THE FOLLOWING IS A VA ILLIANA HEALTH CARE RELEASE
Danville, Ill. – In celebration of 125 years of serving Veterans, VA Illiana premiered a history video entitled VA Illiana: 125 Years of Caring at a watch party event on February 28, 2023.
The video, hosted by current VA Illiana employees, highlights the history of the Danville VA Medical Center grounds, the Danville National Cemetery, and explores daily life at the facility at the turn of the 20th century. Making use of high-definition video footage alongside digitized historical imagery, the video presents viewers with an immersive trip through VA Illiana history from 1898 to the present day.
“Many of our employees and the Veterans we serve understand we are carrying on a powerful legacy here at VA Illiana,” said VA Illiana Acting Executive Director Jon Beidelschies. “This video and the watch party event helps bring that rich history into focus and encourages one to learn more. Understanding the history of our health care system is a way that Veterans and staff may come to see themselves in the larger arc of local and American history.”
The watch party was attended by nearly 50 VA Illiana employees. Following the premier of the video, VA Illiana staff hosted an interactive discussion forum during which attendees asked questions and dug deeper on historical themes presented in the video. Attendees noted that they left the event with a deeper sense of purpose about the work they already find so rewarding.
“This makes me so proud to be part of VA Illiana,” said Suzanne Brasche, VA Illiana’s Assistant Chief, Social Work Service-Mental Health. “It was great to learn about the long and proud history that is around us every day. It inspires us to give our best to our Veterans.”
The video is now available for public viewing on VA Illiana’s Facebook page and can be found at this link.
