Veteran Engagement Panel

About the Veteran Engagement Panel (VEP)
Working with the VEP
Meet the VEP Members
Pain/Opioid CORE VEP Intranet Site (VA account required)

About Veteran Engagement Panel (VEP)

The Pain/Opioid CORE Veteran Engagement Panel (VEP) is a group of 13 Veterans from across the country who work as patient advisors to VA researchers to enhance patient-centered research. All VEP members have personal experience with chronic pain and/or opioids. Veteran members are a diverse group of men and women across a wide age range and backgrounds. Members include students, retirees, and current workers with varied military, volunteer, and professional experiences. The VEP aims to enhance Veteran-engaged research by providing an authentic perspective and constructive feedback on research projects to strengthen their impact.

The VEP can provide support throughout the research life cycle, from project proposal through publication. They provide feedback about study materials, barriers and facilitators to Veteran participation as well as brainstorming solutions to potential and actual challenges encountered by the research team. The VEP also helps inform how researchers share study findings to Veterans and the general public.

Working with the VEP

Interested in meeting with the VEP? The panel is available as a complimentary resource to VA investigators with a pain- or opioid-related topic. Limited prep work is required, and meetings are led by Pain/Opioid CORE staff. Click here for more information about Veteran engagement at the Pain/Opioid CORE. Please contact Tracy Sides at [email protected] to learn more!

Meet the VEP Members

Meet Becky from MN

Tell us about yourself...I am a U.S. Air Force Veteran and retired after 26 years of service. During my career I spent 9+ years overseas, which included combat tours and hazardous duty. I retired from the Air Force in November 2014 and my husband and I settled back in MN, our home state. Upon retirement, I returned to school to become an occupational therapist and in June 2018 I passed the national boards, just 3 weeks after graduation. I have worked at Mayo Clinic ever since. Pre-COVID my husband and I enjoyed spending time with family and expanding our world-wide travels -- we hope to return to both of those activities when it is safe to do in the future.

Why were you interested in serving on the VEP...As with many Veterans involved in the VEP, I also suffer from chronic musculoskeletal pain, and have for many years. As a patient in the pain clinic at the Minneapolis VA, I learned of an opportunity to join my first VEP and thought of it as a way to “give back”. As a VEP member, I was provided insight into the immense breadth and depth of research being done in support of Veterans across the country, and I quickly gained a profound appreciation for the dedication and passion of the researchers involved in VA programs. I feel blessed to participate and provide a voice for female Veterans.

Meet Evelyn

Tell us about yourself...Dr. Lewis earned her medical degree from the University of the Health Sciences, the Chicago Medical School and completed a residency in family medicine at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL. She completed a faculty development fellowship at Madigan Army Medical Center and Pacific Lutheran University and earned a Masters degree in the Social and Behavioral Sciences. In 2003, Dr. Lewis retired from the United States Navy after 25 years of service. Currently, she serves as Chief Medical Officer for Warrior Centric Health, LLC; President and Chair, Veteran Health And Wellness Foundation; Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Family and Community Health, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Clinical Instructor, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science; appointee to the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Disability Compensation; and serves as the American Academy Family Physician’s Delegate to the American Medical Association House of Delegates. Dr. Lewis is nationally recognized for her expertise in the areas of community outreach, engagement and enablement; public private partnerships; Veteran health and healthcare issues; content/program development and evaluation; cultural competency; health and healthcare disparities; women’s health, health impact of military service on Veterans and their families; PTSD/TBI and clinical trials and minority participation. She is also a Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors and the American Academy Family Physicians.

Meet Kyle from IN

Tell us about yourself...I served in the Army and IN Army National Guard and retired after 26 years. I was stationed in Germany as a young Soldier from 1985-1987. Most of my service was spent in domestic response units with an emphasis on Disaster Response and Preparedness. I am a retired First Sergeant. The Veteran experience is multifaceted and incredibly varied. I believe it is critically important that the full spectrum of diversity of is represented in developing chronic pain management strategies.

Why were you interested in serving on the VEP...I have managed chronic pain for years. Over the course of several years, I became addicted to opioids and alcohol. I am in recovery now and place a very high value on sobriety. I am very interested holistic pain management strategies based on mindfulness and awareness as well as traditional medical and pharmaceutical approaches. I am very grateful to participate in the Veteran Engagement Panel because it gives me an opportunity to share experiences and offer unique perspectives to researchers.

Meet Kathryn from CO

Tell us about yourself...I'm an Army Veteran, and I served as a medic and had an opportunity to meet many people and travel many places. I loved my job, learned many rewarding lessons, and had a chance to offer the best part of me.

Why were you interested in serving on the VEP...Since I've experienced injuries and disabilities, I wanted to be a part of the VEP panel to share my point of view. I want to help shape policy, programming, and research surrounding Veteran health, chronic pain, and alternatives to pain management. I am excited to be a part of the panel. I simply want to make a difference and ensure that the lives of Veterans will improve from a mental, physical, and emotional standpoint. I am thankful that the VA, researchers, and the VEP panel are collectively working to address chronic pain and opioid use to improve the lives of both the Veteran and their families.

Meet Dave from WA

Tell us about yourself...I am a Veteran of 11 years and was stationed in both the United States and overseas with multiple deployments to the Far East and SW Asia. I currently work to serve Veteran students in a local community college.

Why were you interested in serving on the VEP...I was separated after my third major back injury, which led to years of over-medication and poor decision-making in my own pain management. Prior to my surgery on my back, I was told I had a low chance of walking again and that, if I was able to walk, I would have lifelong pain. Once I started taking responsibility for my pain management… I now walk and work and have found a rewarding path in life. I hope, through my work on this panel, to help other Veterans who are walking the path of pain management… to have a successful and healthy life without over-medication and through alternate treatments.

Meet Otis from WI

Tell us about yourself…I am a Vietnam Era Army Veteran and have served as a Veteran peer support specialist along with servicing my community in the same capacity for the past 10 years. I have struggled with opiate addiction for the better part of 30 years of my life. I serve as Executive Director of Dryhootch of America, a nonprofit organization that “helps Veterans who survived the war, survive the peace.”

Why were you interested in serving on the VEP…My passion is working with fellow Veterans. As Nelson Mandela said, “There is no greater a God’s gift than giving one’s time, empathy, and compassion to help their fellow man. What counts in life is not the mere fact that we lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”

​Veteran Engagement Panel

Veteran Engagement Panel