Fielding Notes | Dean's Corner 11.10.26

Of the roughly 15.7 million military veterans living in the United States, nearly 1.5 million live in California — the largest population of former service members in any U.S. state. 

Since UCLA Fielding opened its doors in 1961, the school has collaborated with Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare providers and researchers to address needs in primary care, mental health, chronic diseases, homelessness, and beyond. With Veterans Day tomorrow, November 11, I encourage you to explore some of the work led by UCLA Fielding alums and faculty in collaboration with veterans and VA data to address veterans’ health. 

One of the many reverberations of individual health is that it has community health implications. Wellness and illness rarely occur in isolation and often affect family members, partners, neighbors, colleagues, and more. When communities protect the health of those who served, it honors the service of veterans but also strengthens the public health of everyone.

Postscript: The reason we celebrate Veterans Day on November 11 is because fighting during World War I — which officially ended on June 28, 1919 — stopped months before then, when an armistice went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.