VA HQ Veterans News for Friday, August 5, 2011.  Thanks to Kevin Secor at VA HQ

 

1. Suicide and Student Veterans.  Inside Higher Ed  If colleges were to partner more with the US Department of Veterans' Affairs – as the University of Texas at Austin did when it was awarded a grant to hire a VA psychologist to work on its campus – they could better keep student veterans from getting ...
2. Funds awarded to help end vet homelessness on North Olympic Peninsula.  Peninsula Daily  The federal funding for Clallam, Jefferson, Whatcom, Skagit and Island counties was approved July 27 by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. “This award gives us added resources toward our longtime goal of making sure everyone who has served our ...
3. VA hospital getting $13 million in improvements despite plans to replace it.  Louisville Courier-Journal  The US Department of Veterans Affairs announced in 2004 that it would study replacing the Zorn Avenue hospital. In 2006, then-Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson said Louisville would get a new VA hospital. Then Hurricane Katrina destroyed ... 
4. Contract postal worker gets probation for stealing prescription drugs. al.com (blog)  Authorities have said they began investigating after veterans complained they did not receive prescription medication from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The indictment accused Reed of taking prescription drugs 3 other times from the Evergreen  
5. Letters: It may already be too late to wake up.  Knoxville News Sentinel  I worked my way through college, and with the help of my parents, I was able to get a master's degree with assistance from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, but then I served my country in Vietnam undefined not Canada, but Vietnam undefined and I volunteered, ... 
6. Legislation takes care of, honors our nation's veterans.  McLeansboro Times Leader  Recently, it was announced that two Illinois agencies will get more than $1.1 million in federal grant money to prevent homelessness among military veterans. The grants from the US Department of Veterans Affairs will serve about 340 veterans and their ... 
7. University of Tennessee to Award College Scholarships to Military Veterans.  Classes2Careers News  The Yellow Ribbon Program awards ten scholarships to eligible veterans. Each veteran is given a maximum of $3000 per year through the university and a matching amount of up to $3000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs. While the money through the ... 
8. Aid for veterans, pet with prosthesis needs.  Seacoastonline.com  A Tennessee veterinarian, Denis Marcellin-Little, is developing an implant prosthesis for Alexis while simultaneously working with the US Department of Veterans Affairs to use the research for human applications. Santosuosso, an Army veteran of Desert ... 
9. Busy VA clinic to expand.  Stockton Record  - It took officials with the US Department of Veterans Affairs a while, but they eventually realized that two-thirds of the retired service men and women who visit its health care facilities in Livermore travel over Altamont ... 

10.               Deficit-Cutting Deal May Not Dent Defense Spending. McClatchy  "The new deficit-cutting law appears to reduce defense spending by $350 billion up front and perhaps by as much as $850 billion over 10 years, but in fact that's highly unlikely to happen. The initial $350 billion cut calls for slicing that much money over 10 years not from the Pentagon alone but from a broader group of funds labeled 'defense and security,'" which includes Veterans Affairs benefits as a potential target for cutting. McClatchy adds, "While it's unlikely, even the nation's 152 VA hospitals could be dinged to protect a favored defense program."

 

11.               Under Debt Deal, Military Pay, Veterans Programs In Play For Cuts. Government Executive  "Military pay raises, funding for veterans health care and the Post-9/11 GI Bill could be sacrificed to new fiscal realities as the result of the deal signed by President Obama on Tuesday to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Military Officers Association and veterans groups." Recently, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff "told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the nation faces a $1 trillion long-term bill to care for veterans of those wars and warned against slashing program funding 'in a shortsighted rush.'"

 

12. Letter: Vets' Health Records Destroyed. WTVD-TV  "In May, 82nd Airborne veteran Sgt. Gerry Propst said he was being denied military benefits for service-related injuries because he didn't have most of the medical records from his five years of Army service during Operation Desert Storm." The US Army "now admits they ordered troops in the first Gulf War to destroy their critical wartime records," which is "what so many veterans that served in the first Gulf War have said. 'They were throwing our medical records and every non-essential piece of equipment in the burn pits, because there was no room to fly it home,' Propst said." 
13. Murray: Track Vet Suicides. Tacoma News Tribune On Wednesday, US Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) "encouraged state governments to start tallying veteran suicides, as Washington already does." The lawmaker's "goal is to quantify an under-reported number that could help health agencies improve their outreach to service members who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Department of Veterans Affairs has an incomplete picture of suicide among former service members because it doesn't count the deaths of veterans not enrolled in VA care." 

14.               Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery Opens.  AP  "New York's newest veterans' cemetery has opened at a former military base in central New York. Burials at the 162-acre Sampson Veterans Memorial Cemetery along Seneca Lake, which was dedicated last weekend, could begin within a few weeks." New York "transferred the land to Seneca County and donated $3.7 million in grants to build the cemetery."

 

15.               Readiness Center Ribbon Cutting, Open House Set.  McCook (NE) Daily Gazette Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman will "speak at a ribbon cutting ceremony at 2:30 p.m. Friday at the new US Armed Forces Readiness Center, 38709 East Highway 6-34. The center will host an open house Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon." The Daily Gazette adds, "Vet center counselors as well as veteran service officers will...be available" at the event.

 

16.               One-Of-A-Kind Texas State Veterans Home Gets A Name. Cherokeean Herald "A one-of-a-kind long-term care facility being built in Tyler" recently "got its name, the Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home. The Texas Veterans Land Board voted unanimously to honor three local heroes - two Medal of Honor recipients and a Tuskegee airman - in naming the home after Travis Earl Watkins, James Marion Logan and Samuel M. Garrison." The Herald added, "The home is being built with a $12 million grant from the US Department of Veterans Affairs, with the remaining 35 percent paid for by the Texas Veterans Land Board."

 

17.               Supermarket Of Veterans Benefits Coming To Armory.  Madison (WI) Capital Times Veterans "should be able to find just about everything available to them during" a Supermarket of Veterans Benefits, to be held "at the National Guard Armory, 1420 Wright St., from noon to 7 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Dozens of service providers will be on hand at the 'one-stop shop' for veterans and their families, including the federal Veterans Administration, state agencies, county veterans service officers, veterans service organizations, education centers and more." The "Supermarket of Veterans Benefits is hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs, and is free and open to the public."

 

18.               VA Kicks Off 2011 National Caregiver Conference. Washington (DC) Examiner  "On August 2, 2011, Dr. Robert Petzel, Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health, gave the keynote address, which kicked off the 2011 National Caregiver Support Conference: Caring for Those Who Care for Our Veterans." The training event, "which runs through August 4 in Washington, highlights the VA's support of caregivers of all eras, with plenary sessions featuring national experts in caregiving. The conference follows the implementation of landmark legislation by VA that provides a direct benefit for the first time to designated, approved family caregivers of eligible Post 9/11 veterans, which includes monthly stipends and health insurance."

 

19.               Study: Antipsychotic Drugs Show No Benefit For Veterans' PTSD.  Time  "A widely prescribed antipsychotic medication worked no better than a placebo to treat combat veterans' symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study by the Department of Veterans Affairs." The study, led by Dr. John H. Krystal, director of the clinical neurosciences division of VA's National Center for PTSD, "involved 247 combat veterans who had PTSD that had failed to respond to at least two antidepressants, the usual treatment for post-traumatic stress. The participants were randomly assigned to begin treatment with placebo or the antipsychotic medication Risperdal (risperidone) - one of a class of drug that was prescribed to nearly 87,000 veterans for PTSD in 2009."

 

20.               Judge Starts Legal Principles For Vets.  Seminole (FL) Chronicle  "Seminole County Judge John Woodard said that within the past year, he has recognized that crimes veterans commit may stem from their experiences at war and should be considered in a different light." He has "begun implementing veterans courts principles, which allow for Veterans Affairs to be present during the court proceedings in order for veterans to receive benefits and assistance they may be eligible for." Sherri Claudio, justice outreach coordinator for Orlando Veterans Affairs, "said that mental illness prevalent among veterans, like post-traumatic stress disorder, often results in unlawful behavior."

 

21.               Army Hiring More Counselors For Alcohol Abuse. AP  The US Army is "increasing its staff of substance abuse counselors by about 30 percent to help the rising number of troops with alcohol problems." On Wednesday, officials "said...that they posted 130 new job openings this week in hopes of increasing staff to counsel soldiers at bases around the world from the current level of around 400." The AP adds, "The number of troops abusing alcohol has roughly doubled in the last five years as soldiers go through the stressful cycle of training, serving in the wars, readjusting to home life and then doing it all over again months later, Dr. Les McFarling, head of the army's substance program, said in an interview."

 

22.               Judge Allows American To Sue Rumsfeld Over Torture.  AP  A Federal "judge has ruled that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld can be sued personally for damages by a former US military contractor who says he was tortured during a nine-month imprisonment in Iraq." The lawsuit was filed by a US Army veteran "whose identity is being withheld from court filings for fear of retaliation." The "government says he was suspected of helping pass classified information to the enemy and helping anti-coalition forces get into Iraq." The veteran, however, was not charged with a crime.

 

23. VA Awards Grants To Prevent Homelessness Among Vets.  Washington Post  "The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $60 million in homelessness prevention grants to nonprofit community agencies in the District and 40 states under a new homelessness prevention initiative." According to the Post, VA "estimates that the money will serve about 22,000 homeless veterans and family members through 85 agencies as part of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program." In a statement last week, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, "This program expands our capacity to act before a veteran becomes homeless and to target the problem of family homelessness." The Post's coverage was not all positive, as it also says VA "faces a class-action lawsuit filed this summer on behalf of homeless veterans for allegedly failing to provide stable housing to veterans suffering from severe cases of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses."  

24.               Rural Veterans And The Tyranny Of Distance. White House Blog Drew Brookie, is Veterans Affairs' deputy press secretary, said that VA Secretary Eric Shinseki "often talks about the tyranny of distance – the distance that often separates Veterans from care at their nearest VA medical facilities." He "made it clear – this summer, he wanted to hear from Veterans in the hardest to reach places." Brookie added, "The trips I've taken with Secretary Shinseki have reinforced that the department is dedicated to improving health care for Veterans who live in rural, remote, even inaccessible areas."

 

25.               Pit Bulls Helping Veterans Cope With Stress Disorder.  Winter Haven (FL) News Chief  "Dook is the first dog from Polk County to be accepted into Pit Bulls 4 Veterans. Based in Pinellas County," the program "pairs pit bull dogs with veterans who are coping with post-traumatic stress disorder." Faith Belcher, a spokesperson for Bay Pines Veterans Hospital, "said the hospital has signed a few forms for veterans to join the program, but said most veterans found it through other sources."

 

26.               Togus Veteran's Hospital Has A New Name. Portland (ME) Press Herald   "The VA hospital at Togus will now be known as VA Maine Healthcare System, VA Maine HCS for short, according to officials. The change was made 'to better align with other facilities in the VA New England Healthcare System,' according to the medical center's website, which has been changed from www.togus.gov to www.maine.va.gov." The change includes the hospital's "CBOCs and outreach clinics comes under the VA Maine HCS title."

 

27.               Busy VA Clinic To Expand. Stockton (CA) Record  "It took officials with the US Department of Veterans Affairs a while, but they eventually realized that two-thirds of the retired service men and women who visit its health care facilities in Livermore travel over Altamont Pass from their homes in the Valley and Sierra foothills. Last week, the announcement came from Washington that the long-anticipated 120-bed community living center and expanded outpatient clinic promised to the Valley would be built in French Camp to replace the aging Livermore operation." Veterans in the "East Bay will get a new health campus in Fremont, while veterans in the Modesto area will get a 23,250-square-foot health clinic to replace existing office space."

 

28.               VAMC Earns Honor For Its Energy System. Martinsburg (WV) Journal  The Veterans Affairs hospital in Martinsburg has been "honored for the second consecutive year with the VA Sustainability Achievement Award in the category of renewable energy. To support the federal government's initiative to 'go green,' facility management service architect Sam Powell and engineer Ted Gross developed plans for a solar-powered charging station for the medical center's fleet of electric vehicles." The "project has inspired other VA medical centers in Florida and California, where officials are considering installing their own solar-powered charging stations."

 

29.               Baseball Is A Hit In New Alzheimer's Treatment. St. Louis Post-Dispatch

 

30.               From Homeless To Respected? This Vet Earns It.  Orange County Register "Formerly homeless veteran Bill Jenkins." Jenkins has "made progress in the Veterans First program that sheltered him. Not only has he completed the skills to graduate and move into independent housing, he does homeless outreach and speaks out on the issues homeless veterans face."

 

31.               Army Veteran Receives Highest Noncombat Valor Honor. Kansas City Star

 

32.               Vet Left At Homeless Shelter OK, Getting Help.  Tallahassee Democrat

 

33.               Legion Auxiliary Thanks Veterans, Volunteers.  Item  Hamburgers, "hot dogs and all the trimmings were on the menu Thursday when the American Legion Auxiliary Unit #15 entertained US military veterans and volunteers with a cookout. Auxiliary president Nancy Webster said the unit would entertain about 100 at the annual picnic held" at the Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic on North Salem Avenue. The Item added, "The purpose of the annual event, Webster said, 'is to thank volunteers and to show appreciation to our veterans.'"

 

34.               US Government Seeks To Lease Office Space In Guam For Departments Of Agriculture And Veterans Affairs. Guam Buildup News

 

35.               Lakeville Bridge Named After Vietnam Vet.  Brockton (MA) Enterprise News

 

36.               New Vans For VA Medical Center.  KTVH-TV

 

37.               US Veteran's Programs Could Lose Funding Due To Budget. KABC-TV