(Office of the Governor) — The CNMI Veterans Affairs Office under the Office of the Governor continue to address veterans’ healthcare challenges, such as the vendorization of CHCC pharmacies on all three islands, credentialing and increasing numbers of healthcare providers on all three islands, and asking our only inter-island commuter airline, Star Marianas Air, to become a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or VA vendor.
CNMI Veterans Affairs Office Executive Officer Stanley T. Iakopo, right, with Star Marianas Air President Shaun Christian.
Executive Officer for Veterans Affairs Stanley T. Iakopo stated, “Aside from face to face meetings with VA Pacific Islands Health Care System in late January, I have been actively collaborating via Zoom meetings with Dr. Robinson and the VA team from Washington, D.C.”
He added, “It has been a long and obstinate process that our honorable Veterans have been through over the years, but I am confident that the partnership that we now have with VA Pacific Islands Health Care System is much stronger than ever before.”
“As we speak,” Iakopo said, “Star Marianas Air is directly working with the VA and going through the final process of becoming a VA-vendored airline. This means that our veterans traveling from Rota and Tinian will no longer have to pay out of pocket for their own airline tickets when flying to Saipan for medical appointments.”
Star Marianas Air President Shaun Christian stated, “Based upon the Office Of Veterans Affairs Director’s introduction, we received confirmation from the VA in late January. The Veterans Administration Supply Chain Management Services contacted us letting us know that at the request of Executive Officer for Veterans Affairs Stanley T. Iakopo, they were working on providing SMA with the information needed to become established as a vendor to the VA. In mid-February, we received the Vendor File Request Form from the VA, and on February 23 we submitted all requested information.”
Christian said they have “received confirmation that the form was received and is being processed, which will eventually lead to SMA being an approved vendor to the VA. We look forward to continuing to work through this process and hope that this will make the travel experience a little easier for our Veterans.”
Dr. Adam Robinson, director of VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, confirmed that both he and Executive Officer Iakopo met “to discuss the unique needs of CNMI Veterans and to explore options for enhancing care and services for Veterans residing in Saipan, Tinian and Rota.”
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres commends the CNMI Veterans Affairs Office for their hard work in supporting and accommodating our Veterans in the CNMI. “I would like to thank Veterans Affairs Executive Officer Stanley T. Iakopo and the CNMI Veterans Affairs Office for continuing to find ways for our veterans in Tinian and Rota to have access to healthcare. In our recent Veteran Town Hall meetings, many of our local Veterans expressed the need for improved access to healthcare. This is one step toward improving the overall accessibility to healthcare for all our veterans in the CNMI,” the governor said.
