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HealthPOWER! Prevention News (Fall 2011) From the Editor HealthPOWER! Prevention News (Fall 2011)—From the Editor
Jay Shiffler
It's not time to dust off the rakes just yet, but autumn is starting to happen here in Durham. The changing leaves and cooler evenings of fall allow me to watch change as it approaches. This issue’s cover graphic—the metamorphosis of a swallowtail butterfly—is not only an apt symbol for the dramatic seasonal change happening now; it also represents the striking transformation going on in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This issue of HealthPOWER! highlights some great examples of how the VHA National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (NCP) and field-based clinical staff are driving successful changes in Veteran care. Dr. Linda Kinsinger opens this issue with a discussion of making change happen, and reveals some great insights from the thought-provoking book Switch. It's exciting to see how we in VHA are truly and successfully making the "switch" in many of the ways mentioned in the book. Our feature articles highlight these successful changes at the local level, where innovative collaborations and programs are advancing Veteran health. We also report on recent national Veterans' events where VHA clinicians used novel, practical ways to spread the word about health promotion and disease prevention. Next, we describe two effective resources that Veterans and clinicians can use to create healthy change: tobacco cessation support available through VHA and the Department of Defense (DoD), and NCP's Veterans Health Library. And because we're at the start of influenza season, it's a great time to get reacquainted with the immunization recommendations for Veterans, which are outlined on page 15. It's been a busy time in NCP, as well as in VHA and beyond, so we offer the usual updates on people, programs, and events. I think you'll also enjoy an inspiring story of successful personal change from a Veteran who's made impressive progress with TeleMOVE!. Change is happening all around us now...and it's exciting to see how VHA has embraced this successful transformation.
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