The concept of Whole Health centers around what matters to us, not what is the matter with us. We decide what is important for our health and well-being. At VA facilities across the country and through telehealth, a VA care team can help veterans develop a plan for all areas of their lives using a Personal Health Inventory.

Nurse Educator Kathy Bixby of the Washington, DC VA Medical Center has taught classes on several topics that veterans have deemed important in their Personal Health Inventories—including mindfulness, nutrition, exercise, and other aspects of self-care.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bixby helped DC’s Whole Health initiative become a model for success by leading a virtual “coffee hour,” a virtual wellness check during which veterans could talk about emotional challenges and help one another through them. A short video describes Bixby’s effort in greater detail and how that effort helped one veteran struggling with a mental health issue.