VA HQ Veterans News for Friday, August 12, 2011.  Thanks to Kevin Secor at VA HQ!

 

• 1.    Alaiedon Township brain rehab facility to treat local veterans.  Lansing State Journal  The Origami Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center in Alaiedon Township announced this week that it will work with the US Department of Veterans Affairs to treat veterans who suffer from moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which typically ...
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• 2.    VA Med Center may become home for homeless vets. Dayton Daily News  Another 258 veterans are thought to be at risk of homelessness. The BURR report found there is a high need for senior independent living housing and non-senior assisted living locally. The US Department of Veterans Affairs will put out a “request for ... 
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• 3.    Louisville companies to attend veterans conference.  Bizjournals.com  Representatives from several Kentucky companies are scheduled to attend a US Department of Veterans Affairs National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo in New Orleans next week. The expo is expected to attract about 4000 attendees from ... 
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• 4.    Dennis Yohnka: Parties aside, returning veterans get little respect.  Kankakee Daily Journal  Naturally, a US Department of Veterans Affairs project, like this clinic, would seem to be an ideal circumstance, but once you sign a deal with a contractor/developer, the VA folks at Hines have no authority to demand any quota of vets on the job. ... 
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• 5.    Logan VA clinic increases hours to assist Williamson vets.  Williamson Daily News
  Following the closure of the VA clinic in Williamson, the US Department of Veterans Affairs announced expanded hours at another nearby facility. The Logan Community-Based Outpatient Clinic will now operate five days a week. ... 
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• 6.    Defense Department concerns slows state flag tribute to Stamford soldier.  Stamford Advocate  "I know the governor and commissioner of veterans affairs, and I don't believe that either of them would deliberately not fly the flag at half staff unless there were circumstances preventing it," he said. But that did not stop him from making the ... 
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• 7.    Lot OK'd for homeless veterans housing.  The Columbian  In June, the US Department of Veterans Affairs announced that Vancouver was one of 34 sites chosen for a VA housing initiative. What's new: VA officials said Tuesday that a 1.35-acre parking lot in Vancouver would be used as a ... 
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• 8.    Housing First is honored to serve homeless veterans (letter).  Press-Register - al.com (blog)  Regarding the Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program ("Handouts for vets breed dependency") is not a correct understanding or interpretation of this initiative being funded by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. ... 
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• 9.    Veterans Affairs in California and Texas Awards Turnkey Solar Contracts.  AZoCleantech  A solar power providing company, declared that the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has granted it two accords to design and erect turnkey type of solar panels over the carport and ground for VA hospitals located in ... 
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• 10.                    VA Secretary Promises Better Services For Veterans.  FOX2now.com  The US Veterans Affairs Department is scrambling to keep up with a growing number of new military veterans, many with serious medical difficulties. But VA Secretary Eric Shinseki is reassuring veterans the department is up ... 

11.                    Giffords' Recovery Renews Focus On Coverage Gap For Veterans. McClatchy While well-known brain injury patients like US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) have been helped by cognitive rehabilitation therapy, "veterans' health care doesn't consistently cover" the treatment. Brain-injury "advocates say Tricare and civilian health-insurance providers deny payment for cognitive rehabilitation on the basis that it isn't proven effective, despite its wide embrace in the medical community and by the Department of Veterans Affairs." McClatchy adds, "Giffords' return to Congress has renewed attention to efforts to close the gaps in coverage."

 

12.                    Utah Study Raises Suicide Issue Among Student Vets. AP  "In a new study led by the University of Utah's National Center for Veterans Studies (NCVS), researchers found that 46 percent of those responding to a survey reported some suicidal thinking, while 10 percent planned suicide and 7.7 percent attempted it. Eighty-two percent of those who attempted suicide experienced" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The AP adds, "Other studies indicate lower rates of psychological distress in both the general student population and among veterans in clinical settings, according to lead author M. David Rudd, a professor of psychology and dean of the U. College of Social and Behavioral Science," who added, "There is a critical need for universities to become familiar with the unique problems faced by student veterans and make sure they have the resources to help."

 

13.                    Research Questions Effectiveness Of Antipsychotic In Treating PTSD-Afflicted Vets.  Miller-McCune  A "new study claims that one class of antipsychotic is no better than a placebo for treating" post-traumatic stress disorder in some combat vets. The "researchers concentrated on one medication, Risperdal, but the results may apply to a whole class of antipsychotics that work on neurotransmission in the brain. 'It definitely calls into question the use of anti-psychotics in general for PTSD,'" said Charles Hoge, a "senior scientist at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research."

 

14.                    VA Giving Special Eye Exams To Vets With Brain Injuries. KNTV-TV Video of a story on 19-year-old Lance Corporal Jorge Ortiz, who was badly hurt by an improvised explosive device while "working as a combat photographer for the US Marines in Afghanistan." Ophthalmologists at Veterans Affairs in Palo Alto are "concerned that Ortiz could lose" his sight, so they are monitoring it. The "Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center says at least 212,000 veterans have brain injuries, and they all need a specialized eye exam" so that any eye injuries which may cause blindness can be caught before it is too late.

 

15.                    Vet Center Does Battle On Behalf Of Troops. Bakersfield Californian  Vernon Valenzuela is "director of the newly minted Bakersfield Vet Center, which focuses on helping combat veterans and their families pick up the pieces after the shooting stops." The facility, scheduled to have its grand opening on September 24th, has "actually been around since 2008. But then it was just Valenzuela in a borrowed cubby hole office in the Kern County Veterans Services building helping one veteran at a time."

 

16.                    Dayton Favored For VA Archives. Dayton Daily News  "The Dayton VA Medical Center campus appears to be the favored site for housing the national VA archive, the hospital's interim director told city officials Wednesday." William Montague "said he expects a decision 'in the next few months.'" According to the Daily News, "VA has been reluctant to say how many people would be employed at the archive, though a likely number is about 25, a spokeswoman for US Sen. Sherrod Brown said last year."

 

17.                    Army Vet Jailed For False Mileage Claims. Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review  "A man who made more than $20,000 in false mileage reimbursement by lying to the Spokane Veteran Affairs Medical Center about where he lived is to spend six months in jail." The 27-year-old Michael Edward Harrison "is to be on probation for three years and is required to pay $20,464.92 in restitution to the US Department of Veteran Affairs under a sentence imposed Tuesday" in US District Court in Spokane. Michael Seitler, "special agent in charge of the US Department of Veteran Affairs and Office of Inspector General's northwest office," said in a statement that "VA OIG is confident that this successful prosecution will assist in deterring others from defrauding the VA in this manner."

 

18.                    Benefits Reinstated For Iowa Veteran. Des Moines Register The US Department of Veterans Affairs has "reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory." The 24-year-old disabled Iraq vet was notified by VA in 2009 that "because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month." Klonak told the Register that while he is "grateful" for what VA has done, he wants the agency to fix its claims system. The Register added, "VA leaders nationally have said their solutions include a new computer system and better cooperation with the active-duty military."

 

19.                    Help For Those Helping Vets. Chicago Tribune The US Department of Veterans Affairs "recently launched a program offering stipends, health insurance, respite care and other services to families caring for soldiers injured in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq." Such soldiers and their families "have earned the benefits by making enormous sacrifices," said Deborah Amdur, chief consultant for care management and social work at VA, which has "also beefed up services for caregivers helping veterans of any war." The Tribune did note, however, that there have been some complaints about VA's implementation of the new caregiver program, including that VA is "asking all families to complete a caregiver training course and undergo a home visit before it will approve an application."

 

20.                    Fort Wayne, Marion VA Centers Invite Developers To Offer Housing For Homeless Veterans.  AP  "The government is inviting developers to offer housing for homeless veterans" in two locations, one near the VA hospital in Fort Wayne and one near the VA hospital in Marion. Both "proposals will be the subject of public hearings later this month."  According to the Fort Wayne (IN) News Sentinel the Federal government is "making about 4 acres near Fort Wayne's VA Medical Center available to developers interested in providing housing and other services to veterans affected by homelessness." Nearly four "acres and several buildings previously slated for demolition at the VA Medical Center in Marion also will be offered for possible development." Jennifer Baran-Prall, acting VA public affairs director in Fort Wayne, said VA "has been looking at all of its land and facilities asking, 'Are there places we can put to better use?'"

 

21.                    First Branched Stent-Graft Procedure In Texas Medical Center.  Cyprus (TX) Times Surgeons at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center "recently performed complex aneurysm surgery using a special stent configuration to save the life of a 76-year-old" veteran. The hospital's Dr. David H. Berger commented on the procedure, stating, "We are proud the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has some of the best doctors in the country and offers the latest, minimally invasive alternatives for our Veterans."

 

22.                    Twp. Committee Hears Update On Planned Veterans Housing. Basking Ridge (NJ) Patch  "The Township Committee on Tuesday heard an update on plans to break ground on new veterans housing in Lyons targeted to be built next year under the auspices of Community Hope, the support services agency that has provided transitional housing and job training at the Lyons Veterans Administration facility since 2004. Ground could be broken by January on the proposed 62 units of housing, nearly one-bedroom units, that would provide for veterans in need of a place to live at the Lyons campus" of the VA New Jersey Health Care System. The Patch adds, "The planners of the housing had just learned on Tuesday that the US Department of Housing and Urban Development had awarded the project 50 special rental vouchers for veterans in need of housing, said Larry Oaks, a representative for Peabody Properties in Braintree, Mass."

 

23.                    Women Of War Project Gears Up For Opening. Rapid City Journal A new facility for homeless female vets will open in Belle Fourche this fall. Costs "of the program once it gets into operation will be covered" by grants from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

 

24.                    Trail Of Honor To Drape Road To National Cemetery. Muskogee (OK) Phoenix "Hundreds of American flags lining the streets of Fort Gibson is what American Legion Frank Gladd Post 20 members hope to see someday. The post is raising money to create a 'Trail of Honor' of 500 flags leading to the Fort Gibson National Cemetery." The post "hopes to raise $15,000 for the project."

 

25.                    VA Medical Center Plans Welcome Home Event For Veterans, Families.  Fayetteville (NC) Observer "The Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center will hold a welcome home event Sept. 17 for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families. The free event will feature food and entertainment, as well as information on VA services for veterans and their families." The event "will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the medical center campus, 2300 Ramsey St."

 

26.                    Charles L. Gittens, First Black Secret Service Agent, Dies At 82. Washington Post 82-year-old Charles L. Gittens, the "first African American agent in the Secret Service and the former head of the agency's Washington field office, died July 27 at an assisted living center in Mitchellville after a heart attack." Gittens was a veteran of the US Army.

 

27.                    Visiting Wounded Veterans A Must For Sox Players. Chicago Tribune  "Mark Buehrle was planning to visit National Naval Medical Center to meet wounded veterans Wednesday even if he was pitching Wednesday night." However, a "change in the Chicago White Sox's rotation pushed Buehrle's start back to Thursday night, and it gave him and seven other members of the Sox's traveling party plenty of time to try to lift the spirits of veterans who were injured while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."

 

28.                    Saving A Wounded Man From His Demons. Houston Chronicle

 

29.                    State Leaders Urged To Help Returning Vets. San Antonio Express-News

 

30.                    Cross-Country Trek Brings Light To Veteran Issues. Allentown (PA) Morning Call Veteran Tony LoBue has "launched a veterans' awareness campaign by walking and hitchhiking from San Diego to New York City. The journey began Sept. 11, 2010, and he plans to finish on Sept. 11 for the ground zero commemoration." LoBue was in Allentown on Wednesday, according to the Morning Call.

 

31.                    The Smell Of Victory. Salem (MA) News  "Joanne Patton was just as surprised as anyone to find out the US Army has released a cologne named for her famous father-in-law. The scent, dubbed simply 'Patton,' is the Army's licensed, official fragrance and named for the World War II hero Gen. George S. Patton." The News added, "A portion of proceeds from sales of Patton, and the scents Parfumologie has created for each branch of the armed forces (Riptide for the Coast Guard, Devil Dogs for the Marines and Stealth for the Air Force), are donated to the Veterans Administration."

 

32.                    Monroe Soldier On Mend Following Critical Injury. Walton (GA) Tribune

 

33.                    Homeless Veterans. Jackson County (FL) Floridan  "When they found out some military veterans were living in two homeless encampments near Marianna, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 12046 decided to embark upon an outreach campaign to help them." Post member Thomas Bower "said the Post hopes to provide things like blankets, food and rain gear to veterans in need, or steer them to shelter if they're ready to get back on a more traditional life track. Veterans who are homeless by choice will be respected, Bower said, and the available help will be given them in whatever form they need."

 

34.                    Standing Up For Veterans In Minnesota. Twin Cities (MN) Daily Planet 

 

35.                    Alzheimer's Harder To Spot Past Age 80. WebMD

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36.                    Veteran-Owned Companies Get More Deals. CNNMoney

 

37.                    Dinner And Dance To Benefit Military Families. Upper St. Clair (PA) Patch