You can help the Kansas City VA Medical Center adapt to fulfill the needs of all veterans
My Grampa Isaacks didn’t talk much about his service in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. You know how some memories you have are clearer than others? I once took the opportunity to spend time with my grandfather at his home in Independence, with its large yard and huge, soaring trees. My fascination with his military service was sparked earlier that day when he gave me an old Army knife, which I later learned was a bayonet knife he carried while serving in the Pacific.
I asked him why he volunteered. I didn’t even blink when he shed a small tear as he gathered his thoughts to respond. He told me to look specifically at one of the trees in the yard — the largest and grandest of them all.
“See,” he said, “nature invests in trees. Whether it’s the soil where they’re planted or the weather that surrounds them, trees seem to thrive during hard times. Trees with the deepest roots often are found in the windiest locations. The pushing and pulling of the wind is gracefully accepted by a tree. It does not just stand rigid in its ways. It accepts the challenges, environmental changes and energy the wind produces. Each time this occurs, it produces stronger and deeper roots.”
Remember the Biosphere 2 project, built in Arizona in the late 1980s? It had a problem. While trees grew rapidly inside the enclosed ecological system, scientists found that they were measurably weaker than those in the outside world. Those trees were not exposed to trials and challenges, and as a result, their wood was never influenced to grow strong.
My grandfather told me that a tree, no matter how stately, is not strong naturally. It’s the investment of everything around it that makes it majestic. He told me that volunteering for military service was the way for him to invest in America and in my future just like nature invests in trees.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has had a long and ever-changing history. Recently, an Army sergeant major I know reminded me that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, and the second-best time is today. When I think about my role as director of the Kansas City VA Medical Center, I choose to make conscious decisions to plant “trees” today — to invest now in change and innovation instead of waiting until the future comes.
The Kansas City VA will not stand rigid in its ways. We will accept the challenges, changes and energy of the future health care environment that will be required to care for veterans. It won’t be easy. We will try many ideas, innovate as much as we can and course correct as often as we must.
As a Marine Corps veteran, what we do now matters to me. I receive the same health care I oversee. I am invested in this hospital to ensure the care for all veterans continues to improve. As I age, I want a VA that is positioned, ready and capable of caring for my health care needs when I most need them.
I encourage all Americans to find ways to invest in the VA. Volunteer at your local VA hospital. Let your elected officials know you support VA research, which is funded by both Congress and local foundations. Support organizations such the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans and Fisher House Foundation, which directly assist veterans. VA hospitals train over 70% of all doctors in America. Every United States citizen benefits when we prioritize the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The health care needs of American veterans are unique. However, now more than ever, having a strong VA is critical to care for the veterans of this time. Also, if and when something like the events of Sept. 11, 2001, happens again, future veterans will see how committed our government is in safeguarding them as they defend those who cannot protect themselves.
Future generations of men and women who volunteer for military service will see how America will care for them once their service ends. Whether that service is four years or 40 years, how we invest in the VA now will continue to be a strong link to ensuring a healthy military force in the future. A strong VA reflects a strong America.
David Isaacks is CEO and director of the Kansas City VA Medical Center.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "You can help the Kansas City VA Medical Center adapt to fulfill the needs of all veterans."