Missing Army Veteran Bruce Windorski Found Alive
NBC News
Rachel Trost
November 4, 2015
Army veteran Bruce Windorski, who vanished from his northern Wisconsin home on October 17th, has been found alive in Missouri.
The Oconto County Sheriff's Office confirmed Bruce was located safely in Missouri, but no other details have been released.
"The hug and kiss was long awaited," Bruce's wife, Courtney, told Dateline NBC Wednesday morning. The family is asking for privacy at this time.
read more here
Family Searching for Missing Veteran
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Sunday, November 1, 2015
VA "Candy Man" Fired in Wisconsin
Wisconsin VA hospital official dubbed ‘candy man’ fired
Associated Press
By SCOTT BAUER
October 30, 2015
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The chief of staff at a much-criticized Wisconsin Veterans Affairs Medical Center, who was nicknamed “candy man” by some patients for allegedly handing out excess narcotics, was notified Friday that he would be fired.
David Houlihan was placed on leave in January while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigated allegations of over-prescribing narcotic pain medications and retaliatory behavior at the Tomah, Wisconsin, facility.
The VA told Wisconsin’s congressional delegation that based on results of an investigation, Houlihan was notified Friday that he would be fired effective Nov. 9. Houlihan, who is a psychiatrist, also had his clinical privileges revoked.
The decision to fire Houlihan came after the VA investigated his clinical practice as well as his “administrative interactions with subordinates and alleged retaliatory behavior,” said the statement from the VA telling lawmakers of the firing.
read more here
Associated Press
By SCOTT BAUER
October 30, 2015
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The chief of staff at a much-criticized Wisconsin Veterans Affairs Medical Center, who was nicknamed “candy man” by some patients for allegedly handing out excess narcotics, was notified Friday that he would be fired.
David Houlihan was placed on leave in January while the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigated allegations of over-prescribing narcotic pain medications and retaliatory behavior at the Tomah, Wisconsin, facility.
The VA told Wisconsin’s congressional delegation that based on results of an investigation, Houlihan was notified Friday that he would be fired effective Nov. 9. Houlihan, who is a psychiatrist, also had his clinical privileges revoked.
The decision to fire Houlihan came after the VA investigated his clinical practice as well as his “administrative interactions with subordinates and alleged retaliatory behavior,” said the statement from the VA telling lawmakers of the firing.
read more here
Sunday, October 25, 2015
Family Searching for Veteran Army Ranger and Wisconsin Police Officer
UPDATE
from NBC News
Wisconsin man who battled Islamic State in Syria missing
Journal Sentinel
Karen Herzog
October 24, 2015
A former Army Ranger and police officer from Wisconsin who joined the war against Islamic State in Syria for several months earlier this year has been missing for the past week, according to his wife.
Bruce Windorski, 40, was featured in a Sept. 5 Wall Street Journal article about American veterans who have voluntarily gone on their own to fight Islamic State.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that fewer than 100 Americans have done what Bruce Windorski did in January, when he left his home north of Green Bay without telling his wife and two children what he was doing.
After arriving in Syria, he kept in touch with them whenever possible. He returned home Easter weekend in April.
Bruce Windorski had fantasized for years about visiting Kirkuk, Iraq, where his older brother, Phil, died in 2009 when his Army helicopter was shot down, according to The Wall Street Journal article.
Missing Army Veteran Bruce Windorski Found Alive
from NBC News
Wisconsin man who battled Islamic State in Syria missing
Journal Sentinel
Karen Herzog
October 24, 2015
A former Army Ranger and police officer from Wisconsin who joined the war against Islamic State in Syria for several months earlier this year has been missing for the past week, according to his wife.
Jerrit Okimosh Courtney Windorski of Gillett and her husband, Bruce, are shown on their wedding anniversary in May. Bruce Windorski, who had joined the fight against the Islamic State in Syria earlier this year, has been missing for a week, according to his wife."He never talked about going back overseas, but he probably wouldn't have talked to me about it because he wanted to protect me," said Courtney Windorski of Gillett, who reported her husband, Bruce, missing last Sunday when he failed to return from what he told her would be an overnight with other veterans who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Bruce Windorski, 40, was featured in a Sept. 5 Wall Street Journal article about American veterans who have voluntarily gone on their own to fight Islamic State.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation estimates that fewer than 100 Americans have done what Bruce Windorski did in January, when he left his home north of Green Bay without telling his wife and two children what he was doing.
After arriving in Syria, he kept in touch with them whenever possible. He returned home Easter weekend in April.
Bruce Windorski had fantasized for years about visiting Kirkuk, Iraq, where his older brother, Phil, died in 2009 when his Army helicopter was shot down, according to The Wall Street Journal article.
In January, he caught a flight to Iraq with plans to visit the area where his brother died, which didn't work out. He instead took up arms as a westerner alongside the People's Defense Units, or YPG, battling the Islamic State in Syria.
read more here
Americans Volunteer to Fight ISIS in Syria
9/4/2015
Two American military veterans decided to fight with a Kurdish militia against ISIS in Syria. They captured their harrowing journey on video, and say the Kurds need more support from the U.S. to succeed. Photo: Bruce Windorski
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Iraq Veteran Fought Survived Combat, Lost Final Battle Back Home
Local veteran's PTSD struggle leads to suicide
WAOW ABC News
By Max Gorden, Multimedia Journalist
October 19, 2015
ONTELLO (WAOW) -
For a man at war, Chris Surdyk of Weston appeared carefree, bringing smiles wherever he went as he served in Iraq. But when Surdyk was discharged from the army, he brought home both physical and mental wounds.
"He came back so different. This wasn't the same boy." Chris Surdyk's Mother Jeanna Powell said.
Surdyck had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD – an illness that led to his suicide this month. read more here
WAOW ABC News
By Max Gorden, Multimedia Journalist
October 19, 2015
Surdyck had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD – an illness that led to his suicide this month. read more here
Monday, October 19, 2015
DAV Dedicated Van in Honor of Sgt. Joe Altmann
VA transportation van dedicated in honor of fallen soldier
WKOW ABC 27 News
By Jennifer Kliese
Oct 17, 2015
MARSHFIELD (WKOW) -- A Wisconsin soldier's sacrifice will be remembered as a sign of hope for veterans in the northern part of the state.
The Disabled American Veterans organization dedicated a van in honor of Sgt. Joe Altmann on Saturday in Marshfield. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Thousands of veterans in northern Wisconsin will now have help getting to VA facilities throughout the state now, in his name.
read more here
WKOW ABC 27 News
By Jennifer Kliese
Oct 17, 2015
The Disabled American Veterans organization dedicated a van in honor of Sgt. Joe Altmann on Saturday in Marshfield. He was killed in Afghanistan in 2011. Thousands of veterans in northern Wisconsin will now have help getting to VA facilities throughout the state now, in his name.
read more here
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick, Tried to Save Lives, Ended His Own
Senator Wants Names of VA Officials Who 'Retaliated Against Dead Man'
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Sep 23, 2015
The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is demanding to know who at the Veterans Affairs Department's Inspector General's office put together a report that was allegedly more bent on destroying the reputation of a dead whistleblower than looking into the claims he had made.
Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, raised the "white paper" report during a hearing Tuesday attended by VA whistleblowers as well as the acting head of the IG's office.
The report, released in July, called attention to the fact that marijuana was found in the apartment of Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick, a psychologist at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, who committed suicide on the day he was fired.
At the time, Kirkpatrick was a whistleblower trying to focus attention on over-medication of veterans being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The IG's white paper, Johnson said, recommended that officials look into whether Kirkpatrick was a drug dealer, noting that there was marijuana in his apartment and a scale.
read more here
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
Sep 23, 2015
The chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is demanding to know who at the Veterans Affairs Department's Inspector General's office put together a report that was allegedly more bent on destroying the reputation of a dead whistleblower than looking into the claims he had made.
Rep. Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, raised the "white paper" report during a hearing Tuesday attended by VA whistleblowers as well as the acting head of the IG's office.
The report, released in July, called attention to the fact that marijuana was found in the apartment of Dr. Christopher Kirkpatrick, a psychologist at the VA Medical Center in Tomah, Wisconsin, who committed suicide on the day he was fired.
At the time, Kirkpatrick was a whistleblower trying to focus attention on over-medication of veterans being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder.
The IG's white paper, Johnson said, recommended that officials look into whether Kirkpatrick was a drug dealer, noting that there was marijuana in his apartment and a scale.
read more here
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Minnesota and Wisconsin Veterans VA Co-Pay Bills Included Dead Veterans?
Minnesota and Wisconsin veterans are facing thousands of dollars in old co-payments from the VA
Star Tribune
By Mark Brunswick
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
Recently, members of Congress were notified that the VA discovered unbilled copay amounts for inpatient care provided to veterans over a five-year period. Veterans were going to be assessed copays ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 because the VA erred in not charging them at the time of the care.
Veterans in Minnesota and Wisconsin were to be affected, prompting members of Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s congressional delegations to sign a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald asking to delay attempting to collect the payments from the vets, many of whom are on fixed incomes and might not be able to pay.
“Our veterans sought care at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in good faith and should not be suddenly saddled with thousands of dollars in bills years later due to the VA’s inability to properly track, record, and bill for services,” the letter said.
read more here
Star Tribune
By Mark Brunswick
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
The VA identified 1,482 veterans in Minnesota and Wisconsin who would have been affected by the retroactive charges, including 26 who have been deceased for more than six months.Minnesota’s congressional delegation, led by Rep. John Kline, is fighting a Veterans Affairs directive that found veterans suddenly being billed for co-payments that were as much as five years old.
Recently, members of Congress were notified that the VA discovered unbilled copay amounts for inpatient care provided to veterans over a five-year period. Veterans were going to be assessed copays ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 because the VA erred in not charging them at the time of the care.
Veterans in Minnesota and Wisconsin were to be affected, prompting members of Minnesota’s and Wisconsin’s congressional delegations to sign a letter to VA Secretary Bob McDonald asking to delay attempting to collect the payments from the vets, many of whom are on fixed incomes and might not be able to pay.
“Our veterans sought care at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in good faith and should not be suddenly saddled with thousands of dollars in bills years later due to the VA’s inability to properly track, record, and bill for services,” the letter said.
read more here
Friday, August 28, 2015
Tomah VA Medical Center Closing Inpatient Psychiatric Unit
Tomah VA Shutting Psych Unit, Offering Top Dollar for Psychiatrists
La Crosse Tribune
by Chris Hubbuch
Aug 28, 2015
Citing staff shortages, the beleaguered Tomah VA Medical Center is closing its inpatient psychiatric unit, halting psychiatric admissions to a residential treatment center and permanently curtailing urgent care hours.
The hospital stopped admitting new psych patients Wednesday and will temporarily close the 11-bed unit next week, the VA announced Wednesday.
There were two patients in the unit, Tomah VA spokesman Matthew Gowan said. Both would likely be discharged before the Sept. 4 closure, as inpatient stays typically last only a couple of days. Veterans requiring psychiatric treatment will be transferred to VA facilities in Madison andMilwaukee, or to non-VA hospitals if necessary.
The VA will also suspend psychiatric admissions to its Community Living Center, a residential long-term care facility, until more staff are added.
Gowan stressed that the nursing home would continue accepting veterans with non-psychiatric needs.
In a news release, Interim Director John Rohrer said the moves were necessary to ensure the "safe, high-quality care" that veterans deserve and that the unit would not reopen until "we have the necessary psychiatric staff to do so safely."
read more here
La Crosse Tribune
by Chris Hubbuch
Aug 28, 2015
In an effort to recruit psychiatrists, Tomah has increased the starting salary to $240,000, the maximum allowed for a staff physician under the VA's pay scale.
Citing staff shortages, the beleaguered Tomah VA Medical Center is closing its inpatient psychiatric unit, halting psychiatric admissions to a residential treatment center and permanently curtailing urgent care hours.
The hospital stopped admitting new psych patients Wednesday and will temporarily close the 11-bed unit next week, the VA announced Wednesday.
There were two patients in the unit, Tomah VA spokesman Matthew Gowan said. Both would likely be discharged before the Sept. 4 closure, as inpatient stays typically last only a couple of days. Veterans requiring psychiatric treatment will be transferred to VA facilities in Madison andMilwaukee, or to non-VA hospitals if necessary.
The VA will also suspend psychiatric admissions to its Community Living Center, a residential long-term care facility, until more staff are added.
Gowan stressed that the nursing home would continue accepting veterans with non-psychiatric needs.
In a news release, Interim Director John Rohrer said the moves were necessary to ensure the "safe, high-quality care" that veterans deserve and that the unit would not reopen until "we have the necessary psychiatric staff to do so safely."
read more here
Friday, August 21, 2015
Veteran Marine With PTSD Fired From Canadian National Railway
Lawsuit claims Marine fired over PTSD ‘safety concerns’
Fond Du Lac Wisconsin
Nate Beck, Action Reporter Media
August 20, 2015
An ex-marine is suing a Fond du Lac rail company, claiming he was fired over his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to complaint filed Aug. 7 in Eastern District of Wisconsin District Court.
Chris Trombley, now a North Carolina resident, was hired at Wisconsin Central, doing business as Canadian National Railway, at the company’s Fond du Lac rail yard. Trombley claims in his complaint that he was fired due to his PTSD, though his condition never harmed his job performance.
Trombley is seeking a judgment under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protects against discrimination on the basis of disability. The complaint seeks a jury trial and damages of more than $75,000, the limit for federal lawsuits.
Trombley told CN when he applied in summer 2014 that he suffered from Post-Trumatic Stress Disorder after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The suit alleges that Trombley’s PTSD didn’t prevent him from “successfully performing the essential functions” of his job.
Shortly after starting at CN, Trombley told the company he had switched PTSD medication. A drug screen administrator there told him it wouldn’t be an issue. Later that day, a trainer told Trombley he seemed to be working slower than normal, court papers show.
The next day, CN medical services told Trombley he’d been reported for showing symptoms of PTSD. He claimed that was an effect of the new medication, and CN suspended Trombley pending a doctor’s note. A week later, Trombley presented a note clearing him, though CN wouldn’t allow him to return for another week.
read more here
Fond Du Lac Wisconsin
Nate Beck, Action Reporter Media
August 20, 2015
An ex-marine is suing a Fond du Lac rail company, claiming he was fired over his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, according to complaint filed Aug. 7 in Eastern District of Wisconsin District Court.
Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photoA Canadian National train crosses the Fox River in Oshkosh. The first train crossed the new CN railroad bridge over the Fox River in August. Oshkosh Northwestern Media file photo The new Canadian National railroad bridge is functional and has opened and closed on Aug. 23. JOE SIENKIEWICZ/Oshkosh Northwestern Media The CN railroad bridge is functional and has opened and closed on August 23, 2013.
(Photo: Oshkosh Northwestern / JOE SIENKIEWICZ/Oshkosh Northwes)
Chris Trombley, now a North Carolina resident, was hired at Wisconsin Central, doing business as Canadian National Railway, at the company’s Fond du Lac rail yard. Trombley claims in his complaint that he was fired due to his PTSD, though his condition never harmed his job performance.
Trombley is seeking a judgment under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which protects against discrimination on the basis of disability. The complaint seeks a jury trial and damages of more than $75,000, the limit for federal lawsuits.
Trombley told CN when he applied in summer 2014 that he suffered from Post-Trumatic Stress Disorder after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. The suit alleges that Trombley’s PTSD didn’t prevent him from “successfully performing the essential functions” of his job.
Shortly after starting at CN, Trombley told the company he had switched PTSD medication. A drug screen administrator there told him it wouldn’t be an issue. Later that day, a trainer told Trombley he seemed to be working slower than normal, court papers show.
The next day, CN medical services told Trombley he’d been reported for showing symptoms of PTSD. He claimed that was an effect of the new medication, and CN suspended Trombley pending a doctor’s note. A week later, Trombley presented a note clearing him, though CN wouldn’t allow him to return for another week.
read more here
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Marine Jason Simcakoski Died and Wisconsin VA At Fault
VA hospital at fault in Marine veteran's death
Marine Corps Times
By Patricia Kime, Staff writer
August 20, 2015
Jason Simcakoski died Aug. 30, 2014, in the hospital’s short-stay mental health unit from “mixed drug toxicity,” having taken 13 prescribed medications, including several that cause respiratory depression, in a 24-hour period.
According to a VA Inspector General report released Aug. 6, staff psychiatrists had added new medications to Simcakoski's lengthy list of prescriptions in the days preceding his death.
read more here
Marine Corps Times
By Patricia Kime, Staff writer
August 20, 2015
But investigators found that nearly all the drugs found in the veteran's system could cause sedation and the patient's record "confirmed that all these drugs were prescribed by providers at the facility."
Jason Simcakoski died at the Tomah (Wisconsin) VA Medical Center on Aug. 30. An inspector general's investigation says hospital staff improperly prescribed medication to the Marine veteran.A Veterans Affairs Department investigation into the death of a former Marine at the Tomah, Wisconsin, VA Medical Center found the staff failed to properly prescribe medications and blundered the medical response when the veteran was found unresponsive in his bed.
(Photo: Family photo)
Jason Simcakoski died Aug. 30, 2014, in the hospital’s short-stay mental health unit from “mixed drug toxicity,” having taken 13 prescribed medications, including several that cause respiratory depression, in a 24-hour period.
According to a VA Inspector General report released Aug. 6, staff psychiatrists had added new medications to Simcakoski's lengthy list of prescriptions in the days preceding his death.
read more here
Monday, August 17, 2015
PTSD Veteran Gets Free Home Last Day of Wisconsin State Fair
Purple Heart recipient receives mortgage-free home at Wisconsin State Fair
WKOW ABC News Maddison
By Kathryn Larson
Posted: Aug 17, 2015
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- A recipient of the Purple Heart and his wife got the surprise of a lifetime during the last day at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Army Sergeant Drew Wroblewski and his wife, Katelyn, were chosen for the custom-built house through "Operation Finally Home," a national program that helps military families.
read more here
WKOW ABC News Maddison
By Kathryn Larson
Posted: Aug 17, 2015
Wroblewski retired from the Army in 2008 with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other injuries.
MILWAUKEE (WKOW) -- A recipient of the Purple Heart and his wife got the surprise of a lifetime during the last day at the Wisconsin State Fair.
Army Sergeant Drew Wroblewski and his wife, Katelyn, were chosen for the custom-built house through "Operation Finally Home," a national program that helps military families.
read more here
Friday, August 14, 2015
Fort McCoy Reservist From Chicago Death Under Investigation
WISN ABC News
Published 1:41 PM CDT Aug 14, 2015
SPARTA, Wis. — Fort McCoy has identified an Army reservist who died after being found unresponsive at the Wisconsin training base.
The Army says Staff Sgt. Aida Hernandez was 31 and from Chicago.
read more here
Thursday, June 25, 2015
VA Opiate Overuse Subject of Another Senate Hearing
Marine’s overdose death sparking VA opiate debate
Stars and Stripes
By Travis J. Tritten
Published: June 24, 2015
His parents, widow and daughter watched as a Senate committee weighed an overhaul bill, sponsored by a Wisconsin senator, designed to curb overdose deaths at the state’s Tomah VA and other medical centers across the country. It was a crucial first step for the legislation, though many hurdles remain and its future is uncertain.
Simcakoski died at Tomah in August after a toxic reaction to more than 12 medications including opiates. He has become the face of what veteran groups and other advocates say is an epidemic of dangerous opioid prescriptions to VA patients.
read more here
Stars and Stripes
By Travis J. Tritten
Published: June 24, 2015
"My son had an addiction with pain meds and yet they put my son back on pain meds,” said Marv Simcakoski, his father. “They sent him home with 50 some [pills] and told him to take them regularly.”
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., speaks at a press conference about the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act at the U.S. Capitol, June 24, 2015. Behind her are Jason Simcakoski's father, Marv; mother, Linda; daughter, Anaya; and widow, Heather. JOE GROMELSKI/STARS AND STRIPESWASHINGTON — Nearly a year after his death, Marine Corps veteran Jason Simcakoski was at the center of a debate on Capitol Hill on Wednesday over new regulations for opioid prescriptions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
His parents, widow and daughter watched as a Senate committee weighed an overhaul bill, sponsored by a Wisconsin senator, designed to curb overdose deaths at the state’s Tomah VA and other medical centers across the country. It was a crucial first step for the legislation, though many hurdles remain and its future is uncertain.
Simcakoski died at Tomah in August after a toxic reaction to more than 12 medications including opiates. He has become the face of what veteran groups and other advocates say is an epidemic of dangerous opioid prescriptions to VA patients.
read more here
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Wisconsin Police Billboard Features Officer Who Shot 2
Thank-you billboard features Wisconsin police officer who shot two men days apart
Washington Post
By Sarah Larimer
April 27, 2015
Last month, Kenosha police officer Pablo Torres was involved in two separate shootings, including one that was fatal.
This month, his face is on a billboard in the Wisconsin city.
“Thank you for your support, Kenosha,” reads the billboard, which pictures a smiling Torres and a dog.
The police association, which paid for the ad, said it was an attempt to thank the local community. But some people connected to Aaron Siler — who was fatally shot by Torres — said they were upset by the display, which went up after a rally in support of law enforcement, the Kenosha News reported.
“I saw it and I was immediately sickened,” Kathy Willie, a Siler family friend, told the newspaper.
read more here
The other call was for a suicidal veteran after his wife called police for help to save him.
Washington Post
By Sarah Larimer
April 27, 2015
This billboard shows police officer Pablo Torres. (Bill Siel/Kenosha News)
Last month, Kenosha police officer Pablo Torres was involved in two separate shootings, including one that was fatal.
This month, his face is on a billboard in the Wisconsin city.
“Thank you for your support, Kenosha,” reads the billboard, which pictures a smiling Torres and a dog.
The police association, which paid for the ad, said it was an attempt to thank the local community. But some people connected to Aaron Siler — who was fatally shot by Torres — said they were upset by the display, which went up after a rally in support of law enforcement, the Kenosha News reported.
“I saw it and I was immediately sickened,” Kathy Willie, a Siler family friend, told the newspaper.
read more here
The other call was for a suicidal veteran after his wife called police for help to save him.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Families Prepare to Talk About Reality of "Candy Land" Deaths
Late vets' family members to have their say about VA care
USA TODAY
Donovan Slack
March 29, 2015
WASHINGTON — A construction contractor will relive the "most painful day" of his life when his veteran son died at a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs' center.
A widow will recount receiving bags of pills in the mail for a husband who hadn't been home for months.
A daughter will chronicle the final lucid hours of her veteran father as he waited hours for care, then slumped over limp and unresponsive.
And a pharmacist will raise questions about three more "unexplained" veteran deaths — all patients like the others who received treatment at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
All are set to testify at what promises to be an emotional congressional hearing in Tomah, Wis., Monday. It will be their first chance to publicly face VA officials overseeing the facility since news reports drew national attention to their struggles and triggered investigations by several state and federal agencies, including the VA and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
read more here
USA TODAY
Donovan Slack
March 29, 2015
He checked him into Tomah for severe anxiety and a painkiller addiction last summer. But in late August, Jason texted him to say the medications were making him crazy. He asked his father for help. So Marv Simcakoski set up a meeting with his son, a patient advocate and his son's doctor, who consulted with Houlihan on adding another opiate to his son's regimen.
WASHINGTON — A construction contractor will relive the "most painful day" of his life when his veteran son died at a Wisconsin Veterans Affairs' center.
A widow will recount receiving bags of pills in the mail for a husband who hadn't been home for months.
A daughter will chronicle the final lucid hours of her veteran father as he waited hours for care, then slumped over limp and unresponsive.
And a pharmacist will raise questions about three more "unexplained" veteran deaths — all patients like the others who received treatment at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
All are set to testify at what promises to be an emotional congressional hearing in Tomah, Wis., Monday. It will be their first chance to publicly face VA officials overseeing the facility since news reports drew national attention to their struggles and triggered investigations by several state and federal agencies, including the VA and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Five months after Daigh declined to release his findings, 35-year-old Marine veteran Jason Simcakoski died from an overdose as an inpatient in Tomah. It was just days after Houlihan agreed that another opiate should be added to the 14 drugs he was already prescribed.
read more here
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Marine Hit and Killed By Plane in Yuma Arizona
Marine Killed in Plane Crash Was Escorting Construction Crew
Associated Press
YUMA, Ariz.
Mar 25, 2015
A U.S. Marine who was killed when a civilian plane struck his government truck was serving as an escort to a construction crew when the crash happened at an Arizona military base, federal investigators say.
The construction crew was working near a runway at the base March 11, and the Marine was in a truck about 140 feet from the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report into the plane crash at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Yuma International Airport.
The Marine Corps has identified the Marine who died as Lance Cpl. Anthony T. DuBeau, 23, a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The pilot and a passenger were not injured. During takeoff, the plane banked to the left and then to the right, despite the pilot's attempts to regain control, the NTSB said. read more here
Associated Press
YUMA, Ariz.
Mar 25, 2015
The construction crew was working near a runway at the base March 11, and the Marine was in a truck about 140 feet from the runway, according to a National Transportation Safety Board preliminary report into the plane crash at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Yuma International Airport.
The Marine Corps has identified the Marine who died as Lance Cpl. Anthony T. DuBeau, 23, a native of Kenosha, Wisconsin.
The pilot and a passenger were not injured. During takeoff, the plane banked to the left and then to the right, despite the pilot's attempts to regain control, the NTSB said. read more here
Monday, March 23, 2015
World War II Experiences Left Him Shattered But Not Broken
VA helps Iowa veterans tell their life stories
Des Moines Register
Tony Leys
March 23, 2015
The Vinton retiree was one of the first to volunteer for a new project in which VA staffers interview veterans and write up short biographies. The resulting essays are to be attached to the veterans' medical charts, to help VA health care providers understand their patients' perspectives.
Gualtier, 89, went decades without discussing the World War II experiences that left him shattered. But he's opened up in the past few years, because he wants younger veterans to avoid the mistake of trying to bury troubling memories.
"During combat, when I was into some really gory stuff, I never gave any thought about the effects it might have on me later," he told Stephanie Henrickson, a nurse who coordinates a mental health program for the regional VA system based in Iowa City.
Henrickson sat across from Gualtier at the VA's Coralville clinic one morning last week, taking notes in pen and capturing his gravelly voice on a digital recorder. She plans to write up his story, go over it with him, then put it in his medical file and give him a copy to share with his family. She has interviewed about 15 veterans so far as part of a pilot project in the Iowa City area and five other U.S. locations.
Most of Henrickson's interviews have taken an hour or so, but Gualtier's has required several sessions. He has so much to say.
In the most recent session, Henrickson asked Gualtier about his childhood in a small Ohio town during the Depression. "It seems like we always had it rough until the war broke out," he said. "It was a very, very hard time."
Des Moines Register
Tony Leys
March 23, 2015
"I cleaned out wounds. I patched them. I gave them morphine. I didn't have the stomach for it. I treated German soldiers and U.S. soldiers. They died just like we did. They were just like us, they had to do what they had to do. I felt helpless to alleviate terrible suffering, no matter how much I tried. Then over six years later, I came to realize that the work I did with so many other casualties helped prevent them from developing horrible consequences."
U.S. Army veteran John Gualtier, 89, of Vinton holds a photo of himself from World War II at the VA Outpatient Clinic in Coralville on Tuesday. He served as a medic in the war.CORALVILLE, Ia. –If the Department of Veterans Affairs wants to take down John Gualtier's life story, it's going to take a while.
(Photo: David Scrivner/Iowa City Press-Citizen)
The Vinton retiree was one of the first to volunteer for a new project in which VA staffers interview veterans and write up short biographies. The resulting essays are to be attached to the veterans' medical charts, to help VA health care providers understand their patients' perspectives.
Gualtier, 89, went decades without discussing the World War II experiences that left him shattered. But he's opened up in the past few years, because he wants younger veterans to avoid the mistake of trying to bury troubling memories.
"During combat, when I was into some really gory stuff, I never gave any thought about the effects it might have on me later," he told Stephanie Henrickson, a nurse who coordinates a mental health program for the regional VA system based in Iowa City.
Henrickson sat across from Gualtier at the VA's Coralville clinic one morning last week, taking notes in pen and capturing his gravelly voice on a digital recorder. She plans to write up his story, go over it with him, then put it in his medical file and give him a copy to share with his family. She has interviewed about 15 veterans so far as part of a pilot project in the Iowa City area and five other U.S. locations.
Most of Henrickson's interviews have taken an hour or so, but Gualtier's has required several sessions. He has so much to say.
In the most recent session, Henrickson asked Gualtier about his childhood in a small Ohio town during the Depression. "It seems like we always had it rough until the war broke out," he said. "It was a very, very hard time."
About the project
The Iowa City VA is one of six sites recently chosen to try the "My Life, My Story" project, which was pioneered in Madison, Wis.
Nurse Stephanie Henrickson said her agency plans to hire a full-time writer to do more such interviews and work up the stories.
Regular medical appointments usually focus on specific ailments, Henrickson explained. If a patient has heart issues, he'll get cardiac tests and questions. If a patient has a dermatology issue, the doctor will ask her about her skin. The storytelling project is an attempt to step back and get a sense of the patients as people and to understand what's important to them.
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Friday, March 13, 2015
Marines Release Names Black Hawk Crash
Marines confirm victims in Florida crash
WITN News
Mar 13, 2015
The Marine Corps has released the names of seven members of MARSOC who died in Tuesday night's Black Hawk crash in Florida.
Major General Joseph Osterman identified the Marines as
WITN News
Mar 13, 2015
The Marine Corps has released the names of seven members of MARSOC who died in Tuesday night's Black Hawk crash in Florida.
Major General Joseph Osterman identified the Marines as
Captain Stanford Shaw of Basking Ridge, NJ,Master Sgt. Thomas Saunders of Williamsburg, Virginia,Staff Sgt. Marcus Bawol of Warren, Michigan,Staff Sgt. Trevor Blaylock of Lake Orion, Michigan,Staff Sgt. Liam Flynn of Queens, New York,Staff Sgt. Kerry Kemp of Port Washington, Wisconsin,Staff Sgt. Andrew Seif of Holland, Michigan.
All were from the 2nd Special Operations Battalion of MARSOC.
read more here
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Wisconsin VA "Breeding Drug Addicts" Instead of Healing Veterans?
You know it is really bad when the Wisconsin VA gets called "Candy Land" because of the drugs they have been handing out. This is from NBC News.
The problem is, some member of Congress will jump on this story and write a bill with his name on it or some other veteran who tried to get help only to end up in the grave.
Why not? They've gotten away with it all these years. The reports go back to at least 2008 on what the VA has been doing with handing out drugs instead of therapy. Some find it all too easy to numb them instead of work with them. Others, well, they do the best they can but even the best VA doctors are overwhelmed by the number of veterans looking for help to heal.
If you are thinking that veterans would be better off outside the VA, think again. Years ago I work for a group of psychiatrists and they made a lot more money with med appointments than they did providing actual therapy sessions. These appointments were done in 15 minutes meaning they could see at least 4 patients an hour every hour they were in the office. When they needed time off, appointments had to be changed. I had to do the med appointments first and then squeeze everyone else in afterwards.
So why is it still this way after all these years of sad outcomes? Drugs aren't free and someone is making money off the veterans who fought to retain the freedom we still have. The other reason is that members of congress are "doing something" about all this without a clue as to what that something actually should be.
"I just feel that he didn't have a chance," Simcakoski's mother, Linda, told Farrow. "We trusted them and we expected them to know what to do...and it just seems like they just kept giving him more and more."
A Wisconsin VA hospital nicknamed "Candy Land" by some for an alarming surge in pain-killer prescriptions is under investigation — six months after a Marine Corps veteran died of an overdose in the psychiatric ward.
The amount of opiates doled out by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center in Tomah nearly quadrupled over eight years, under the leadership of the chief of staff, Dr. David Houlihan, as the non-profit Center for Investigative Reporting first revealed.
Prescriptions for just one of them, often-abused oxycodone, shot up ten-fold — from about 78,000 pills in 2005 to almost 712,000 in 2012, the center found.
Meanwhile, some staffers complained they were pressured to refill prescriptions early and to keep giving powerful narcotics to patients who may not have been taking the doses themselves.
"They're breeding drug addicts," Jason Bishop, an Air Force veteran who is a patient at the Tomah facility, told MSNBC's Ronan Farrow, who reported this story in collaboration with NBC Investigations.
The problem is, some member of Congress will jump on this story and write a bill with his name on it or some other veteran who tried to get help only to end up in the grave.
Why not? They've gotten away with it all these years. The reports go back to at least 2008 on what the VA has been doing with handing out drugs instead of therapy. Some find it all too easy to numb them instead of work with them. Others, well, they do the best they can but even the best VA doctors are overwhelmed by the number of veterans looking for help to heal.
If you are thinking that veterans would be better off outside the VA, think again. Years ago I work for a group of psychiatrists and they made a lot more money with med appointments than they did providing actual therapy sessions. These appointments were done in 15 minutes meaning they could see at least 4 patients an hour every hour they were in the office. When they needed time off, appointments had to be changed. I had to do the med appointments first and then squeeze everyone else in afterwards.
So why is it still this way after all these years of sad outcomes? Drugs aren't free and someone is making money off the veterans who fought to retain the freedom we still have. The other reason is that members of congress are "doing something" about all this without a clue as to what that something actually should be.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Veterans Court Saving Lives One At A Time
Green Bay Press Gazette
Paul Srubas, Press-Gazette Media
January 31, 2015
"Veterans Court attempts to use the power of the court to enforce treatment plans, training, sobriety and whatever else qualified participants need. It's like probation on steroids"
Jeff Vanstraten distinctly remembers the feel of the gun in his hands, the process of filling the clip, the sound of chambering a round, and looking at the police outside his home and thinking how easily he could pick one of them off.
It was about 9:30 p.m., Jan. 15, 2012. Vanstraten, then 40, had consumed his usual 30-pack of beer and was well into another. It must've reacted badly with the pain medication he had been taking for his bad back, because he can't remember many other details of what went on that day in his west-side Green Bay rental home.
He learned later that a buddy, concerned he was suicidal, called the police, who dispatched a SWAT team that surrounded his house. Vanstraten kept drinking and loaded his gun.
"I don't know if I wanted to die that day ...or what," he said. "When I picked up the gun, I don't know if I felt invincible or what, but I remember every detail of handling that gun. I don't know if that's a military thing or not."
"You're in the Army 3½ years and in your mind, time stands still," said Tom Hinz, former Brown County Executive, who mentors in the Veterans Court. "You come back, find all your friends are married, have jobs, kids and mortgages. You're different, too, but sometimes you don't understand that. Or while you were away, your significant other learned to take care of everything, pay the bills, take the kids to school, and when you come back, where do you fit in?"
read more here
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