Retiree News

Aloha Veterans,

I am honored to join the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS) as your Interim Executive Director. As I begin my time here, my focus is on listening and learning—so that I may better understand how I can best support you and your health care needs.

Caring for those who have served our nation is a responsibility I hold with great respect. I am grateful for the trust you place in our staff each day, and I remain committed to supporting care that is patient-centered, compassionate, and respectful.

You are a Veteran

This week, the VA is sharing a new public service announcement, “Don’t Wait, Reach Out,” which reflects an important truth I want to underscore: the VA recognizes all Veterans—every individual who raised their hand to serve our country. Some Veterans may question whether they qualify for care or feel hesitant to reach out because they served many years ago, served in non-combat roles, or believe their service was somehow less than that of others. I want to be clear and reassuring—your service matters, and care through the VA is not something that must be earned again, nor does your service need to be compared to others. Especially when it comes to mental health and suicide prevention, help is meant to be accessible, compassionate, and without judgment. If you are struggling, you do not have to wait, and you do not have to go through it alone. Reaching out is an act of courage, and support is here for you. Visit https://www.va.gov/REACH/ for more information.

Mahalo for your service and for allowing us the privilege of serving you.

Thoughts from Chaplain Richie Charles

Before the creation of GPS and satellite navigation, sailors crossed the open seas with nothing more than a compass. A compass is a remarkably simple, yet powerful device. With its magnetized needle, it points toward magnetic north, giving sailors a fixed point of reference no matter where they find themselves in the vast, unpredictable waters. Priorities function much the same way. They act as our personal compass, keeping us from drifting away from what matters most.

Priorities don’t silence life’s pressures, demands, or distractions. They don’t stop the competing voices that call for our time and energy. But they do offer clarity that helps us navigate everything else without losing ourselves.

Sometimes, the hardest decisions in life aren’t between right and wrong, but between right and right. Priorities help us differentiate between two seemingly good options, reminding us that not everything good is truly essential.

Drifting often doesn’t feel obvious in the moment. It happens quietly—silently, slowly, gradually, and sometimes unknowingly. Without regularly returning to our priorities, we can stray from our intended path and eventually find ourselves in places we never meant to be.

To drift, we don’t have to reject what matters most; we simply have to neglect what matters most.

A compass doesn’t stop the wind, calm the waves, or remove the uncertainty of the journey. Its power lies in something simpler: it provides direction. It keeps us oriented toward magnetic north, even when the ocean or landscape around us feels unfamiliar.

The same way the wind can make the seas restless, as its waters are pulled in countless directions, we too can be carried adrift by life’s many demands. Priorities remind us that constant motion does not always mean meaningful progress.

So, ask yourself: What matters most in your service? What matters most in your life? What is your personal mission statement? And how can you steward each moment in the direction of your ultimate purpose?

In our daily service at VAPIHCS, priorities can help us remain aligned with our mission to serve Veterans with excellence. Let’s allow our priorities to serve as our compass—helping us stay aligned, anchored, and true to what is most important.