On March 6, VA announced the deployment of the Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) system at nine additional medical facilities in 2026 but indicated that the announcement of the locations would be delayed until later this year. Less than four weeks later, the sites were presented as follows on March 31 with four of the nine to be deployed within the state of Ohio and three in Indiana.  The nine are: Fort Thomas, Kentucky; Cincinnati, […]

Throughout its 80 years of service to blind and now low vision veterans, BVA has been the beneficiary of hundreds of thousands of hours logged by countless volunteers, many of whom have been veterans themselves in service to one another as they practice the organization’s motto—blinded veterans helping blinded veterans. April is National Volunteer Month, celebrating the larger-than-life impact volunteers have had on United States history as they serve individuals, often one by one and […]

Members of BVA’s Greater Houston Regional Group gathered last Friday at one of the city’s 12 popular Health Department Multi-Purpose Centers to celebrate BVA’s 80th anniversary. Stephanie Haechten, representing the City of Houstons Mayor’s Office, read a proclamation from Mayor John Whitmire and presented it to Regional Group President Armsted J. Chambers and Vice President Regina Haynesworth Thurston.  BVA National Vice President Wade Davis presented a historical overview of the Association and Past National President […]

The BVA Auxiliary (BVAA) Scholarship Committee has reinstated the Renee Feldman Scholarship Program. BVAA awards three scholarships per academic year, two for $2,000 and one for $1,500 made in two installments, fall and spring. Applicants must be a spouse or a generational child (child, grandchild, great-grandchild) of a blinded veteran who is or has been a BVA member. Renee Feldman, for whom the program is named, was herself a World War II U.S. Army veteran, […]

The Spring series of the Gardening Interest Group facilitated by Monique Statham blooms Monday, April 14, and continues weekly until May 12. Open to all blind and low vision veterans via Zoom on Monday evenings at 6:00pm Eastern Time, the series will focus on planting seeds, preparing the gardening areas in the ground and in containers, and the growing and harvesting process. At BVA Happenings press time, abundant space for participants is still available. The […]

BVA National Communications Strategist and Podcast Host Steve Baskis released on April 1 the latest episode of Visions of BVA. The brief program, “80 Years of Service, Convention Countdown, Leadership News, and Regional Group Highlights,” offers a handful of news updates and reflects on a most momentous month of March 2025 that marked eight decades of BVA service to veterans with sight loss, as well as their families and caregivers. Visions of BVA releases a […]

On the journey toward building healthy eating and drinking habits, the average person needs to begin somewhere, and it is definitely easier said than done. When it comes to eating right, here’s the best advice: Treat yourself well and show self-love by what you consume. Young people growing up today have more choices in food and drink than ever before. Older generations of veterans are well aware of that fact. With all the choices, however, […]

Blind Rehabilitation Service (BRS) of the Bay Pines, Florida, VA Health Care System recently distributed valuable information in its Spring 2025 newsletter about diet and maximizing eye health. The focus was on the content of Vitamin A, C, and E in food and how each type of vitamin can impact remaining sight. Vitamin A, for example, is an essential, trusted source for good vision. It is a component of the protein rhodopsin, which allows the […]

April is National Financial Literacy Month, an opportunity to review and upgrade our financial smarts in the quest to build wealth or release ourselves from excessive debts or financial obligations. Ironically, National Financial Literacy Month is here as we face what is, at least for some, the ominous federal income tax filing deadline of April 15. Although financial literacy is especially important for veterans transitioning from military to civilian life, its relevance extends to veterans […]