DAV Magazine — November/December 2016
Million Veteran Program
DAV member brings VA halfway to research initiative goal
DAV life member Michael Owen Smith didn’t know that, when he enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Million Veteran Program (MVP) at the DAV National Convention in Atlanta in August, he was ushering in an important milestone for the research database program. Smith—an Army veteran from Montgomery, Ala.—became the 500,000th veteran to enroll, helping the VA create the largest genomic archive in the world.
The MVP was started in 2011 as part of the White House Precision Medicine Initiative. The goal was for participants to donate blood for DNA extraction and analysis. A baseline and periodic follow-up surveys would track veterans’ military experiences, health and current lifestyles. With enough DNA available for study, researchers proposed the information gained for the MVP could help prevent and treat certain types of diseases.
“Our veterans continue to demonstrate their selfless sacrifice, and the nation has yet another reason to owe them a debt of gratitude,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “Many of our veterans have saved lives on the battlefield, and … their participation [in the MVP] has the potential to save countless lives—now and for generations to come.”
But joining the program is not just about gathering research; many veterans said they enrolled as a way to continue their service to the country.
“I’m participating in the Million Veteran Program so that I can do my part to help future generations of not just veterans, but everyone who can benefit from this research,” said Army veteran and MVP enrollee Alexander Megallanez.
MVP Program Manager Jennifer Deen, who was in attendance when they hit the 500,000 milestone, said being among a group of veterans who care so deeply for each other is why they started the program in the first place.
“It was such an amazing, humbling and inspiring experience being at the DAV Convention, and reaching the halfway point was just icing on the cake,” said Deen. “The veterans that we met were so welcoming and enthusiastic about the program, and once again reaffirmed how generous and altruistic they are. We really valued the opportunity to speak with so many individuals at the convention and hope to be back next year.”
Learn More Online
For more information about MVP, including how to participate, visit www.research.va.gov/MVP. For a list of the 52 VA sites currently enrolled in the program, log on to www.research.va.gov/MVP/all-clinics.cfm.
DAV life member Michael Owen Smith didn’t know that, when he enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Million Veteran Program (MVP) at the DAV National Convention in Atlanta in August, he was ushering in an important milestone for the research database program. Smith—an Army veteran from Montgomery, Ala.—became the 500,000th veteran to enroll, helping the VA create the largest genomic archive in the world.
The MVP was started in 2011 as part of the White House Precision Medicine Initiative. The goal was for participants to donate blood for DNA extraction and analysis. A baseline and periodic follow-up surveys would track veterans’ military experiences, health and current lifestyles. With enough DNA available for study, researchers proposed the information gained for the MVP could help prevent and treat certain types of diseases.
“Our veterans continue to demonstrate their selfless sacrifice, and the nation has yet another reason to owe them a debt of gratitude,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald. “Many of our veterans have saved lives on the battlefield, and … their participation [in the MVP] has the potential to save countless lives—now and for generations to come.”
But joining the program is not just about gathering research; many veterans said they enrolled as a way to continue their service to the country.
“I’m participating in the Million Veteran Program so that I can do my part to help future generations of not just veterans, but everyone who can benefit from this research,” said Army veteran and MVP enrollee Alexander Megallanez.
MVP Program Manager Jennifer Deen, who was in attendance when they hit the 500,000 milestone, said being among a group of veterans who care so deeply for each other is why they started the program in the first place.
“It was such an amazing, humbling and inspiring experience being at the DAV Convention, and reaching the halfway point was just icing on the cake,” said Deen. “The veterans that we met were so welcoming and enthusiastic about the program, and once again reaffirmed how generous and altruistic they are. We really valued the opportunity to speak with so many individuals at the convention and hope to be back next year.”
Learn More Online
For more information about MVP, including how to participate, visit www.research.va.gov/MVP. For a list of the 52 VA sites currently enrolled in the program, log on to www.research.va.gov/MVP/all-clinics.cfm.
Message