2.      Columnist Praises Shinseki, But Says It's Hard To Get All In VA To Advocate Veterans. A column in the Bloomington (IN) Herald Times by the director of Monroe County's veterans affairs office (12/4, Catt) praises Secretary Shinseki's understanding of veterans and his desire to have all VA employees "act as advocates for veterans." He cites the Secretary's position on Agent Orange disabilities as an example of his commitment to veterans, with Shinseki's remark that if this position errs, it is on the side of veterans because it is the right and legal thing to do. But, the columnist adds, "Getting everybody in VA to assume a role as advocate for veterans is a very difficult task." Referring to the reluctance of some military and VA doctors to diagnose post-traumatic stress disorder, he surmises that "their position is if they err it will be against the veteran."

3.      VA "Is Testing 'Paperless Claims Processing. The Capital Flyer (12/2, Teufel, 15K) reports VA "has selected its regional benefits office in Providence, R.I., to test a paperless system and new procedures to improve processing of Veterans' claims for disability compensation. This test program marks a major milestone in VA's move to paperless processing, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. The Providence pilot is part of the Veterans Benefits Management System, one of more than three dozen initiatives in progress at VA to break the backlog. Secretary Shinseki has set a goal that by 2015 VA will process all claims within 125 days with 98 percent accuracy."

4.      Army, Air Force, Marines Chiefs Oppose Prompt End To DADT.  NBC Nightly News (12/3, story 6, 0:25, Williams, 8.37M) reported, "There is a new split in the debate over ending the US military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. The heads of the Army, Air Force, and Marines told Congress today it would be a bad idea to let openly gay people serve, at least while Americans are at war in Afghanistan. That, as you may know, is at odds with the top Pentagon brass, their bosses, who earlier this week said the time had come to let gays openly serve."
     The AP (12/4, Gearan) reports, "Bucking the Pentagon's top leaders, the chiefs of the Army and Marines urged Congress on Friday not to allow openly gay people to serve in the military, at least not while troops are at war in Afghanistan." Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey told the Senate Armed Services Committee, "It's important that we're clear about the military risks. Repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell' would be a major cultural and policy change in the middle of a war." Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos said he believes the policy will eventually be repealed, but added, "All I'm asking is the opportunity to do that at a time and choosing when my Marines are not singularly tightly focused on what they're doing in a very deadly environment."
     McClatchy (12/4, Douglas) reports Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norman Schwarz said, "It is difficult for me, as a member of the Joint Chiefs, to recommend placing any additional discretionary demands on our leadership cadres in Afghanistan at this particularly challenging time." Schwarz recommended that any change not take effect until 2012.
     The New York Times (12/4, Bumiller, 1.01M) says "of the three service chiefs who oppose repeal at present, General Casey appeared to be the one most swayed by the results" of a Pentagon study that "found deep concerns about changing the law among combat forces but concluded that 70 percent of service members over all thought repeal would have little effect on the ability of their units to work together." Casey said the "presumption underpinning 'don't ask, don't tell' is 'that the presence of a gay or lesbian service member in a unit causes an unacceptable risk to good order and discipline.' He told the panel: 'After reading the report, I don't believe that's true anymore and I don't believe a substantial majority of our soldiers believe that's true.'"
     The Hill (12/3, Tiron) reports that after the testimony, Sen. John McCain "suggested he could move to prevent floor debate on the 2011 defense authorization bill, which contains the repeal provision. McCain expressed confidence that the rest of the Republican conference would join him because repealing the ban is not a 'compelling' issue at a time when the military is fighting two wars and the US economy is 'in the tank.'" The Los Angeles Times (12/4, Bennett, 681K) and Washington Post (12/4, O'Keefe, 605K) also have reports.

5.      Oregon Legisalture May Take Up Contentious Issue Of Where To Site Veterans Homes. KDRV-TV Medford, OR (12/3, 9:04 a.m. EDT) reports that Klamath Falls could still be in the running for a multi-million dollar long-term care home for military veterans. Legislation that would put two long-term care facilities up for bid could be introduced during the next legislative session, which starts Jan. 11. Klamath Falls was one of five Oregon cities that submitted bids for a proposed 250-bed facility, but after bids were submitted, the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it would instead build a 150-bed veterans home in Lebanon and a similar facility in Roseburg. The Roseburg facility, however, has not received the necessary legislative approval."

6.      South Dakota Veterans Council Sets Luncheon With State Legislators. The Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader (12/3) reports that the South Dakota Veterans Council will host a roundtable luncheon with veterans and legislators from noon to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the Disabled American Veterans headquarters. The session will quiz legislators on their stance on creating a cabinet-level Department of Veterans Affairs in the state and other veterans issues.

7.      VA, Utah Will Test Exchange Of Rural Veterans' Health Data.  Government Health IT (12/3, Mosquera) reports that Utah's state designated health information exchange "will connect healthcare providers in a rural region of the state with the Veterans Affairs Department so they can share patient records of veterans and service members who receive treatment outside of the VA. It's the fifth in a series of demonstration programs across the nation in which VA and private sector providers coordinate services to veterans through access to the nationwide health information network."

8.      Senate Approves US Residency For Japanese Wife Of Marine Killed In Iraq. The Knoxville (TN) News Sentinel (12/4) reports, "On a unanimous consent vote, the US Senate late this afternoon passed a bill honoring the late US Marine Sgt. Michael Ferschke of Maryville -- and granting permanent residency to his Japanese wife, Hotaru Ferschke. The private bill, addressing narrowly the Ferschke family's situation, still must be approved by the US House." The Senate measure was offered by TN Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker (both R), VA Sen. Jim Webb (D) and CO Sen. Mark Udall (D). The private bill is needed to allow the widow and her son with Ferschke to live in the US, since they were married by proxy and did not live together afterwards because Ferschke had been deployed to Iraq.

9.      National Veterans Golden Age Games Set For Hawaii. An American Forces Press Service release (12/3) announces that over 700 "golden age: veterans plan to travel to Hawaii to participate in the 25th National Veterans Golden Age Games, the nation's largest sporting event for senior military veterans. Sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Canteen Service and Help Hospitalized Veterans, the competition is scheduled for May 26 through 31, 2011, in Honolulu. The 14 competitive events "are open to all US military veterans 55 or older, who are currently receiving care at a VA medical facility."

10.    Homeland Security, Defense And VA Account For Most Recent Growth In Federal Workforce. As President Obama proposes a two-year pay freeze for most federal workers and a deficit commission calls for elimination 200,000 federal jobs and a three-year pay freeze, In a Washington Post op-ed (12/3, Stier, 605K), the president and CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service tackles what he calls "Five Myths About Federal Workers." To one "myth," that the federal workforce is now bigger than ever, Stier writes that the workforce "is now slightly smaller than it was in 1967, at the height of Lyndon Johnson's Great Society, and today there are 100 million more Americans to serve." Moreover, "Today, two out of three federal civilian employees work for the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Veterans Affairs or Justice. The vast majority of government hiring since 2003 has been in these four departments."

11.    VA Says New GI Bill IT System Is Working Well. The Army Times (12/3, Maze, 104K) reports, "With a month to go before launching a fully automated claims processing system for the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Veterans Affairs Department is reporting great success in managing the fall enrollment period. Roger Baker, assistant VA secretary for information and technology, and the agency's chief information officer, told a congressional watchdog agency that the automation is working, despite initial concerns. 'Despite unanimous predictions to the contrary,' VA successfully converted processing of new Post-9/11 GI Bill claims for the fall term to a new, automated system, Baker said."
     VA, GAO Fighting Over Agile Development Process. Federal Computer Week (12/3, Lipowicz, 90K) reports that Veterans Affairs and the Government Accountability Office "are fighting over the process used in developing the VA's Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefit claims processing system. VA is supposed to be using a process called Agile development, in which projects are segmented and functionality is delivered in small increments. In an assessment released Dec. 1, GAO said VA is missing a critical component of an agile program -- a velocity oversight mechanism. Such a mechanism is a process that measures rate of work completed and changes to project scope over time." But VA assistant secretary for information and technology Roger Baker "disputed that assessment and suggested the GAO might not understand agile development." He also claims that VA's agile development of the claims processing system resulted in on-time and successful releases of functionality for the first three phases.

12.    Washington Woman Sentenced for Stealing Over $75,000 in VA Benefits. The Kitsap (WA) Sun (12/3, Goldenshteyn, 24K) reports that a local woman "is among at least a dozen people identified in an 18-month federal investigation into fraudulent collections of Veterans Affairs benefits. Jackie Ann Courtney pled guilty to one count of stealing government funds for collecting $75,258 of her deceased mother's veterans benefits." Because of an ongoing "Operation Final Payment" investigation did not announced the sentencing until this week. Courtney, who suffers from physical and mental challenges, was sentenced in May to five years probation, 120 hours of community service and 90 days home confinement.

13.    VA Holds Industry Forum For Potential Developers Of Iowa Campus. The Knoxville (IA) Journal Express (12/3, Woodhouse, 4K) reports the VA held a meeting for about 30 persons in industrial development to provide information on the agency's request for proposals on repurposing the entire 163-acre VA campus and its 39 buildings. Proposals, due to VA by mid-February, will be evaluated for their benefit to veterans, impact on the community and financial stability; the agency aims to grant a75-year enhanced use lease on the property by next October.

14.    Health Net Unit GetsVA Contract To Serve Rocky Mountain And Northwest Networks. In a Business Wire release (12/3), Health Net Federal Services, LLC announces it has received a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contract to provide a network of behavioral health providers augmenting VA's outpatient mental health and readjustment counseling services in rural counties within VA's Rocky Mountain Network and Northwest Network.

15.    Korean War Veteran Buried Sixty Years Late. In continuing coverage, the Omaha World-Herald (12/4, Nelson, 156K) reports on the hometown funeral for a Korean War veteran who has been missing in action since 1950. Sixty years later, DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains of Army Sgt. 1st Class Wallace "Bob" Slight, to be buried Friday in an Iowa Veterans Cemetery. The Associated Press (12/3) and the Des Moines Register also report the story.

16.    VFW Post Will Host Informational Session On Agent Orange. The Fargo, North Dakota-based In-Forum (12/3) reports, "All Clay County Vietnam veterans who served between Aug. 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975 are invited to attend an Agent Orange informational meeting at 8 a.m. Saturday at the Dilworth VFW. Clay County Veterans Officer Tom Figliuzzi will discuss a recent VA decision that acknowledges additional Agent Orange presumptive conditions including Chronic B-Cell Leukemia, ischemic heart disease and Parkinson's disease."

17.    Business Owner In Path Of New Orleans VAMC Upset With Legal Process. The website for WWL-TV New Orleans (12/3, Farris) reports, as properties are being moved from the site of a new downtown VA hospital, one small business owner is complaining that he has not been paid for his property. The owner of Boudreaux's Tire and Auto Repair says that although the state has already set aside money in the courts for the property, he has not yet received any money "because the court needs to have a hearing to determine how much he gets and how much goes to pay liens on the property." Without those funds, Allen Boudreaux adds, he "he can't afford to buy the new building where he's going to move his business."

18.    Local Hospitals Would Welcome Overflow From VA Health System. A San Francisco Chronicle blog on local issues (12/3) interviews the president of the board of the Alameda Health Care District. Asked about the possibility that Alameda Hospital "may be partnering with the VA at Alameda Point," the healthcare executive responds that, "We remain in dialogue with officials from the Veterans Administration about a variety of health care collaborations to improve the availability of health care services for veterans in the region. The Veterans Administration is facing significant capacity constraints in its traditional care settings, and the availability of convenient sources of care for veterans is often limited. ... We currently have an agreement in place in which the Veterans Administration can use excess capacity at Alameda Hospital for veterans and we hope to be able to expand on this agreement to address additional needs of veterans in the future."

19.    VA Going Greener With Solar Projects. The Los Angeles Daily News (12/3, Wilcox, 91K) reports that the Sepulveda VA "will install a $21 million solar-energy system as part of the Veterans Administration's effort to 'green' its facilities nationwide, officials said Friday. The solar project is one of 18 being installed at medical centers operated by the VA, which plans to spend about $200 million in federal stimulus money to create renewable- and efficient-energy systems at its facilities nationwide. Another $200 million is being invested in clean-energy generation and energy conservation. In addition to the VA's Ambulatory Care Center in North Hills, the West Los Angeles Medical Center on Wilshire Boulevard will get a $16.4 million solar-energy system."

20.    Veterans Hospital's Role In Creation Of Davis-Bacon Act Noted. Conservative Washington Post blogger Jennifer Rubin, in her "Right Turn" column (12/3), after noting that building a new wheelchair-accessible women's restroom off the House of Representatives floor is estimated to cost at least $200,000, turns her fire on the Davis-Bacon Act, which since 1931 has required government contracts over $2,000 "to pay the 'prevailing' (union) wage." Calling it a "blatant piece of special-interest, pro-union legislation" that inflates wages on government construction projects well above market rates, Rubin adds that the law "has explicitly racist origins. It was introduced in response to the presence of Southern black construction workers on a Long Island, N.Y. veterans hospital project."

21.    Chattanooga Conference Will Address Veterans Benefits And Resources.  The Chattanoogan (12/2) reports on "We Honor Veterans," a one-day conference for Chattanooga area veterans on benefits and resources available to them. It notes that the keynote presentation, "Wounded Warriors: Their Last Battle," will be delivered by Deborah Grassman, a longtime hospice nurse with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The event is sponsored by the Chattanooga Veterans Coalition, which includes the local VA and five other groups and healthcare providers.

22.    Fayetteville VAMC's Rural Health Team Will Come To Wilmington. The Wilmington (NC) Star News (12/3, Hotz, 40K) reports, "Veterans in the Wilmington area can enroll in the VA health care system, receive health screenings and health information, and find out about services available to them when the Fayetteville VA Medical Center's Rural Health Team rolls into town. The team will be set up 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2573, 2722 Carolina Beach Road."

23.    Martinsburg VAMC Named Red Cross Hospital of the Year. The Hagerstown (MD) Herald-Mail (12/3, 31K) reports that the Martinsburg VA Medical Center (MVAMC) "recently received the Hospital of the Year Award from the Greater Alleghenies Region of American Red Cross Blood Services." The award goes to the hospital in the region that is judged to have shown outstanding support for the blood donation program.

24.    New Veterans Call Center At Hot Springs VAMC Slates Open House. The Chadron (NE) News (12/3, 2K) reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs Black Hills Health Care System "will hold a ribbon cutting and open house for its new Veteran Call Center at the Hot Springs, S.D. VA Medical Center grounds on Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Information, tours and refreshments will be provided." The call center handles health advice, hospital appointments and pharmacy refills and renewal for veterans on parts of five western states.

25.    Hernandez Named To AHE Board Of Directors.  Infection Control Today magazine (12/3) reports that the Association for the Healthcare Environment elected two new members of its board of directors, including Alba Hernandez, MS, RD, CHESP, the director of the Nutrition and Hospitality Service Center for James J Peters VA Medical Center in the Bronx, N.Y. Hernandez also serves as the co-chair for the Veterans Health Administration's Environmental Services Director's Advisory Board, and is the former president for the Healthcare Foodservice Administrator's Association, Greater New York Chapter.

26.    Longtime Hines VAMC Nurse, Suffering From ALS, Profiled. The Chicago Tribune (12/4, Graham, 488K) profiles Eileen Hagarty, who worked for almost 39 years at Hines VAMC as a respiratory nurse, diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often called Lou Gehrig's disease, as she prepares herself, family and friends as the debiliitating disease progresses.

27.    Column Address Details How Openly Gay Soldiers Would Fit Into Service. The syndicated "Military Update" column, appearing in the Jacksonville (NC) Daily News and elsewhere(12/3, Philpott), in the wake of a recent Defense Department study assessing the possibility of openly gay service members, answers a variety of questions on the details of how that would work. Same-sex partners would not qualify for military health coverage or dependents' housing allowances, even if married in a state that recognizes same-sex marriages, it notes, because the federal Defense of Marriage Act bar spousal benefits for gay partners. While service members with gay partners could legally be given on-base family housing, the new study "advises against opening military base housing to such arrangements." Gay service members could designate a partner as beneficiary for group life and federal Thrift Savings plans, but their eligibility for other programs -- such as on-base shopping, family support programs, legal assistance and space-available travel -- would depend on how Defense defines "dependent" and "family member."

28.    Bronze Markers Stolen From Veterans' Graves. The Beckley (WV) Register-Herald (12/3, Plummer, 23K) reports that bronze grave markers have been stolen from veterans' gravesites in the Greenwood Memorial Park in Beckley, West Virginia. A funeral home employee "contacted the VA National Cemetery Administration and learned the bronze markers can be replaced by the VA, but a vandalism report must first be filed with police."