Happy 251st birthday to the United States Army! Established on June 14, 1775, to combat the growing threat from the British crown, the United States Army is the U.S.' oldest branch of its armed forces. On that date, Congress "Resolved, that six companies of expert riflemen, be immediately raised in Pennsylvania, two in Maryland, and two in Virginia… [and] as soon as completed, shall march and join the army near Boston, to be there employed as light infantry, under the command of the chief Officer in that army." From then on, the U.S. Army has been involved in every U.S. engagement, from the Revolutionary and Civil Wars to the Vietnam War and the War on Terror, the U.S. Army has been there every step of the way, protecting the U.S.' interests, at home and abroad. VA ECHCS wishes all our Army employees, volunteers and veterans a safe and happy birthday. Hooah, Army!

Veterans, find simple ways to stay active at our Health and Movement Expo resource fair on June 18, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center. Details: va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal… #VAEasternColorado #Veterans #WholeHealth

Looking for ways to practice self-care this summer? Come experience a Whole Health Well-being class or group. Offerings will be held at the Golden VA clinic, the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Clinic, the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, and virtually. Offerings will include different types of meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, Expressive Arts, Acupressure, and Whole Health Skill Building. For more information about Whole Health Well-being offerings please visit va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal… or contact Tiffani Guinn by calling 720-376-5587 or sending a secure message in MyHealthEVet to ECHCS-Whole Health.

Wednesday, June 17, at 5 p.m., we will be hosting a patient Tele-Town Hall event for Eastern Colorado Health Care System patients. The event dial-in line for patients is: 855-274-9533. During this event, we will have experts on the line to assist with answering questions. For more information, please visit va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal…

Can’t make your appointment? Let another Veteran take it. When you miss an appointment without canceling (a “no-show”), it delays care for your fellow Vets. Ways to cancel: 1.Text: Reply to your VEText appointment reminder. (Text START to 53079 to opt in). 2.Online: Use MyHealth.va.gov or the VA Health & Benefits App. 3.Call: Dial 303-399-8020 and press 2 for scheduling. By canceling early, you help a fellow Vet get the care they need sooner. #Veterans #VAHealth #NoShow #EasternColoradoVA

Notice to individuals living in areas primarily east of Interstate 25, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch, along with potentially strong winds and scattered softball-sized hail, for the following counties through 9 p.m. this evening: Adams, Arapahoe, Cheyenne, Denver, Douglas, Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Morgan, Washington, Weld and Yuma. Please refer to the above image and be cautious in and around the highlighted areas. Veterans needing support can contact VA Health Connect for scheduling, nurse triage, pharmacy needs, or virtual visits by calling 303‑399‑8020.

Join us in congratulating Dr. Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley on receiving the Paul B. Magnuson Award. Her research focuses on helping older Veterans regain strength, mobility and independence after hospitalization. Learn more: va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal…

To our Veterans living in Colorado Springs and the surrounding area, The Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) Walk-in Clinic located at the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic will be closed today, June 8, due to provider callout. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

VA ECHCS’ Audiology Department offers a Same Day Access (SDA) hearing aid repair clinic at several VA ECHCS CBOC locations. No appointment is needed. First-come, first-served. Longer wait times are possible depending on staffing. To be eligible for the clinic, veterans must have government issued hearing aids/assistive listening devices and must be eligible for VA ECHCS Audiology services. Services include simple hearing aid repairs, cleaning, issuing of repaired devices, and pairing hearing aids to cellphone/BT devices. All other requests require a scheduled Audiology appointment. Locations: Rocky Mountain Regional Medical Center: Building G1-Audiology Check-In (First Floor) *Fridays, 8-11 a.m. PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic: Audiology Clinic, First Floor *Wednesdays, 8-11 a.m. ***This Clinic will be closed June 10, Aug.19, Sept. 9 and Dec. 9*** PFC James Dunn VA Clinic: Audiology Clinic, First Floor, Suite 1500 *Tuesdays, 7:30-10:30 a.m.

Looking for ways to practice self-care this summer? Come experience a Whole Health Well-being class or group. Offerings will be held at the Golden VA clinic, the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Clinic, the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, and virtually. Offerings will include different types of meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, Expressive Arts, Acupressure, and Whole Health Skill Building. For more information about Whole Health Well-being offerings please visit va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal… or contact Tiffani Guinn by calling 720-376-5587 or sending a secure message in MyHealthEVet to ECHCS-Whole Health.

How can we get the best treatments to Veterans who need them? Rocky Mountain MIRECC partnered with other VA researchers to bring fully virtual, quality suicide prevention treatments to Veterans in each of its 139 healthcare systems. Read more here: (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/article…).

Make World No Tobacco Day your Day 1 for quitting tobacco. 78% of VHA-enrolled Veterans who smoked have already successfully quit, and you can too. Talk to your VA provider about VA’s winning combination of counseling and medication and find what’s right for you. Learn more about your options: Mentalhealth.va.gov/quit-tob…

VA Eastern Colorado is recruiting veterans who are experiencing, PTSD-related nightmares to participate in a research study to help us understand if improving sleep quality, by reducing the impact of nightmares, can improve cardiovascular health. To be eligible for the study, veterans must experience repetitive nightmares related to PTSD and be between the ages of 22 and 88 years old. If interested, use your phone to scan the QR code in the image provided and complete the optional preliminary eligibility survey. For any questions, contact Claire Cox at Claire.Cox@va.gov.

No matter how long you've used tobacco, you have plenty to gain by quitting. Stopping can improve your mental health, energy, muscles, immune system, and bones and has been shown to increase life expectancy at any age. VA can help you trade tobacco for healthier routines. Sign up for SmokefreeVET at Smokefree.gov/VET or by texting VET to 47848.

Tornadoes happen, VA can help! For non-emergent medical advice, call or chat with VA Health Connect for virtual care. VA Health Connect Nurse Triage and Appointment Scheduling services are available by phone 24/7 nationwide. Prescription services are also available; call VA Health Connect for more information.

Looking for ways to practice self-care this summer? Come experience a Whole Health Well-being class or group. Offerings will be held at the Golden VA clinic, the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Clinic, the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center, and virtually. Offerings will include different types of meditation, Tai Chi, Yoga, Expressive Arts, Acupressure, and Whole Health Skill Building. For more information about Whole Health Well-being offerings please visit va.gov/eastern-colorado-heal… or contact Tiffani Guinn by calling 720-376-5587 or sending a secure message in MyHealthEVet to ECHCS-Whole Health.

Even if tobacco use is part of your daily routine, or you’ve tried quitting before, or you’re worried about withdrawal symptoms, you have the power to reclaim your life. Need guidance on how to stay away from tobacco? Talk to trained quit coaches who will help you during any phase of quitting. Call the VA tobacco quitline at 1-855-QUIT-VET or visit Mentalhealth.va.gov/MENTALHE…

Memorial Day, which is observed on the last Monday of May—May 25 this year—commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service. In observance of the holiday, many people visit cemeteries and memorials and volunteers often place American flags on each grave site at national cemeteries. A national moment of remembrance takes place at 3:00 p.m. local time. This Memorial Day, VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System thanks all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. May we never forget our brothers' and sisters' selflessness in their sacrifice, the loved ones they left behind—family, friends and brothers and sisters-in-arms—for persevering through the pain of their sacrifice, and for the freedom their sacrifices ensure for us all. In remembrance of our nation's fallen, we at VA ECHCS wish you and yours a memorable, meaningful, and reflective Memorial Day.

VA ECHCS is making an important change to improve access to lab services across our health care system. Over the next six to eight weeks, all Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) will transition to walk-in only lab services. This change is designed to make it easier for you to complete lab-work without needing to schedule an appointment. This will be the transition timeline for this process: Pueblo, La Junta, Lamar, Alamosa, and Burlington clinics will begin walk-in lab services Tuesday, May 26. Lindstrom clinic will transition on June 8. All remaining clinics will transition by June 15. What this means for our veterans is: •No appointment will be needed for lab work once your clinic transitions. •Existing lab appointments will not be canceled. •Future lab Return-to-Clinic orders will be discontinued, and, when labs are required, your care team will notify you through MyHealtheVet or direct calls. If submitting a urine sample, please alert the front desk upon your arrival. When arriving for labs, please, allow yourself for additional time, as you may experience longer wait times depending on patient volume at the time of your arrival. Appointments will be first come, first serve. Our goal is to increase convenience and access, so you can complete your lab work when it works best for your schedule. Thank you for allowing us to serve you.

To our veterans living in Golden and the surrounding areas, starting in June, the Golden Clinic is offering weekly, free, drop-in Yoga class in Room 2011, on Tuesdays at 9-10a.m., and Wednesdays at 12:05-12:55 p.m. Any attendees who need a shorter Yoga experience are asked to set up their mats in the back, right corner of the room so they may exit quietly at 12:30 p.m. If you do not have a Yoga mat, don't worry. Yoga mats will be provided. It should be noted, if attendance is low, the class may potentially be cancelled.