VA suspends visitation to nursing homes, spinal cord centers amid spread of coronavirus…The Department of Veterans Affairs has banned virtually all visitors from its nursing homes and spinal cord injury centers to protect its most vulnerable patients as coronavirus cases increase across the country. “While the [coronavirus] risk to average Americans remains low, these common-sense measures will help protect some of our most vulnerable patients,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said Tuesday in a statement. “VA will make every effort to minimize the impact of these policies on veterans while putting patient safety first.” The VA announced all of its 134 nursing homes, which are home to more than 41,000 veterans, adopted a “no visitor” stance, meaning no outside visitors are permitted to see patients, according to the department. The only exception will be when veterans are in the last stages of life, at which time visitors will be limited to the patient’s room. VA’s 24 major spinal cord injury and disorder centers serve 24,000 veterans, whom the agency considers vulnerable to infection. These centers also are barring visitors but will have the same exception in the case of the veteran approaching the end of his or her life. All spinal facilities will avoid inpatient admittance for routine care and exams and will be directing those patients to outpatient care. VA has the largest health care network in the country, tasked with caring for more than 9 million service members and veterans. Dozens of VA hospitals from across the country have been cracking down on visitations to quell the threat of a coronavirus outbreak in the department’s facilities. More than half of VA patients are older than 65, which is an especially vulnerable population to the disease. The department has at least six coronavirus patients in its care, with five of them waiting for official confirmation, a VA official said Tuesday. The single confirmed case is being treated as a patient at the VA in Palo Alto, Calif. Two others who tested positive but have not been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are at the VA Southern Nevada Health Care System in Las Vegas and the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System in New Orleans. The remaining three patients are quarantined at home after testing positive at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Denver and the VA Portland Health Care System in Oregon. The number of cases of the virus in the United States now stands at 761 with 27 deaths, according to the John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. The VA urges veterans who think they are infected to call their health care provider before showing up at a hospital.

MN DAV Anoka Chapter & Unit 39 Bagging Fund-Raiser planned at Country Market in Andover on Wed., March 25 has been cancelled. To lower the possibility of spreading COVID-19 in a public setting other planned events may also be cancelled.  Stay updated to minimize the spread of COVID-19 by visitinng https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/index.html

Nomination for officers will be open at the MN DAV Anoka Chapter 39 meeting to be held on Thurs., March 12, from 6:30 – 7:30 PM at the VFW, 1919 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55433.   Election of officers will be conducted at the April meeting.  Congratulations to the Auxiliary Unit 39’s newly elected officers to include Dorothy Hegna, Unit commander.

Happy Leap Year.  Today, Feb. 29, 2020 we salute a former Green Beret who jumped on D-Day anniversary, celebrating his 100th birthday in Sept. 2018.  Blowing-out 100 candles wasn’t good enough for Polito “Paul” Olivas, a 30-year #Army #Veteran whose career took him through World War II, Korea and Vietnam Wars.  #KeepThePromise

#100ActsOfHonor … DAV is kicking off our centennial celebration by issuing a challenge to EVERYONE. To commemorate 100 years of DAV keeping the promise to America’s veterans, we call on individuals, companies, schools, clubs, our chapters and members, as well as our fellow organizations to conduct 100 Acts of Honor in the name of veterans. No act is too big or too small, when it comes to honoring the men and women who’ve served. Be sure to share your act of honor on social media, tag DAV and use the hashtag #100ActsofHonor. This will ensure your actions are recognized and counted towards our goal. What counts as an act of honor? You can clean up a community veterans memorial or place flags at a veterans cemetery, help a local vet with some home improvements, or simply help them take out the trash! Maybe you’re able to visit a veteran in the hospital or a nursing home, and give them someone to talk to. Your class could raise the flag at school and recite the pledge of allegiance. You could even register at ‪volunteerforveterans.org and become a DAV volunteer. Sign up to be a volunteer driver, and help veterans reach the medical care they so desperately need, deserve and earned. These are just suggestions. The sky is the limit, and we can’t wait to see the creative ideas you come up with during DAV’s 100 Acts of Honor Challenge! Remember to share your activity on social media, tag us and use the hashtag #100ActsofHonor. You can also email us at [email protected].  Find out more about the DAV Centennial at https://www.dav.org/centennial.

Thank you, for honoring America’s heroe

MN DAV Chapter 39 meeting will be held on Thurs., February 13, from 6:30 – 7:30 PM at the VFW, 1919 Coon Rapids Blvd., Coon Rapids, MN 55433. 

MN DAV Chapter 39 will meet on Thursday, January 9th from 6:30 – 7:30 PM at the VFW, 1919 Coon Rapids Bldv., Coon Rapids, MN 55433.

Let’s make 2020 our best year ever.

MN DAV Anoka Chapter 39 and Auxiliary Unit 39 celebrated another successful year in supporting our area veterans at the annual holiday dinner in Andover. Outstanding members were recognized and an announcement made to reach out to fellow disabled veterans and family members to make them aware of membership benefits and opportunities to support veterans within the Chapter and Unit’s five-plus county area. Chapter Commander, Paul Kampa, wished members and the many supporters of fund-raising events this year, “A Safe and Happy Holiday.”

MN DAV Chapter 39 members Ken Plant, Lisa Miller, and Bill Gordon present embroidered blankets on Dec. 4 to WWII, Korea, and Vietnam War-era veterans at Crest View in Columbia Heights, MN.  According to Lisa, an Air Force veteran, visits to nursing homes and assisted living facilities began in September and will extend throughout the holidays to honor each man and woman who has served our Country within the Chapter’s five-plus county area.