SPRING 2016 RETIREMENT GUIDE Madison, Wis.
Columbia, S.C.
Irvine, Calif.
WHEN FORMER MARINE CORPS Staff Sgt. Bob Hall, 69, was diagnosed in June 2006 with pul- monary fi brosis — an incurable disease that took the life of his mother — he refused to allow the illness to defi ne him or dampen his enthusiasm for life.
Pulmonary fi brosis patients live on average three to fi ve years after diagnosis, but Hall hung on. His condition worsened, “and it forced me to reevaluate and retire ear- lier than I’d planned,” Hall says. He left his job with the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons in Oc- tober 2013. A few days shy of Christmas that year, he re- ceived a right lung transplant through the Madison, Wis., William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital. Consider these statistics: In 2014, the VA reported more
than $59 billion in health care costs for veterans, with 1 in 10 veterans disabled. And as the military population con- tinues to age, the need for quality health care is ever more crucial. The following are several cities across the country off ering excellent VA hospitals, a variety of outpatient and specialty clinics, and an overall good quality of life.
60 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2016
Madison, Wis. There are plenty of reasons to love picturesque Madison, Wis. The city has strong employment rates; is home to an excellent university system, including the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and was named one of the best places for veterans to go back to school. Plus Madison has plenty of culture and outdoor activities to boot and one of the nation’s biggest and best farmers’ markets to ensure if you live here, it’s easy to eat well, too. Even more, the city knocks it out of the park with its health care off erings — 11 accredited hospitals, including teaching hospitals, provide plenty of medical options and a strong pool of specialized talent. William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital — through which Hall received a new lung and a new
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