where he is today. Butler said he is grateful for the sacrifices others made to give him the opportunities he has.