Jessica Fast, the widow of SFC Matthew Fast, stands with Maryland Governor Wes Moore at the signing of the SFC Matthew Fast Act on May 20, 2025, the first law in the nation requiring every healthcare facility to ask for and document military service status. The Veterans Health and Wellness Foundation championed this legislation in honor of SFC Fast’s legacy and in service of the Veterans who deserve to be seen.
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Dr. Evelyn L. Lewis, MD, with Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger at the April 8, 2026, signing of HB 1504, extending military service screening requirements to every healthcare facility in the Commonwealth of Virginia and protecting
hundreds of thousands of Virginia Veterans.
Our Academic Partners
VHWF's Interprofessional Educational Program has been established as a signature program at leading medical schools, tapping the resources of multiple disciplines to train health and mental health professionals.
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Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS)
The VHWF Interprofessional Educational Program is a signature program of the Rutgers RWJMS Institute for Excellence in Education.
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George Mason University
VHWF partners with George Mason University's Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative (MVFI), which serves Veterans through education and professional training.
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Chicago Medical School (Rosalind Franklin University)
Dr. Lewis serves as Clinical Instructor and member of the Dean's External Leadership Council, reinforcing VHWF's commitment to embedding military health education in physician training.
The Challenge
The United States is home to approximately 17 million Veterans, yet the vast majority receive all or a portion of their healthcare from civilian providers — professionals who often lack a fundamental understanding of military culture, the signature wounds of war, and the unique physical, mental, and behavioral health impact of military service.
Veterans face disproportionate rates of PTSD, traumatic brain injury (TBI), substance use disorders, chronic pain, and suicide. VHWF's Provider Training exists to close this knowledge gap and ensure every provider is equipped to ask the right questions and deliver culturally competent care.