Upholding Valor

VA serves all Veterans no matter their age, race, gender or sexual orientation. We know embracing diversity makes us a better healthcare organization.See our website for privacy information.

VA providers are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.  They balance mission, family, and their own fears as they show up to work every day to serve. Dr. Amy Cowan works at the VA Salt Lake City HCS.See our website for privacy information.

VA workers are on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are trained, we are prepared and VA will do everything within it’s power to help Veterans and the community if need be.  We are all in this together.See our website for privacy information.

Treatment and life after a traumatic brain injury is possible with VA experts skilled in poly-trauma and mental health.  A brain injury can be complicated by symptoms of PTSD. Meet Josh Hansen, an Operation Iraqi freedom Veteran, who has come out stronger on the other side of treatment.  First he saved himself, and now he’s saving others.See our website for privacy information.

During these unsettling times, VA is leading the way in caring for Veterans and keeping every one protected.  Virtual healthcare promotes safety, while providing that critical connection so many of our Veterans need right now.  Vet Connect keeps our Veterans safe from COVID-19.  We hope this podcast is helpful and finds you well.  See our website for privacy information.

A family’s medicine is the best medicine when it comes to recovery from a serious medical condition.  The Fisher House eases the family burden for those far away from home and allows for hope and healing.  This amazing home full of love and the comforts of home brings families together in support of one another.  This is one family’s story.See our website for privacy information.

Decades after the war, some Vietnam Veterans are just now coming to VA.  Dreams of war they can no longer ignore, and physical illness related to agent orange exposure have them looking for answers and peace.  VA has the expertise, research and compassion to make a difference.  There is help.  This is one Veteran’s story.    See our website for privacy information.

Some of the Veterans who fought for your freedom are now fighting for survival on the streets.  In Utah, Veterans make up 8% of the Homeless Population.  While we have seen an almost a 40% decrease in recent years, across the nation, roughly 40,000 Veterans still remain homeless.   These Veterans not only struggle with safety and shelter. Sometimes the legal and financial burdens that come with the harsh circumstances of homelessness prove to be too much to overcome.See our website for privacy information.

As America finds itself caught in the deadly grip of opioid addiction, community leaders, policy makers, and medical practitioners alike have struggled to balance the needs of the infirmed against the growing threat posed by these drugs. On this episode of the Upholding Valor podcast, we’ll hear the personal and heartfelt tales of Veterans whose lives were shattered by opioid addiction.See our website for privacy information.

Every day, 20 Veterans die by suicide. That’s 7,300 service members a year – more than were killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Combined. Casualties of a private war, many of these men and women survived the horrors of the battlefield only to succumb to the hidden enemy locked within their minds. On this episode of the Upholding Valor podcast, we’ll journey into the world of darkness that drove Iraq War Veteran Tammy Joy Lane and Vietnam Era Veteran Alan Morris to try and take their own lives. And we’ll hear of how they survived the ordeal and learned that even amongst the bleakest times, there’s always a glimmer of hope. We’ll also hear from Dr. Michael Tragakis, a psychologist, and Suicide Prevention Clinical Director with the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System on the warning signs and treatments of suicide.See our website for privacy information.

Since 2014 Karl Baylor hasn’t had a heartbeat, now as a transplant recipient he is adjusting to waking up every morning with a pulse, and a tremble in his new heart.  At the Salt Lake City VA, our nurses play a critical role in ensuring the continued health and welfare of America’s Heroes, Veterans just like Karl. On this episode of Upholding Valor, we’ll hear from Karl, and take an inside look into the world of nursing.  The challenges and rewards nurses face while helping service members on their road to recovery.See our website for privacy information.

Army veteran, and IED survivor, Bryant Jacobs takes us to the moments before a bomb changed his life forever. Jacobs shares his struggle to return to normalcy after the Iraq war, and of the harrowing decision to amputate his leg. However, his story doesn’t end there. In 2015, Jacobs and another Veteran became the first two patients in the U.S. to undergo an experimental procedure, one that could help them — and America’s nearly 2 million amputees — take the literal steps toward a better life. Today we check in with Jacobs to see how he’s progressing and speak with Dr. Sarina Sinclair, the prosthetic research scientist at the Salt Lake City VA who helped pioneer this extraordinary procedure.See our website for privacy information.

The VA could not run its daily operations without thousands of volunteers that give their time and energy every day.  Make a difference in a veteran's life today.  Hear from two Vietnam veterans who know sacrifice and continue to give long after their service.See our website for privacy information.

It's true what they say: You are what you eat. In this week's Upholding Valor podcast, we talk whole health and nutrition. Eating the right foods can literally prevent, even cure, disease. We want our veterans to drive their own healthcare and as ask themselves, "What matters most?"See our website for privacy information.

The new Mission Act will ensure veterans get the timely care they deserve.  Access and quality care are the VA’s number one priority--if we can’t get them into a doctor soon enough, veterans may see a provider in the community.  To hear more details on the Mission Act and how it impacts you, listen to the Upholding Valor podcast.  Thank you for choosing VA!See our website for privacy information.

The VA cares for all veterans no matter their race, gender, age or sexual orientation.  Our LGBT Veterans have unique healthcare needs based on their life and military experiences.  We are honored to offer special programs and resources.  Please take a moment to listen to our podcast and then make that first phone call.  See our website for privacy information.

VA commemorates the Vietnam War 50 years later.  Our service men and women did not receive the homecoming they so richly deserved, but years later VA is trying to make up for that through comprehensive benefits, healthcare and compassion.  Many of these Veterans are coming to us for the very first time some 40 years later.  It is heartbreaking to relive but necessary to learn from and move forward.See our website for privacy information.

VA offers all types of resources for Veterans to include family services.  Intimate Partner Violence is something that may be hard to talk about and confront, but with help families can heal.See our website for privacy information.

Women make up 15 percent of our military and today, most don’t even consider themselves Veterans.  VA is committed to your unique care needs and is anxious to serve you.  Visits our women’s clinic today at the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center.  For more information go to https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/See our website for privacy information.

Transition struggles can happen after military service or a long deployment.  Just know, you don’t have to suffer in silence.  Our psychologists and social workers are specially trained in all aspects of post deployment issues to include: PTSD, family therapy, homelessness, substance abuse, and legal troubles.  Enroll today at www.saltlakecity.va.govSee our website for privacy information.