Luz Varbel pauses for a photo while speaking with her

Luz Varbel pauses for a photo while speaking with her husband, Dean, as part of a new virtual visit program for resident's of the Roseburg VA Health Care System's Community Living Centers, Roseburg, Oregon, April 13, 2020. RVAHCS began a new virtual visit program for residents of the CLCs as a way for Veterans to stay connected with loved ones during the facility's COVID-19 response. Since the beginning of the regional spread of Coronavirus, staff with the two CLCs on the Roseburg campus have been working to mitigate the impact on their Veteran residents. Virtual visits will give Veterans another semi-normal activity, one that is vital for their mental health, according to Nick LaFata, a CLC nurse manager. Dean Varbel is a Marine Veteran who is currently a resident in the Roseburg VAMC’s Protective Care Unit. Since the outbreak of Coronavirus in the United States, the unit has been locked down to protect those residing here and has made it difficult for families to visit their loved ones. Recently, however, Luz Vrabel was able to visit with her husband Dean via video chat using the Roseburg VA’s mobile computer workstations. They had a wonderful visit given the circumstances, we had a chance to talk with Luz and ask her a few questions about Dean and their relationship. Dean Varbel and his wife Luz’s relationship started back in 1984 when Luz owned a hair salon and had some friends who needed a business loan. It just so happened that Dean was working at the brokerage they used. He, after meeting Luz, got her card and scheduled an appointment to have his hair cut. She very much impressed Dean, and he was so enthralled with her that he went home and phoned some family members saying he had found the woman he was going to marry. He did of course, and never changed the way his hair was cut from that day forward. Luz said in an interview, that Dean has always been a gracious husband and friend, not prone to argue, and well liked among all. As a Marine, Dean