Top 10 Hot Spot News or Veterans from Around the Country – 07-12-08

1. Peake To Deliver Remarks At Leadership Conference. 
2. VA To Open Vet Centers In Several States. 
3. McGuire VAMC Dedicates Nation’s Newest Fisher House.  
4. Grand Junction VAMC Holds First Of Three PTSD Seminars.  
5. VA To Dedicate New Cemetery In Alabama. 
6. New VA Clinic Under Construction In Tennessee.  
7. Construction On VA Clinic In Alabama Expected To Start Soon.  
8. Permanent Location Announced For VA Clinic In Washington State.  
9. VA Clinic In North Dakota Expected To Open In Next 15 Months.  
10. Syracuse VAMC To Honor Veterans At Weekend Event. 

1. Peake To Deliver Remarks At Leadership Conference.   The Greenville (SC) News (7/11, Tay) reports Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James Peake "will deliver remarks on July 18, at a luncheon in his honor" during the Vietnam Veterans Association’s "biennial National Leadership Conference in Greenville, South Carolina. The event, at the Hyatt Regency Greenville, will begin at 12:15 p.m." The conference "brings together some 400 Vietnam veterans from across the nation who will take part in four days of seminars, meetings, and related activities. Opening ceremonies will be held on July 16."

2. VA To Open Vet Centers In Several States.   In continuing coverage, the Asbury Park (NJ) Press (7/10, Ruscitti) reported the US Department of Veterans Affairs "plans to open a center" in Ocean County, New Jersey that will "provide combat veterans with readjustment counseling and other help by the end of 2009." The Ocean County facility "would be one of 39…Vet Centers the VA plans to open. VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake said in an announcement Wednesday that the new facilities would bring the number of Vet Centers nationwide to 261." The Press added that according to John Martin, VA’s associate regional manager for administration, the centers "are not" medical facilities. Martin’s quote was also noted in a Connecticut Post (7/10, Mayko) story that said one of the centers will be opened in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

      The Philadelphia (PA) Intelligencer (7/10, Whelan) reported, "Bucks and Montgomery counties are among 39 counties nationwide that have been selected" by the VA to receive new Vet Centers. Dale Warman, the public affairs spokesman at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, "said his facility operates five community clinics that provide counseling for veterans. ‘When this comes to fruition, this is going to be a great opportunity to reach even more vets in the community,’ he said." The Allentown (PA) Morning Call (7/10, Kraus), which published a similar story, said the centers "are designed to be low-key and approachable."
      
      Many other papers covered the VA’s announcement. For example, the first story in the Pasadena (TX) Citizen‘s (7/10) "In The Area" column reported one of the centers will be located in Harris County, Texas. The Tampa Tribune (7/10, Orth), meanwhile, said one of the centers will be located in Pasco County, Florida. Other papers publishing similar stories included the Bakersfield Californian (7/10, Hagedorn), which noted that one of the centers will be located in Kern County, California, and the Sacramento (CA) Business Journal (7/10, Robertson), which noted that one will be located in Sacramento County, California. The Ahwatukee Foothills (AZ) News (7/10, Walker), meanwhile, said Maricopa County, Arizona will be getting a center. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/10, Stepp) noted that one of the facilities will be located in Cobb County, Georgia, while the Springfield (MO) News-Leader (7/10, Johnson), the KSPR-TV Springfield, MO (7/10) website, and the AP (7/10) all reported that a center will be located in Greene County, Missouri. A separate AP (7/10) noted US Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) says the VA plans to open a new Vet Center in King County.

      The Huntsville (AL) Times (7/11, Reeves), which says Madison, Alabama, is slated to get one of the facilities, notes that the VA "is asking for an extra $20 million in its proposed budget for 2009 to pay for the new centers." The Times adds that the Vet Center "program was established in 1979 by Congress, recognizing that many Vietnam veterans were still having readjustment problems." The Macomb (MI) Daily (7/11, May), which also notes the Vet Center announcement, says the VA is planning to open one of the new facilities in Macomb County, Michigan. The Hampton Roads Virginian-Pilot (7/11, Wiltrout), meanwhile, notes that one of the centers will be located in Virginia Beach, while the second story in the Tampa Tribune’s (7/11) "Veteran News" column reports five Florida counties will be "getting new centers."

      Utah VA Director Complains About Being Left Out Of VA’s Plans.   The Deseret (UT) Morning News (7/10) reported, "Utah was not among 39 communities that were listed Wednesday as those receiving new veteran centers." In an e-mail, Utah Veterans Affairs Executive Director Terry Schow asked, "What can we do to get more vet centers for Utah? We don’t seem to be on the VA’s radar list on this issue."

3.      McGuire VAMC Dedicates Nation’s Newest Fisher House.   In continuing coverage, the Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (7/11) reports, "McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center dedicated the newest Fisher House in the nation" Thursday morning. Approximately "400 veterans, members of the armed forces and VA staff attended the ceremony to open the $4.7 million, 16,800-square-foot house at the sprawling VA facility in South Richmond." The Times-Dispatch notes that VA Secretary James Peake has commented on the importance of Fisher Houses, saying, "When you find veterans and families in need, that’s where you find the Fisher House Foundation."

4.      Grand Junction VAMC Holds First Of Three PTSD Seminars.   The Grand Junction (CO) Free Press (7/10, Vader) reported that on Wednesday night, "more than two dozen people …attended the first of a three-part series" of seminars on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Grand Junction. Veterans "with PTSD often turn to alcohol and drugs to escape their torment. They often consider suicide," so at Wednesday’s event, Sonja Encke, the hospital’s suicide prevention coordinator, "handed out gun locks. Just the amount of time it takes for a veteran with PTSD to find a lock for the gun lock can save a life, Encke said."
      VA Praised For Expanding Its Mental Health Services.   In a related editorial, the Grand Junction (CO) Free Press (7/10) said, "Based on the message sent at the meeting at the GJ VAMC this week and efforts being made by VAs nationwide to ramp up" the mental health services they provide, "it appears the federal government has stood by" its commitment to provide members of the military with the assistance they need upon their return from war.

5.      VA To Dedicate New Cemetery In Alabama.   The Montgomery (AL) Advertiser (7/10, Rowell) reported, "The Department of Veterans Affairs will dedicate…the new Alabama National Cemetery on Sunday." The ceremony "will include remarks by VA and local officials, the unveiling of the dedication plaque and military honors. VA’s Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs William F. Tuerk will be the keynote speaker." The Advertiser noted that the "first construction phase of the new…in Montevallo will cover about 45 acres and include facilities to maintain, operate and provide burials for about 10 years."

6.      New VA Clinic Under Construction In Tennessee.   The Clarksville (TN) Leaf Chronicle (7/10, Lowary) reported, "Chris Alexander, spokesperson for Tennessee Valley Healthcare Systems, confirmed Wednesday that a larger Veterans Affairs" outpatient clinic is under construction in Clarksville. Additional service providers "are…expected to come with the new 10,000-square-foot clinic," which "is expected to be complete by year’s end." The city’s "current clinic is about 3,000 square feet." The Leaf Chronicle added, "Clarksville’s new clinic comes in the wake of a June 26 news release from the VA, which said 44 new community-based outpatient clinics would be built in 21 states. Clarksville’s facility was not included in the list of new clinics, though clinics in Giles, Maury and McMinn counties were."

7.      Construction On VA Clinic In Alabama Expected To Start Soon.   The Talladega (AL) Daily Home (7/10, Carter) reported construction on the Department of Veterans Affairs’ new community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) in Childersburg, Alabama, "will begin in two weeks, according to project developer Tim Taylor," who owns Discovery Healthcare Properties in Hoover. Taylor "presented the construction plans to the Childersburg Planning Commission during its regular monthly meeting Monday." He "said that he’s closing on the land for the clinic July 18, and after that’s completed, the contractor can start obtaining the necessary permits and start working the following week."

8.      Permanent Location Announced For VA Clinic In Washington State.   The Skagit (WA) Argus (7/10, Turner) reported, "A formal announcement was made last week unveiling the permanent location of a Northwest Washington Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in the Mount Vernon Medical Building." Stan Johnson, the director of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, spoke at the event marking the announcement. Johnson "said he expects the clinic to be completed by late spring of next year."

9.      VA Clinic In North Dakota Expected To Open In Next 15 Months.   On its website, KQCD-TV Dickinson, ND (7/10) reported, "More details are being unveiled about the new proposed Veterans Administration clinic" in North Dakota’s Grand Forks County. The state’s congressional delegation "says the clinic will offer primary care and education. It’s expected to open in the next 15 months." KQCD added, "The delegation says VA has approved five new clinics in North Dakota."

10.    Syracuse VAMC To Honor Veterans At Weekend Event.   On its website, News10Now-TV Syracuse, NY (7/10) reported the Syracuse Veterans Affairs Medical Center will host "Operation Salute as a way to say thank you to the men and woman who serve our country." The WSYR-AM Syracuse, NY (7/10) website reported, "Local troops who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan will receive special appreciation" at the event, scheduled to take place "July 27th at the Convention Center at OnCenter." Syracuse VA Medical Center Director James Cody "says Operation Salute is a way to thank and honor soldiers who have served and are still on-duty."