Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers

My friend Lily Casura at Healing Combat Trauma sent this.

Mental health cases tax police, emergency workers
LISA RATHKE,Associated Press Writer

"Because they're completely falling through the cracks," he said. "They're not cracks, they're chasms."

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — Police found him sitting on the floor of his old apartment near a bucket of urine, still dressed in his hospital gown.

The apartment had been condemned for the squalor — food on the floor, flies — and his smoking in bed. But the mentally ill man, just released from the hospital, had managed to get back in. For the second time in four days, he was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Three firefighters, a battalion chief, the police chief, two police officers, a code enforcement person and a housing official responded, and finally, an ambulance crew — at a cost of thousands of dollars, Police Chief Michael Schirling said.

Police and emergency responders around the nation have long struggled to deal with people who have mental illness, and some say the situation is only getting worse. A poor economy and cuts to institutional programs threaten to overwhelm personnel trained to deal with crime and vehicle accidents, not mental crises.

"The problem seems to be accelerating in scope and severity of late," the police chief said. "More folks in need of mental health services, more significant issues occurring on the street as a result, and fewer available services for folks in acute crisis or those who are service-resistant."

On the same day they removed the mental patient from the condemned apartment, police searched the other end of Burlington for a homeless man who'd been yelling at kids in a residential neighborhood. Parents wouldn't let their children out alone. Some called 911.

The man has paranoid schizophrenia and other mental illnesses but has refused treatment, so police charged him with disorderly conduct. The chief called it a "workaround," designed to get him into the mental health system by judicial order.

"It's a perversion of the system," he said.
read more here
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091121/ap_on_re_us/us911_mental_health

We did it after WWII we can do it now

When WWII veterans returned from war in 1944, they were greeted by a nation united behind them, jobs, housing developments and they believed the nation really appreciated the fact they were willing to lay down their lives for the sake of this country.

Here is what was done when they came home.

(VA) The Department of Veterans Affairs was established on March 15, 1989, succeeding the Veterans Administration. It is responsible for providing federal benefits to veterans and their families. Headed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, VA is the second-largest of the 15 Cabinet departments and operates nationwide programs for health care, financial assistance and burial benefits.



Of the 23.4 million veterans currently alive, nearly three-quarters served during a war or an official period of conflict. About a quarter of the nation's population is potentially eligible for VA benefits and services because they are veterans, family members or survivors of veterans.



The responsibility to care for veterans, spouses, survivors and dependents can last a long time. Two children of Civil War veterans still draw VA benefits. About 184 children and widows of Spanish-American War veterans still receive VA compensation or pensions.



VA's fiscal year 2009 spending is projected to be approximately $93.4 billion, including $40 billion for health care, $46.9 billion for benefits, and $230 million for the national cemetery system. This is more than a 7 percent increase from the department’s $87.6 billion budget for fiscal year 2009.



Compensation and Pension

Disability compensation is a payment to veterans who are disabled by injury or disease incurred or aggravated during active military service. Wartime veterans with low incomes who are permanently and totally disabled may be eligible for financial support through VA’s pension program.



In fiscal year 2008, VA provided $38.9 billion in disability compensation, death compensation and pension to 3.7 million people. About 3.2 million veterans received disability compensation or pension from VA. In addition, about 554,700 spouses, children and parents of deceased veterans received VA benefits. Among them are 170,144 survivors of Vietnam-era veterans and 235,000 survivors of World War II veterans.

Medical Care

Perhaps the most visible of all VA benefits and services is health care. From 54 hospitals in 1930, VA’s health care system now includes 153 medical centers, with at least one in each state, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia. VA operates more than 1,400 sites of care, including 909 ambulatory care and community-based outpatient clinics, 135 nursing homes, 47 residential rehabilitation treatment programs, 232 Veterans Centers and 108 comprehensive home-care programs. VA health care facilities provide a broad spectrum of medical, surgical and rehabilitative care.

Almost 5.5 million people received care in VA health care facilities in 2008. By the end of fiscal year 2008, 78 percent of all disabled and low-income veterans had enrolled with VA for health care; 65 percent of them were treated by VA. In 2008, VA inpatient facilities treated 773,600 patients. VA’s outpatient clinics registered over 60 million visits.

VA manages the largest medical education and health professions training program in the United States. VA facilities are affiliated with 107 medical schools, 55 dental schools and more than 1,200 other schools across the country. Each year, about 90,000 health professionals are trained in VA medical centers. More than half of the physicians practicing in the United States had some of their professional education in the VA health care system.

VA’s medical system serves as a backup to the Defense Department during national emergencies and as a federal support organization during major disasters.

In 1996, VA put its health care facilities under 21 networks that provide more medical services to more veterans and family members than at any time during VA’s long history.

VA has experienced unprecedented growth in the medical system workload over the past few years. The number of patients treated increased by 29 percent from 4.2 million in 2001 to nearly 5.5 million in 2008.

To receive VA health care benefits most veterans must enroll. The VA health care system had nearly 7.9 million veterans who were enrolled as of October 2008. When they enroll, they are placed in priority groups or categories that help VA manage health care services within budgetary constraints and ensure quality care for those enrolled.

Some veterans are exempted from having to enroll. People who do not have to enroll include veterans with a service-connected disability of 50 percent or more, veterans who were discharged from the military within one year but have not yet been rated for a VA disability benefit and veterans seeking care for only a service-connected disability. Veterans with service-connected disabilities receive priority access to care for hospitalization and outpatient care. Veterans of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) are eligible to receive enhanced health care benefits for five years following their military separation date.



Since 1979, VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service has operated Vet Centers, which provide psychological counseling for war-related trauma, community outreach, case management and referral activities, plus supportive social services to veterans and family members. There are 232 Vet Centers.



Since the first Vet Center opened, more than 2 million veterans have been helped. Every year, the Vet Centers serve more than 130,000 veterans and accommodate more than a million visits by veterans and family members.



Vet Centers are open to any veteran who served in the military in a combat theater during wartime or anywhere during a period of armed hostilities. Vet Centers also provide trauma counseling to veterans who were sexually assaulted or harassed while on active duty, and bereavement counseling to the families of service members who die on active duty.



VA provides health care and benefits to more than 100,000 homeless veterans each year. Though the proportion of veterans among the homeless is declining, VA continues to engage veterans in outreach, medical care, benefits assistance, transitional housing, and case management for veterans in permanent housing. VA has made more than 450 grants for transitional housing, service centers and vans for outreach and transportation to state and local governments, tribal governments, non-profit community and faith-based service providers.

Indispensable to providing America’s veterans with quality medical care are nearly 127,000 active volunteers in VA’s Voluntary Service who donated more than 11 million hours in 2008 to bring companionship and care to hospitalized veterans. These hours equate to 5,519 full time employee-equivalent (FTEE) positions.

Research

VA research focuses on areas of concern to veterans. VA research has earned an international reputation for excellence in areas such as aging, chronic disease, prosthetics and mental health. Studies conducted within VA help improve medical care not only for the veterans enrolled in VA's health care system, but for the nation at large. Because seven in 10 VA researchers are also clinicians, VA is uniquely positioned to translate research results into improved patient care. VA scientists and clinicians collaborate across many disciplines, resulting in a synergistic flow of inquiry, discovery and innovation between labs and clinics.



VA investigators played key roles in developing the cardiac pacemaker, the CT scan, radioimmunoassay, and improvements in artificial limbs. The first liver transplant in the world was performed by a VA surgeon-researcher. VA clinical trials established the effectiveness of new treatments for tuberculosis, schizophrenia and high blood pressure. The “Seattle Foot” developed in VA has allowed people with amputations to run and jump. VA contributions to medical knowledge have won VA scientists many awards, including the Nobel Prize and the Lasker Award.



Special VA “centers of excellence” conduct leading-edge research in areas of prime importance to veterans, such as neurotrauma, prosthetics, spinal cord injury, hearing and vision loss, alcoholism, stroke, and health care disparities. Through VA's Cooperative Studies Program, researchers conduct multicenter clinical trials to investigate the best therapy for various diseases affecting large numbers of veterans. Examples of current projects include testing whether intensive control of blood sugar can reduce cardiovascular problems for patients with type 2 diabetes; and comparing deep brain stimulation with other treatments for Parkinson's disease.

Deployment health is a major priority for VA research. In addition to studies focused on recent veterans of operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, research continues on issues of special concern to veterans of earlier conflicts, such as the Gulf War and Vietnam War.

Home Loan Assistance

From 1944, when VA began helping veterans purchase homes under the original GI Bill, through December 2007, more than 18.4 million VA home loan guaranties have been issued, with a total value of $967 billion. VA ended fiscal year 2008 with almost 2.1 million active home loans, reflecting amortized loans totaling $220.8 billion.

What they also brought back with them was the hidden wounds carried deeply within them. Some tried to hide it, some hid it well, but others, well, it was just a family secret that was not to be talked about ever to anyone. Some were just too busy to even think of themselves as they tried to earn wages to support their families. It was not until they had retired they began to experience the awakening of the dark secrets they tried so hard to hide from everyone.

There wasn't the power of the Internet to connect them. Aside from hometown halls where they could connect with others, the realities they lived with were not well known.

It was the same when they came home from Korea.

One thing we don't talk about when we use the term MIA is how many from WWI, WWII and Korea were lost and not recovered as well. You can read more about this here.
Finding the Fallen


All of the veterans making it back home ended up raising the generation to come. They raised them to believe that the nation would respect their service, honor their willingness to sacrifice their lives, fully trusting should they return wounded, the nation would tend to those wounds and replace incomes they lost because of the wounds of war. Tough, proud, patriotic, and carrying a lot of pain they refused to show, they sent their sons off to Vietnam, usually cheering at the airport but cheering louder when they returned home for good.

The VA however, as well as the rest of the nation, was not so inclined to deliver on what generations before had received. They had to fight for a system not prepared for them and they fought to make sure the deep, dark secrets their fathers brought home would not be allowed to haunt them as well without proper care. Nostalgia, Soldier's Heart, Shell Shock died and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was born. Another birth was the attitude of "get over it" and "we don't want to hear about it" after the combat was sent into our TV sets during dinner every night. Local newspapers delivered on local stories about the fallen, the wounded and the awarding of medals. Pretty much, the American people thought we knew it all.

The Wall in Washington was joined by traveling Vietnam Memorial Walls.

So they kept fighting and by the time Saddam tried to take over Kuwait, the Gulf War began and ended soon after, the American people felt really badly about how they treated the Vietnam veterans, especially when so many of them were not given a choice about any of it as the draft notices came with the unlucky number. By the Gulf War, we had learned our lesson and the Vietnam veterans began to finally break through our bad impression of them. We knew we were wrong with how they were allowed to be treated when they came home so, we, always liking a winner, plus regretting how we treated the Vietnam Vets, went a bit overboard when it came to the Gulf War veterans, but that didn't last too long.

As they came home with the same wounds other generations did, Agent Orange was just beginning to break into the news reports, the Gulf War veterans had to deal with their own illness related to combat but no one was sure of what it was, what caused it or how to treat it. Considering how long they've had to figure it out, it's really a wonder they have not been able to put their finger on it yet. What they also returned to was a whole new world to reach from the comfort of their own homes. They were connected to other veterans across the country and internationally. What was discovered in one nation was found by a veteran in Boston. What was being complained about in California was being copied and sent by email across the world in a few days.

Now with Afghanistan and Iraq, the news reports are few. With the election of 2004 and 2006 over, the debate about the necessity of Iraq, left Afghanistan forgotten about and then Iraq began to be replaced by the economy in 2008. Iraq and Afghanistan were not mentioned that much and the news reports were more focused on the problems the veterans were facing coming back than the numbers of those killed or wounded on any given day unless there was something catastrophic to report on.


Looking back at what we managed to do after WWII and after the depression, it really should be looked at knowing what we could do for our veterans even though the rest of the country was hurting. At least back then, we thought about those we asked so much of but asked so little of us to do for them. Amazing what can happen when we put our minds to it.


So we showed up at when a coffin made it's way to the cemetery, waved a flag, put hand over heart or bent our elbow for a salute. Some offer a quick prayer then get back to our own lives while some complain about traffic that's being held up by the funeral procession or thinking "Oh, well, sad he/she was so young. Feel badly for the parents, young widow and kids, but we have our own problems." If you live near a National Guard armory, an Army post or Marine Camp or Navy base, then you may even show up to welcome them home. You may write a check or send a card. You may join a group to do what you can, but sooner or later, the feeling of being connected to them fades away. Sooner or later, you forget all about what they went through. Sooner or later, that veteran you welcomed home, felt honored to have met, becomes the "crazy vet" down the street with the police showing up again. What they brought back inside of them doesn't seem to matter any more to far too many of us.

The homeless veteran you read about dying in the woods means nothing to you because you may judge how they came to be homeless. They could have come back with PTSD and a family unable or unwilling to help them. They could have come back with no family to lean on and no jobs to go to. They could have come home wounded to the point even if they had a job, they wouldn't be able to do it and they can't get their VA claim out of the pile to be approved. Then they could also be among the members of the military always knowing they only wanted to be a Marine, a Soldier, an Airman or a Sailor and the was all they knew but now because they are wounded they cannot be one anymore.

See, when we say we "support the troops" we think that's all they need and they only need it when they are deployed with the rest of the "troops" and some of us are so lazy we forgot that one soldier is not called a "troop" but a soldier and a Marine is called a Marine, that there is an air National Guard and an Army National Guard. They need us when they wake up and when they finally get to find some few hours to sleep. They need us when they are out of danger just as much as when they are facing it. They need us in the hospital and out of it. They need us in the service to us just as much as they need us after. The question is, "when will we stop wanting to stop taking care of them in return for what they did for us?" We did it after WWII, we can do it now.

Note said Hood-style shooting could happen at Fort Benning

Note said Hood-style shooting could happen

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 20, 2009 18:23:44 EST

A box of hollow-point bullets and an anonymous note threatening an incident like the one at Fort Hood, Texas, were discovered Thursday at Fort Benning, Ga., sparking a criminal investigation and greater police presence, a witness told Army Times.

According to a witness at the scene, a box of 20 hollow-point shells and a handwritten note were found in the motor pool area between 1st Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry, under the 197th Infantry Training Brigade.

“The note said ‘tell the commanding general to call off all charges or there will be a re-enactment of Fort Hood,’ ” the witness told Army Times. He spoke on condition he wouldn’t be identified.

After the discovery, he said, military police arrived with dogs, cordoned off a 20-foot perimeter around the box and began dusting for fingerprints and questioning people.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/army_benning_box_112009w/

Nam Knights suffers loss after fatal accident

There should be a correction on this. Both of them were wearing helmets.

UPDATE names released
Gennaro Dilauri, Gerry was a really special man. He had a smile that would brighten any day. He was also very caring. We will miss him for a long time until we see him again one day. I can't say much more than that right now about him other than please hold his family in your prayers.

1 dead, 1 injured in motorcycle wrecks on I-75
The two motorcyclists were among about 25 who were traveling from Orlando to Lake City.
By Austin L. Miller
Staff writer


Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 1:13 a.m.
A group of motorcyclists traveling together northbound on Interstate 75 on Friday morning were involved in a chain-reaction crash near the State Road 326 exit that claimed the life of a Merritt Island man.

According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, a bag fell from one of the motorcycles, causing several of the other motorcyclists to swerve to avoid hitting the bag, which caused the group to separate.

In the confusion, four riders were ejected off their motorcycles.

Officials said 69-year-old Gennaro Dilauri of Merritt Island was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Another cyclist, Jack Darrell Helton, 35, of Longwood, was taken to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville in critical condition.

Two other cyclists suffered minor injuries.
go here for more

http://www.ocala.com/article/20091121/ARTICLES/911211009

Jack Darrell Helton is the son of Jack, a Nam Knight who passed away in August. Please hold this family in your prayers for all they are going through as they wait for Jack Darrell Helton to heal.

Jack Helton Share E-mail Visit Guest Book
HELTON, JACK, 56, of Orlando, FL passed away unexpectedly August 11, 2009. Jack will be remembered as a man of few words, who laughed often and had a heart of gold. He proudly served in the US Air Force for 13 years including a tour in Vietnam; he was the recipient of numerous awards and was medically retired in 1984. He also served 15 years at the U.S. Post Office in the University Branch, Winter Park, FL. While his greatest joy was his love for his children and grandchildren, he also had a special place in his heart for his Harley Davidson motorcycle and his brothers of the Nam Knights where he was one of the original six members who started the Orlando Chapter of the club. He is survived by his son Jack Darrell, Longwood and his daughter Joy Michelle Harris, Orlando; five grandchildren; his mother Jackie, Corbin, KY and three sisters and one brother. Funeral services will be held Friday, August 21, 2009 at 1:00 PM, at Asbury UMC, Maitland FL. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you consider a donation to: Nam Knights of America, 659 Hardwood Circle, FL 32828, Put in memo line: In Memory of Jack Helton.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/orlandosentinel/obituary.aspx?n=jack-helton&pid=131570260

Heart sick! Please hold them all in your prayers.

One dead in multiple motorcycle crash on I-75

Staff Report


Published: Friday, November 20, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, November 20, 2009 at 3:16 p.m.
OCALA - A group of motorcyclists traveling together northbound on Interstate 75 Friday morning were involved in a chain reaction accident just south of mile marker 358 that claimed the life of one man.

According to Florida Highway Patrol officials, a bag fell from one of the cycles. Several of the other motorcyclists swerved to avoid hitting the bag, which caused the group to separate.

In the confusion, two people were ejected.

Officials said a 69-year-old man from Merritt Island, who was taken to Munroe Regional Medical Center, where he was pronounced deceased.

The other cyclist was taken to Shands at the University of Florida Hospital in Gainesville in critical condition. The gender is not known at this time.

One member of the group, the Nam-Knights America, said they are based in Orlando and there about 25 cyclists. He said they were from the Orlando and Tampa area, met up in Wildwood this morning, and were traveling to Lake City, "just to get away."
read more here
One dead in multiple motorcycle crash on I-75

Psychiatrist claims Marines getting shoddy care at Camp Lejeune

Do you believe him? I do. I've talked to enough Marines over the years to know they are supposed to be able to "train their brains" even more than soldiers are supposed to be able to. Having a Marine cry on my shoulder and feel it was necessary to apologize to me for doing it because as he put it, "I'm a Marine!" shows how little they have been doing to get them to understand it has nothing to do with being weak.

I also think it is horrible that this doctor is no longer there because he cared too much yet Maj. Hasan was kept on no matter how badly he did.

Dr. Kernan Manion poses for a photograph in his officer in Hampstead, N.C., Friday, Nov. 20, 2008. Dr. Manion a psychiatrist was fired after he complained about conditions for his patients at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., In e-mails shown to The Associated Press, Manion had questioned why the clinic, a series of bug-infested trailers with paper-thin walls, was located near a firing range on the 240-square-mile base. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds) (Jim R. Bounds, AP / November 20, 2009)

Fired psychiatrist says Marines suffering from stress are getting shoddy care at Camp Lejeune
KEVIN MAURER

Associated Press Writer

5:59 p.m. EST, November 20, 2009
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — Marines treated at Camp Lejeune for post-traumatic stress had to undergo therapy for months in temporary trailers where they could hear bomb blasts, machine-gun fire and war cries through the thin walls, according to servicemen and their former psychiatrist.

The eight trailers were used for nearly two years, until a permanent clinic was completed in September in another location on the base, said a Camp Lejeune medical spokesman, Navy Lt. j.g. Mark Jean-Pierre.

The noise from training exercises "shook me up real bad. I couldn't take it. I almost ran out of there a couple of times," said a Marine patient who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to the media. "My mind couldn't focus on the treatment. I couldn't tell the difference between the combat zone and the non-combat zone."

The allegations became public after the dismissal of Dr. Kernan Manion, a civilian psychiatrist who says he was fired for writing memos to his military superiors complaining of shoddy care of Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD, a condition that can make patients jumpy, fearful of loud noises and prone to flashbacks.

read more here

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/sns-ap-us-marines-mental-health,0,198116.story

Call to America to help our veterans

Call To America

Hampton Inn Daytona Beach-Speedway

1715 West International Speedway Blvd.

Daytona Beach, Florida 32114

Sgt. Dave Matthews


Sgt. Dave Matthews a wounded veteran himself, tirelessly works to help "Brave-Aid" and its cause. We are remiss in not posting Sgt. Matthews sooner. There have been times when he has called the office to allow us to speak to homeless veterans he has just fed. Below are pictures of his latest effort to help Veterans at the Road to Recovery 10/16/09 event this past weekend. God bless you Sgt. Matthews, the world needs more people like you Sir. Just too look into the faces of our Homeless Veterans and the smile you put on their faces makes our hearts full.

There are presently over 19,000 homeless Veterans in Florida. On this night thanks to you some of those 19,000 had a good meal.
http://www.braveaid.org/

When you look into the eyes of Sgt. Matthews, you can see some pain there but above all, you can see true dedication to others. I've been with him during meetings when he has shown frustration that more people are not joining this organization even though considering the official kick off is not until tomorrow and hundreds have already joined, Sgt. Matthews is impatient to do more for the troops and our veterans. I've been with him when he was helping to feed the homeless in Orlando, again, frustrated that more is not being done. He is a member of the Florida National Guard, doing his duty this weekend and won't be able to go to the convention.

The thing most people do not understand is the members of Operation Warrior Support are not satisfied with just being frustrated. Just as Sgt. Matthews is not happy complaining and spends his days trying to make a difference, all of us with OWS are tired of complaining. Tired of seeing what is not being done and tired of seeing our veterans waiting for help.

We know what they are going through beyond waiting for their claims for benefits to be approved. We know what they go through between wound and compensation. Because too many have no income while they wait, they are falling through the cracks. Bill collectors don't want to hear the government has not paid their bill to a wounded veteran. They don't want to hear we'll pay when we get paid. They expect the debt to be paid on time without delay. It would be a wonderful time in this country if the veterans could be assured of the same consideration.

Then we have veterans coming home, like Sgt. Matthews, to a nation where the job they expected to return to is no longer there. The members of the National Guards do what they are supposed to do, deploy where they are sent for however long they are told to stay there. Do we ever think about what happens to them when they come home and have to still pay their bills? What about the debt we owe them?

The list of conditions our veterans return to is hardly coming close to being addressed. While I try to do what I can with my blog and website along with the videos, what you don't know about is the number of veterans and their families emailing me and the hours of phone calls trying to help them understand what they are not being told. What you do not see is the suffering from every state in this country and the families falling apart. We read numbers. We read some stories. Above all, we hear their voice.

Brave-Aid was established to help them. Operation Warrior Support is a member funded support for Brave-Aid. Consider organizations hiring professional fund raisers. Ever consider how much money they have to paid out of the donations you make? OWS is the fundraising arm. Please consider coming tomorrow to Daytona and get more information about this organization I am proud to be a member of.

I was not satisfied with being frustrated in 1982 when I tried to help. Not happy with being frustrated all these years since and I am certainly not happy just complaining now. It is not enough to just offer prayers and move on with your life when they cannot. It is not enough to show up when they come into the airports or try to show up when one of them is laid to rest. It is not enough to show up for Memorial Day or Veterans Day Parades. We need to be there when they need us just as they are always there when we need them.

If you cannot attend the convention, please go here and take a look at what you can do beyond being frustrated.

http://chaplainkathie.warriorsupport.us/

Patrick W. Dunne, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to Step Down

Patrick W. Dunne, VA Under Secretary for Benefits, to Step Down



WASHINGTON (Nov. 20, 2009) - Patrick W. Dunne, the Under Secretary for
Benefits for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), today announced
his resignation for early next year. Dunne, who attained the rank of
rear admiral while in the U.S. Navy, has been with VA since 2006.



As Under Secretary for Benefits since October 2008, Admiral Dunne has
directed the administration of VA's disability compensation, pension,
education, home loan guaranty, vocational rehabilitation and employment,
and life insurance programs through a nationwide network of 57 regional
offices, other special processing centers, and Veterans Benefits
Administration headquarters.



"I've appreciated the wonderful opportunity VA has given me to serve our
nation's Veterans and their families," said Dunne. "We have an
obligation to care for our heroes and their dependents, and I will fully
support the transition of my successor to meet that moral
responsibility."



"Pat Dunne has guided the Veterans Benefits Administration through a
number of challenges during his tenure as Under Secretary. I applaud
his service and loyalty to our team and thank him for his unfailing
commitment to our nation's Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki.



Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Troy, N.Y., Dunne earned his
undergraduate degree in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy at
Annapolis and earned a master's in mathematics from the Naval
Postgraduate School and is a graduate of the Navy's nuclear power
training program.

Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

Secretary Shinseki Announces Study of Vietnam-Era Women Veterans

Comprehensive Study Will Help VA Provide High-Quality Care



WASHINGTON (Nov. 19, 2009) -Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching
a comprehensive study of women Veterans who served in the military
during the Vietnam War to explore the effects of their military service
upon their mental and physical health.



"One of my top priorities is to meet the needs of women Veterans," said
Secretary Shinseki. "Our Veterans have earned the very best care. VA
realizes that women Veterans require specialized programs, and this
study will help VA provide high-quality care for women Veterans of the
Vietnam era."



The study, which begins in November and lasts more than four years, will
contact approximately 10,000 women in a mailed survey, telephone
interview and a review of their medical records.



As women Vietnam Veterans approach their mid-sixties, it is important to
understand the impact of wartime deployment on health and mental
outcomes nearly 40 years later. The study will assess the prevalence of
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental and physical
health conditions for women Vietnam Veterans, and explore the
relationship between PTSD and other conditions.



VA will study women Vietnam Veterans who may have had direct exposure to
traumatic events, and for the first time, study those who served in
facilities near Vietnam. These women may have had similar, but less
direct exposures. Both women Veterans who receive their health care
from VA and those who receive health care from other providers will be
contacted to determine the prevalence of a variety of health conditions.



About 250,000 women Veterans served in the military during the Vietnam
War and about 7,000 were in or near Vietnam. Those who were in Vietnam,
those who served elsewhere in Southeast Asia and those who served in the
United States are potential study participants.



The study represents to date the most comprehensive examination of a
group of women Vietnam Veterans, and will be used to shape future
research on women Veterans in future wars. Such an understanding will
lay the groundwork for planning and providing appropriate services for
women Veterans, as well as for the aging Veteran population today.



Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran
population. There are approximately 1.8 million women Veterans among
the nation's total of 23 million living Veterans. Women comprise 7.8
percent of the total Veteran population and nearly 5.5 percent of all
Veterans who use VA health care services. VA estimates women Veterans
will constitute 10.5 percent of the Veteran population by 2020 and 9.5
percent of all VA patients.



In recent years, VA has undertaken a number of initiatives to create or
enhance services for women Veterans, including the implementation of
comprehensive primary care throughout the nation, staffing every VA
medical center with a women Veterans program manager, supporting a
multifaceted research program on women's health, improving communication
and outreach to women Veterans, and continuing the operation of
organizations like the Center for Women Veterans and the Women Veterans
Health Strategic Healthcare Group.



The study, to be managed by VA's Cooperative Studies Program, is
projected to cost $5.6 million.