VA Lost and Found

Ever lost something and didn't know where to go? If you visit the Jerry L. Pettis VA Hospital in Loma Linda, you probably go see Jerry Jones, the Patient Effects Coordinator. For the last seven months, Jones has been returning items to their proper owners. Roughly twenty items come through lost and found at the VA Hospital every day, most of which include cell phones, money, wallets and the occasional cane. In addition to the lost and found, Jones also handles patients items during their stay at the hospital, marking and logging all items into the computer. According to Jerry, he takes the time to log every item into the computer that is lost and found; so far a total of 1,325 items since he took over these responsibilities. Once the item is logged in, it is kept for approximately sixty days, after which it goes to the VA's Logistics department. Once it is in the logistics warehouse, some items are thrown away, and some, like eye glasses, are recycled. Recycled eye glasses are given to the VA's eye clinic for patients who are unable to afford a pair of their own. Valuable items such as jewelry, are auctioned off with all proceeds from the auction going back to helping the vets. So what happens if you find yourself losing an item while visiting the VA? Simple: go to the Lost and Found room located near the south elevators, describe the lost item and Jerry would look it up in the computer. If the item is found after you leave the facility, he has all the information needed to contact you. So why does he do this type of work? According to him, his father was a vet. He sees many vets come through who remind him of his father.