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Associations between early sleep-disordered breathing following moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury and long-term chronic pain status: a Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems study, Alcohol, Clinical and Experimental Research (21FEB23) — Dr. Murray Raskind and colleagues from the Northwest MIRECC have been leaders in evaluating the impact of prazosin for mental health conditions. Their early research identified a key role for prazosin in reducing PTSD trauma nightmares, sleep disruption and daytime hyperarousal symptoms. Subsequent studies have found benefits of prazosin for addressing the impact of nightmares among veterans with PTSD, mTBI postconcussive headaches, and disruptive agitation in dementia. In their recent research, Dr. Raskind and colleagues conducted a randomized trial to examine the efficacy of prazosin for addressing alcohol use disorder (AUD). In this study, 102 active-duty soldiers were randomized to receive prazosin or placebo for 13 weeks. Among the subset of participants with comorbid PTSD, significant reductions in craving for alcohol were evident for those randomized to prazosin. Additionally, given prazosin’s role in noradrenergic signaling, baseline cardiovascular measures were predictive of study findings. Study results suggest that higher pretreatment cardiovascular measures predict beneficial effects from prazosin. During Dr. Raskind’s MIRECC Presents lecture, prazosin will be discussed as a potential personalized medicine approach for treating alcohol use disorder.

Senior Mortgage Advisor for Armed Forces Bank, Jake Scarbo talks about Operation Homeward // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (04FEB2024 Portland, OR) — National Defense Radio Show speaks with a financial whiz from Armed Forces Bank, Jake Scarbo, to talk about getting your finances together in 2024. Randy Miller and Jake talk about why veterans and active-duty military folks need to look at the benefits they can access in buying or refinancing a home due to their military service. The guys discuss many topics on home ownership, their new program, “Operation Homeward,” the VA, and much more in this informative segment. Armed Forces Bank, founded and headquartered in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is a full-service military bank committed to serving those who serve since 1907. In VA VISN 20, Armed Forces Bank is located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

Characterizing and Comparing Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Utilization Among Veterans with Co-occurring PTSD and Substance Use Disorder Taylor and Francis Online (25JAN2024) — Researchers from the VA Portland Health Care System conducted a retrospective cohort study examining engagement in evidence-based treatments for PTSD among Veterans enrolled in VA Health Care. Leveraging data from the VA electronic health record, researchers examined data from 396,391 Veterans with PTSD and co-occurring Substance Use Disorder (SUD) between 2017 and 2019. The purpose of this research was to understand more about PTSD treatment engagement among Veterans dually diagnosed with PTSD and different subtypes of SUDs, and whether there were differences in PTSD treatment engagement between SUD subtypes. Veterans dually diagnosed with PTSD and alcohol use disorder (AUD) completed Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy at similar rates as Veterans dually diagnosed with PTSD and all other SUD subtypes (e.g., such as those with opioid or stimulant use disorders). These findings suggest that evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for PTSD are tolerated equally among Veterans diagnosed with various SUD subtypes and should be offered as a viable treatment option for those with all types of SUDs. Other notable study findings suggest that (1) individuals with SUDs may have more complex mental health comorbidities compared to those with AUD, and (2) additional considerations and resources may be offered when working with younger Veterans.

Wounded Warrior Project Julie Oare discusses Military Financial Readiness // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (21JAN2024 Portland, OR) — With news that inflation is improving in North America, we welcome Wounded Warrior Project’s Associate Director of Financial Readiness, Julie Oares, to the show to talk about the ongoing financial strain that families are seeing, especially at the grocery stores. Thanks to Wounded Warrior Project for their continued work in studying and providing solutions to military families.

Original Investigation | Neurology // Longitudinal Sleep Patterns and Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults // (04DEC2023) — Sleep disturbances and clinical sleep disorders are associated with all-cause dementia and neurodegenerative conditions, but it remains unclear how longitudinal changes in sleep impact the incidence of cognitive impairment. In this cross-sectional study of 826 older adults, there was a significant association between cognitive impairment and short sleep duration and longitudinal variability in sleep duration.

Wounded Warrior Project CEO Ret. Lt. General Mike Linnington // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (18NOV2023 Portland, OR) — Welcome, Chief Executive Officer of Wounded Warrior Project, Mike Linnington, to the show to discuss the history and importance of the Veterans Day holiday. Mike and Randy talk about how less than 1% of Americans wear uniforms to preserve our daily way of life and protect freedom around the world. We salute Mike and his entire team at Wounded Warrior Project for their tireless dedication to serving those who suffered injury while serving our country.

Veterans Day 2023 — November marks National Veteran and Military Families Month, highlighted by Veterans Day. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Day National Committee are pleased to provide a Teachers Resource Guide. This resource guide, along with another group of America’s finest — our teachers — will allow your students to learn more about the price our brave Veterans have paid to defend our nation. Veterans Day Regional Ceremonies recognized by VA provide military ceremonial support from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and a certificate from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for inclusion in the official program. Each year, the Veterans Day National Committee publishes a commemorative Veterans Day poster. The poster is selected from artwork submitted by artists nationwide distributed to schools, state governments, Veterans Day Regional Sites, the military services, and veterans service organizations. Poster requests are fulfilled until the inventory is exhausted. Download and print your own poster from the Veterans Day Poster Gallery. Veterans Day posters also serve as the cover of the official program for the Veterans Day Observance at Arlington National Cemetery. This year’s poster is by Mr. Gene Russell, a Photographer at the VA headquarters in Washington D.C.

RecruitMilitary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) — DAV’s employment program connects transitioning active duty, Guard and Reserve members, veterans and their spouses with employers. Partnering with RecruitMilitary, DAV sponsors job fairs including virtual events, to connect veterans and spouses with employers nationwide who are committed to hiring them. RecruitMilitary Job Fair are events where job seekers with military experience can meet with recruiters from local and national companies. These events are free for U.S. veterans, military spouses, transitioning military, and members of the Guard and Reserve. RecruitMilitary, a leading recruitment firm dedicated to the military community, is proud to announce that it has been honored with the prestigious "Patriot Employer" distinction by DAV.

• Naval Base Kitsap Area Veterans Job Fair Thursday, May 23, 2024
• Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA Thursday, June 27, 2024
• Greater Seattle Veterans Job Fair, Tacoma, WA Thursday, September 5, 2024
• Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA Thursday, October 17, 2024

Veterans Life Insurance — As part of the VA mission to serve Servicemembers, Veterans, and their families, VA provides valuable life insurance benefits to give you the peace of mind that comes with knowing your family is protected. The VALife program includes key dates and features impacting the Service Disabled Veterans Insurance (S-DVI) program. VALife is guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance. This means that if you meet the eligibility requirements for VALife, VA will automatically approve your application. You won’t need to prove you’re in good health. And you can keep your coverage for the rest of your life.

VA Mobile Medical Units (MMU's) deploying in Seattle and Tacoma — VA deployed 25 MMU's in 2023 and 2024 to provide health care and support to homeless and at-risk Veterans to meet with medical providers, including mental health clinicians, social workers, and staff. The VA fleet of MMU's are Ford F-550 Super Duty Trucks and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Vans. MMUs have been in use by the VA for more than 20 years. MMUs provide service continuity during emergencies when permanent sites of care are disabled or insufficient to meet the demand for healthcare
services. MMUs deliver primary care and other services to which the Veteran beneficiaries who have limited access to VA healthcare services due to low population density, remoteness, or limited local demand for specialized services. MMUs have also been used to identify and enroll Veterans who, for various reasons, may not have sought needed care and services at permanent VA facilities. In addition to MMUs, VA already has 83 Mobile Vet Centers (MVCs) around the country to provide confidential counseling and outreach to eligible individuals in communities that are distant or remote from existing services. The fleet of VA MVC's were first deployed in 2009.

156 YEARS AND COUNTING: Military commissaries evolve to become vital part of DOD’s initiative to improve economic security — When the modern-day commissary benefit began on July 1, 1867, it expanded shopping privileges at commissary subsistence stores to enlisted men. The benefit had previously only been available for officers since 1825. Fast forward 156 years and the commissary benefit has indeed evolved. The Department of Defense expanded commissary shopping privileges in the U.S. effective 1 January 2020 as part of the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. Access was expanded to include: Veterans with any VA-documented service-connected disabilities; Purple Heart recipients; Former prisoners of war; and Individuals assessed, approved and designated as primary family caregivers to eligible Veterans under VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. American military commissaries provide a military benefit of discounted groceries and household goods to active-duty, Reserve and Guard members of the uniformed services, retirees of these services, authorized family members, DOD civilian employees overseas and other designated categories. Commissary Store Locations in VISN 20 are located in Alaska, Idaho and Washington. Commissaries constitute one of the top nonpay benefits for today’s military and are an important inducement to recruitment and retention of skilled personnel, while simultaneously holding down taxpayer costs.

Randomized controlled pilot trial of prazosin for prophylaxis of posttraumatic headaches in active-duty service members and veterans — Posttraumatic headache (PTH) is common following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and for many patients can become chronic, causing substantial disability and distress. The paucity of randomized con-trolled trial (RCT) data for PTH prophylaxis continues to necessitate an empiric approach based on the predominant PTH clinical phenotype. Prazosin is an alpha-1 adrenergic receptor (AR) antagonist that lowers noradrenergic signaling both in the periphery and in the central nervous system. Approved for treatment of hypertension by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1976, prazosin has been widely used “off label” for benign prostatic hypertrophy and for trauma night-mares and sleep disruption in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

June is Alzheimer's and brain awareness month — Dementia is a progressive brain disorder with no known cure. As the brain changes during disease process, challenging behaviors may appear. Every brain is different, and symptoms may be as well. To ease these changes of progression and disease, offering pleasant and relaxing activities incorporating various techniques into our Veterans lives, offers potential to increase well-being and reduce distress. We include purpose with hope of potential behavioral interventions and strengths for the Veteran interventions to manage anxiety, irritability, anger, and depression.

VA announces reset of Electronic Health Record project (21APR2023 WASHINGTON) — Today, 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.

PACT Act Registration for Added VA Health Care Benefits // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (21MAY2023 Portland, OR) — Terrence Hayes, Press Secretary at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, joins the show to discuss the PACT Act and what veterans need to know. The VA is encouraging eligible veterans to get registered with the PACT Act.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Recreation Therapist Shawna Hill and Veteran Stephen Holsten // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (20MAY2023 Portland, OR) — Shawna Hill, Veteran Affairs Recreation therapist and vet participant Stephen Holsten join us to talk about 37th annual National Disabled Veterans Sports Clinic. The clinic, presented by the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans is expecting more than 350 disabled veterans from across the United States to gather together for this event.

Wounded Warrior Project’s Dana Dreckman // WKXL (FM-101, Audio) // The National Defense Radio Show (09APR2023 Portland, OR) — Welcome, Vice President of Warrior Experience for Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), Dana Dreckman. She shares with us the results of WWP’s Annual Warrior Survey; which this year had over 19k participants! Dana explains how the survey is applied, some recent changes to the program, and the challenges/successes that they are discovering by compiling this massive amount of data.

Prazosin May Reduce Drinking in Some Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder — American Psychiatric Association Publishing (23FEB2023) Prazosin, a medication commonly used to treat high blood pressure, may also reduce drinking by adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to a clinical trial involving active-duty military appearing in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Adults with elevated heart rate or blood pressure seemed to benefit the most from this medication. Murray Raskind, M.D., of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System and colleagues enrolled 102 active-duty soldiers (95% male) who were participating in a mandated Army outpatient alcohol treatment program.

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Use of these Materials and Finding VA Health Care

Please note that the health care information provided in these materials is for educational purposes only. It does not replace the role of a medical practitioner for advice on care and treatment. If you are looking for professional medical care, find your local VA healthcare center by using the VA Facilities Locator & Directory. This page may contain links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.

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Spanning 23% of the US land mass, VA Northwest Health Network (VISN 20) is the largest geographic region of VA. In the Pacific Northwest, VISN 20 serves Veterans in 135 counties in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Operating across three time zones over 817,417 square miles, VISN 20 is home to 273 federally recognized American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes. VISN 20 also serves Veterans in Del Norte and Siskiyou counties of California and Lincoln County Montana. Veterans may be eligible to receive care from a community provider when VA cannot provide the care needed. Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP) provides health care for Veterans from providers in the local community. VCCP includes General Community Care, Urgent Care, Emergency Care, Foreign Medical Care, Home Health and Hospice Care, Indian and Tribal Health Services, In Vitro Fertilization, State Veterans Home, and Flu Shots.

Browse facilities by state

Vet Centers in VISN 20

Vet Centers in the VISN 20 Health Care Network are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including professional readjustment counseling to eligible Veterans, active-duty Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force service members, including National Guard and Reserve components, and their families. 1-877-WAR-VETS is an around the clock confidential call center where Veterans, service members and their families can talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in transitioning after military service or trauma and get connected to their nearest Vet Center.

Vet Centers provide counseling to make a successful transition from military to civilian life or after a traumatic event experienced in the military. Individual, group, marriage and family counseling is offered in addition to referral and connection to other VA or community benefits and services. If you can’t make it to a nearby Vet Center, VA offers satellite Vet Center locations and Mobile Vet Centers that may be closer to you.

Find out if you can get VA health care as a Veteran

The following four categories of Veterans are not required to enroll but are urged to do so to permit better planning of health resources:

1. Veterans with a service-connected (SC) disability rated at 50% or more.
2. Veterans seeking care for a disability the military determined was incurred or aggravated in the line of duty, but which VA has not yet rated, within 12 months of discharge.
3. Veterans seeking care for a SC disability only or under a special treatment authority.
4. Veterans seeking registry examinations (ionizing radiation, Agent Orange, Gulf War/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) depleted uranium, airborne hazards, and Open Burn Pit Registry).

Find out how to apply for VA health care benefits as a Veteran or service member. For other mental health services, contact a VA medical center for information on eligibility and treatment options.

Plan your trip to VA

In 1946, Veterans Canteen Service (VCS) was established by law to provide comfort and well-being to America’s Veterans. With our many retail stores, cafés and coffee shops across the country, we serve those who have served our country. Our Canteens are whole health spaces for Veterans to connect, relax, share and care for themselves in an environment that is their benefit. We are proud to Serve America’s Veterans and those who provide for their care.

Hospital Service Directory

To find out whether there is a van near you use the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Hospital Service Coordinator Directory to contact your nearest HSC for information or assistance. Please remember that the DAV Transportation Network is staffed by volunteers; therefore, it is unable to cover every community.