 ***WATCH VIDEO HERE***
Spectrum News 1 Ohio -- With roots going back to the Civil War, the Dayton VA Medical Center on its 400-acre campus is one the oldest in the entire U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs system.
“At the peak of our campus, over 8,000 Civil War soldiers lived here, and they would do their services in the Protestant chapel. So, the Catholics would also do their services there and they said hey what about us, we want our own chapel,” said Medical Center Director of the Dayton VA Medical Center Jennifer DeFrancesco.
Built in 1898, the chapel shines not only light through preserved stained-glass windows, but stories of the past through architecture and symbols of faith.
As the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday, space like this has always made a difference to service members when it comes to healing.
“It is really amazing to be able to stand in these places where literally those heroes who shaped our country have been,” DeFrancesco said.
Funding for this project and other not so visual improvements, like upgrades to the campus water system and IT infrastructure, branch from the nearly $5 billion investment the Department of Veterans Affairs announced for health care facilities across the country.
From winding staircases to traditional arched doorways and stained-glass windows, there are so many historic touches all across this chapel. For people working on this project day in and day out, while it’s certainly a unique experience, there are some special challenges that come with it.
“It’s not often we get a building this old,” said Armcorp Construction, Inc site superintendent Dan Williams.
Right now, they’re making sure to remove anything historic and keep it in a safe place.
The next step is the lights.
“The lights will come down and be reworked, so they are safe, that the wiring is up to date,” he said.
Crews have only been working on the project for a few weeks and even though they don’t do jobs like this very often, they’re rising to the challenge.
“Architecture just isn’t the same anymore as it used to be. Some of the craftsmanship from the 1800s is absolutely amazing to uncover and bring it back to life the way it should be,” said Williams.
As the Dayton VA continues its historic mission to support Veterans and their families in mind, body, spirit, and community, these renovations are another path to achieving the goal.
“I often say this is where the past and the future collide to meet the present moment for our Veterans and what they need. So, it’s such an honor to be able to renovate these spaces and make them new again for Veterans who need them now and in the future,” said DeFrancesco.
Currently, Catholic Mass is held daily in the main tower of the hospital.
Project leaders anticipate the renovations to be completed by fall 2027.
VA Secretary Doug Collins came to Dayton VA Monday and shook hands with a lot of Veterans, asking about their health care and how they’re being treated. Ohio U.S. Senator Jon Husted joined Secretary Collins during the visit. They met with our leadership team to check on how the Electronic Health Record (EHR) system is going and asked about the challenges we’re facing. Other topics of discussion included hiring and recruitment, campus infrastructure and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Afterward, five employees were acknowledged during a coin recognition ceremony. Secretary Collins and Senator Husted went on a tour of the campus, stopping at our dental clinic, hospice unit and the National VA History Center. Secretary Collins also met privately with Dayton VA Chaplains at the Protestant Chapel.
Our Freedom 250 Bring a Buddy Enrollment Drive was held Friday. It was a successful event where dozens of Veterans met with Enrollment & Eligibility, our Outreach team, VBA and others to sign up for VA health care. There was also a resource fair for Veterans with about 20 services touting their programs. Veterans were treated to free food, raffle prizes, a picture booth and drumming jam sessions. Heater, the Dayton Dragons mascot, made a special appearance.
Thanks to VFW Post 5434 for a generous $6,000 donation last Monday to our hospice unit, Victory Ridge. The post from Union, Ohio has donated thousands of dollars in the last 10 years to Dayton VA. Each year they have a fish fry and the money raised goes for Veterans in hospice. The donation is in honor of Navy Veteran Herman Grimme who was a member of the post and spent time in our hospice unit.
VA Police are now locking the North Liscum and Gettysburg vehicle gates at 8:00 p.m. every day, and unlocking them at 5:00 a.m. The South Liscum gate (close to 35) will remain open 24/7. This is strengthening physical security on our campus due to some recent activity in the area.
Congressional staffers for the Senate Appropriations Committee toured the Dayton VA campus last Monday. They started with a visit to Dayton National Cemetery and then headed to the Putnam Library for a History Center briefing. During the bus tour, the group stopped by the beautiful Grotto Gardens. The congressional staff toured the ICU where they were given a demonstration about our new Electronic Health Record (EHR). They also met with our Executive Leadership Team. The highlight of the visit was when the group toured our hospice unit, Victory Ridge, and spoke to a Veteran who gave glowing remarks about his care at Dayton VA.
The Farmers Market is every Thursday through October 15th from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at the picnic pavilion. There will be food trucks and vendors too. The Farmers Market is open to the public so tell everyone you know.
 Many Veterans leave military service with hearing loss, but few start with it. Pvt. Rodger Young started his service with hearing and vision loss. And at 5’2″ and 125 pounds, he was one of the smallest soldiers.
That didn’t stop him from earning the military’s highest honor.
***Click here to read story: https://vaww.insider.va.gov/freedom250-against-the-odds/
We are a month in with the new Electronic Health Record (EHR). We are still going through some growing pains, and we appreciate your patience during this transition. These changes are designed to improve coordination and continuity of care for Veterans. If you get your health care here, thank you for trusting Dayton VA with your health care.
 Attention Veterans!
Do you use My HealtheVet on VA.gov to schedule and cancel your appointments?
To get ready for the deployment of the Federal EHR, in May we had to turn off your ability to schedule, cancel, and request VA or community care appointments in My HealtheVet on VA.gov and the VA Health and Benefits mobile app.
*Right now, you can cancel your appointments online again
*On July 21, you will be able to request or self-schedule your appointments online again
But, if this is your first appointment with this provider since June 6, you need to call us to schedule. This is because we need to reestablish the relationship between you and your provider before you can schedule online with that provider.
If you need to schedule an appointment, you can always call us at 937-268-6511.
A free monthly fitness program at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force.
See flyer below for more details.
The next Coffee Club meeting will be on Tuesday, July 14th. Dayton VA Medical Center Outreach Team will be in attendance. See information below.
The Women Overcoming & Winning (W.O.W.) social group meets the first Monday of each month. The next meeting will be, August 3rd, from 6:00-7:30pm in building 305. Women Veterans are encouraged to attend.
Show your support for Veterans in their fight against suicide on Saturday,
September 5th at the Springfield Silent Watch.
 Less scroll, more soul. Taking time away from screens can help you reconnect with what matters most: your health, your relationships, and your daily life. Spirit and soul are an important part of your well-being. What helps you reconnect?
***Click here for more information: https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/circle-of-health/spirit-soul.asp
 Dayton VA Veterans, staff and retirees have free access to more than 100 live, online Ompractice classes weekly, an on-demand video library & new programming every month.
**Click here for video library: https://app.ompractice.com/videos
Register with Ompractice for free: https://app.ompractice.com/Veteransaffairs
Veterans, if you can't make your appointment, call and cancel so another Veteran can take it.
The Coffee Hour and 12 Step Meetings are offered by Mental Health to all Veterans in recovery, even if not engaged with Mental Health.
Open to active duty, Veterans, National Guard, Reservist and widowed families Thursdays 10am - 2pm and Mondays 6pm - 8pm.
See details below.
 Try these no‑bake mini cheesecakes for a festive, red‑white‑and‑blue dessert. Mix graham crumbs, butter, and cinnamon for the crust, then whip Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla for the filling. Chill for at least an hour and top with berries.
Ingredients:
¼ cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 1 full graham cracker sheet)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
4 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese (Neufchatel), softened at room temperature
2½ tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh berries (optional)
The Dayton VAMC now has a Medical Legal Partnership (MLP) with Legal Aid of Western Ohio (LAWO). They will be offering civil legal services for all Veterans that qualify. They will be on site every Tuesday and Thursday from 9am to 2pm in Building 409, first floor, Homeless Program. Walk-ins are welcome or they can reach out directly to LAWO by phone at (888) 534-1432 or online at www.legalaidline.org.
To make it easier to contact our scheduling line directly, we developed direct extensions for each specialty. If you need to schedule or re-schedule your appointment, please contact (937) 268-6511 and enter the extension for the specialty below:
Dental, ext. 7155
Nutrition, ext. 7154
Rehab, ext. 7156
Medicine, ext. 7153
Surgery, ext. 7157
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