United States Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs

HealthierUS Veterans

Milestones

HealthierUS Veterans 2006 - 2007 Report

2006*

  • February 27:  Press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, DC National Press Club in Washington, DC with former Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary R. James Nicholson; Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael O. Leavitt; former Surgeon General Richard Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS; and former Under Secretary for Health Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, FACP.
  • February:  HealthierUS Veterans website launched.
  • March 2:  Press conference with VA Secretary R. James Nicholson and the Michael R. Bloomberg, Mayor of New York City.
  • May 6:  50th anniversary celebration of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports at RFK Stadium, Washington, DC, with Dr. Perlin and fitness expert Denise Austin.
  • May 10: Memorandum announcing the initiative issued from Under Secretary.
  • May 13:  West Coast regional kick-off event in Seattle with the VA Puget Sound VA Puget Sound - Seattle Division and Steps to Health King County. 
  • May 19:  East Coast regional kick-off event in Boston with the Boston Steps program and the Boston VA Healthcare System.  
  • July 5: exhibit at National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Anchorage, Alaska with Dr. Perlin and Dr. Ken Jones, MOVE! Program Manager
  • September:  Public Service Announcements featuring John Elway and veteran Bill Bloom filmed.
  • September 26: VA national kick-off event at VA Central Office, with Secretary Nicholson and staff presentations.
  • November:  On-line Toolkit posted to website.
  • November 16: VISN 8 Walk and Roll for a HealthierUS event in Bay Pines with the Pinellas County Steps to a HealthierUS program and VHA HealthierUS Veterans lead Dr. Linda Kinsinger

2007*

  • January:  Public Service Announcements broadcast on network television stations.
  • April 5:  HealthierUS Veterans Celebration of Health event in Denver, with Secretary Nicholson and former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway, spokesperson for initiative.
  • May 16:  HealthierUS Veterans activities held nationwide in conjunction with National Employee Health and Fitness Day.
  • July 26: HealthierUS Veterans celebration event in New York City, with Secretary Nicholson and VHA Chief Patient Care Services Officer Dr. Madhu Agarwal.
  • August: Get Fit for Life exercise DVD filmed featuring fitness expert Denise Austin and Miss America 2000 Heather French-Henry.
  • September 27:   VA Symposium on Obesity, Nutrition, and Fitness at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington DC, with Secretary Nicholson, Under Secretary for Health Dr. Michael Kussman, John Elway, and former baseball star Bob Feller, scientific presentations by VA researchers, and poster presentations by VA staff from across the country.
  • November:  The Champions Challenge, a challenge to walk 100 miles in 100 days, is launched in collaboration with Veterans Canteen Service.
  • December:  Get Fit for Life exercise DVD distributed to VA Medical Centers.

2008

  • January 2008:  Customized entry to the President's Challenge website from the HealthierUS Veterans website launched.
  • May 2008:  Mini grants awarded for HealthierUS Veterans projects at VA facilities and Community-Based Outpatient Clinics that encourage healthy eating, physical activity and getting fit for life.

 

*There were numerous local events, articles in newspapers, magazines and reports on television.