Standing Ready

A look at how volunteers have built communities of care and support throughout history and continue to meet the needs of Veterans today. Katie and Shawn talk with Sabrina Clark and Prince Taylor about how volunteer efforts that are deeply rooted in history are still evolving and how they have been shaped by the COVID 19 pandemic.

Show Notes

A look at how volunteers have built communities of care and support throughout history and continue to meet the needs of Veterans today. Today’s Veterans Health Administration traces its roots back to 1865 as the National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers. These homes were the first residences for the nation’s sick and disabled volunteer soldiers of the Civil War. Their establishment was largely through the efforts of U.S. Sanitary Commission, a private volunteer relief agency, to support sick and wounded soldiers that included the ranks of Red Cross founder Clara Barton and Walt Whitman among others. In 1946, General Omar Bradley modernized and transformed the Veterans Administration and established the VA Voluntary Service (VAVS) which has grown and evolved into today’s Center for Development & Civic Engagement (CDCE). This organization remains one of the largest volunteer programs in the federal government. Katie and Shawn talk with Sabrina Clark and Prince Taylor about how volunteer efforts that are deeply rooted in history are still evolving and how they have been shaped by the COVID 19 pandemic.

What is Standing Ready?

Welcome to Standing Ready: An Inside Look at the Untold History of the VA's Medical Innovations. Join us as we elevate and highlight significant medical and scientific contributions of the nation's largest healthcare system.

Join us for interviews with VHA innovators and pioneers, exploring how VHA has changed the landscape of medicine over 75 years with topics on the history of prosthetic limbs, adaptive sports, how history has influenced VHA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and more!

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media, products or services they may provide.