Veterans News for Thursday, April 28, 2011

1.    Vietnam veteran walking 2,300 miles to thank comrades in arms.   http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110427/NEWS01/104270322/Vietnam-veteran-walking-2-300-miles-thank-comrades-arms Those who say they support American troops and the sacrifices they make for country should walk a mile in Al Slusser's shoes.  Since April 4, the Vietnam War-era Navy ... 

2.    Panetta and Petraeus in Line for Top Security Posts.   http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28team.html?_r=1&hp   President Obama will reshuffle his national security team on Thursday, naming Leon E. Panetta, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, as defense secretary and Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top American commander in Afghanistan, to lead the C.I.A., administration officials said Wednesday.

3.    Violent Storms.  An emergency official says violent storms have killed 25 in Alabama, bringing the regional death toll to 37. http://usat.ly/ewDAVc. 

4.    Fight for Valley Veterans Hospital Takes Important Step.  KRGV  We've never done that before," says Jeff Milligan with the US Department of Veterans Affairs. "Today was probably the best day that we've had in I don't know how long. The news today was very exciting," says Hidalgo County Veterans Director Emilio de ...

5.    HJF to Host Dinner to Honor Icons of Military Medicine.  istockAnalyst.com  The National Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline for serving as a critical resource for veterans and active-duty troops in dire need of help. The US Department of Veterans Affairs, the US Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and ...

6.    Web Portal To Connect Veterans With Federal Jobs.  Bay Net  Last fall, Lt. Governor Brown, the Maryland Department of Labor and the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs partnered with labor leaders to launch the Helmets to Hardhats program and the Warrior to Worker Initiative – a state program modeled on ...

7.    Local VFW posts look to diversify.  Wyoming Tribune  "It's a place to interface with the community, work with charities and get help with the (US Department of Veterans Affairs). It can also be cathartic for (younger veterans) to talk to people who you know have gone through the same thing you are going ...

8.    Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery Set To Open.  On Friday, May 6th, an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Southwest Virginia Veteran's Cemetery in Dublin. It is the "third state run veterans cemetery in the commonwealth."

9.    Muhlenberg Grad Aids Wounded Soldiers. Reading (PA) Eagle   57-year-old Dr. William Kearns, a University South Florida associate psychology professor, is using "his expertise in psychology and cutting-edge technology to help victims of traumatic brain injury." He is "part of a research team using location-awareness technology to aid wounded veterans" in developing "psychological strategies to deal with memory loss."

10.                       Last-Minute Scheduling Can Reduce No-Shows.   Medscape "Advanced ('open') access scheduling, which is patient driven, rather than prearranged, reduces wait time and no-show rates, according to a study published online April 25 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Advanced access scheduling has been ...

11.                       Can Divorced Spouse Of Veteran Get Agent Orange Payout?  "Sgt. Shaft" Washington Times

12.                       VA, Utah Plan July Launch To Test Rural Veterans' Data Exchange. Government Health IT   In July, the "Veterans Affairs Department will launch...the exchange of veterans' health records between its medical center" in Grand Junction, Colorado, "and private healthcare providers in rural southeastern Utah." This "will be the first demonstration of the VA's virtual lifetime electronic record (VLER) to concentrate on coordinating care in a rural region." "VLER is VA's development of a single electronic system to track the medical, benefits and administrative records of service members from their induction into the military throughout their lives as veterans."

13.                       George W. Bush Bikes To Raise Awareness About Wounded Warriors. Fox News' Special Report "former President George W. Bush...is honoring America's wounded warriors, men and women who were wounded in combat in either Iraq or Afghanistan," some having lost limbs, others suffering from traumatic brain injury. But now, the 14 wounded warriors are "mountain biking with their former commander-in-chief," spending ...  

14.                       Sycamore Vet Raises Suicide Awareness. AP   Laurie Emmer, a member of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), "wants everyone to know" the name of Clay Hunt, a fellow IAVA member who "killed himself March 31." With the "hope of preventing suicides, IAVA wants to lift the stigma associated with seeking counseling. That stigma remains strong within the military, Emmer said."

15.                       Veteran's Clinics See Increased Need In Patients. Florence (SC) Morning News  The US Department of Veterans Affairs "said it requested just over 132 billion dollars in federal funding for next year," in part to increase care to female vets at one of its facilities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The Morning News adds, "The VA will host a free event for all returning veterans, active duty service members and their families aboard the USS Yorktown in Charleston. The event features a job fair with more than 85 employers and takes place" on May 5th, "from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m."

16.                       Is Glaxo Under Investigation Because The VA Wants Its Avandia Money Back?   BNET  CBS News says GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is "at the center of a massive, companywide federal probe" surrounding "its diabetes drug, Avandia." According to the blog, eight "percent of all Avandia sales were to the Veterans Administration," which in 2007 "ordered all its patients to stop taking the drug" after it "emerged that it caused more heart attacks than similar drugs." Scott Barnes, a "retired veteran who is now a plaintiff in the multi-district Avandia litigation, tells BNET that...VA now wants its money back" and that he believes he will not see any settlement money until that happens.

17.                       Amid Dental Infection Issues, Ohio Senator Says VA Hospitals Must Prevent Future Problems. AP   On Tuesday, US Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) "challenged Veterans Affairs officials...to make changes to ensure there is no repeat of problems at the Dayton VA hospital that have led to testing of hundreds of veterans for potential infections." Brown "held a hearing of the US Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs at the hospital where VA investigators found that infection control policies were violated and a dentist failed for years to change gloves or sterilize instruments between patients." Brown "said before the...hearing that he believes such issues aren't systemic and that VA hospitals overall provide good quality care."

18.                       Veterans Being Urged To Tap Health Care Benefit. Naperville (IL) Sun On Tuesday, representatives from the Edward Hines Jr. Veterans Affairs Hospital "came to the Naperville Township offices to share information, welcome new participants, and thank them for their service. 'My family and I are free because you served,' Hines director Sharon Helman told the small group of gathered soldiers." Recently, Congress has "revamped the definitions of military-related disability, including more than a dozen conditions that have been linked to Agent Orange exposure, and the identification of post-traumatic stress disorder as an affliction tied to combat experiences," changes which have qualified many more vets for VA medical services.

19.                       VA Center Strives For Spa-Like Feel. Tuscaloosa (AL) News  "construction of one wing of a new community living center at the Tuscaloosa Veterans Affairs Medical Center is complete - and it's unlike a traditional nursing home. The new wing, which contains a 20-bed unit, has almost a spa-like feel," complete with a "flat-screen television surrounded by sofas" and a family-style dining room. The news adds, "Creating more home-like nursing homes - what the VA calls community living centers - is becoming a national trend among VA medical centers.

20.                       VA Clinic Opens Its Doors In Elmore County. KTVB-TV   "Veterans living in and around" Idaho's "Elmore County no longer have to make the long commute to Boise to receive health care services." A new Veterans Affairs clinic "opened its doors last month. They showed off the new building to the community Tuesday."

21.                       VA Project Sheds Light On Military Sex Assaults. KGTV-TV   The US Department of Veterans Affairs is "taking an extraordinary step in letting the voices of military sexual assault victims be heard," by providing them with "T-shirts and paint to express their feelings about their experiences." "'We hope the Clothesline Project will encourage others to come forward so they don't have to suffer in silence anymore'" said "Jennifer Roberts, Women's Veterans Project coordinator with the VA."

22.                       Home For Struggling Veterans Goes Up In Flames. KFSN-TV  In Fresno on Tuesday, a "transition home for veterans went up in flames" Six "men who live in the house all got out safely."  "Veteran administration officials are now working to find the veterans a new place to stay."

23.                       Paperless Transmission Of VA, Other Federal Benefits Expected To Save Billions. MSNBC Live   "No more paper checks for Social Security, Veterans Affairs and other Federal benefits. Going paperless is expected to save" one "billion dollars over the next decade."

24.                       Learning To Serve Veterans. Chief Learning Officer Magazine  As chancellor of the US Department of Veterans Affairs' Acquisition Academy, Lisa Doyle has "responsibility for all development of acquisition professionals - a target audience of roughly 40,000 individuals, including contracting professionals, program and project managers, facility managers, logisticians and technical representatives."  "The ability to create, execute and share a strategic vision is one of Doyle's greatest contributions, according to Richard Garrison, vice chancellor for the academy's program management school," who says Doyle "drives the standard of excellence for the academy."

25.                       Vets Often Overlook Important Government Benefits. Forbes   "Many former members of the armed forces are unaware of benefits available to them through" the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The agency's "Aid and Attendance Improved Pension-which has been available for nearly 60 years–is a case in point. It provides funding to help defray the costs of ongoing assistance with such tasks of daily living as eating, taking medication, bathing, and toileting."

26.                       National Resource Directory Goes Mobile. American Forces Press Service   An "easy-to-navigate version of the National Resource Directory website -- which connects wounded warriors, service members, veterans and families with those who support them -- now is available for mobile phones. With more than 3,000 new users each day searching for information on the site, it makes sense to have a mobile version, said John R. Campbell, deputy assistant secretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition." During a "recent interview with American Forces Press Service and the Pentagon Channel, Campbell explained that developing the mobile version of the site was an important step in reaching out to younger generations of wounded warriors, service members transitioning out of the military, and their families."

27.                       New Tool Checks Military Status Before Foreclosure. American Banker  "A new tool checks Department of Defense records to verify whether defaulted mortgage borrowers are actively serving in the military, providing a regulatory compliance check for servicers while staying within the confines of department policies." The "mortgage default management software developer Quandis Inc. said its Military Status Service Search came out of a need for servicers to maintain compliance with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, which offers a number of protections for active-duty members of the military."

28.                       Indiana Army Vet Gets Rare Face Transplant. WRTV-TV   30-year-old Indiana Army veteran Mitch Hunter, "whose face was disfigured in a car crash," is the "second recipient of a hospital's pioneering full face transplant procedure." Hunter "underwent the surgery last week at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a month after the hospital performed a similar surgery on another patient." Hunter's "face was disfigured shortly after he returned from the Army when he came into contact with 10,000 volts of electricity in the car crash, causing multiple injuries to his body and face."

29.                       Mayday! Pilots In Distress Describe "Punching Out." NPR  On "Talk Of The Nation" program. NPR said that when a "military aviator's plane is in trouble - big trouble - sometimes the only option is to 'punch out,' or bail out of the aircraft in the rocket-powered ejection seat." In his book "Punching Out, Air Force veteran James Cross shares stories of the small number of pilots and aviators who have survived rocketing out of their planes."

30.                       Chicago Booth Increases MBA Scholarships To The Ex-Military. Financial Times

31.                       3 Longtime MIA Soldiers Honored At Arlington. AP

32.                       Congressman Wants Remains Of 13 Sailors Buried In Tripoli Returned. Stars And Stripes

33.                       Michigan Soldier Honored Four Decades After His Death. WEYI-TV

34.                       VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as April 28, 2011:

            May 3, 2011.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, has given formal notice of a legislative hearing to consider the following: H.R. 1383 (Miller); H.R. 802 (Filner); H.R. 1657 (Stutzman); and draft legislation on Rep. Braley’s 5-yr. extension of housing grant authority under section 2102A of Title 38.  H.R. 1383 is a measure aimed at ‘grandfathering’ in Veteran students now enrolled in higher cost schools to protect them from a lowering of the tuition cap enacted in Pub. L. 111-377.   (1:00 pm Cannon Room 340)

            May 3, 2011.  HVAC DAMA will hold a hearing on the following bills: H.R. 1407; H.R. 1484; H.R. 1647; H.R. 811.  (8:00 a.m., Cannon Room 340)

             May 3, 2011.  HVAC will meet in open session to conduct an oversight hearing entitled “Sacred Obligation:  Restoring Veteran Trust and Patient Safety.”  (10:30 A.M.; 334 Cannon)

            May 4, 2011.  House Subcommittee on National Security, Homeland Security, and Foreign Operations, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, will hold an oversight hearing, entitled “Is This Any Way to Treat Our Troops? Part III: Transition Delays,” (1:30 P.M.; 2154 Rayburn House Office Building)

            May 13, 2011.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing entitled “The Federal Recovery Coordination Program:  From Concept to Reality.” (10:00 A.M.; 334 Cannon)

            May 18, 2011. SVAC will hold a full committee hearing entitled “Seamless TransitionundefinedImproving Interagency Collaboration.” (10:00 A.M.; 418 Russell)

            May 24, 2011. HVAC will host a full committee hearing on Veterans Employment. (TBD, 334 Cannon)

            June 2, 2011.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs. (1:30 P.M.; 334 Cannon)