February 29, 2008
Walz works to ensure quality oversight at VA
While the three Republican candidates have been squabbling in their quest to be able to be their party's nominee, Representative Walz has been in Washington D.C. doing his job. One of his committee assignments is on the House Veterans Affairs committee.
Here's a press release from his office about the congressman's efforts to adequately fund VA'swatchdog agency, the Office of the Inspector General:
This week, Congressman Walz continued the fight to ensure quality care and oversight at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by pushing to adequately fund the VA's watchdog agency known as the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).
Walz, who organized the effort with the support of several of his House colleagues, said that the VA OIG monitors VA spending and contracts to make sure the taxpayers' money is being spent wisely. The OIG also evaluates VA clinics and reports any substandard care.
Walz and his colleagues sent a bipartisan letter to the Chairman of the Budget Committee, asking him to reject the budget cuts requested by the Bush Administration for the VA OIG.
"Last year, the Democratic-led Congress increased the budget for the VA's watchdog and in doing so, expanded its oversight and ability to protect our veterans," said Walz, a 24 year veteran of the National Guard. "This year, the President's budget request asked Congress to cut employees from the VA's watchdog office and reduce its ability to stop fraud and waste at the VA. That's unacceptable."
Walz said that the VA OIG provides a return of $11 for every $1 invested. By reviewing contracts between the VA and private businesses hired to assist our veterans, the OIG ensures that veterans are receiving the highest level of care from these contractors.
At a Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee hearing on January 29, representatives from the VA OIG testified that with more funding, their office would be able to more effectively evaluate the quality of care at VA facilities across the country. In short, the experts said, increased funding for the OIG would improve care at the VA, which all veterans deserve.
Walz concluded, "It makes no sense to cut funds from an office that both saves the government money and protects America's veterans. Our soldiers served this country with honor and distinction. We owe them nothing less than the highest quality care and the Office of the Inspector General is a key player in making sure that happens."
Posted by Ollie Ox on February 29, 2008
http://www.bluestemprairie.com/a_bluestem_prairie/2008/02/walz-works-to-e.html
Showing posts with label Veterans Administration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Veterans Administration. Show all posts
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
VA Taps $37 Million for Homeless Grants
VA Taps $37 Million for Homeless Grants
Peake: Applications Being Accepted from Local Providers
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is designating $37 million to fund at least 2,250 new transitional housing beds by giving grants to local providers.
"This is the largest one-time designation of funds for the homeless program in VA's history," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "This is a great opportunity for community organizations to join VA in its mission of eradicating chronic homelessness among veterans."
The grants are intended to offset the operating expenses for transitional housing facilities operated by state and local governments, Indian tribal governments, and faith-based and community-based organizations that are capable of providing supported housing and supportive services for homeless veterans.
VA began its national effort to eradicate chronic homelessness 20 years ago by providing $5 million for a pilot program to support contract residential care and to create domiciliary care for homeless veterans in San Diego.
go here for the rest
http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20080228/DC1531028022008-1.html
Peake: Applications Being Accepted from Local Providers
WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is designating $37 million to fund at least 2,250 new transitional housing beds by giving grants to local providers.
"This is the largest one-time designation of funds for the homeless program in VA's history," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "This is a great opportunity for community organizations to join VA in its mission of eradicating chronic homelessness among veterans."
The grants are intended to offset the operating expenses for transitional housing facilities operated by state and local governments, Indian tribal governments, and faith-based and community-based organizations that are capable of providing supported housing and supportive services for homeless veterans.
VA began its national effort to eradicate chronic homelessness 20 years ago by providing $5 million for a pilot program to support contract residential care and to create domiciliary care for homeless veterans in San Diego.
go here for the rest
http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20080228/DC1531028022008-1.html
Monday, February 25, 2008
Bush wanted cuts in VA, Akaka wants more money
Sen. committee asks for changes in VA budget
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 25, 2008 19:44:01 EST
A key Senate committee is asking for a $2.6 billion increase in veterans’ spending over the Bush administration’s budget out of concern the needs of combat veterans are not being met.
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, is asking for a fiscal 2009 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs that is $6.6 billion over the fiscal 2008 budget, with $4.6 billion of the additional money going for medical care operations.
Akaka said Congress “has an obligation to our troops returning from combat now” that cannot be met without more money. “Taking care of veterans is a cost of war and our recommendation would fill significant gaps in the president’s request,” Akaka said.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is working on a similar budget proposal that it is expected to unveil Thursday.
Akaka’s committee said in a Feb. 22 letter to the Senate Budget Committee that it rejects cuts proposed by the Bush administration in construction, medical research and auditing. The letter also said the committee opposes an initiative to raise prescription drug fees and to impose enrollment fees for some moderate-income veterans enrolled in the VA health plan who do not have service-connected disabilities.
“These proposals are unacceptable,” Akaka said.
go here for the rest
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_vabudget_022508/
If Bush thinks cutting back on VA funding is supporting the troops, he is crazy! What kind of a man would do such a terrible thing with so many wounded and many, many more to come?
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 25, 2008 19:44:01 EST
A key Senate committee is asking for a $2.6 billion increase in veterans’ spending over the Bush administration’s budget out of concern the needs of combat veterans are not being met.
The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, is asking for a fiscal 2009 budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs that is $6.6 billion over the fiscal 2008 budget, with $4.6 billion of the additional money going for medical care operations.
Akaka said Congress “has an obligation to our troops returning from combat now” that cannot be met without more money. “Taking care of veterans is a cost of war and our recommendation would fill significant gaps in the president’s request,” Akaka said.
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is working on a similar budget proposal that it is expected to unveil Thursday.
Akaka’s committee said in a Feb. 22 letter to the Senate Budget Committee that it rejects cuts proposed by the Bush administration in construction, medical research and auditing. The letter also said the committee opposes an initiative to raise prescription drug fees and to impose enrollment fees for some moderate-income veterans enrolled in the VA health plan who do not have service-connected disabilities.
“These proposals are unacceptable,” Akaka said.
go here for the rest
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_vabudget_022508/
If Bush thinks cutting back on VA funding is supporting the troops, he is crazy! What kind of a man would do such a terrible thing with so many wounded and many, many more to come?
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
VA expects to see 5.8 million needing care by 2009
Peake: Rural health problems to be addressed
By Matthew Brown - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 18:51:02 EST
BILLINGS, Mont. — Facing a barrage of complaints about veterans’ health care in rural America, the incoming secretary of Veteran Affairs pledged Wednesday to address “systemic” issues that hobble the quality and accessibility of care.
Secretary James Peake heard from a group of about 100 Montana veterans who described the Department of Veterans Affairs as a sometimes dysfunctional bureaucracy — and one particularly slow to address mental health issues.
Veterans told him they face months-long waits for appointments, arbitrary rejections of claims and 500-mile trips to receive care. Those who spoke spanned generations, including veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and peacetime service.
“We need more doctors. And it would be nice if we could keep them for a while,” said Ernest LaFountain, who did three tours in Vietnam and now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Peake, also a Vietnam combat veteran, took the helm of the scandal-battered VA in December. He said Wednesday he wanted to “reach out to rural America” and help those veterans not getting adequate care.
“The notion that the VA is uncaring, if we have pockets of that we’re going to find it and root it out,” he said.
Peake was appointed by President Bush in the wake of widespread reports of dismal care received by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — problems for which Bush later apologized. The secretary was in Montana at the invitation of Sen. Jon Tester, a Democratic member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
The number of veterans under VA’s care is expected to hit 5.8 million by 2009.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_ruralhealth_080220/
Looks like the line is going to get a lot longer!
By Matthew Brown - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 18:51:02 EST
BILLINGS, Mont. — Facing a barrage of complaints about veterans’ health care in rural America, the incoming secretary of Veteran Affairs pledged Wednesday to address “systemic” issues that hobble the quality and accessibility of care.
Secretary James Peake heard from a group of about 100 Montana veterans who described the Department of Veterans Affairs as a sometimes dysfunctional bureaucracy — and one particularly slow to address mental health issues.
Veterans told him they face months-long waits for appointments, arbitrary rejections of claims and 500-mile trips to receive care. Those who spoke spanned generations, including veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and peacetime service.
“We need more doctors. And it would be nice if we could keep them for a while,” said Ernest LaFountain, who did three tours in Vietnam and now suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Peake, also a Vietnam combat veteran, took the helm of the scandal-battered VA in December. He said Wednesday he wanted to “reach out to rural America” and help those veterans not getting adequate care.
“The notion that the VA is uncaring, if we have pockets of that we’re going to find it and root it out,” he said.
Peake was appointed by President Bush in the wake of widespread reports of dismal care received by troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan — problems for which Bush later apologized. The secretary was in Montana at the invitation of Sen. Jon Tester, a Democratic member of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
The number of veterans under VA’s care is expected to hit 5.8 million by 2009.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_ruralhealth_080220/
Looks like the line is going to get a lot longer!
Stunning Statement From VA Sec. Peake At Walla Walla
Secretary of VA Visits Walla Walla
By Chelsea Kopta
Published: Feb 19, 2008 at 7:40 PM PST
WALLA WALLA -- The man responsible for the nation's veterans is now promising to help our local vets.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. James Peake toured the Walla Walla medical center Tuesday.
It was Peake's first official visit to any VA hospitals since he was sworn in exactly two months ago to the day.
At his confirmation hearing in Washington D.C., Senator Patty Murray invited Peake to visit the local VA center in Walla Walla.
"We need to make sure that we keep learning about it because I'm not sure that that fresh PTSD is exactly the same as dealing with people from my generation," he said.
go here for the rest
http://www.keprtv.com/news/15786492.html
Nothing against Peake because given what we got from Nicholson, he's a breath of fresh air. The problem is, he's the head of the VA and doesn't seem to know enough about PTSD. He's a Vietnam veteran. You'd think he would know all about PTSD but with the statement he made, it caused an alarm bell in my brain to go off.
Redeployments increase the risk of developing PTSD by 50% according to an Army report. This is the only difference between Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan. PTSD strikes 1 out of 3 exposed to the same event. With combat there are events almost everyday. The difference is not in PTSD itself but in the number of people re-exposed to traumatic events.
While Vietnam was more jungle warfare for the most part, Iraq is more urban with condescend populations. There are more people involved in these attacks between citizens and soldiers. They are witnessing a lot more horrific events on a larger scale. I truly believe this is why we are seeing so many already with deep wound PTSD. It also involves more awareness of what PTSD is.
Who can say how many Vietnam veterans could have been saved the ravages of PTSD claiming their lives from suicide had the PC been in use back then? Who can say how many would have sought treatment if the ability to develop educational videos for them existed? The media has been helping out a great deal in brining this dark secret into the awareness of the public, not just in America, but across the world. Today we are seeing hopeful signs the stigma of PTSD is eroding, the investment in research increasing and people filling the need to have support groups but there is so much more work to be done.
25 years ago, I wouldn't have thought that I would be doing this work or to the point where I can't keep up with all the news even though it's a 12 hour a day/7 days a week vocation. In all the hope I want to offer that it is possible for marriages to be saved, the numbers of homeless veterans can be decreased and veterans can heal to the point where they begin to live productive lives once more, I am compelled to caution all that unless we get caught up really fast on the demand for help, we will go from overwhelmed to beyond control. We are fast approaching that point.
The Congress can provide funds to build all the hospitals and clinics they want but that does not take care of the need today. We need veteran's centers in every city of this nation. We especially need them in rural areas of the nation where help is just too far away. We need more suicide hotlines that are not telling suicidal veterans to call back because it's the weekend. We need more support groups for them and their families. We need advocates to be put to use with the expertise to provide their knowledge to the general public on a grand scale. The DOD and the VA, as well as service organizations avoid using citizen experts instead of relying on their research.
I know people in the DAV and other service organizations who ignore me and my work, as well as the thousands of others just like me around the country, instead of using us today. Is it because they view us as competition? Is it because they doubt our work? They would be wrong on both counts. Our work has been based on decades of research from experts, as well as the fact most of us live with it on a daily basis. As for the competition thought, they do not understand our role is not to take their place but to enable more to use their services.
Our job is to provide the education and awareness of what PTSD is and then rely on the DAV and other service organizations to provide the assistance with their claims. If nothing else, our work could increase the demand for their services and increase their memberships because they would be providing a service in great need. The veterans want to know all their needs are taken with the same kind of interest as their membership is. Most members of these organizations in leadership positions are not aware of what PTSD is and they cannot provide the knowledge we have already in hand. They can no longer ignore us if they are going to be able to live up to claim they are there for the veterans.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
By Chelsea Kopta
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James Peake speaks before a crowd at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center. It was Peake's first formal visit to any VA hospital in the region.
Published: Feb 19, 2008 at 7:40 PM PST
WALLA WALLA -- The man responsible for the nation's veterans is now promising to help our local vets.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. James Peake toured the Walla Walla medical center Tuesday.
It was Peake's first official visit to any VA hospitals since he was sworn in exactly two months ago to the day.
At his confirmation hearing in Washington D.C., Senator Patty Murray invited Peake to visit the local VA center in Walla Walla.
"We need to make sure that we keep learning about it because I'm not sure that that fresh PTSD is exactly the same as dealing with people from my generation," he said.
"The veterans coming back from Iraq and the Middle East situation are over-burdened with the number of tours that they've encountered," local veteran Toby Armijo said. "Yes, they are definitely going to need benefits."
go here for the rest
http://www.keprtv.com/news/15786492.html
Nothing against Peake because given what we got from Nicholson, he's a breath of fresh air. The problem is, he's the head of the VA and doesn't seem to know enough about PTSD. He's a Vietnam veteran. You'd think he would know all about PTSD but with the statement he made, it caused an alarm bell in my brain to go off.
Redeployments increase the risk of developing PTSD by 50% according to an Army report. This is the only difference between Vietnam and Iraq/Afghanistan. PTSD strikes 1 out of 3 exposed to the same event. With combat there are events almost everyday. The difference is not in PTSD itself but in the number of people re-exposed to traumatic events.
While Vietnam was more jungle warfare for the most part, Iraq is more urban with condescend populations. There are more people involved in these attacks between citizens and soldiers. They are witnessing a lot more horrific events on a larger scale. I truly believe this is why we are seeing so many already with deep wound PTSD. It also involves more awareness of what PTSD is.
Who can say how many Vietnam veterans could have been saved the ravages of PTSD claiming their lives from suicide had the PC been in use back then? Who can say how many would have sought treatment if the ability to develop educational videos for them existed? The media has been helping out a great deal in brining this dark secret into the awareness of the public, not just in America, but across the world. Today we are seeing hopeful signs the stigma of PTSD is eroding, the investment in research increasing and people filling the need to have support groups but there is so much more work to be done.
25 years ago, I wouldn't have thought that I would be doing this work or to the point where I can't keep up with all the news even though it's a 12 hour a day/7 days a week vocation. In all the hope I want to offer that it is possible for marriages to be saved, the numbers of homeless veterans can be decreased and veterans can heal to the point where they begin to live productive lives once more, I am compelled to caution all that unless we get caught up really fast on the demand for help, we will go from overwhelmed to beyond control. We are fast approaching that point.
The Congress can provide funds to build all the hospitals and clinics they want but that does not take care of the need today. We need veteran's centers in every city of this nation. We especially need them in rural areas of the nation where help is just too far away. We need more suicide hotlines that are not telling suicidal veterans to call back because it's the weekend. We need more support groups for them and their families. We need advocates to be put to use with the expertise to provide their knowledge to the general public on a grand scale. The DOD and the VA, as well as service organizations avoid using citizen experts instead of relying on their research.
I know people in the DAV and other service organizations who ignore me and my work, as well as the thousands of others just like me around the country, instead of using us today. Is it because they view us as competition? Is it because they doubt our work? They would be wrong on both counts. Our work has been based on decades of research from experts, as well as the fact most of us live with it on a daily basis. As for the competition thought, they do not understand our role is not to take their place but to enable more to use their services.
Our job is to provide the education and awareness of what PTSD is and then rely on the DAV and other service organizations to provide the assistance with their claims. If nothing else, our work could increase the demand for their services and increase their memberships because they would be providing a service in great need. The veterans want to know all their needs are taken with the same kind of interest as their membership is. Most members of these organizations in leadership positions are not aware of what PTSD is and they cannot provide the knowledge we have already in hand. They can no longer ignore us if they are going to be able to live up to claim they are there for the veterans.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Orange City Florida VA Clinic To Open In April
New, larger VA clinic on track to open in April
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
ORANGE CITY -- While an Orlando Veterans Affairs hospital is still in the planning stage, a second Veterans Outpatient Clinic for Volusia County is on the fast track, set to open in April.
The existing Daytona Beach VA clinic will continue to assist veterans, but another 6,000-square-foot clinic is nearly completed at the rear of the Tiffany Centre on U.S. 17-92.
When the new facility opens, a clinic in Sanford will close.
Dr. Martin S. Schnier, chief medical officer of the Orlando VA Medical Center, told a dozen veterans about the new facility on Wednesday, the first public acknowledgement of the clinic.
"It will be wonderful to move out of our incredibly cramped clinic in Sanford," Schnier said. "We will be expanding from three to five doctors and have a full-time psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist and pharmacist.
"We will not have a pharmacy but a lab. We will do enrollment and patient orientation on site."
The new facility will double the capacity to serve veterans, he said, but it also can help those currently traveling far for care.
"My goal is not to raid Orlando and Daytona, but if you want to transfer, you can," Schnier said. "You don't have to wait for us to move to begin enrolling 2,500 more veterans in the (new) clinic."
Barry Stanley, spokesman for the Orlando VA, said in a phone interview the reason for the change is based on higher numbers of veterans in Volusia County -- nearly 70,000 -- than in the Sanford area -- 3,000.
Changes also tie Volusia County to the future VA hospital instead of to the Gainesville VA hospital.
go here for the rest
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST05020708.htm
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
ORANGE CITY -- While an Orlando Veterans Affairs hospital is still in the planning stage, a second Veterans Outpatient Clinic for Volusia County is on the fast track, set to open in April.
The existing Daytona Beach VA clinic will continue to assist veterans, but another 6,000-square-foot clinic is nearly completed at the rear of the Tiffany Centre on U.S. 17-92.
When the new facility opens, a clinic in Sanford will close.
Dr. Martin S. Schnier, chief medical officer of the Orlando VA Medical Center, told a dozen veterans about the new facility on Wednesday, the first public acknowledgement of the clinic.
"It will be wonderful to move out of our incredibly cramped clinic in Sanford," Schnier said. "We will be expanding from three to five doctors and have a full-time psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist and pharmacist.
"We will not have a pharmacy but a lab. We will do enrollment and patient orientation on site."
The new facility will double the capacity to serve veterans, he said, but it also can help those currently traveling far for care.
"My goal is not to raid Orlando and Daytona, but if you want to transfer, you can," Schnier said. "You don't have to wait for us to move to begin enrolling 2,500 more veterans in the (new) clinic."
Barry Stanley, spokesman for the Orlando VA, said in a phone interview the reason for the change is based on higher numbers of veterans in Volusia County -- nearly 70,000 -- than in the Sanford area -- 3,000.
Changes also tie Volusia County to the future VA hospital instead of to the Gainesville VA hospital.
go here for the rest
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST05020708.htm
Monday, February 4, 2008
VA to boost spending on combat vets by 21%
VA to boost spending on combat vets by 21%
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 4, 2008 19:46:38 EST
After a year of news reports about a stubborn backlog of 400,000 disability benefits claims and combat veterans turned away from immediate mental health care, the Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled a proposed fiscal 2009 budget that would boost spending on programs for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by 21 percent and cut the disability claims backlog by 24 percent.
Spending on benefits and programs for the estimated 333,000 VA beneficiaries who are veterans of the current wars would increase by $216 million, to a total of $1.27 billion, over the current year. The 2009 budget also would include $3.9 million for mental health care services, a 9 percent increase over the current fiscal-year budget.
All told, VA is seeking $93.7 billion for fiscal 2009, with most of it going toward health care and disability compensation. Discretionary funding — mostly health care — would make up $47.2 billion of the budget, while $46.4 billion would go toward mandatory funding for compensation, education benefits, home loan guarantees, pensions and other benefits programs.
“If you look at health care, it’s more than double it was seven years ago,” said VA Secretary Dr. James Peake, praising the Bush Administration’s request for funding.
The request totals $3.4 billion more than this year’s budget, which was $6.6 billion more than in fiscal 2007 — after Congress added $3.7 billion to President Bush’s original request.
One of the biggest issues facing VA is overwhelmed case workers who can’t keep up with the thousands of new benefits claims that continue to pour in.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_vabudget_080204w/
The claim backlog is 650,000 but what's a few hundred thousand veterans? At least it's a start in the right direction but oh so much more needs to be done.
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 4, 2008 19:46:38 EST
After a year of news reports about a stubborn backlog of 400,000 disability benefits claims and combat veterans turned away from immediate mental health care, the Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled a proposed fiscal 2009 budget that would boost spending on programs for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan by 21 percent and cut the disability claims backlog by 24 percent.
Spending on benefits and programs for the estimated 333,000 VA beneficiaries who are veterans of the current wars would increase by $216 million, to a total of $1.27 billion, over the current year. The 2009 budget also would include $3.9 million for mental health care services, a 9 percent increase over the current fiscal-year budget.
All told, VA is seeking $93.7 billion for fiscal 2009, with most of it going toward health care and disability compensation. Discretionary funding — mostly health care — would make up $47.2 billion of the budget, while $46.4 billion would go toward mandatory funding for compensation, education benefits, home loan guarantees, pensions and other benefits programs.
“If you look at health care, it’s more than double it was seven years ago,” said VA Secretary Dr. James Peake, praising the Bush Administration’s request for funding.
The request totals $3.4 billion more than this year’s budget, which was $6.6 billion more than in fiscal 2007 — after Congress added $3.7 billion to President Bush’s original request.
One of the biggest issues facing VA is overwhelmed case workers who can’t keep up with the thousands of new benefits claims that continue to pour in.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/military_vabudget_080204w/
The claim backlog is 650,000 but what's a few hundred thousand veterans? At least it's a start in the right direction but oh so much more needs to be done.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
PTSD 'If you get shot in the soul ... no one can see it'
'If you get shot in the soul ... no one can see it'
By Steve Young
syoung@argusleader.com
Comment Print Email PUBLISHED: January 20, 2008
The stress of war is no stranger in South Dakota.
It lies in the memory of a self-inflicted gunshot blast that ended Staff Sgt. Cory Brooks' despair on an April day in 2004 in Baghdad.
And it troubles a community of military and health care officials back here at home who know that one of every four suicides in this state involves a veteran - but aren't sure why.
"It is troubling," says Rick Barg, state adjutant/quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "If you get shot in the arm or leg and you lose that arm or leg, people can see that.
"But if you get shot in the soul, you bring it home and no one can see it."
Of 750,000 U.S. veterans who have marched off to Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003, 100,500 have come home with a mental-health condition, said Dr. Ira Katz of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Mental Health.
How many of those are South Dakotans is difficult to gauge. There are only statistical bits and pieces that offer a snapshot of the overal problem. For example, the state Division of Veterans Affairs says it has helped 8,500 veterans receive monthly service-related compensation for health issues. Of those, 833 - or almost 10 percent - are receiving payments for post-traumatic stress disorder disabilities covering all wars from World War II to present.
Last July, the federal government set up a 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Hotline for veterans. From its start to the end of October, it had received 28 phone calls from South Dakota, said Janell Christenson, suicide prevention coordinator for the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, as well as 19 from Minnesota and three from Iowa.
click post title for the rest
By Steve Young
syoung@argusleader.com
Comment Print Email PUBLISHED: January 20, 2008
The stress of war is no stranger in South Dakota.
It lies in the memory of a self-inflicted gunshot blast that ended Staff Sgt. Cory Brooks' despair on an April day in 2004 in Baghdad.
And it troubles a community of military and health care officials back here at home who know that one of every four suicides in this state involves a veteran - but aren't sure why.
"It is troubling," says Rick Barg, state adjutant/quartermaster for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. "If you get shot in the arm or leg and you lose that arm or leg, people can see that.
"But if you get shot in the soul, you bring it home and no one can see it."
Of 750,000 U.S. veterans who have marched off to Afghanistan and Iraq since 2003, 100,500 have come home with a mental-health condition, said Dr. Ira Katz of the Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Mental Health.
How many of those are South Dakotans is difficult to gauge. There are only statistical bits and pieces that offer a snapshot of the overal problem. For example, the state Division of Veterans Affairs says it has helped 8,500 veterans receive monthly service-related compensation for health issues. Of those, 833 - or almost 10 percent - are receiving payments for post-traumatic stress disorder disabilities covering all wars from World War II to present.
Last July, the federal government set up a 24-hour National Suicide Prevention Hotline for veterans. From its start to the end of October, it had received 28 phone calls from South Dakota, said Janell Christenson, suicide prevention coordinator for the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, as well as 19 from Minnesota and three from Iowa.
click post title for the rest
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Senator Tester hears of retribution against veterans from the VA
Tester: More must be done for veterans
By PERRY BACKUS of the Missoulian
HAMILTON - U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., told veterans Friday that while some good work has been accomplished, much improvement is still needed in the way this country treats those who've served.
“It's going to take resolve and hope,” he said. “I still have hope that we can fix the problems.”
A standing-room-only crowd of veterans had plenty of frustrations to air at the listening session with Tester, who is a member of the Senate's Veterans' Affair Committee.
With a backlog of 450,000-plus claims facing the VA, they said, it can take years for a veteran's case to be processed. They said the VA's rating system for post-traumatic stress disorder isn't being applied uniformly and Montana's veterans are falling through the cracks. And, the veterans said, they fear losing benefits if they stand up and complain.
“If anyone disagrees with the VA, they take a chance of having their benefits cut,” said a veteran named Ron, who refused to give his last name in fear of retaliation. “Anytime we step out of line, we get nailed. That's the attitude the VA has toward veterans.
“What are you going to do to change that attitude toward us?” he asked Tester.
Tester replied that veterans deserve to get the benefits they were promised when they agreed to serve their country.
He asked Ron for names.
“I will do my level best to get those bastards out of the system,” Tester said.
Following the meeting, Tester said he's heard both good and bad about Montana's VA offices. He'll follow up on reports of retribution and listen to both sides before making up his mind.
“There's no room for retribution in government, period,” he said. “After hearing both sides, we'll try to make the best decision possible for our veterans.”
go here for the rest
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2008/01/19/news/local/news04.txt
“It was the largest increase in the history of the VA,” Skinner said. “It's still about $12 billion short of what we need.”
Ron Skinner, a Vietnam veteran, was instrumental in making it happen. He believes there are other veterans across the state who would do the same thing if given a chance.
$12 billion short of what they need? Then why didn't they fund it fully? What is wrong with these people?
What is worse is that you have PTSD veterans being threatened with retribution. How is this possible?
At least Senator Tester and Ron Skinner are watching out for the veterans. If you have been threatened with retribution from anyone with the VA let him know.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Veterans voice health care concerns
Veterans voice health care concerns
By Mark Anderson, Staff Writer
Published: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 1:42 PM CST
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Around 100 veterans attended a town hall meeting on Friday, January 11, to learn more about the Veterans Administration health care system, and for state VA officials to answer their questions. Some of the questions related to the St. James VA Clinic, and there were representatives from the clinic there to meet veterans face to face.The first question was why veterans still have to go to Minneapolis for some services. The veterans were told that there are some specialties that the VA does not contract for in St. James, so the only way to get the special care through the VA is to take the van to Minneapolis. The VA is working on using telemedicine as one solution to the issue, which involves sending the information to the specialists through electronic means.
go here for the rest
http://www.stjamesnews.com/articles/2008/01/16/news/news1.txt
Monday, December 17, 2007
Galloway: Disgraceful treatment of veterans stains America's honor
Galloway: Disgraceful treatment of veterans stains America's honor
Joseph Galloway
Article Last Updated: 12/14/2007 07:22:13 PM MST
As you do your holiday shopping this year and think about a big turkey dinner and piles of gifts and the good life that most Americans enjoy, please spare a thought for those who made it all possible: those who serve in our military and the veterans who've worn the uniform. There are some new statistics that give us reason to be ashamed for the way that our country has treated those who've served and sacrificed for us. Those statistics damn the politicians who start every speech by thanking the troops and veterans and blessing them. They indict our national leaders who turn up at military bases and the annual conventions of veteran's organizations and use troops and veterans as a backdrop for their photo-ops.
Consider this:
* An average of 18 veterans commit suicide each and every day of the year, according to recent statistics from the Veterans Administration. That's 126 veterans who kill themselves every week. Or some 6,552 who take their own lives each year. Our veterans are killing themselves at twice the rate of other Americans.
* One quarter of the homeless people in America are military veterans. That's one in every four. Is that ragged man huddled on the steam grate in a brutal winter wind a Vietnam vet? Did that younger man panhandling for pocket change on the street corner fight in Kandahar or Fallujah?
go here for the rest
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_7725456
Joseph Galloway
Article Last Updated: 12/14/2007 07:22:13 PM MST
As you do your holiday shopping this year and think about a big turkey dinner and piles of gifts and the good life that most Americans enjoy, please spare a thought for those who made it all possible: those who serve in our military and the veterans who've worn the uniform. There are some new statistics that give us reason to be ashamed for the way that our country has treated those who've served and sacrificed for us. Those statistics damn the politicians who start every speech by thanking the troops and veterans and blessing them. They indict our national leaders who turn up at military bases and the annual conventions of veteran's organizations and use troops and veterans as a backdrop for their photo-ops.
Consider this:
* An average of 18 veterans commit suicide each and every day of the year, according to recent statistics from the Veterans Administration. That's 126 veterans who kill themselves every week. Or some 6,552 who take their own lives each year. Our veterans are killing themselves at twice the rate of other Americans.
* One quarter of the homeless people in America are military veterans. That's one in every four. Is that ragged man huddled on the steam grate in a brutal winter wind a Vietnam vet? Did that younger man panhandling for pocket change on the street corner fight in Kandahar or Fallujah?
go here for the rest
http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_7725456
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Profiteering on the wounds of veterans
Corporate profiteering against Iraq vets?
Bush's nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs is the second to come from a private company that rakes in millions from VA contracts.
By Mark Benjamin
Nov. 20, 2007 WASHINGTON -- President Bush late last month nominated retired Lt. Gen. James Peake to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is not an inconsequential wartime post: The department is the second-largest government agency after the Defense Department. And the VA faces the awesome responsibility of caring for several generations of veterans, including the crush of American service members back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
On paper, Peake seems qualified. Wounded twice in Vietnam, he retired in 2004 from his post as Army surgeon general, the Army's top medical officer, with 40 years of experience in the field of military medicine.
But Bush plucked Peake directly from a private company that has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars from contracts with the VA -- and Peake himself helped develop proposals for the company to contract with the VA. That has raised questions about conflict of interest, potentially pitting veterans' care against corporate profits. Moreover, if he is confirmed, Peake will be the second head of the VA under the Bush administration to come from that same private contractor, QTC Management Inc.
Observers say QTC Management has performed high-quality work, and its former president, who also headed the VA under Bush, withstood past scrutiny by congressional investigators. But ever since Dick Cheney left Halliburton to become vice president, Bush administration critics have sounded the alarm about war profiteering seeping into the heart of the U.S. government. The changing leadership at the VA represents a little-known turn of the revolving door between contractors and the Bush administration. Veterans' advocates also worry that Peake's nomination suggests the White House may be interested in privatizing veterans' healthcare to an unhealthy degree.
The Veterans Affairs Department runs more than a thousand hospitals and outpatient clinics to care for veterans, including the influx of hundreds of thousands of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and are now out of the military and want to see a VA doctor.
Those veterans also seek disability checks as remuneration for their service-related ills. Every year the VA hands out over $40 billion in checks to veterans as compensation for everything from missing limbs to post-traumatic stress disorder.
click post title for the rest
Also from Army Times
VA nominee Peake’s hearing set for Dec. 5
By Rick Maze - Staff writerPosted : Tuesday Nov 20, 2007 5:52:55 EST
The Bush administration’s nominee to be the next secretary of veterans’ affairs will appear before a Senate committee Dec. 5 to answer questions about what he will bring to the job if confirmed.
This could be a quick process if retired Lt. Gen. James Peake, a West Point graduate and former Army surgeon general, satisfies the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that he is prepared to take on the many challenges facing the Department of Veterans Affairs, including a growing backlog of benefits claims, lengthy waits for some appointments and treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, especially for mental health issues.
But Senate aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Peake’s nomination could easily become a prolonged fight if his answers are unsatisfying or if his nomination somehow gets tied up in a partisan feud that has delayed action on legislation to improve veterans’ benefits and health care.
The Senate committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, has been complaining that leaving the VA secretary’s post vacant since Oct. 1 seems to indicate the Bush administration considers veterans’ issues to be unimportant.
The White House formally nominated Peake for the VA post on Thursday, just as Congress was beginning a previously scheduled two-week break. The Dec. 5 hearing will come on the first week back from the break. Congressional leaders hoping to end the legislative session no later than Dec. 21, which does not allow a lot of time for extensive hearings or investigation.
go here for the rest of this
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/military_peake_nomination_071119w/
Bush's nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs is the second to come from a private company that rakes in millions from VA contracts.
By Mark Benjamin
Nov. 20, 2007 WASHINGTON -- President Bush late last month nominated retired Lt. Gen. James Peake to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is not an inconsequential wartime post: The department is the second-largest government agency after the Defense Department. And the VA faces the awesome responsibility of caring for several generations of veterans, including the crush of American service members back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
On paper, Peake seems qualified. Wounded twice in Vietnam, he retired in 2004 from his post as Army surgeon general, the Army's top medical officer, with 40 years of experience in the field of military medicine.
But Bush plucked Peake directly from a private company that has raked in hundreds of millions of dollars from contracts with the VA -- and Peake himself helped develop proposals for the company to contract with the VA. That has raised questions about conflict of interest, potentially pitting veterans' care against corporate profits. Moreover, if he is confirmed, Peake will be the second head of the VA under the Bush administration to come from that same private contractor, QTC Management Inc.
Observers say QTC Management has performed high-quality work, and its former president, who also headed the VA under Bush, withstood past scrutiny by congressional investigators. But ever since Dick Cheney left Halliburton to become vice president, Bush administration critics have sounded the alarm about war profiteering seeping into the heart of the U.S. government. The changing leadership at the VA represents a little-known turn of the revolving door between contractors and the Bush administration. Veterans' advocates also worry that Peake's nomination suggests the White House may be interested in privatizing veterans' healthcare to an unhealthy degree.
The Veterans Affairs Department runs more than a thousand hospitals and outpatient clinics to care for veterans, including the influx of hundreds of thousands of veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and are now out of the military and want to see a VA doctor.
Those veterans also seek disability checks as remuneration for their service-related ills. Every year the VA hands out over $40 billion in checks to veterans as compensation for everything from missing limbs to post-traumatic stress disorder.
click post title for the rest
Also from Army Times
VA nominee Peake’s hearing set for Dec. 5
By Rick Maze - Staff writerPosted : Tuesday Nov 20, 2007 5:52:55 EST
The Bush administration’s nominee to be the next secretary of veterans’ affairs will appear before a Senate committee Dec. 5 to answer questions about what he will bring to the job if confirmed.
This could be a quick process if retired Lt. Gen. James Peake, a West Point graduate and former Army surgeon general, satisfies the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee that he is prepared to take on the many challenges facing the Department of Veterans Affairs, including a growing backlog of benefits claims, lengthy waits for some appointments and treatment of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, especially for mental health issues.
But Senate aides, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Peake’s nomination could easily become a prolonged fight if his answers are unsatisfying or if his nomination somehow gets tied up in a partisan feud that has delayed action on legislation to improve veterans’ benefits and health care.
The Senate committee, chaired by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, has been complaining that leaving the VA secretary’s post vacant since Oct. 1 seems to indicate the Bush administration considers veterans’ issues to be unimportant.
The White House formally nominated Peake for the VA post on Thursday, just as Congress was beginning a previously scheduled two-week break. The Dec. 5 hearing will come on the first week back from the break. Congressional leaders hoping to end the legislative session no later than Dec. 21, which does not allow a lot of time for extensive hearings or investigation.
go here for the rest of this
http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/11/military_peake_nomination_071119w/
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