Shinseki Says VA's Home Loan Program a "Continued Success"

Shinseki Says VA's Home Loan Program a "Continued Success"

Veterans More Likely to Avoid Foreclosure with VA-Backed Loan



WASHINGTON (Dec. 7, 2009) - Despite problems in the nation's housing
market, mortgage loans backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
had a lower foreclosure rate than any other type of home loan in the
industry, as of the end of the last fiscal year.



"The dedication of VA's loan professionals, the support of our partners
in the mortgage industry and most importantly, the hard work and
sacrifice of our Veterans have made this possible," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "VA is making good on its promise to
help Veterans buy homes, and Veterans are achieving their dreams."



Currently, about 1.3 million active home loans were obtained using VA's
Home Loan Guaranty Program. The program makes home ownership more
affordable for Veterans, active-duty members, and some surviving spouses
by protecting lenders from loss if the borrower fails to repay the loan.




More than 90 percent of VA-guaranteed loans are made without a
downpayment. Despite this, VA has the lowest serious delinquency rate
in the industry, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Furthermore, VA's percentage of loans in foreclosure is the lowest of
all measured loan types-lower even than prime loans, which require high
credit scores and a 20 percent downpayment by the borrower.



Much of the program's strength stems from the efforts of VA employees
and loan servicers nationwide, whose primary mission is to help Veterans
stay in their homes, avoid foreclosure and protect their credit lines
from the consequences of a foreclosure, Shinseki said.

Depending on the situation, VA's loan specialists can intervene on a
Veteran's behalf to help pursue home-retention options such as repayment
plans, loan modifications and forbearance. Additionally, under certain
circumstances, VA can refund a loan, which involves purchasing the loan
from the mortgage company and modifying the terms so the Veteran can
afford the new mortgage payment.



Since 1944, when home-loan guarantees were offered under the original GI
Bill, through the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, VA has guaranteed
more than 18.7 million home loans worth $1.04 trillion.



To obtain more information about the VA Home Loan Guaranty Program,
Veterans can call VA at 1-877-827-3702. Information can also be
obtained at http://www.homeloans.va.gov

Craigslist Founder Joins VA Innovation Search Panel

Craigslist Founder Joins VA Innovation Search Panel

Craig Newmark to Help Pick Winners of National Competition

WASHINGTON (November 4, 2009) -- Craig Newmark, the founder of
"craigslist" and a well-known technology visionary, has agreed to serve
on the blue-ribbon panel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that
will review and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing
times and provide greater transparency to Veterans.

"Transforming VA into an organization that is Veteran-centric,
results-oriented and forward-looking is my top priority," said Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "Leveraging the talent, innovation
and creativity of stakeholders, like Craig Newmark, is just one of the
many ways VA can think outside of the box to help deliver tangible
results to our nation's Veterans."

The innovation competition solicited ideas from VA employees and members
of Veterans Service Organizations who are on the front lines every day,
working with Veterans to help deliver benefits they deserve and need.
VA officials from each of the 57 regional offices across the country
have submitted promising ideas, which will be reviewed by Newmark and
other panel members. The panel will be chaired by Patrick W. Dunne, the
VA Under Secretary for Benefits.

"I look forward to working with VA's leadership team to bring tangible
results to our Veterans," said Craig Newmark. "I am very encouraged by
the fact that VA is embracing new ways to look at old problems."

In 1995, Newmark launched the first community site on the Internet for
people to share information about housing, jobs and other needs. By
April 2009, craigslist received more than 22 billion page-views per
month, with more than 50 million members worldwide.

Newmark is a vocal proponent of using the Internet and technology to
support government innovation and maximize the utilization of human
capital. Additionally, Newmark is a passionate supporter of Veterans
causes.

VA has received and reviewed over 3,000 suggestions since Sept. 8th. The
panel will review the top 17 submissions and chose 5 projects that will
receive full funding for project development and execution at the
Regional Office that submitted the idea.

BUSH ERA "PLANTS" SABOTAGING MEDICAL CARE AND COMPENSATION

What we know for a fact is, two active military campaigns but there were less doctors and nurses working for the VA than after the Gulf War. They wanted to privatize the VA by getting sub-contractors to replace VA workers. This was done in a lot of departments including IT and claims processing.

The rest, well you've read most of it here but even I didn't know how low they would sink when it came to veterans. The real issue here is that this is life and death for our veterans. Now you can end up getting ten or twenty emails from your "Republican friends" about the non-existent death book of doom, but I doubt you'll ever receive what was going on that was really hurting our veterans. As I said many times, when you get emails wonder what the motive is behind it and check it out. It is a fact the VA budget was not even close to where it needed to be and it is a fact that money was returned unspent while veterans were committing suicide. There are a lot of facts we do know about but what was behind all of this will come out in law suits which I bet are being put together right now if this article is true. Don't forget that most of the people working for the VA are in it because they love veterans. They could make a lot more money working some place else. If there are plants in the VA trying to destroy it, they need to be found out and let justice handle the rest.

What I know has happened, but not sure what was behind it, will be in bold. The rest, well, not sure right now. If this is all true, then every veteran suffered because of this.

SHENSIKI TOLD BUSH ERA "PLANTS" SABOTAGING MEDICAL CARE AND COMPENSATION

CRIPPLING REFORMS TO KEEP VET VOTES FOR GOP

By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER

Information was leaked to Veterans Today that General Shensiki, Veterans Affairs Secretary, has been briefed on the source of the scandals plaguing his department.

Months into his tenure, late by our standards, staffers have finally revealed the depth of a Bush era plan to maintain control of the DVA and sabotage its medical and compensation programs in order to embarass the Obama administration.

Shensiki was informed that key administrators and regional directors, some long term employees and all promoted based on willingness to undermine veterans medical care and other programs have been working, not only to hold up implementation of needed reforms but to cause public scandals and embarassment.

The series of recent scandals where VA directors and legal staff have operated directly outside Shensiki policies have seriously undermined confidence in the VA and its current leadership. We are told that a program to purge the VA of Bush "moles" is underway. This is some of the activities of this "holdover" group:

REFUSAL TO USE ALLOCATED FUNDS TO END THE MASSIVE CLAIMS BACKLOG

SPREADING FALSE RUMORS OF "DEATH PANELS" AND ORGAN HARVESTING TO THE PRESS

REFUSAL TO IMPLEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE PROGRAMS IN PTSD CARE

SABOTAGE OF GULF WAR ILLNESS STUDIES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF TREATMENT

INCREASING REPRISALS AGAINST "WHISTLEBLOWERS" TRYING TO REFORM VA PRACTICES

CONTINUED DENIAL OF NEW PTSD THERAPIES NOT TIED TO DRUGS NOW PROVEN DANGEROUS AND INEFFECTIVE

ALTERATION AND DESTRUCTION OF MEDICAL RECORDS USED IN COMPENSATION CLAIMS

RETENTION AND PROMOTION OF UNQUALIFIED MEDICAL SUPERVISORY PERSONNEL

CONTINUED OPEN RECRUITMENT OF UNQUALIFED TEMPORARY STAFF, DOCTORS AND NURSES

CONTINUED TRAINING AND ORIENTATION PROGRAMS STRESSING "PATIENT LAST" ETHIC

MISUSE OF VA FUNDING FOR COVERT SURVEILLANCE OF EMPLOYEES AND PATIENTS TAGGED AS "ACTIVIST" TROUBLEMAKERS

USE OF ARMED VA POLICE IN EMBARASSING CONFRONTATIONS WITH WHEEL CHAIR WW2 VETS SEEN IN NEWS MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD

REFUSAL TO PROCESS VA EDUATION CLAIMS OR ISSUE CHECKS IN TIMELY FASHION

ENGINEERING INVENTORY "SHORTAGES" AT VA PHARMACIES

SABOTOGING PROCESSING OF GRANTS FOR STATE VETERANS HOMES

REFUSING TO SPEND FUNDS EARMARKED FOR SURGE OF RECENT WAR VETS

MILLIONS PAID IN QUESTIONABLE BONUSES IN MIDST OF SCANDALS

VETS PROSECUTED BASED ON VA MISCONDUCT, RECORD ALTERATION

VA LAWYERS TELL JUDGES ONLY 4% OF CLAIMS NOT PROCESSED IN TIMELY WAY, LIE SEEN AND READ ACROSS THE COUNTRY

BILLIONS IN VETERAN LAND AT RISK, BEING "LEASED" OR GIVEN TO POLITICAL INSIDERS
read more here
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8516

Secretary Shinseki Announces Expansion of Counseling for Combat Veterans

Recent VA News Releases






Secretary Shinseki Announces Expansion of Counseling for Combat Veterans


Additional 28 New Community Vet Centers



WASHINGTON (August 14, 2009) - Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric
K. Shinseki announced that combat Veterans will receive readjustment
counseling and other assistance in 28 additional communities across the
country where the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will establish Vet
Centers in 2010.



"VA is committed to providing high-quality outreach and readjustment
counseling to all combat Veterans," Secretary Shinseki said. "These 28
new Vet Centers will address the growing need for those services."



The community-based Vet Centers -- already in all 50 states -- are a key
component of VA's mental health program, providing Veterans with mental
health screening and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling.



The existing 232 centers conduct community outreach to offer counseling
on employment, family issues and education to combat Veterans and family
members, as well as bereavement counseling for families of
servicemembers killed on active duty and counseling for Veterans who
were sexually harassed on active duty.



Vet Center services are earned through service in a combat zone or area
of hostility and are provided at no cost to Veterans or their families.
They are staffed by small multi-disciplinary teams, which may include
social workers, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, master's-level
counselors and outreach specialists. Over 70 percent of Vet Center
employees are Veterans themselves, a majority of whom served in combat
zones.



The Vet Center program was established in 1979 by Congress, recognizing
that many Vietnam Veterans were still having readjustment problems. In
2008, the Vet Center program provided over 1.1 million visits to over
167,000 Veterans, including over 53,000 visits by more than 14,500
Veteran families. More information about Vet Centers can be found at
www.vetcenter.va.gov/index.asp






Communities Receiving New VA Vet Centers



American Samoa

Arizona -- Mohave and Yuma Counties

California -- San Luis Obispo County

Delaware - Sussex County

Florida -Marion, Lake, Collier, Okaloosa and Bay Counties

Georgia - Muscogee and Richmond Counties

Hawaii - Western Oahu

Indiana - St. Joseph County

Louisiana - Rapides Parish

Michigan - Grand Traverse County, also serving Wexford County

Missouri - Boone County

Montana - Cascade and Flathead Counties

Ohio - Stark County

Oregon - Deschutes County

Pennsylvania - Lancaster County

South Carolina - Horry County

Texas - Jefferson and Taylor Counties

Utah - Washington County

Washington - Walla Walla County, also serving Umatilla County, Oregon

Wisconsin - LaCrosse County, also serving Monroe County

Initial 45 Projects Targeted for New VA Management

Recent VA News Releases






Secretary Shinseki Announces Next Steps in Technology Advancements to
Reduce Wasteful Spending and Increase Accountability

Initial 45 Projects Targeted for New Department-Wide Management System



WASHINGTON (July 17, 2009) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today that it will temporarily halt 45 information technology
projects which are either behind schedule or over budget. These
projects will be reviewed, and it will be determined whether these
projects should be continued.



"Leveraging the power of Information Technology to accelerate and
modernize the delivery of benefits and services to our nations Veterans
is essential to transforming VA to a 21st century organization that is
people-centric, results-driven and forward thinking," Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said.



Secretary Shinseki ordered a review of the department's 300 IT projects
and implementation of the PMAS, designed to increase the department's
accountability for IT projects.



Each of the 45 projects will be temporarily halted. No further
development will occur and expenditures will be minimized. A new
project plan that meets the requirements of Program Management
Accountability System (PMAS) must be created by the project manager and
approved by VA's Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology
before resuming.



"VA has a responsibility to the American people, who are investing
millions of dollars in technology projects, to deliver quality results
that adhere to a budget and are delivered on time." Shinseki said.
"They need to have confidence that the dollars they are spending are
being effectively used to improve the lives of our Veterans."



PMAS is a management protocol that requires projects to establish
milestones to deliver new functionality to its customers. Failure to
meet set deadlines indicates a problem within the project. Under PMAS,
a third missed customer delivery milestone is cause for the project to
be halted and re-planned.



"Our goal is to increase our success rate for our systems development
projects," Roger W. Baker, VA's Assistant Secretary for Information and
Technology, said. "We will use every tool at our disposal to bring
about greater accountability and ensure that taxpayer dollars are being
spent wisely. PMAS and the IT Dashboard will be critical indicators of
whether our IT projects are on schedule and on budget, and if they are
not, we will take swift action to cut down on waste and redundancy."



PMAS, in conjunction with the analytical tools available through the IT
Dashboard, will ensure early identification and correction of
problematic IT projects. The IT Dashboard
, launched last month, is a one-stop clearinghouse of information,
allowing the American people to track federal information technology
initiatives and hold the government accountable for progress and
results.



Over the next year, all IT projects at VA will be required to move to
PMAS.



The Obama Administration has made management reform a key
government-wide priority. From IT accountability to personnel and
contracting reforms, the administration is committed to providing better
value, efficiency, and effectiveness for taxpayers' dollars.



Below is a complete list of all projects temporarily halted under PMAS
at this time:



o Scheduling Replacement

o Laboratory System Reeingeering Project (LSRP)

o Pharmacy Re-Engineering Pre .5

o Health Data Repository (HDR) II

o Pharmacy Re-Engineering Pre1.0

o HeVet Middleware Services

o Person Service Identity Management

o Administrative Data Repository (ADR)

o Document & Ancillary Imaging

o Clinical Data Service

o VA Learning Management

o Home Telehealth (HT) Development

o Occupational Health Record Keeping System (OHRS)

o Enrollment System Redesign (ESR) v4

o CHDR - Chemistry & Hematology: ADC Automation

o Clinical Flow Sheet - CLIO

o E-Gov: E-Training

o Barcode Expansion

o Delivery Service

o Organization Service

o Enrollment System Redesign (ESR) v3.1

o Health Data Repository (HDR) Data Warehouse

o Home Telehealth (HT) Infrastructure Enhancements

o Radiology Outside Reporting

o BCMA Inpatient Medication Request for SFG IRA

o Blood Bank - VBECS v1.0

o Prosthetics Enhancements

o VIC (Veterans Identification Card) Development

o Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Outcomes v3.0

o Radiology HL7 Interface Update

o Ward Drug Dispensing Equipment (WDDE) Interface

o Lab Data Sharing & Interoperability (LDSI) - Anatomic
Pathology/Microbiology

o HBPC Medical Foster Home (MFH)

o eClaims Plus

o ASISTS Modification - Case Management

o National Teleradiology Program

o CAPRI Enhancements

o Master Patient Index

o RMS - Rights Management Server

o National Teleradiology Program

o Problem List Standardization

o Radiology Standardization

o LDSI Terminology Support

o Clinical/Health Data Repositories (CHDR) Phase II

o Fee Data and HERO

Obama says budget calls for $25 billion increase in VA funding

Obama pledges more help for veterans
Story Highlights
Obama says budget calls for $25 billion increase in VA funding over next five years

Homeless veterans will be targeted for support, Obama says

Dramatically improved services planned for mental health, PTSD, brain injury

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Obama pledged Monday to make good on his promise to transform the Department of Veterans Affairs and said he would "dramatically improve" mental health aid.


President Obama and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, seen here last month, vow to increase aid.

Flanked by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the president said his budget calls for a $25 billion increase in funding for the VA over the next five years -- a commitment that will be tested by the needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

"With this budget, we don't just fully fund our Veterans Affairs health care program, we expand it to serve an additional 500,000 veterans by 2013," he said.

He promised that the VA would "dramatically improve services" related to mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury, and he said homeless veterans would be targeted for support.

"Those heroes have a home," Obama said. "It's the country they served, the United States of America, and until we reach a day when not a single veteran sleeps on our nation's streets, our work remains unfinished."

Over 400 Disabled Veterans Register to Ski at National Event

http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel






Over 400 Disabled Veterans Register to Ski at National Event



WASHINGTON (March 13, 2009) - As evidence of what President Barack Obama
called America's "unyielding commitment" to our nation's Veterans, more
than 400 severely injured Veterans will take part in the 23rd National
Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic from March 29 through April 3 in
Snowmass Village, Colo.



The clinic, which is hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), and co-sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans (DAV),
instructs Veterans with disabilities in adaptive Alpine and Nordic
skiing, and introduces them to a number of other adaptive recreational
activities and sports. This year's clinic will feature a record number
of participants, including many who served in the current conflicts in
Iraq and Afghanistan.



Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said that he will attend
this year's event and is "looking forward to celebrating the triumph of
the human spirit over both physical adversity and fear of failure." He
believes that the event, and the volunteers who work with Veterans
during it, "give so many young Veterans a glimpse of what is possible if
they keep hope alive. I know of few greater gifts one can bestow on
others."



The clinic is an annual rehabilitation program open to U.S. military
Veterans with traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic
amputations, visual impairments, certain neurological problems and other
disabilities, who receive care at a VA medical facility or military
treatment center. It is the largest adaptive event of its kind in the
world.



An estimated 200 certified ski instructors for the disabled and several
current and former members of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team serve as
instructors to meet the unique needs of the participants.



"Now, more than ever, we need events like the Winter Sports Clinic to
challenge and inspire our wounded Veterans," said DAV National Commander
Raymond E. Dempsey. "The complexity of the injuries suffered by some of
our newest disabled Veterans and the health issues facing our aging
Veterans make necessary the most creative and engaging recreational
rehabilitation."



At the six-day event, Veterans also learn rock climbing, scuba diving,
snowmobiling, curling and sled hockey. They can also participate in
additional events and workshops. The U.S. Secret Service will offer a
course on self-defense.



"DAV is proud to have a committed partner in the Department of Veterans
Affairs," said Dempsey. "Without our friends at VA, these 'miracles'
are not possible."



VA is a recognized leader in rehabilitative and recreational therapies,
and operates more than 1,400 sites of care, including 153 medical
centers. DAV is a non-profit, congressionally chartered Veterans
service organization with a membership of more than one million wartime
disabled Veterans.



# # #



Contacts:

For further information, contact Richard Olague, VA public affairs
coordinator, Winter Sports Clinic, at (202) 461-7541; or (202) 746-8552
(cell),

Rob Lewis, DAV Communications, at (859) 442-2049, or

Log on to the event's Web site at: www.wintersportsclinic.va.gov

An Open Letter to Veterans From Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki

http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel





An Open Letter to Veterans

From Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki



WASHINGTON (March 13, 2009) - Following is an open letter to Veterans
from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki:



"My name is Ric Shinseki, and I am a Veteran. For me, serving as
Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a noble calling. It provides me the
opportunity to give back to those who served with and for me during my
38 years in uniform and those on whose shoulders we all stood as we grew
up in the profession of arms.



"The Department of Veterans Affairs has a solemn responsibility to all
of you, today and in the future, as more Veterans join our ranks and
enroll to secure the benefits and services they have earned. I am fully
committed to fulfilling President Obama's vision for transforming our
department so that it will be well-positioned to perform this duty even
better during the 21st Century. We welcome the assistance and advice of
our Veterans Service Organizations, other government departments and
agencies, Congress, and all VA stakeholders as we move forward,
ethically and transparently, so that Veterans and citizens can
understand our efforts.



"Creating that vision for transforming the VA into a 21st Century
organization requires a comprehensive review of our department. We
approach that review understanding that Veterans are central to
everything VA does. We know that results count, that the department
will be measured by what we do, not what we promise, and that our best
days as an organization supporting Veterans are ahead of us. We will
fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for ". . . him, who shall
have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan . . ." by
redesigning and reengineering ourselves for the future.



"Transforming any institution is supremely challenging; I know this from
my own experience in leading large, proud, complex, and high-performing
organizations through change. But the best organizations must be
prepared to meet the challenging times, evolving technology and, most
importantly, evolving needs of clients. Historically, organizations
that are unwilling or unable to change soon find themselves irrelevant.
You and your needs are not irrelevant.



"Veterans are our clients, and delivering the highest quality care and
services in a timely, consistent and fair manner is a VA responsibility.
I take that responsibility seriously and have charged all of the
department's employees for their best efforts and support every day to
meet our obligations to you. Our path forward is challenging, but the
President and Congress support us. They have asked us to do this
well-for you. Veterans are our sole reason for existence and our number
one priority-bar none. I look forward to working together with all VA
employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects
the change and commitment our country expects and our Veterans deserve.



"Thank you, and God bless our military, our Veterans, and our Nation."



Signed: Eric K. Shinseki

PTSD Vets need help fighting war in their heads

Vets need help fighting war in their heads
Chicago Sun-Times - United States

March 11, 2009

BY CAROL MARIN Sun-Times Columnist
President Obama's new secretary for Veterans Affairs, retired general Eric Shinseki, is coming to town Friday to visit the VA Medical Center in North Chicago.

Here's hoping he meets Maj. Shari Johnson of the U.S. Army Reserve 452nd combat support group.


Johnson, 47, is a registered nurse. But she's not on staff at the VA hospital. She's a patient who just checked herself in on Sunday, hoping and praying that she can learn to turn down the volume on the war that's raging in her head.

Two years ago, I wrote about Johnson and her husband, Sgt. Mike Johnson, who also is a nurse.

Both were sent to Afghanistan in 2003. Both were assigned to the hospital at Bagram Air Base in Parwan province. Both suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mike had already been diagnosed with PTSD in after serving in the 1990 Gulf War -- but the Army called him up again anyway.

Duty in Afghanistan profoundly affected them both.

At Bagram, Shari treated children whom the Taliban had placed in boiling water up to their waists as their horrified parents looked on. It was a way of punishing the parents for collaborating with Americans. One of Mike's jobs, meanwhile, was to meticulously prepare dead soldiers for the trip home to grieving families, piecing them back together and dressing them with care so that if coffins were opened, they could be presented with the full dignity they deserved.

Six months after returning home to their small farm in Downstate Sheldon, the aftershocks began. Shari told me in 2005 that she started, "crying all the time . . . not wanting to go anywhere. I just wanted to hide out."