Originally published: 2025-08-08T17:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.
As the 2025 hurricane season begins, VA’s Office of Information and Technology is committed to ensuring that Veterans receive uninterrupted care and services during times of crisis. This commitment involves strong continuity of operations and recovery planning not just during crises but throughout the year.
A 2-day power outage in Puerto Rico in April highlights VA’s considerable preparedness and resilience efforts in action. When Puerto Rico experienced a power outage due to failures across the island’s electric-generating plants, VA demonstrated its commitment to maintaining Veteran care. The power outage affected 1.4 million customers, including many Veterans, service members and their families. Despite these challenges, VA ensured that Veterans scheduled for surgeries, health consultations and mental health care received the necessary treatment.
While some Veterans opted to cancel their appointments due to the outage, those who attended were able to access necessary care without interruption. Additionally, there were no disruptions experienced by the local VA Benefits Administration or the National Cemetery Administration.
As local authorities investigated the cause of the widespread failures affecting public safety, transportation and water supply, the local VA Vet Center teams effectively used telehealth and onsite services to deliver continuous support to Veterans.
The vital role of Vet Centers
“The Vet Center is my safe haven. It’s the place where I go to feel safe,” shared one Veteran who arrived early for their appointment amidst the outages. This sentiment underscores the vital role maintaining Vet Center operations plays in the lives of Veterans, especially during challenging times.
Jenny Hernandez-Torres, director of San Juan’s Vet Center, praised the local IT team at the San Juan VA Medical Center for their crucial role in maintaining operations and connectivity during the crisis. “This dedication enabled Vet Center directors to successfully reach out to and assist 100% of clients scheduled for services,” said Hernandez-Torres.
Behind the scenes
As part of OIT’s emergency preparedness efforts, local IT immediately assessed the situation at each VA medical center, benefits office, burial services facility and other potentially impacted sites on the island. The teams were relieved to discover that the backup power devices had already restored electricity within a few minutes. They were able to shift focus to the next critical issue: making sure each facility could connect to VA’s network and systems.
The local VA IT team worked quickly to deliver to facilities Plum cases (which provide network access for up to 30 computers) and MiFi devices (smaller hotspots that use cellular data for internet connectivity). Within a few hours, all facilities were fully operational.
By the next day, the power outage was fixed and all VA facilities were back on the island’s energy grid. Throughout the outage, all facilities reported minimal impact on their ability to serve Veterans.
The power of collaboration
Continuity of operations at VA depends on collaboration across various teams, including the Office of Emergency Management, the Integrated Operations Center’s (IOC) Fusion Center, and Disaster Recovery – Continuity of Operations (DR-COOP). Successful collaboration involves hands-on training exercises to hone specific crisis skills, Authority to Operate testing requirements and effective recovery support.
VA’s Office of Information and Technology’s proactive emergency preparedness strategy, along with collaboration across VA, ensures swift and efficient restoration of VA systems and network connections during critical times. This approach minimizes downtime for staff and enhances their ability to deliver essential services and benefits to Veterans.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.
