You may think this is new, and will make it better for our disabled veterans,
VA inks $10 billion contract with Cerner for new electronic health record
Stars and Stripes
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: May 17, 2018
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs signed a multibillion-dollar contract on Thursday to replace its antiquated electronic health record system – an action that comes as a relief to veterans and lawmakers who worried it was indefinitely stalled after former VA Secretary David Shulkin was fired in March.
The contract with Kansas City, Mo.-based Cerner Corp. sets a cost ceiling of $10 billion for the next 10 years. In a statement Thursday, acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie described it as “one of the largest [information technology] contracts in the federal government.”
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but it is not new!
In February of 2008 this was the "new" news.
VBA's pending compensation and claims backlog stood at 816,211 as of January 2008, up 188,781 since 2004, said Kerry Baker, associate legislative director of the Disabled Veterans of America
Carl Blake, national legislative director for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, said VBA needed $121 million in its fiscal 2009 budget for its information technology. According to VA budget documents, VBA requested an IT budget of $109.6 million for its compensation and benefits programs, down $23.8 million from $133.4 million in 2008. VA requested an overall 2009 IT budget of $2.53 billion in 2009, up from $2.15 billion in fiscal 2008, with the largest portion earmarked for the Veterans Health Administration.
Then again, soon after this report, out came yet another one about VA claims being shredded and "tens of thousands of claims" were unopened. By May of 2009, the claim backlog was at 915,000
Oh, but then again, even all that was not new.
Since 1995, the number of veterans enrolled in the VA has risen from approximately 2.9 million to more than 5 million.
The inspector general for the Veterans Affairs Department says that agency managers were aware of serious problems with a $70 million project to replace its hospital appointment system several years before the VA dropped the program.
The VA announced the project in 2000 after complaints from veterans about long waits to make appointments. It was halted this year.
The inspector general says that managers didn't take timely and appropriate action to address problems, even as millions more were put into the program.
As always, this could keep going and going, but now you have a better idea of what all the money spent has produced! Do veterans matter or not? Are they more important than the businesses making money off their pain?
After all, the American people do not want to see veterans suffer, so they never look at who is prolonging their agony instead of making their lives better.
Charges: Army veteran shot 2 in downtown encounter
KTVA News
Thursday, May 17th 2018
Police say an Army veteran, accused of shooting and wounding two people in Anchorage Wednesday, claimed that he opened fire when one of them approached him with a hammer in an ongoing dispute.
Rusty Tuuaga, 34, was taken into custody on charges including attempted murder after the shooting, which left a man with life-threatening injuries and a woman with non-life-threatening injuries. Police said overnight that the incident appeared to be drug-related.
U.S. Army Alaska officials said Thursday that Tuuaga had left the Army last week on May 6, as a specialist with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson’s 725th Support Battalion.
A charging document in the case, written by Assistant District Attorney Arne Soldwedel, said the wounded man said Tuuaga’s first name “several times” when police reached the 600 block of East 5th Avenue shortly after 8:45 p.m. The victims were taken to separate Anchorage hospitals with torso wounds, with the man arriving in critical condition.
Surveillance video from the shooting showed the victims getting out of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, then approaching a sport-utility vehicle they had blocked in; one of them had “an item that may have been a hammer” in his hand.
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After 3 suicide attempts, Marine veteran turns life around and graduates from veterans court
WDRB News
Fallon Glick
Posted: May 17, 2018
“Two overdoses and a car accident that I tried," Reidinger said. "The overdoses didn't work. I don't know how. They should have ... big time. And then on I-65, I drove into a median."
NEW ALBANY, Ind. (WDRB) -- A Marine Corps veteran from southern Indiana tried committing suicide three times before finally getting the help he desperately needed.
It was the darkest time in Brian Reidinger's life.
But those times were a stark difference from just years earlier when he proudly served in the United States Marine Corps.
“I fell in love," Reidinger said. "I was good at it. I succeeded in it."
Within a year of joining, he was deployed to combat in Iraq.
“I excelled in it. I was really good at it," he said. "I was good under pressure. I was good at making decisions, I was good at protecting my marines, and they were good at protecting me."
After Reidinger got out of the Marines, he moved back home and felt lost.
“One of the worst things you can tell a Marine, a combat Marine, is that you're not the same," he said. "Because we know we're not the same. It sucks being reminded of it, and I was just depressed."
He developed a drinking problem that turned into an opioid pill problem, which later turned into a heroin problem.
“It ruined my life," he said. "It took over everything."
Reidinger was in and out of jail. But then he finally accepted help through Veteran's Treatment Court of Southern Indiana.
“Which was one of the best things to ever happen to me," he said. "If it wasn't for them, I'd be dead today."
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Veteran Volunteer Firefighter Accused Of Embezzling Thousands From VFD
CBS Pittsburg
By Paul Martino
May 17, 2018
CASTLE SHANNON (KDKA) — A veteran volunteer firefighter in Castle Shannon was charged Thursday with embezzling nearly $140,000 from the department’s death benefit fund, but the state auditor general says even more money is unaccounted for.
The Allegheny County District Attorney took over the investigation after the state auditor general uncovered tens of thousands of dollars in unaccounted for money.
Castle Shannon volunteer firefighters learned they were swindled when they confronted 76-year-old John Montgomery last month. They say Montgomery told them, “Yeah, I stole it.”
“What’s sad is that this was a member of the fire department who had worked with his fellow firefighters for over 40 years and had achieved a position of trust,” attorney John Zagari said.
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Veterans fear Congress has forgotten about the military’s burn pit problems
Military Times
By: Leo Shane III
5 hours ago
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Nathanial Fink, left, and Lance Cpl. Garrett Camacho dispose of trash in a burn pit in the Khan Neshin district of Afghanistan in March 2012. (Cpl. Alfred V. Lopez/Marine Corps)
WASHINGTON — For years, Veterans Affairs leaders and administration officials have promised they won’t let health issues surrounding burn pit exposure in Iraq and Afghanistan become another “Agent Orange” in the community.
Now, advocates and a handful of lawmakers are worried it already has.
“The level of awareness among members of Congress on the problems from burn pits is abysmally low,” said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii and an Army National Guard soldier who served in Iraq in 2004-2005. “Too few understand the urgency of the issue.”
Gabbard and Afghanistan war veteran Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., recently introduced new legislation dubbed the Burn Pits Accountability Act to require more in-depth monitoring of servicemembers’ health for signs of illnesses connected to toxic exposure in combat zones.
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Veteran kicked out of home by city, says he could be homeless
NBC 2 Tulsa
Travis Guillory
6:17 PM, May 17, 2018
Now, the retired veteran is left in limbo, trying to figure out his next move in life.
He said, "I bought the place so I could retire here and work in my garage to do my piddling and my projects and all that. So, if I have to move this thing out, I really have no other home."
HARTSHORNE, Okla. – A veteran is getting kicked out of his home by the City of Hartshorne.
William Smith has called a camper home for the last eight years on property that he owns. Now, the City of Hartshorne is telling him to pack it all up and find somewhere else to live.
William Smith said, "The hookups were here: water, sewer, and electric. Everything was here. I just figured since I had already been living in my RV and it was mine and it was paid for and I got my property paid for, I thought I was good to go for many many years."
Smith was a Navy radar engineer, constantly moving around. He explained, "To get all of my equipment on an airplane was not a thing that you could really do."
He tinkers in his garage on the property, which is the main reason he bought the land, and generally keeps to himself. So, the veteran was surprised when he got a visit from the cops.
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"ONE STUDY THEY HAD 100" AND THE NEXT IT WAS "92" but the Army thinks this is worth yet another $10 million dollars?
UCF RESTORES started in 2011 with $5 million from the Department of Defense, enough to operate for five years. Since then, the clinic has treated Pulse survivors, nearly 300 veterans and first responders from 20 states.
A little over a year ago the program’s funds got so low that it was in danger of closing. But then it received $3 million in federal funds last year, along with $2.5 million from the state's budget after local lawmakers pushed for the funding. It’ll also receive part of a $6.6 million donation earlier this year from UCF alum Jim Rosengren.
“Most of our work so far has been with veterans. Our goal for this project is to see if our treatment is as effective with an all-active-duty population,” said Dr. Deborah Beidel, director of RESTORES.
Read the rest here and they you'll understand why most of the time I look like this!
All that money and yet the last report out of Florida for known veteran suicides was,
(and drum roll please)
The number of Veterans in Florida isFlorida has the third largest population of veterans in the nation after California and Texas with more than 1.5 million veterans –
And who are all the new groups focusing on? It isn't the over 35 year olds WHO ARE ACTUALLY THE MAJORITY OF THE "KNOWN" SUICIDES!
Lawyers claim anti-malaria drug to blame in US soldier's Afghan massacre
ABC News
By ELIZABETH MCLAUGHLIN
May 16, 2018
In July 2013, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even revised its warning label for the drug, saying rare but sometimes permanent side effects include "dizziness, loss of balance, and ringing in the ears," as well as "feeling anxious, mistrustful, depressed, or having hallucinations."
Lawyers for former Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider that the malaria drug mefloquine may have played a role in Bales' murder of 16 Afghan civilians during his deployment.
On March 11, 2012, Bales was on his fourth combat tour stationed in Panjwai District of Kandahar Provence, Afghanistan when he left his post and killed 16 Afghans, including women and children, in two nearby villages.
In August, 2013, Bales was sentenced to life without parole by a military jury.
Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan at the time, suggested the U.S. should try and hang Bales.
At the time, the soldier was taking medication to prevent malaria called mefloquine, which his lawyers argue contributed to his behavior that night. They are now petitioning the Supreme Court to review the case, saying government prosecutors did not disclose that Bales was ordered to take the drug before and during his deployment.
Court records show that after Bales' first deployment to Iraq in 2004 he complained of memory impairment and depression. And after later deployments, he complained about insomnia, irritability, anger, decreased ability to concentrate, and memory impairment.
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Battle buddies in training: Mason City police chief, family raising service dog for disabled veteran
THE SUMMIT-TRIBUNE
MARY LODEN
May 16, 2018 Updated 8 min ago
Mason City Police Chief Jeff Brinkley was putting together a community services guide after the police station received a mental health planning grant. Brinkley said they partner with local services and he reached out to FAVA to make sure veterans are not underserved.
The Brinkley family with Battle Buddy Bravo. (from left) Eli, 14, Lisa, Bravo, Jeff and Abi, 12.
FOREST CITY | On Saturday, May 5, Forest City residents got to meet the second wave of Battle Buddies, Bravo and Zulu, 12-week-old Labrador puppies, who are in training as service dogs for wounded military veterans.
The puppies were at the Deployment with FAVA 4K Walk, Run, Salute! held at Pilot Knob State Park. The event raised funds for a matching grant program.
The pups, named after the military alphabet, have been placed with host families and have begun their 1 1/2- to 2-year training program. The third puppy, Oscar, and the fourth, Jackson, named after a military base like his predecessors, three years ago, were sent to a partner training facility in the state of Washington, since finding training families can be difficult.
“It is a huge commitment,” said Amanda Eldridge, Battle Buddies coordinator at Family Alliance for Veterans of America (FAVA) in Forest City. “Consistency is super important. Sometimes, people are harder to train than their dogs.”
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Pestilence of "Awareness"
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 16, 2018
There is a fatal epidemic spreading across this country and the cure is truth. With all these groups running around the country collecting money, attention and having fun with their stunts, pretending to care veterans are killing themselves, they get away with it because no one wants to know the truth. They just want to pretend to be "doing" something.
It seems as if lies are being passed off as truth to the point where they would fit in perfectly with the four horseman because this distraction has been an apocalypse for veterans!
If they did not read the reports, then what do they actually know? If they did not bother to learn anything, then what are they aware of? Anyone ask them?
What are they doing with the money they collect and what gives them the right to lie? That is the question all of these reporters should be asking. Then again, if no one is holding anyone accountable, veterans will keep being used, and keep dying by their own hand instead of healing.
I've found it almost impossible to be able to stay positive dealing with trying to get this BS of "awareness" out of the way because it is all too easy to get away with ripping people off while pretending to care.
This is what I see on a daily basis. Keep in mind that these are the top hits on Google today for "veteran suicides" under NEWS. Consider it all fake news! If I hurt the feelings of the "raisers" and the "reporters" too bad because if any of these people really cared enough to learn one single fact, there would be more veterans living and healing instead of ending up in the grave!
Headline:Walk to raise awareness of veteran suicides
Reporter: Denice Thibodeau
More than 8,000 U.S. military veterans commit suicide each year, an average off 22 per day.That statistic galvanized Terry Sharpe, of Summerfield, North Carolina, to do something to help.
Headline:Veterans raise awareness of veteran suicide
Reporter:Kirsten Geddes
ODESSA, TX (KWES) -
A group of veterans are rucking across America to raise awareness for veteran suicide.The veterans started their journey in Cornado, San Diego on March 10 and have walked 22 miles each day. Approximately 1,025 miles have been walked so far. They plan to end their journey at the Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Headline:Student group plans veteran suicide awareness march
Reporter:Anthony Rimel
The Student Veterans Association of Oregon State University and local community members are planning a 22-kilometer march Saturday to raise awareness of veteran suicide rates.The distance is inspired by the roughly 22 veterans in the United States who commit suicide each day.
Headline:Oregon teenage takes his mission to prevent veteran suicides on the road
Reporter:Christie Nicks and Jay Leonardi
OREGON - An Oregon teenager is taking his mission to help veterans on the road.Connor Young is a high school junior who walked 22 miles last year and raised $4,500 to treat veterans suffering from PTSD. Connor is the first Jr. Leader of Mission 22, an outreach group that hopes to reduce veteran suicides.
Headline: Run for Heroes: USO partner with non-profit to raise awareness of veteran suicides
Reporter: Stacia Naquin
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Supporting our military before, during and after the fight. That’s the goal of Saturday’s Run For Heroes.
It’s happening in partnership with the USO of Central and Southern Ohio and 22 Kill which is a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of veteran suicide in the U-S.
Headline:Veterans, active military personnel walk to raise awareness for veteran suicide prevention
Reporter: WHAM
The hike benefited Irreverent Warriors, a non-profit that organizes veteran suicide awareness walks around the country. Statistics say 22 veterans take their lives every day in the United States.
This is where the number came from back in 2012. It is 59 pages long. This is where the newer report came from in 2016. Why did they quote the first number, even though the report said it was limited data from just 21 states and why did they quote the first number two years too late?
Try it yourself and see what I mean. Type in "Veteran Suicide" and see how many come up. I could keep going on and on with this but you get the point. Too bad all these groups and reporters still don't.
