Spectrum News Stories on DDT Divas
Patient Advocacy
Veteran launches patient advocacy business after facing struggles with the VA
By Olivia Levada San AntonioPUBLISHED 5:18 AM CT Sep. 09, 2021
SAN ANTONIO — After facing her own struggles with The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Adrianne Coward decided to start a patient advocacy business. A big part of that business is advocating for veterans' health care.
Earl Root does physical therapy aquatics at a rehab facility in San Antonio.
"It's mostly moving the bottom part of my body right now,” Root explained.
It is a therapy he almost did not get, had it not been for Coward.
Root had hip surgery at Audie L. Murphy VA Medical Center in June, but says he did not get much help after that.
"He was told by his orthopedic surgeon that he was going to be admitted to the inpatient rehab facility in Kerrville. Somewhere there was a drop of the ball. And instead of them finding placement for him, he was sent home without any physical therapy, [or] any follow-up appointment in the orthopedic clinic at the Audie Murphy," said Coward.
Coward stepped in instead. She is working to make sure Root receives the care she believes he earned and so desperately needs.
"Don't get me wrong, I love my country but when it comes to certain parts, not very efficient,” Root said. “And because Adrianne had a lot of similar experiences, she just knew where to send me and who to talk to."
Coward faced her own battle with the VA.
"Well unfortunately, on February 19, 2019, is when my whole life changed,” Coward said. “I had my knee replaced at Audie Murphy VA and complications arose. They damaged some nerves. They cut my MCL.”
She says six months later, she had to get her knee replaced again.
Too fearful to give the VA another chance, this time she turned to care outside of the VA.
Coward figures she is not alone. She launched Monarch Patient Advocates for people like her.
https://www.monarchpatientadvocates.com/about-monarch-patient-advocates-llc/
"Been a nurse for 25-plus years, I knew if I was having difficulties, then I started wondering about that 80-year-old veteran,” Coward said.
She is now traveling city to city helping veterans like Root get what they need.
When we reached out, the South Texas Veterans Health Care System gave us this statement:
"Thank you for contacting the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and bringing these matters to our attention. South Texas will work with the Veterans directly."
Root says he doesn't know what he would have done without Coward.
"A lot of veterans cannot afford to go outside the VA. They're like a house of cards and all it's going to take is one doctor and one nurse to be willing to speak up and that will collapse," he said.
And he pleads for care at the VA to be analyzed, so veterans like him don't get left behind.
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DDT Veterans Spouse Program
Divas in Dog Tags to launch support network for spouses of veterans
By Olivia Levada TexasPUBLISHED 8:26 PM CT Nov. 20, 2021
AUSTIN, Texas — Between taking on new roles and adjusting to different ways of living, being married to a veteran can be tough for some people.
Both veterans and their spouses often face a number of challenges, but joining a community can help. That is why Divas in Dog Tags, a support network for women veterans, wives of veterans and daughters of veterans, is launching a new program that specifically targets spouses of veterans.
Charla Spivey takes care of her husband full time.
"If I'm not his caregiver, then things go lacking. It's like when veterans have PTSD, there are times that they don't want to talk to people,” Charla explained.
Her husband Billy Spivey served in the U.S. Army for 17 years. He is also disabled. The Purple Heart recipient knows life can sometimes be difficult for his wife and encouraged her to join Divas in Dog Tags.
"I said, ‘So don't think you're alone. I want you to be with them and then they can explain things to you that I try to explain to you but I can’t,’” Billy said.
The group tackles various issues from PTSD to employment. Charla is helping the team launch a new Veteran Spouse Program.
"I'm the one that the spouses of veterans come to and we all get together and we talk and we try to find things to help us make it through as spouses of veterans,” Charla said.
U.S. Army veteran Rhonda Mack is the founder of Divas in Dog Tags. After speaking with several spouses in the Central Texas area, she saw a need for a support group.
"They feel like they're the afterthought,” Mack said.
She says that feeling is about to change.
"What we are hoping to do is connect veteran spouses with the resources, so whether it looks like employment, whether it looks like further training or tools for training or just growing a network,” Mack said.
With Charla's help, she knows they can do it.
"This is a very good group to be a member of because they are so supportive. I mean really supportive,” said Charla.
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MST Podcast
New podcast to focus on healing from military sexual trauma
By Olivia Levada Texas
PUBLISHED 10:00 AM CT Feb. 19, 2022
SAN ANTONIO — When screened by their United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provider, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men respond “yes” to having experienced sexual assault or sexual harassment during military service.
What You Need To Know
1 in 3 women and 1 in 50 men admit to experiencing sexual assault or sexual harassment in the military
Podcast focusing on healing from military sexual trauma (MST) in development
Lisa Carrington Firmin turned her journey of battling MST into a book and will be a part of the podcast
The Texas Veterans Commission is launching a podcast focused on healing and mending from
military sexual trauma (MST).
A highly decorated veteran turned her journey of battling MST into a book and now she’s joining others by participating in the podcast.
Lisa Carrington Firmin wrote a poem called “Into the Light” following the disappearance and murder of Fort Hood soldier Spc. Vanessa Guillen.
“While Vanessa’s death astounded the country, I was affected deep into my Latina soul and her murder became a catalyst to acknowledge my own bitter truth,” Firmin said, reading the poem aloud.
Firmin proudly retired from the Air Force as its most senior ranking Latina officer, but even she couldn’t escape the negative effects of MST.
She recalled being sexually assaulted as a young trainee.
“It impacts your brain. Impacts your body because how you cope with that will follow you for a long time,” Firmin said.
Firmin is putting the finishing touches on her book, “Stories From the Front: Pain, Betrayal, and Resilience on the MST Battlefield.”
“Fourteen different stories of experiences of military sexual trauma,” Firmin said. “It covers individuals that served in the Vietnam era to individuals who are currently serving today.”
Soon, Firmin will take part in a podcast focused on healing and mending from MST.
U.S. Army veteran Sharron Stewart is launching the podcast. She is the women veterans coordinator for the South Texas region of the Texas Veterans Commission.
“I want to take away shame. Take away stigma. Take away the feeling of isolation,” Stewart explained. “Let my brothers and sisters know you are not alone. Together we’re stronger.”
Firmin founded the University of Texas at San Antonio’s Top Scholar program, the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs and the Center for Military Affiliated Students.
“UTSA has over 5,000 military affiliated students,” Firmin said. “It was important to me to create this one-stop that they could come in and then we would take care of them.”
As she has on campus, Firmin hopes her work with her book and the new podcast makes a big difference.
“The more I share, the more people come up and share with me,” Firmin said. “And for some of them, it’s lifting huge burdens that they’ve had for years.”
The podcast will begin in April. For more information, you can reach Stewart by email at sharron.stewart@tvc.texas.gov.
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