NOVA developed the Empower Mentoring Program to help you meet professional goals and pursue dreams for professional advancement within the VA.  The program is designed to guide a mutual relationship between an experienced VA nurse who is the mentor and the mentee.  NOVA mentees completed a survey and identified benefits of having a mentor including: someone to help guide your career, gaining knowledge and helpful tips, being encouraged to think outside the box, having someone who listens and gives advice, getting help with a proficiency, feeling supported and challenged, gaining knowledge, having a sounding board for advice, having somebody to explain VA, and getting advice from someone who is really smart and has a lot of VA experience.  

NOVA mentors completed a survey and identified the benefits of being a mentor including:  rewards of helping, the opportunity to give back, seeing mentees achieve goals, helping someone learn the VA system, watching a nurse grow and learning from them, learning while teaching, feeling valued, adding valued to your career, creating relationships, the satisfaction of helping a mentee, and having the ability to impart knowledge and see your mentee grow professionally.

Should you ask for a mentor?  Would you like help navigating the VA system, developing supportive and encouraging relationships, receiving guidance in professional, personal, and interpersonal growth? Would you like to connect with seasoned NOVA members to benefit from their expertise and experience?  Would you like specific assistance related to current needs, such as promotion?  Are you willing to complete the program requirements and work with a mentor to achieve your goals?

Should you become a mentor?  Have you worked in the VA for a year or more?  Do you know things now that you wished somebody told you when you first started in VA?  Do you want to help people navigate the sometimes confusing routes to promotion and career development in the VA?  Do you want to answer questions from VA nurses who would like help with a situation they’re encountering at work? Do you want to help VA nurses start a NOVA chapter or help make a chapter better?  Do you want to make a difference? 

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, go to the NOVA Webpage; click on Education, then select Mentorship Program.

Welcome to the 119th Congress. NOVA will continue to advocate on behalf of all nurses working at the VA. We released our 2025 Legislative Priority Goals on January 7, 2025; the press release and list of priorities can be found here.

The goals focus on funding, staffing, recruitment & retention with an emphasis on sufficient on-time funding to allow the ongoing hiring of healthcare staff and ensuring any legislation or funding of community care does not impede the superior care VHA offers to Veterans. We also ask that all community providers be required to have comparable quality and training standards equal to VA providers. 

Goals under recruitment and retention include:

1. Reviewing staffing levels and hiring in all settings so that VA can deliver timely access for all Veterans seeking care. 

2. Ensuring salary surveys are performed annually for all nursing workforce (APRN, RN, LPN, LVN) so that VHA remains competitive in local markets, and support and revise qualifications and pay levels for LPNs.

We will continue to partner with our Labor, Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) to strengthen the nursing profession and to build a strong workforce for the future. 

Just a few final notes on the 119th Congress:
House and Senate VA Committee members will be released this month, as well as Budget and Appropriations Committees and Subcommittees. These are the leaders who will decide the agenda policies, and hearings for VA as well as FY2025 & FY2026 funding.

I remind all of you of the importance of your advocacy and influence as the most respected profession. As nurses what you say matters and educating your lawmakers – both House & Senate – as to what you need to provide timely access to high quality healthcare is critical.

I ask you to join us in Washington D.C. for our Annual Hill Day on Thursday, March 20, 2025. You can register here.

We will meet with members of the new Congress and remind them that VA remains the only Federal health system that provides the highest level of coordinated care. VHA also trains 70% of U.S. doctors as well as providing critical research that helps not just Veterans but the population at large.

We are always looking for more members to help us advocate and be a part of the NOVA Legislative Committee. If interested, please contact me at tmorris@vanurse.org.

Keep advocating for yourselves, Veterans, and the VA System!

On October 9-10 NOVA presented its 44th Annual Conference at the Hilton in Virginia Beach, VA.  The Mayor of Virginia Beach, Bobby Dyer, and the Acting Director of the Hampton VA Walt Dannenberg welcomed NOVA members to the 44th Annual Conference.  Representative Jen Kiggans, a fellow nurse and Veteran, spoke to NOVA nurses during the morning’s first keynote session.

Emily Larimer MSN BA RN spoke on "Donation and the VHA:  Strength to Strength" and Joan Clifford DNP RN spoke on "Our High Reliability Journey:  The Critical Role of Leadership, Psychological Safety, and Just Culture."  Katherine Allen BSN RN presented "Phototherapy" and Joellene Skoog led the attendees in a Meditation Exercise. Heather Arredondo DHA RN VHA-CM Associate Director Policy, Legislation, and Professional Standards ONS presented "Keys to Success for Nurse Promotion Consideration and Annual Evaluation," and Dr. Jennifer Strawn DNP RN NEA-BC Executive Director ONS presented "Nursing Town Hall."  Ahnnya Slaughter DNP CNS-BC RN-C presented "Nurse Safety," and Megan Rumzie DNP MBA CNL RN HNB-BC presented "Innovation."   

Podium presentations were done by Andrea Kossoudji MS MBA RN AMB-BC "Empowering Nurses to Serve Veterans with Military Environmental Exposures," Elizabeth Edmiston PhD RN "Empowering Nurses in Research (ENIR): A VANEOHS Initiative," and Lawrence Rasca MSN RN CRRN CNRN SCRN CCRN "High Five in First Five:  Achieving Excellence in Code Resuscitation." Lawrence Lemos DNP RM NEA-BC presented "Caring for Patients with Cognitive Impairment," and Beth Waters BSN RN CCRN PHN presented "Pathway to Healthy Work Environment: HRO Journey Benefits All." The closing session was a Legislative Panel moderated by Teresa Morris, NOVA's Director of Advocacy and Government Relations. 

Members of NOVA's Legislative Committee met after the conference Wednesday at Murphy's.

At the Awards Luncheon, NOVA's awards were presented by Past President TJ Wilcox-Olson MHS RN CPHQ and President Cathy Giasson DNP MHA RN NE-BC CPHQ. The APRN Excellence Award was presented to Jennifer Moseley DNP FNP-BC VA Boston HCS NOVA's RN Excellence Award was presented to Marva Griffin RN  and accepted by Lynette Short) Hunter Holmes McGuire VAMC. NOVA's Veterans Service Award was presented to the Arizona Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (AzPVA) and accepted by Morgan Brown, PVA) .
NOVA's Poster Winners presented were (1) Lawrence Rasca-Baltimore (2) Jennifer Eubanks and Jennifer Mason-Lexington (3) Judy Santelices Washington DC & Members of the DC Chapter.  
    
NOVA 2024 Scholarship Recipients are as follows:

• Nursing Leadership Scholarship in Honor of Catherine J. Rick - Kelly Loven MSN RN FNP-BC CEN 
• Veterans Advocacy Scholarship in Honor of Anthony J. Principi - Joe Domen, RN 
• Nursing Excellence Scholarship in Honor of Vernice Ferguson - Kamala McGee MSN RN MBA-HC CNML (Durham)
• Commitment to Serving Veterans Scholarship in Honor of Jesse Brown - Lyn Sheperd DNPs MSN RN
• Nurse Emeritus Academic Scholarship in Honor of Mary Raymer - Namrata Patel RN

NOVA Special Event Winners:

• NOVA Bingo Winners were Sheila Arrington-Washington DC and Orkie Bradley-Kansas City
• NOVA Icebreaker Winners with Sonia Thurman-Washington DC and Jennifer Moseley-Boston

NOVA thanked the sponsors & exhibitors! Ruby Sponsors: AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Genentech. Platinum Sponsor: Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Gold Sponsors: Attends, Post University. Silver Sponsors: AstraZeneca, Taiho Oncology, Cytokinetics. Bronze Sponsors: Agiliti, Aurie, Ascendis Pharma, BeiGene, DSS, Federal Benefits, Issio, Johnson & Johnson, Promedtek, Tranquility, Merck, Organogenesis, Recon Supply, Renegesis. Symposia Sponsors: Johnson & Johnson, PeerView. Exhibitors: Right at Home, University of Colorado College of Nursing, Alkermes. 

Save the date: NOVA’s 45th Anniversary Conference will be held in Nashville, TN from October 21-23, 2025.

As we continue to tally up election results – a few House races have yet to be called at the deadline for this issue, it is a wonderful time to thank all of you for your advocacy and continued work supporting NOVA and those who care for Veterans.

Just a few final notes on the 118th Congress: It held over 150 hearings related to VA/Veterans and introduced more than five hundred Veterans bills with minimal policies clearing both House and Senate.

In recent years, instead of passing singular bills, larger Veterans packages (omnibus) containing provisions from many bills are put together which makes it a bit more difficult to reach an agreement, not to mention securing the votes to pass both House and Senate.

As I write this, this year’ omnibus package of Veterans bills included in the “Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, is still being negotiated. NOVA, alongside our partners, objected to a couple of provisions that we believe could erode internal funding and further jeopardize the VA healthcare system. The bill could pass if said provisions were modified to have clearer guardrails for community care providers seeking to join or remain part of the VA network.*

We continue to advocate for the inclusion of these guardrails and things to help healthcare providers within the VA- staffing, recruitment, and retention benefits.

I remind all of you of the importance of your advocacy and influence as the most respected profession. As nurses what you say matters and educating your lawmakers – both House & Senate – as to what you need to provide timely access to quality healthcare is critical.

I ask you to consider joining the NOVA Legislative Committee for 2025 and to meet us in Washington for our Annual Hill Day on March 20, 2025.

We will meet with members of the 119th Congress and remind them that VA remains the only Federal health system that provides the highest level of coordinated care. VHA also trains 70% of U.S. doctors as well as providing critical research that helps not just Veterans but the population at large.

You can volunteer for the Legislative, or any NOVA committee, here.

I have provided the links to both the House and Senate VA Committees so that you can review all hearings and legislation as we close out this Congress and move onto the next session:

House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Keep advocating for yourselves, Veterans, and the VA System!

*ALERT:  On Monday, November 18, the House passed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act.  The bill includes several critical provisions that will expand healthcare services and benefits for veterans.

Congress returned to DC earlier this month with a hectic schedule and many priorities. At the top of the list is passing a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the federal government open as current funding is set to expire September 30. October 1 is the start of the 2025 fiscal year. 

Speaking of funding, there is a critical issue facing the Department of Veterans Affairs. In July, VA reported that they are facing a budget shortfall in both its VBA and VHA accounts. According to reports, For FY24 VBA has a $3 billion in disability compensation, pension, and education benefits shortfall and an additional $12 billion is needed for FY25 for medical care.

Congress - particularly the House and Senate VA Committees - have questioned how this happened and held hearings to hear directly from VA leadership on an explanation.

Over in the House, HVAC Chair Mike Bost deemed that “lack of accountability has caused the Department to completely lose control of its budgets and its information technology (IT) projects, which have ballooned in cost. This resulted in the $3 billion hole in disability compensation and education funding, and the $12 billion hole in VA health care next year. The VA “has no excuse” for failing to budget appropriately for the PACT Act.

Ranking Member Mark Takano focused on the importance of fully resourcing the VA’s in-house provision of care. He noted that the VA routinely outperforms the private sector in meeting Veterans’ needs, and it is cheaper than community care. He noted that unchecked growth of for-profit health care in the community will weaken the VA and eliminate Veterans’ choices.

The VSO community has come out strongly that VA must make this right which means Congress will have to pass a separate supplemental for both VBA and VHA to fill the gaps.

Senate VA Committee Members also questioned VA at their hearing (9/18). Asking why the supplemental was requested four months after the Administration submitted its proposed budget, and immediately after appropriators in the House and the Senate reported their bills, when it was too late for this to be included. Many voiced concerns about the funding shortfall caused by the VA’s miscalculations and called for greater transparency between VA and Congress. Others applauded the success of the PACT Act and acknowledged that it is bringing more Veterans into VA facilities., and research shows how much better the VA cares for Veterans than the community.

NOVA believes that it is important to prioritize Veterans care, and that funding must be evaluated and monitored for all accounts to remain solvent.

With limited time left on the legislative calendar, it does not look likely the omnibus or any substantial Veterans’ legislation will be passed. The House VA Committee continues to introduce bills, and NOVA alongside its partners at the American Psychological Association, Association of VA Psychologist Leaders, Association of VA Social Workers, National Association of Veterans Affairs Physicians and Dentist, and the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute submitted testimony to the Subcommittee on Health (9/11/24) which detailed our concerns with some of the bills. 

View our testimony

As we move into the final months of the 118th Congress, we must continue to speak up and advocate by reminding policy makers that VA remains the only Federal health system that provides the highest level of coordinated care. VHA also trains many doctors as well as providing critical research that helps not just Veterans but the U.S. population writ large.
 
I have provided the links to both the House and Senate VA Committees so that you can review hearings held in September –
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs

Keep advocating for yourselves, Veterans, and the VA System!