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>>(ANNOUNCER) VA MAINTAINS
A COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM
THAT INCLUDES BIOMEDICAL,
CLINICAL, REHABILITATION,
AND HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH.
WITHIN THE HEALTH SERVICES
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICE
INVESTIGATORS WORK TO IDENTIFY
AND EVALUATE INNOVATIVE STUDIES
THAT LEAD TO ACCESSIBLE,
HIGH QUALITY,
COST EFFECTIVE CARE
FOR VETERANS AND THE NATION.
IN HONOR OF VETERAN'S DAY,
VA HSR&D INVESTIGATORS
EXPRESS THEIR THANKS TO VETERANS
FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS
TO VOLUNTEER IN VA RESEARCH.
VETERANS' GENEROUS PARTICIPATION
IN RESEARCH STUDIES IS SURPASSED
ONLY BY THEIR DEDICATION
AND SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
>>NONE OF OUR RESEARCH
COULD HAPPEN
WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO TALK
TO VETERANS AT FACILITIES.
LEARNING FROM THEM,
LEARNING FROM YOU,
HEARING WHAT YOU HAVE
EXPERIENCED,
TRUSTING US WITH
YOUR INFORMATION
AND LETTING US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL
AND SHARING YOUR WISDOM,
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT
YOU'VE HAD SOME GREAT IDEAS
AT HOW WE CAN
PROVIDE BETTER CARE TO YOU,
AND WE REALLY THANK YOU FOR
ALL THE EFFORT AND TIME AND
TRUST THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO US.
>>I HAVE WORKED IN THE VA
FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW,
AND THE ABILITY
TO CONDUCT RESEARCH
THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
NOT ONLY
IN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM,
BUT FOR EVERY MAN AND WOMEN
IN SERVICE
WHO HAS COME TO THE VA
FOR HEALTHCARE
HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUSLY
REWARDING EXPERIENCE.
I CANNOT TELL YOU
HOW MUCH IT MEANS
TO ALL OF US WHO WORK VERY HARD
ON YOUR BEHALVES
TO REALLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY
TO CONNECT WITH YOU
AND HELP US EXPLAIN
THE KIND OF WORK WE DO
AND HAVE YOU HELP INFORM US
WAYS TO MAKE
EVERYTHING WE DO BETTER.
WE APPRECIATE IT;
IT KEEPS US ON OUR TOES;
AND WE JUST COULDN'T DO THE WORK
WITHOUT ALL OF YOU
WHO HAVE BEEN IN SERVICE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>WHAT I HAVE FOUND IN WORKING
WITH VETERANS CLINICALLY
AND IN RESEARCH IS THAT THEY ARE
PATRIOTIC, THEY ARE DEDICATED,
THEY GIVE THERE ALL
FOR OUR COUNTRY.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IMPRESSED
WITH THE GENEROSITY
THAT THEY'VE SHOWN US
IN RESEARCH IN
AND PART OF THAT GENEROSITY
IS BORN OF THEIR CONCERN
FOR THEIR FELLOW SOLDIERS
OR SERVICE MEMBERS.
IT'S ALWAYS A PRIVILEGE
TO WORK WITH THEM.
>>I'VE DECIDED TO SPEND
MY ENTIRE CAREER DOING RESEARCH
AT THE VA IN ORDER TO IMPROVE
THE QUALITY OF CARE
THAT VETERANS GET.
I THINK IT'S A CRITICALLY
IMPORTANT MISSION OF VA RESEARCH
TO SERVE THOSE
WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY
AND I'M JUST VERY GRATEFUL
FOR THEIR SERVICE
AND HOPE WE CAN GIVE BACK
TO THEM IN THE WAY
THAT THEY'VE GIVEN TO US.
>>AS I LOOK AROUND IN MY OWN
PERSONAL CIRCLE OF PEOPLE,
THERE'S SO MANY VETERANS.
MY FATHER, MY FATHER-IN-LAW,
MY UNCLES,
MY BEST FRIEND'S FATHER,
MY NEPHEW IS IN ACTIVE SERVICE,
AND THE LIST GOES ON.
AND SO, IT'S REALLY A PRIVILEGE
TO BE ABLE TO WORK IN THE SYSTEM
AND TO TRY TO GIVE BACK
IN A DIFFERENT WAY,
AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE
OF VETERANS AND THEIR SERVICE.
>>THERE IS A DEDICATION,
AND YOU FEEL IT
EVERYWHERE YOU GO IN THE VA.
YOU FEEL A DEDICATION
TO TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN
FOR VETERANS, AND SO,
IF I CAN BE SOME SMALL PART
OF THAT AND HELP SOMEONE EVEN,
SOME SEVERAL
DEGREES OF SEPARATION
OUT BY ANY LITTLE SMALL THING
THAT I DO,
I FEEL LIKE IT'S THE LEAST
I CAN DO FOR THOSE
WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY.
>>ON BEHALF OF THE VA'S
QUALITY ENHANCEMENT
RESEARCH INITIATIVE,
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE VETERANS
WHO'VE PARTICIPATED
IN OUR RESEARCH STUDIES.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONDUCT
THE RESEARCH
WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
AND WE ALSO
SINCERELY WANT TO THANK
YOUR SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY.
>>I'M REALLY INDEBTED
TO THE WOMEN VETERANS
WHO PARTICIPATED IN MY RESEARCH
AND OTHER STUDIES.
THE WOMEN THAT HAVE TALKED TO ME
IN MY FOCUS GROUPS
AND IN MY INTERVIEWS HAVE SHARED
REALLY PERSONAL STORIES WITH ME
AND THEY TELL ME
THAT THEY'RE DOING IT
BECAUSE THEY CARE ABOUT
THE HEALTH OF OTHER VETERANS,
AND SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL
FOR THAT.
>>SO, I AM SO GRATEFUL
FOR VETERANS
AND WHAT THEY BRING
TO MY OWN WORK
AND MY OWN EXPERIENCE IN WORKING
WITH VETERANS....
JUST THE FEELING THAT
I GET IN WALKING THROUGH
A VA HOSPITAL...
THERE IS JUST SO MUCH
CAMARADERIE,
THE VETERANS THAT I MEET
AND GREET IN THE HALLS,
I JUST....THEY LIFT ME.
THEY LIFT MY SPIRITS.
>>WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO ENGAGE ON THE TELEPHONE,
VETERANS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY
WHO'VE HAD PENETRATING
HEAD INJURIES.
THE ABILITY TO INTERACT
WITH THESE VETERANS, I MEAN,
IT'S BROUGHT OUR TEAM TOGETHER.
YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY
TO HEAR THE STORIES
AND IT GIVES LIFE TO THE NUMBERS
THAT WE SEE,
AND EVERY TIME WE TALK
TO ONE OF OUR VETERANS,
IT MAKES ME ALMOST WANT TO CRY.
I THANK THEM FOR ALL THAT,
FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS
TO PARTICIPATE IN OUR RESEARCH,
AND THEIR WILLINGNESS
TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY,
AND WE OWE THEM A LOT.
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(ANNOUNCER) THANK YOU
TO OUR NATIONS VETERANS
FOR THEIR SERVICE
AND FOR TAKING PART
IN VA RESEARCH.