Page 24 - Desert Oracle December 2021

SAVAHCS Director’s Report:

December 2021
LOCAL UPDATE

DID YOU KNOW?
• SAVAHCS Offering COVID-19 Booster Shots by Appointment Only. SAVAHCS is now offering both
Moderna and Johnson and Johnson (J&J) booster shots, please call (520) 629-4729 to schedule an
appointment.
• The VA follows all CDC guidance in offering COVID-19 booster shots:
o For individuals who completed a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine series,
the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at least 6 months after their second
dose:
o 18 years and older
o People 18 years and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 booster shot at least 2
months after their initial J&J vaccine.
o Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. CDC’s
recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.
o To learn more about the COVID-19 booster vaccines, Veterans are encouraged to
contact their primary care Team.
• SAVAHCS was recognized as having achieved the higher level of care excellence in the Age-
Friendly Health System Movement from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). SAVAHCS
received this honor in November 2021. According to the IHI, an Age-Friendly Health Systems aim is to
follow an essential set of evidence-based practices; cause no harm; and align with what matters to the
older adult and their family caregivers. For more information on the award, visit What Is an Age-Friendly
Health System? | IHI - Institute for Healthcare Improvement website.
• Virtual Diabetes Support Group- SAVAHCS offers a monthly virtual Veteran diabetes support
group. The support group is held on VA Video Connect on the second Thursday of each month starting at
4:00 p.m. Please contact Kelly Hamlin, Registered Dietitian at 928-317-9973 or via secure messaging
on My HealtheVet for more information or to sign up for the SAVAHCS Diabetes Support Group.
• Advanced Care Planning Online Workshops available on VA Video Connect (VVC). Veterans can
now take Advanced Care Planning workshops on VVC. It is open to Veterans and a guest of their choice.
For more information, please call 520-792-1450 ext. 1-2520.
• Caregiver Hour with the Caregivers Support Group. The Caregiver Hour is held virtually on the first
Thursday of each month from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. For more information, please call 520-792-1450
ext. 1-6642.
• Caregiver Hour of Veterans with Memory Loss Support Group- The group meets virtually the third
Thursday of each month from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. For more information, please call 520-792-1450 ext.
1-6642.
• Flu Vaccines- The 2021-2022 Flu Season is officially here. Flu vaccinations are highly recommended to
protect yourself against the flu. Veterans have several different options in receiving a flu vaccination, such
as through your primary care appointment and your local CBOC. Veterans can reach out to their primary
care team to learn more about flu vaccines.
• SAVAHCS Outreach Team can now support outdoor outreach events- At this time, we can support
outdoor outreach events and resource fairs. If your outreach and/or resource fair event is indoors, the
SAVAHCS Outreach Team can provide VA outreach materials to hand out. The SAVAHCS outreach
team can also participate in virtual outreach events. If you are interested in receiving outreach materials,