What Inspired Us to Build a Business
Around Helping Veterans?
Some of the best ideas start at the kitchen table, and such is the case with Vet Comp & Pen Medical Consulting.
It all started in March of 2010. Our co-founder, Gina, an experienced nurse practitioner, worked as a C&P examiner at the VA. Every morning before work, she went walking with homeless Veterans. She did not want to walk alone at 0500 in the dark, and she appreciated the companionship. The Veterans assumed Gina was a homeless Veteran staying in the women’s ward.
On their walks, Gina got to know these Veterans and came to understand some of the issues they were struggling with. Gina knew disability compensation would give them a chance to get back up on their feet, as most of them were disabled with mental health issues. Still, she realized they did not have the resources to fight for VA disability benefits, or even know where to begin.
The Veterans began to bring their service medical records for Gina to review, and she helped them understand which injuries might qualify them for benefits. Gina discovered that these accomplished Vets had a difficult time navigating the system, and it was clear that Veterans were consistently underrated every day. They did not have medical documentation to back up their claims, so they were getting denied.
Before long, word of mouth spread from the homeless Vets Gina had helped. In just a few short months, Veterans from all over the country began calling for her medical consulting services.
Inspired by her passion and talent for helping Veterans, Gina quit the VA and started a medical consulting company. She recruited her husband Ken, son Matthew, and daughter Stevie into the family business, which operated in Gina’s kitchen!
Needing a guinea pig, Gina reviewed the case of her grandfather, Colonel Bob. He was at 40%, receiving nothing other than a retiree tax break. Gina and Colonel Bob were excited when she developed thorough medical evidence that helped him achieve the 100% he had qualified for.
As fate would have it, Gina met Jim Hill, a Navy Veteran who served during Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm. Jim became a client in 2013, two years after Gina started her business. Jim shared her passion for helping Veterans. After realizing that each possessed different business strengths, they decided to join forces. Gina’s experience in medical consulting and VA processes fit well with Jim’s knowledge of business, marketing, and IT. They partnered and expanded the business to help more Veterans, and continue to be an excellent team.
Gina and Jim’s Mission
The concept in starting Vet Comp & Pen was to build not just a business but a community with a purpose beyond profit. Though the kitchen office was outgrown, the founding principles never changed. The first few Veterans Gina had helped before VCP started were able to get to a better place in their lives. That positivity and optimism carried over to Vet Comp & Pen and has always been at the core of our mission.
The strategies that Gina developed have been refined and honed over the years. Vet Comp & Pen is an evidence-based medical consulting company that helps Veterans establish service-connection by connecting symptoms and diagnoses to their military service. These critical Nexus is what help Veterans get their ratings increased with the VA and win the disability benefits they medically, legally, and ethically deserve.
Our Commitment to Veterans
We value your service and we believe in being direct and
honest. These are our ground rules:
01
Treat clients the way we’d like to be treated.
They don’t call it the golden rule for nothing. We built our business from the ground up on experience, trust, and results.
02
We believe in empowering. Not victimizing.
Those first Veterans that Gina befriended left an impression on her, teaching her that every Veteran deserves respect and a chance to access the benefits he or she has earned while fighting for this country.
03
We are a helpful partner, not a know-it-all superior.
We at Vet Comp & Pen are experienced medical professionals. We know our stuff, and we know what works. We will help you strategize how to identify your medical condition so that the VA can fully consider the extent of your injury.
Our Culture
Knowledge is power. Because working inside the system succeeds much better than working against the system, educating and training our employees and sharing our expertise is crucial.
Veterans Hiring Veterans
Many of our team are also Veterans themselves or family members of Veterans who can empathize with the struggles of dealing with the VA. We train them in understanding the specifics outlined in the 38CFR and and how to prove Nexus connections. We are committed to helping Veterans get their lives on a happier, healthier track.
We believe it is important to train and educate our employees to use the same high professional standards as our founder, Gina.
Giving Back
We believe in reaching out and supporting our community
through organizations that help bring independence and hope to
Veterans who may be experiencing a difficult time in their lives.
22 Push-ups
Every morning all of our employees start with 22 push-ups to bring awareness
to the fact that 22 veterans commit suicide every day. If you or anyone you know is having suicidal
thoughts, reach out to 800-273-8255 or visit Veterans Crisis Line for help.
Our Journey
Here is a little bit of our story, including how we have evolved over the years.
2013
Vet Comp & Pen
Medical Consulting, LLC
is established.
2015
VCP moves into
410 SW 140th Terrace, Newberry, Florida,
where we have remained.
2016
22 Push-ups
To acknowledge Veterans’ struggles with
depression, and to remind our team of our mission to improve Veterans’ lives, we started doing 22 push-ups a day to honor the staggering statistic that, on a daily basis, 22 veterans give in to despair and commit suicide.
2018
Recognizing the therapeutic effects of long-distance outdoor expeditions, Vet Comp & Pen donated to Warrior Expeditions in 2018 and sponsored Veterans walking the Appalachian Trail. We participated in a similar charity, Trail Magic, meeting up with some of the sponsored Veterans, taking them to dinner, and providing things they needed – like water, power bars, etc.
2019
We raised money as a group for our 2019 charity, Soldiers Freedom Outdoors, a charity whose mission is to help change the lives of active-duty and retired service-Veterans – many suffering from post-traumatic stress and reconnecting them with the healing power of nature. In order to accommodate our growing business helping Veterans, Vet Comp & Pen’s staff grows to over 100 employees.
The Future of
Vet Comp & Pen
At VCP, we pride ourselves on being an ally to Veterans. Your feedback has been invaluable as we continue to optimize our operation to meet our clients’ needs. We strive to continually move forward and adapt to any changes in federal policy, and that includes informing Veterans on newly-announced federal benefits and programs available to them. As word of mouth about our organization spreads throughout the Veteran community, we look forward to broadening our reach and streamlining our clients’ experience in any way that we can. We are excited to announce the launch of our educational YouTube channel, walking Veterans through the VA claims process and offering tips on how they can access benefits they have earned during their time in service.
