Today is Veterans Day, and as we do each year, we pause to remember the men and women who have proudly served our nation’s military and made the great sacrifices necessary to secure our freedoms and way of life. Our veterans’ bravery, valor, and honor are a reminder of what is best about the people of this great and diverse nation. In a political moment when we may feel divided, our respect for our veterans and their service binds us, prompts us to recall our better selves and to act for the good of all.

Here at The John A. Hartford Foundation, we also pause today to honor the often underrecognized work of the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) and its care for the almost 10 million veterans who are over the age of 65. Many of us don’t realize that this population represents approximately half of all veterans receiving VHA care today. And many don’t realize the very long history of leadership in the field of geriatrics and the high standard of care that is often provided to older veterans in VHA facilities across this country.

Like the broader population, the proportion of older veterans will continue to rise in the years ahead, and the VHA has been at the forefront of developing and testing new models that improve their care. VHA leaders have brought us new approaches to providing hospital or acute services at home, primary care of people with multiple chronic conditions, delirium prevention, and community-based health promotion. These and so many other new ideas are at the cutting edge of innovation in health delivery.

Much of this work reflects the core values of age-friendly health systems, particularly their focus on person-centered care, the importance of psycho-social concerns, improved function, and preventing medication misuse. Throughout these new models, there is a commitment to better care coordination and the value of interdisciplinary teams.

We are also proud of the work of the nation’s 19 Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Centers or GRECCs, part of the Geriatrics and Extended Care (GEC) Services. These centers of excellence, first started in 1976, have helped foster many of the new models of care and continue to provide needed training of the next generation of clinicians in the care of older veterans. And GRECC leaders—guided by the GEC's Richard M. Allman, MD, Thomas E. Edes, MD, and Ken Shay, DDS—are on the front lines delivering high-quality health services in VHA medical centers everywhere.

This is an exciting time at the VHA and in the care of older veterans. On Veteran’s Day, I am personally proud of our partnership with VHA, and the Foundation’s active participation on the VHA’s Geriatrics and Gerontology Advisory Committee.

On behalf of the nation, we deeply thank all veterans for their service and appreciate the hard work that the VHA and its army of dedicated clinicians do each day to serve our veterans and the nation.