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VA Sunshine Healthcare Network

 

VISN 8 News


2023

Editorial - Post-9/11 Veterans: Get the Care You’ve Earned and Deserve - The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act is perhaps the largest health care and benefit expansion in the history of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Among the many provisions in the law, there is one that I’d like to urgently highlight that directly impacts post-9/11 combat Veterans and the opportunity to enroll for VA’s full medical benefits package. (08/21/2023)

Tampa Bay Rays, VA Partner for VetFest Event at the Trop Aug. 5 - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays, will host a PACT Act VetFest event, Saturday, Aug. 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Tropicana Field. Veterans and families do not need to sign up or register for this event ahead of time. VetFest is being held to educate and inform Veterans about the PACT Act and to provide onsite services to include VA health care enrollment, toxic exposure screenings, VA claims assistance, VISN 8 Clinical Contact Center, women’s health, mental health, whole health, Vet Center and more. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enter drawings for free game tickets and branded items, compliments of the Rays. (07/25/2023)

VA Sunshine Healthcare Network Executive Director Receives Presidential Rank Award - David B. Isaacks, FACHE, Director, VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8), was among 12 VA career senior executive service (SES) leaders who received a 2022 Presidential Rank Award during a ceremony held in Washington, D.C. on June 12. (06/13/2023)

VISN 8 Facilities Permanently Housed 3,400 Homeless Veterans in 2022 - As part of VA’s nationwide goal to house 38,000 homeless Veterans in 2022, the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) provided over 3,400 permanent housing placements to homeless Veterans. This number represents nearly 102 percent of the established goal for the network. (01/30/2023)

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2021

VA hiring housekeeping staff across Florida, signing bonuses up to $3,000 available - The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) is hiring housekeeping aides for positions located at VA health care facilities in Cape Coral, Gainesville, Miami, Orlando, St. Petersburg, Tampa, and West Palm Beach. Those interested in employment as a housekeeping aide are encouraged to attend a virtual hiring event scheduled for Tuesday, August 31, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Individuals can register for the event by texting ChooseVA to 25000 or by visiting https://bit.ly/3swN9s5. This event is open to Veterans only. Job offers will be made the same day. (08/23/2021)

VA Health Care Facilities in Florida and Puerto Rico Surpass 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccinations - The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network’s (VISN 8) family of medical centers and clinics have collectively administered more than 100,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, reaching this major milestone in just six weeks. This major achievement comes on the heels of a national media release published today by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announcing more than 1 million doses of the vaccine have been administered to Veterans and VA healthcare workers. In the same release, VA announced that it is now publishing the number of Veterans who have received vaccines at VA facilities across the country on it’s COVID-19 National Summary website. (02/02/2021)

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2020

VA’s Measures Protect Veterans and Healthcare Workers - Uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic have overtaken nearly every aspect of our lives in a few short months, and this concerning virus has us all looking at the world through a new lens. No longer do we spend our days going to work, making trips to grocery stores or greeting friends and neighbors with handshakes and hugs. Instead, we wear masks and make quick waves while our smiles go unseen. Workers across industries are finding new ways to conduct business using ingenuity and innovation. Healthcare is no different, and across the globe we have seen medical professionals tested like never before. Yet, they too are finding new ways to serve their patients. (04/28/2020)

VA Medical Facilities in Florida, South Georgia, and Caribbean Taking Extra Precautions for COVID-19 - The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) is taking additional steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 to protect healthcare system’s capabilities, healthcare workers and Veterans. Facilities within the VISN 8 Network include the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Clinics, Miami VA Healthcare System, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, Orlando VA Healthcare System, VA Caribbean Healthcare System, and the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center. (03/17/2020)

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2019

Editorial: Finding Solutions to Veteran Suicides Requires All-Hands-On-Deck - A disturbing number of Veterans take their own lives in the U.S. On average, approximately 7,300 Veterans die from suicide each year. Despite significant efforts and billions of dollars invested by the state and federal governments across the nation, suicide rates among Veterans rose 26 percent from 2005 to 2016. In Florida alone, nearly 600 Veterans die from suicide each year at a rate slightly higher than the national average. (09/09/2019)

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2018

Editorial: What you can do to help a Veteran in crisis - Each day in our country, 20 Veterans die by suicide. This is a tragic and heartbreaking reality. Of the 20, only six of those Veterans were users of VA health care services, and only three of the six were receiving mental health care. This information is important as it shows that Veterans who actively engage in services provided by VA are less likely to die by suicide than those who are not. (12/20/2018)

U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs to Host Job Fair in Panama City Beach - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sunshine Healthcare Network will host a job fair in Panama City Beach on Wednesday, December 19. The job fair will take place at Laketown Wharf located at 9902 S. Thomas Drive from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Employers onsite will include the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, and West Palm Beach VA Medical Center. (12/17/2018)

Letter to the Editor: One Veteran suicide is one too many - The pain of losing a loved one sometimes feel insurmountable. When a loved one is lost to suicide, it can be even worse. Amidst the tragedy and heartache, there are many unanswered questions – probably the most important being “what could I have done to help or stop this from happening?” The question is a hard one to answer as every situation is different, and the circumstances that drive someone to take their own life are complex. (12/17/2018)

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This page contains archived news releases produced by the VA Sunshine Healthcare Network Office of Communications.