THE FOLLOWING IS A VA ILLIANA HEALTH CARE RELEASE
DANVILLE, Ill. – On July 25, 2024, VA Illiana Health Care System donated historical artifacts to the Ronald Reagan Museum at Eureka College.
The artifacts showcase a visit by then-actor Ronald Reagan to the Danville, Illinois VA Hospital (today VA Illiana’s Danville VA Medical Center) on National Hospital Day 1958. The donation consisted of event pictures, a news clipping, a formal invitation to the event and a Hospital Day event program. Additionally, VA Illiana donated a shadowbox diorama containing hand painted models of buildings at the Danville VA Medical Center. The model buildings are believed to have been created by patient Veterans in the late 1980’s, possibly in 1988. The donation was accepted into the museum’s collection for future display.
“Delivering these artifacts and visiting the museum was an opportunity to learn about central Illinois’s history and legacy,” said Deputy Director for Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) 12, Ike Lusk. “VA Illiana is an important part of central Illinois history and finding appropriate locations to display its legacy is a way to lean into the High Reliability Organization (HRO) principle of deference to expertise. Ensuring these artifacts are cared for and displayed at places like museums highlights VA Illiana’s commitment to the VA mission and the communities they serve.”
After delivering the donation, Lusk and VA Illiana Executive Director Staci Williams visited the VA Clinic in Bloomington where they meet with student Veterans from Illinois State University (ISU) and clinic staff. At the clinic, VA leaders and clinic staff recommitted to a culture of patient safety by signing VHA’s Safety Culture Commitment.
“The journey to becoming an HRO is one of VA Illiana’s priorities,” said Williams. “Every single day staff at this clinic and throughout the health care system live the VA values and the HRO principles that make VA the best at caring for the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellbeing of Veterans.”
The VHA Safety Culture Commitment outlines actions VHA leaders can take to foster a proactive Culture of Safety rooted in evidence-based practices. It is a dynamic expression of shared responsibility, reflecting VA’s core values and ongoing endeavors to prioritize the well-being of our staff members and those we serve.
About VA Illiana Health Care System
VA Illiana Health Care System provides services at 6 locations serving a 30-county area of central Illinois and west-central Indiana. Locations include the Danville VA Medical Center and 5 community-based outpatient clinics in Bloomington, Decatur, Mattoon, Peoria, and Springfield, Illinois. The VA Illiana Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Great Lakes Network. We’re an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 12 (VISN 12). VISN 12 includes medical centers and clinics in Wisconsin, Illinois, northwestern Indiana, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
