Memorial Day 2023

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Today we are observing Memorial Day here in the states. Throughout the long weekend there are parades, services, celebrations and all sorts of events to remember those who died in service to our nation. We all know too well that it is not always easy to be a surviving vet and receive the help and services needed to thrive in our society. In honor of Memorial Day and our living vets, we wanted to take a look at the VA blogs and podcasts reporting some of the good that is happening as it pertains to innovations, technology, mental health and healthcare.

VA News

VA announces reset of Electronic Health Record project

On April 21, 2023 the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that future deployments of the new Electronic Health Record (EHR) will be halted while we prioritize improvements at the five sites that currently use the new EHR, as part of a larger program reset.

During this reset, VA will fix the issues with the EHR that were identified during the recent  “assess and address” period, continue to listen to Veterans and clinicians about their experience with the EHR, and redirect resources to focus on optimizing the EHR at the sites where it is currently in use: Spokane VA Health Care System, VA Walla Walla Health Care, Roseburg VA Health Care System, VA Southern Oregon Health Care, and VA Central Ohio Health Care System.

VA Podcast Network

Check out the VA Podcast Network

Learning new things while staying entertained has never been easier for America’s Veterans. The VA Podcasts Network offers a diverse selection of top-quality podcasts made with a Veteran community in mind. Each podcast specializes on a different topic and covers gripping content that no Veteran should want to miss out on. Just click on the podcasts to the right and listen to the wealth of knowledge that awaits to be heard.

Memorial Day Facts

  1. Memorial Day, formerly Decoration Day, in the United States, holiday (last Monday in May) honouring those who have died in the nation’s wars. It originated during the American Civil War when citizens placed flowers on the graves of those who had been killed in battle.
  2. Memorial Day was not an official federal holiday in 1971 on the last Monday of May.
  3. Each year, Americans are called to pause to remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country in wars both at home and abroad.
  4. Through all the fanfare and the unofficial start to summer, Memorial Day itself continues to be among the most important national observances in big cities and small towns across the country.
  5. Memorial Day is one of the few days flags are ordered to fly at half-staff then full-staff.
  6. In December 2000, Congress passed a law requiring Americans to pause at 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day to remember and honor the fallen.

Happy Memorial Day!