Caitlin Whyte (Host): Welcome back to In Their Words, brought to you by UPMC in Central PA and the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation. Today, we embark on a powerful journey of resilience and dedication. Our guest is Kelly Luster, a patient of the remarkable Veteran Care Services Program at UPMC in Central PA. Kelly's story is one of unwavering service, sacrifice, and ultimately a transformative path toward healing.

In this compelling episode, Kelly shares his deeply personal experience. We'll hear about his years of dedicated service in the military, his deployment to Iraq, and the injuries he sustained, including a debilitating back injury. Through Kelly's candid and heartfelt story, we'll delve into the challenges he faced in seeking effective treatment. But amidst the struggles, a beacon of hope emerged, UPMC in Central PA's Veteran Care Services. With their specialized care and unwavering dedication, Kelly's journey took a transformative turn. We'll explore kelly's inspiring resilience, the invaluable role of UPMCs veteran care services, and the profound impact they have on those who have served our nation. Kelly's story isn't just his own. It serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of comprehensive and compassionate care for our veterans. Join us as we celebrate their service and highlight the essential support they deserve well beyond their time in uniform.

Kelly Luster: My wife and I and our two boys live here in Central PA. I'm very fortunate to have found a house with an in-law suite. So once we established ourselves, we moved our in-laws. Now, we have a big, happy family here in Central PA. You know, several folks in my family have served. My father was in the Air Force. My uncle was in the Air Force. We've had someone in the military for more than a century. My great grandfather, I have the postcard that he got to go and be mobilized to go to serve in World War I. It's very, to me, striking that me as a veteran here in 2022, I faced some of the same issues that my great grandfather faced after World War I. He came back with maladies and things that happened to him in the war and he had to go to the VA as well.

My career for the U.S. Army started in 1986. I enlisted on my 17th birthday, I'm one of those kids. Got my parents to sign and off I went. I spent my first 10 years in the chemical corps doing a very unforgiving and miserable job. I was fortunate enough to transition out of that field in '96 to public affairs and never looked back. I then left the public affairs field for an appointment to command sergeant major in 2011. And then when my son was born in 2012, I put in my paperwork to retire because he became my priority.

I deployed three times to Iraq. I was part of a special team doing media acquisition. Basically, we were telling soldier stories all over the country. Unfortunately, it was that deployment where I sustained a serious injury, and not even a heroic injury. I stepped in a hole and twisted my back and herniated five discs. And we had four months left on a deployment and there was no way I was leaving my unit. So, I stayed and suffered through the pain. And it wasn't until I got back and it was so debilitating that, you know, I sort of was forced to go to the VA. Even though I managed to become a civilian at that time working for the Army, I was still relying on the VA for medical care.

Host: Throughout Kelly's story of vital piece of the puzzle emerges, the Mission Act. Now, you might be wondering what exactly is the Mission Act and why is it so important. The Mission Act is a pivotal piece of legislation that significantly expands access to healthcare for veterans. Prior to this act, veterans often faced long wait times or geographical limitations when seeking care through the VA system. He'll explain firsthand how the Mission Act played a crucial role in his own care.

Kelly Luster: When I injured my back, I could not function. It was excruciating for me just to sit like I'm sitting now. Fortunately for me, the Mission Care Act was passed. It provides more access for disabled veterans to get care in the community, which is vital to everything that we need. There are specialties that we don't have at the Veterans Administration. There are specialties, just like in the civilian sector, that are months-long wait. Public healthcare systems helping pick up that slack from the Veterans Health Administration is vital to our care. And I was able to get to UPMC, select by name the neurosurgeon that I wanted to see. He was ready to schedule me for surgery within a week. We did two surgeries. He fixed my neck first. I regained all the feeling in my arm, which was amazing because I had lost feeling down my bicep, down this part of my arm, and in these three digits. Then, he fixed my lower back. I was able to move again. I wasn't in pain and I could get out and became active again.

I'm fortunate that the Mission Care Act was put in place and then it enabled me to help take more control of my own healthcare. I have resources. I have a family that supports me. I am still able to work, but there are guys out there that don't have this. Twenty two and forty thousand. Twenty two veterans are going to die every day of suicide. Forty thousand are going to sleep on the streets tonight. And that is unacceptable.

The way that Veterans Services helped me through UPMC was first with appointments, because I was having difficulty getting an appointment in a timely manner. And when you're in pain, I mean, that's all you want is to find out what's wrong. Second is the billing. They have helped streamline the billing. And I can tell you from experience, you know, before interacting with this office and the staff, billing was a constant problem. And the last is that care coordination piece where someone's calling you on the phone, making sure you're getting everything that you need from beginning to end.

Earlier this year, we had a yard sale, and we were sitting in the garage. And in my garage is some of the old army stuff. One of the things happens to be one of those signs that were commonplace in Iraq and Afghanistan, and you'd see them on the front and back of vehicles or outside of U.S. Military properties. It said, you know, "Stay away. Deadly forces authorized," and it's written in English and Arabic. During the yard sale, there was a young couple that stopped by, and we ended up chatting, and it turns out they were both veterans. Both in the same boat that I was a year before. Both struggling to get care. In fact, one of them was struggling with neck and back issues, almost identical to mine. And I was like, "Well, what's the problem?" And she told me, "Well, they just pushed my appointment out again." "The Mission Care Act." And she was like, "Well, what's that?" So, there's one opportunity I had to help one person, and that's important, the story that people need to know more about this. She emailed me recently. We kept in touch and she emailed me recently. Not only did she get her appointment moved up, she's now at UPMC and she's seeing the same neurosurgeon that fixed my back and neck.

In addition to that, I had such a successful time with Dr. Eseonu, Chikezie Eseonu. I don't mean to blow him up, but the guy is a neurosurgical God. He fixed me. He just did a second surgery on my sister-in-law and fixed her. And now, this young couple veterans that happened into my garage one yard sale are now getting care that they couldn't get before because they didn't know. They didn't know that the Mission Care Act enabled them to go to the community, and they didn't know about UPMC's Veteran Services.

Here's why a donation to a program like this is so valuable. You hear a lot in this country, people talk about 1%, 1%. One percent is the richest part of the population.

Host:  This story, isn't just about resilience. And the power of specialized care. It's also a powerful call to action. As we listen to Kelly, overcome his challenges, a question naturally arises. How can we as a community support veterans like Kelly? The answer lies in a collective effort. Organizations like the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation play a vital role by providing services and funding for veteran care services and beyond. But support can come in many forms, whether it's volunteering your time, donating to worthy causes, or simply spreading awareness. Every bit makes a difference.  

Kelly Luster: Well, there's another 1% that we forget about. Only 1% of the entire population raises their hand and volunteers to go serve their country, and give everything up to and including their life. That's the 1%. And there's so many of them that are struggling and need help. And if it's something as simple as someone to stop by and bring them a meal, help them with their bills, a change of clothes, or get them off the street, that's why it's important. That's the value of it. You know, and if it's a dollar, if it's two dollars, if it's 50 cents, every donation that comes into this fund goes directly to support veterans and a wide variety of needs. And I think that's what's great about it. And there are things that veterans need that just don't fit into every niche. So, that's why it's important.

And if somebody really wants to have an impact on something right now, today, a small donation will impact a veteran in ways that you can't even imagine. Something as simple as transportation. And I see it all the time, veterans waiting for a ride or having to change appointments because they just can't get there. So, there's so many ways that a donation like this would help. And that's why it's such a gracious thing.

Host: As we conclude this episode of In Their Words, a deep sense of gratitude fills our hearts. First and foremost, a heartfelt thank you to Kelly Luster for sharing his inspiring story of resilience. And the profound impact of UPMC in Central PA's Veteran Care Services. We also extend our unwavering gratitude to all the brave veterans who have served our nation. Your dedication and sacrifice deserve our deepest respect and continued support.

A special thank you as well to the dedicated team at UPMC's Veteran Care Services. Your commitment to providing specialized and compassionate care makes a tangible difference in the lives of veterans like Kelly. And before you go, don't forget to join us for our next episode. We'll be joined by esteemed guests, Mark Migala, Director of Veteran Care services at UPMC; Tom Zimmerman and Bill Habacivch, both from Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania, better known as VOPA. Together, they've created a haven for veterans, Veterans Grove, a sanctuary nestled by the calming Susquehanna River. Get ready to hear how UPMC in Central PA, the UPMC Pinnacle Foundation, and VOPA are collaborating to make a real difference in the lives of veterans experiencing homelessness. Thanks for listening to In Their Words. Until next time.