{"id":7919,"date":"2025-03-06T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7919"},"modified":"2025-03-06T15:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T15:30:00","slug":"i-care-integrity-commitment-advocacy-respect-excellence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7919","title":{"rendered":"I CARE: Integrity. Commitment. Advocacy. Respect. Excellence."},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-03-06T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

I CARE: Integrity. Commitment. Advocacy. Respect. Excellence. These are the core values staff at Bay Pines VA<\/a> consistently strive to embody in service to Veterans. <\/p>\n

During the performance of his routine duties, Jurgen Skroch was presented with the opportunity to live up to that ethos\u2014and he didn\u2019t hesitate to act. \u00a0<\/p>\n

Skroch has 30 years of nursing experience under his belt and 19 of those have been spent proudly serving Veterans. A member of the Care Transition Clinic, Skroch and his colleagues are responsible for ensuring inpatients who are discharged from the hospital receive their instructions for follow-up care in a timely manner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis Veteran was being discharged and, when I went to see him, I realized immediately that he was very sick. I knew he needed help. When I saw the doctor for my section passing by I asked her to come evaluate the Veteran. We ended up taking him to the ER,\u201d Skroch said.<\/p>\n

His instincts were correct. At just 51 years old, Army Veteran Outhit Syhakhom had recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and the effects of the diagnosis were beginning to take their toll. By the time the medical professionals discovered it, it had already metastasized to his brain, lymph nodes and bones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t know what we needed to do.\u201d<\/h2>\n

\u201cMy husband\u2019s diagnosis happened so suddenly and it was a lot of information to take in. We didn\u2019t know what we needed to do,\u201d said Amy Syhakhom, wife of the Veteran.<\/p>\n

Although Syhakhom already had a disability rating, the Veteran and his wife found themselves feeling lost within the process of ensuring this newfound condition was accounted for in his disability benefits. Then, Skroch came along.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf just a few more people were like Jurgen, kind and compassionate, then maybe the world would be a better place,\u201d Amy shared.<\/p>\n

In addition to ensuring they had a means of contacting him if they had follow up questions, Skroch also took it upon himself to ensure coordination among various staff was conducted properly, eliminating the need for the family to bear the burden on their own.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe saved me a lot of trouble by working with different staff to expedite the process. A lot of people have helped us throughout this journey, but Jurgen went the extra mile and got us to where we needed to go. He\u2019s a godsend,\u201d Amy said.<\/p>\n

\u201cReceiving that increased benefit saved us.\u201d<\/h2>\n

Bolstered by Skroch\u2019s efforts, Amy contacted a representative with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, and her husband\u2019s case quicky became a priority for it. According to Amy, after Skroch extended a helping hand, it only took a matter of weeks for the St. Petersburg Regional Office to deliver their decision of an increased rating.<\/p>\n

\u201cReceiving that increased benefit pretty much saved us,\u201d Amy said. \u201cMy husband was the financial provider of our family and when he got sick and had to stop working, we had no money coming in. This has helped us tremendously in supporting our family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the dedicated VA nurse first encountered him, Syhakhom\u2019s prognosis has improved drastically and his outlook remains positive. Despite the uncertainty, the Syhakhom family does not feel alone. The care they\u2019ve received from family, friends and their extended support system makes it easier for them to cherish each day together and embrace their journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou like to think you\u2019ll be treated the way you want to be treated,\u201d Skroch said. \u201cI could see the concern in his wife\u2019s face and I could see Mr. Syhakhom being scared about what was going to happen to his family. I\u2019m just thankful I knew people who were able to help.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A member of the Care Transition Clinic got to demonstrate his I CARE values for an Army Veteran.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":327,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7919","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"yoast_head":"\nI CARE: Integrity. Commitment. Advocacy. Respect. 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