The following was received from Leila Castellanos:

I am the VP of Membership within our Florida Suncoast board( http://suncoastpmi.org/board.php) and my initiative for this year is Military Outreach as I am an Air Force veteran and used to work at MacDill AFB as a contractor.  We are set to have a guest speaker, Dr. Eric Wright (see attached flyer) on October 19^th with regard to military members who are transitioning or transitioned into the civilian workforce and are interested in learning more about Project Management as well as how their military experience can translate into project management in today’s workforce.

The event will be held at the Epi Center on Wednesday October 19^th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Registration cost is $10. This cost is too simply ensure people follow thru and commit to the presentation. We are giving back the $10 to every vet who registers with a $10 gift card.

Please disseminate throughout each perspective campus. We are excited to offer this presentation to our vets and hope we can increase our Veteran presence within PMI Florida Suncoast.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, you can also contact me via my cell at  727-542-3383.

Thank you,

V/R,

Leila Castellanos, PMP

Sr. Principal Business Analyst

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems

11399 16^th Court North, Suite #200

St. Petersburg, Fl 33716

Office: 727-578-8165

Fax: 727-578-8746

Email: Leila.Castellanos@gd-ots.com

Results of a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Academic Affiliations show that the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (VAHCS) is a preferred place for future healthcare professionals to learn and train.  The results of the annual Learners’ Perception Survey (LPS) were made available in August 2016 to VA healthcare facilities across the country.

The LPS is a standardized, scientifically validated instrument that has been designed by the VA to measure the perceptions of those health profession trainees about their clinical training experiences at a VA medical center, hospital, or outpatient care facility. The survey is voluntary and confidential and administered each year to health professions’ trainees, including students, practicum participants, interns, residents, and fellows, who are assigned to a rotation at a VA healthcare system facility.

“The Institute of Medicine has identified six aims for healthcare systems:  high quality care needs to be safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable. Providing an environment for trainees in which they learn how to deliver high quality care as part of a team is essential for meeting the healthcare needs of our nation both now and in the future,” said Dr. Henry Park, Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate Chief of Staff of Education, Bay Pines VAHCS.

“We are very proud to once again be recognized as an education leader, a place where students and residents want to train, and also a place where trainees want to stay when their training is complete,” he said.  “The credit should go to the faculty, staff and leadership team at Bay Pines  and our Academic Affiliations’ team in Education Service who work tirelessly to maintain and grow our academic relationships and ensure trainees have available an environment conducive to personal and professional growth.”

The LPS is intended for research, as well as for evaluation, government regulation, program oversight, policy-making functions, administrative management and operations, and program accreditation purposes.  The survey is broken down into several domains of perception or categories where respondents rate their level of satisfaction from 1 to 5 (1 being very dissatisfied, and 5 being very satisfied). Domains or categories include but are not limited to trainees’ perception of their preceptors or clinical faculty; learning environment; working environment; personal experience; availability, timeliness and quality of staff and services; and more. Approximately 330 trainees from the Bay Pines VAHCS completed the survey this year – the seventh highest response rate out of 141 participating facilities nationally. In addition to training-oriented questions, the survey also asked respondents if they would choose VA training experience again and if they would consider VA for future employment. Ninety-eight percent of respondents who trained within the Bay Pines VAHCS indicated that they would return for the experience and 94 percent said they would be willing to work for VA after graduating from their respective academic programs.  Both rates of response mentioned were higher compared to the national average of all VA healthcare facilities as well as those facilities within VA Sunshine Healthcare Network (VISN 8) which encompasses VA medical centers and clinics in Florida, south Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Brian Nagle, a third year Medical Student from the University of Central Florida College of Medicine has completed clinical rotations at the Bay Pines VAHCS’s C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center campus over the last six weeks. While he has not yet completed the LPS, his feedback about his training experience at the medical center aligns with the survey results.

“I come from a family of healthcare professionals who have worked or received some training in the VA,” he said.  “When we (medical students) were given the opportunity to select where we wanted to train, VA was on the top of my list.”

“My experience here has been really good. The patients are great and the staff are very committed to education…I really feel like I am making a difference,” he said. After medical school, Nagle hopes to specialize in neurology and said he would consider a career with VA when it is time to explore fulltime employment.

Along with providing a full spectrum of healthcare services to America’s Veterans in inpatient, outpatient and residential settings, the Bay Pines VAHCS maintains a robust and active academic affiliations and education program.  The healthcare system maintains more than 220 academic affiliation agreements with institutions of higher learning all over the country.  In 2015, more than 840 medical professionals (doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, dieticians, psychologists, and others) trained within the healthcare system while completing 1,120 rotations.

Bay Pines offers a unique training opportunity for health profession trainees who are interested in learning and using Lean Six Sigma principles.  Lean Six Sigma is a combination of two highly effective process improvement disciplines used in business today. Lean, simply stated, is an improvement practice use to eliminate all non-value-added activities and waste to improve efficiency and flow of a business process. Six Sigma is a data-driven philosophy of quality improvement that values deficiency prevention over deficiency detection. Both disciplines are used widely throughout the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in both clinical and administrative settings.

To learn more about the Bay Pines VAHCS and its academic training programs please visit www.baypines.va.gov/careers/index.asp, call the Office of Academic Affiliations at 727-398-9533, or email vhabayacademicaffiliations@va.gov.

About the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System The Bay Pines VAHCS is one of the nation’s leading VA healthcare systems, employing more than 4,000 medical professionals and support staff dedicated to providing the very best care to Veterans residing in southwest Florida. The organization is the fourth busiest VA healthcare system in the country in terms of patients served and is accredited by The Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and several other nationally recognized accrediting organizations. The Bay Pines VAHCS operates nine facilities to include the main medical center located in Bay Pines and outpatient clinics located in Bradenton, Cape Coral, Naples, Palm Harbor, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Sebring. To learn more, please visit www.baypines.va.gov or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vabaypines

august-2016-vets-monthly-employment-overview

vetday2016savethedate

veteranoutreach_flyer_ver5

This post is provided by Charles Almeida and involves a variety of employment and general opportunities around the Tampa Bay Area for Veterans and their families. Please check out the sites above. A POC is provided for each program and organization hosting the event.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Charles.

Thank you for what you do for not only our Veterans, but also our community.

Enjoy the rest of your day.

Charles Almeida, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

LVER – Local Veteran Employment Representative

CareerSource Pinellas

13805 58^th St. North, Suite 2-140

Clearwater, FL 33760

calmeida@careersourcepinellas.com

Tel:  727-608-2421

Fax: 727-324-2855

This is an unparalleled opportunity to find the job of your dreams, as employers will be attending this one-day event ready to full numerous positions at the Tampa Bay Job Fair on Monday, September 19 at the Coliseum in downtown St. Petersburg.  The Tampa Bay Job Fair is your opportunity to connect with employers who are ready to hire.

The event is from 10am-2pm, job seekers should bring resumes, dress professionally and be ready to interview! A FREE resume evaluation courtesy of Suncoast Human Resource Management Association will be available.

Tampa Bay Job Fair- Monday, September 19, 10am-3pm

FREE ADMISSION- No pre registration required – Free Parking

The Coliseum, 535 4^th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701

Participating Companies*: 

Aflac

American II

Ameriprise

Beasley Media Group

Center for Technology

City of St Petersburg

Cogizant

CyraCom

Enterprise Holdings

FiS

G4S Youth Services

Growing Client Relationships

Healthsouth-Central Business Office

Hernando County Sheriff’s Office

HPONE

IT Works Global

Jersey College

Keiser University

Kelly Educational Staffing

LaSalle Computer Learning Center

Levin Financial Group/Mass Mutual

Massey Services

New York Life

Palm Garden

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office

Pinellas County Schools-Transportation

Postcard Mania

RCM Enterprises

Reed TMS Logistics

Sagicor

Schiller International University

St. Petersburg College

Suncoast Human Resource

Tampa Bay Times

TSE Industries

University of Tampa-Graduate Admissions

US Health Advisors

Webster University

Welcome Wagon

WGUL FM, Inc.

WOW

UNIVERSITY OF TAMPA

UTICA COLLEGE

And the list goes on……………….

Student Veterans of America Scholarship is available for the student veterans who are currently attending a community college and have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.

The Scholarship Deadline is November 4, 2016.

Student Veterans of America Scholarship

Regards,

USA Scholarships

Scholarships and Financial Aid Adviser

For more information of Scholarship, you can also check the given link: https://www.facebook.com/MyUSAScholarships?fref=ts

 The SVA of SPC – Clearwater Campus successfully hosted its annual 9/11 Memorial Care Package Distribution on Sunday, 11 September 2016, paying tribute to first responders who continue to serve the community to combat the ever present chaos and evil in this world.  Five SVA members from multiple SPC campuses, and their family members, distributed six care packages in total, visiting the Clearwater Police Department in downtown Clearwater, and five different Fire/Rescue stations throughout Clearwater and Safety Harbor.

  The SVA of SPC – Clearwater Campus raised a total of $340 in donations for this event: $290 coming from anonymous individual donors, and $50 from the Veterans of Foreign Wars of The United States (VFW) Post 10093 of Safety Harbor, Florida.

  Thank you to all who continue to support freedom and liberty.

(Submitted by Eric Hauser, Student Veterans Association, Clearwater Campus)

The Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (VAHCS) Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service in Collaboration with Logistics Service and the organization’s Systems Redesign Department has implemented a new pilot program aimed to improve Veteran experience.   Starting September 1, 2016, Veterans assigned to the St. Petersburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) who require fitting and receipt of select durable medical equipment will now be able to do so directly at the clinic.  Previously, Veterans were required to receive these items from either the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center or Lee County Healthcare Center.   While fitting and receipt of items will still be available at the medical center and healthcare center, the new pilot program will improve access to these important items at the St. Petersburg CBOC and prevent the requirement for Veterans to schedule additional and unnecessary appointments related to the equipment.   “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to deliver various types of durable medical equipment to Veterans through our new point-of-service program at the St. Petersburg CBOC,” said Derek Reichardt, Chief, Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service.  “The foundational element of this program is improving the Veteran experience by eliminating unnecessary steps in our traditional process and delivering required medical equipment quickly and at a location most convenient for the men and women we serve,” he said.   Reichardt, a U.S. Air Force Veteran, said the long term goal is to expand the program into all of the Bay Pines VAHCS’s community outpatient clinics in 2017.  Medical equipment items stocked at each outpatient clinic will vary based on need and available space.  Durable medical equipment currently available at the St. Petersburg CBOC includes:

• Ankle Stabilizers
• Blood Pressure Cuffs
• Single Point Canes
• Cervical Collars (Soft)
• Elbow Straps
• Foot Orthoses
• Heating Pads
• Knee Sleeves
• Lumbar Support
• Nebulizer Tubing Sets (Disposable)

For more information about this new point-of-service program, please contact the Bay Pines VAHCS Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service at 727-398-6661, extension 15545.   About the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System The Bay Pines VAHCS is one of the nation’s leading VA healthcare systems, employing more than 4,000 medical professionals and support staff dedicated to providing the very best care to Veterans residing in southwest Florida.  The organization is the fourth busiest VA health care system in the country in terms of patients served and is accredited by The Joint Commission, Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, and several other nationally recognized accrediting organizations.  The Bay Pines VAHCS operates nine facilities to include the main medical center located in Bay Pines and outpatient clinics located in Bradenton, Cape Coral, Naples, Palm Harbor, Port Charlotte, Sarasota, St. Petersburg, and Sebring. To learn more, please visit www.baypines.va.gov, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vabaypines, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vabaypines

Join the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System (VAHCS) for a special POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.  The event will take place in the courtyard located between buildings 2 and 37 at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center located at 10000 Bay Pines, Blvd., Bay Pines, FL 33744.  For driving directions and a campus map, please visit www.baypines.va.gov/locations/directions.asp.

Keynote speaker for the event will be U.S. Navy Commander (ret.) Bradley E. Smith.  Commander Smith is a Former Prisoner of War (FPOW) held captive nearly seven years during the Vietnam War.  Read his bio here: www.pownetwork.org/bios/s/s104.htm.  A special POW/MIA remembrance chair will also be dedicated during the ceremony.

Vietnam Veterans who attend the event will receive a special lapel pin as part of the Bay Pines VAHCS’s continued commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War.

Parking for the ceremony will be available nearby. Shuttles will provide transportation for guests from parking lots to the courtyard. The venue is handicapped accessible. A sign language interpreter will be available for the hearing impaired. The ceremony will be held rain or shine. Please plan appropriately for inclement weather.

For more information, please connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/vabaypines, Twitter at twitter.com/vabaypines or call 727-398-6661, extension 17727.

The official event flyer is attached to this email to share with others who may be interested in attending.

POW_MIA_2016.pdf

MEDIA CONTACT: Jason W. Dangel Public Affairs Officer Bay Pines VA Healthcare System 727.398.9531 | jason.dangel@va.gov

September marks the start of Suicide Prevention Month and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is asking for the entire nation’s help in reducing Veteran suicide. VA is calling on community leaders, supervisors, colleagues, friends, and family members to BeThere for Veterans and Service members starting with a simple act, which can play a pivotal role in preventing suicide.

“You don’t have to be a trained professional to support someone who may be going through a difficult time,” said Dr. Caitlin Thompson, Director of the VA Office of Suicide Prevention. “We want to let people know that things they do every day, like calling an old friend or checking in with a neighbor, are strong preventive factors for suicide because they help people feel less alone. That’s what this campaign is about – encouraging people to be there for each other.”

The campaign also highlights VA resources that are available to support Veterans and Servicemembers who are coping with mental health challenges or are at risk for suicide, and it encourages everyone to share these resources with someone in their life.

“We hope our Suicide Prevention Month efforts help educate people about the VA and community resources available nationwide,” said VA Under Secretary for Health David J. Shulkin, M.D. “We’re committed to working with experts and organizations across the country to identify ways we can help Veterans and Servicemembers get the care they deserve and to expand the network of mental health support.”

Veteran suicide data released by the VA Office of Suicide Prevention in early August 2016 serves as a foundation for informing and evaluating suicide prevention efforts inside the VA health care system and for developing lifesaving collaborations with community-based health care partners.

VA plans to host a series of roundtable discussions with key stakeholder groups in the coming months as part of its plan to develop a public health strategy for preventing Veteran suicide. In August, VA hosted its first roundtable discussion, “Suicide Prevention is Everyone’s Business,” with corporate sector partners. In September, VA will host the Veterans Affairs Suicide Prevention Innovations event, which will bring together a community of experts from business, industry, academia, and government agencies to collaboratively identify solutions for reducing suicide rates among Veterans and Servicemembers. In addition, new programs such as REACH VET are being launched nationwide in September to identify Veterans in VHA care who may be vulnerable, in order to provide the care they need before a crisis occurs.

For more information about VA’s suicide prevention efforts:

• Suicide Prevention Month website: VeteransCrisisLine.net/BeThere
• Suicide Prevention Month toolkit: VeteransCrisisLine.net/SpreadTheWord
• Suicide Prevention Fact Sheet
• VA’s Veterans Crisis Line: Call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1; chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat or text to 838255 — even if a Veteran is not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care.
• Make the Connection website: http://maketheconnection.net
• VA Mental Health website: http://www.mentalhealth.va.gov