Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 08-27-08

1. Study Will Analyze Needs Of VA Hospital In Nebraska. 
2. VA May Avoid ’09 Budget Delays.  
3. Federal IT Spending Fails To Keep Pace With Inflation.  
4. Digital Hospitals Remain An Elusive Goal For VA, DoD.  
5. Dallas VAMC Praised For Improving Care Provided To Mentally Ill Patients.  
6. Fargo VAMC, University To Collaborate On Rural Health Care Project.  
7. VA Co-Sponsoring Stand Down Event In New York.  
8. Internet Series To Tell Disabled Vet’s Story.  
9. Arizona Vets Win 49 Medals At Wheelchair Games.  
10. Hayden VAMC Using "Brain Boosters" To Help Injured Vets.

1.      Study Will Analyze Needs Of VA Hospital In Nebraska.   In continuing coverage, the Omaha (NE) World-Herald (8/27, Hansen) reports World War II veteran Sam Sambasile, "a longtime patient" of Omaha’s Veterans Affairs Medical Center, "cheered the announcement Monday that a federally funded study will soon help determine if Omaha needs an entirely new veterans hospital. The $500,000 study marks the Omaha VA hospital as one in serious need of repair; the federal government generally funds about 10 such studies a year." In June, VA Secretary James Peake "toured the hospital" with US Sen. Ben Nelson (R-NE) and US Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE). After the tour, "all three labeled the hospital out of date." The World-Herald noted that the VA "hired an Arizona-based firm" to conduct the study of the facility.

2.      VA May Avoid ’09 Budget Delays.   The Federal Times (8/26, Carlstrom ) reported that because most experts "expect the government will run on continuing resolutions for the early part" of fiscal year 2009, "managers are…bracing for the impact of no increase in budgets." Some departments, however, "may not be affected: The full House approved a spending bill for military construction and the Veterans Affairs Department before recessing earlier this month, raising the possibility that a bill could pass the Senate before Oct. 1."

3.      Federal IT Spending Fails To Keep Pace With Inflation.   Government Executive (8/26, Bosworth) reported, "For the second consecutive year, federal" information technology "spending did not keep pace with inflation. The government’s fiscal 2008 IT budget hardly budged from fiscal 2007, dropping slightly to $68.1 billion in fiscal 2008 from $68.2 billion in fiscal 2007, according to the Office of Management and Budget. That followed a 2 percent drop in the federal IT budget from fiscal 2006 to fiscal 2007." Government Executive added that in 2008, Congress "gave the biggest IT spending increases to agencies and programs working with military health care, homeland security and law enforcement. The Veterans Affairs Department had a fiscal 2008 IT budget that skyrocketed 23 percent to $2.2 billion, thanks mostly to a public outcry over the poor health care that wounded soldiers receive at Walter Reed Army Medical Center." Most "other agencies didn’t fare nearly as well."

4.      Digital Hospitals Remain An Elusive Goal For VA, DoD.   Government Health IT (8/27, Buxbaum) reports, "When military health care planners say they are building the hospitals of the future, they are referring to having state-of-the-art health applications and practices – such as clinical decision support and e-prescribing – hard-wired into the hospitals’ workflow." But "it remains to be seen how close planners come to creating true digital institutions in which medical and business information is integrated and available to all the departments, clinics and service offices that constitute a modern hospital. Consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers described that vision in a recent report," and while it is not known whether the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments will achieve that vision, they "certainly plan to make big improvements." When "it comes to clinical health information technology, most VA and DOD hospitals are well ahead of the civilian health care industry," yet "the fully digital hospital remains elusive."

5.      Dallas VAMC Praised For Improving Care Provided To Mentally Ill Patients.   In continuing coverage, KXAS-TV Dallas, TX (8/26, 6:45 p.m. CT) broadcast that the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center "is being praised for making changes to help mentally ill patients. Hospital administrators closed" the facility’s "psychiatric ward for 45 days after four suicides. It reopened after being retrofitted from keeping patients from harming themselves."
      Organizations Based In New York Reaching Out To Vets.   The Canandaigua (VA) Daily Messenger (8/26, Sherwood) noted that in July, the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center "reported serving close to 1,000 veterans who had returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. What’s more, the VA’s national suicide prevention hotline – based at the Canandaigua facility – had fielded 49,000 calls since it began operating in July 2007." And of "those calls, more than 1,000 resulted in the rescue of a veteran who was in danger of committing suicide." The Messenger adds that next month, "Rochester’s Veterans Outreach Center will begin a series of forums aimed at bringing together veterans, their loved ones and medical professionals. The goal is to find new and improved ways to help veterans readjust to civilian life."
      US Military Funding New Age, Holistic Therapies For Veterans.   The Hartford (CT) Courant (8/26, Somma) reported the US military "is spending $4 million to figure out whether New Age practices and holistic therapies can mend the wounded psyches of its troops." Concerned "with the high number" of soldiers "from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, the government is handing out grants to conduct clinical studies on everything from yoga, to Reiki, to animal assisted therapy, to transcendental meditation." The Courant added, "In Connecticut, yoga therapy isn’t offered" at the Veterans Affairs "hospital in West Haven or clinic in Newington, but veterans can take classes outside the VA network at their own expense, said Pamela Redmond, a VA spokesperson."

6.      Fargo VAMC, University To Collaborate On Rural Health Care Project.   In continuing coverage, WDAY-TV Fargo (8/26, 6:44 a.m. CT) broadcast that the University of North Dakota’s "Center for Rural Health is joining with" the Fargo Veterans Affairs Medical Center to work on a project that organizers "say…will influence how veterans health care is delivered across rural America."

7.      VA Co-Sponsoring Stand Down Event In New York.   The third story in the Buffalo News’ (8/27) "Coming Up" column reports, "The Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System Heath Care for Homeless Veterans Program" and the American Legion’s Niagara Falls Post 1664 "will sponsor" a stand down event "for veterans from 10 a. m. to 2 p. m. Thursday at the post, 725 E. Market St., in the Niagara Falls City Market." Veterans attending the event "will have the opportunity to speak with" VA reps. 

8.      Internet Series To Tell Disabled Vet’s Story.   The Brownsville (TX) Herald (8/27, Tillman) reports the story of Afghanistan veteran Jerry Cortinas "and his family’s struggle against pessimism will premiere" Wednesday "in the Internet series, ‘In Their Boots,’ from Brave New Films." In 2003, Jerry lost his hand while serving in Afghanistan, and a "two-part webisode" of the Internet series will "revisit the harrowing experience of loss and confusion" Jerry and his pregnant wife suffered as he "retired from the military and tried to create a new life for himself and his pregnant wife. During the webisode, the couple travels to Snowmass, Colo. to attend a winter sports clinic, where Jerry rebuilds his confidence by learning to snowboard." Jerry "hopes the segment," premiering at 6 p.m. at www.intheirboots.com, will help others.

9.      Arizona Vets Win 49 Medals At Wheelchair Games.   The Tucson (AZ) Explorer (8/27, Grau) reports, "As the couch-bounds’ television memories of Beijing begin to fade, Arizona’s wheelchair athletes remain pumped from the 49 total medals they brought back from last month’s 28th National Veterans’ Wheelchair Games in Omaha." The delegation from Tucson "won 31 of those medals – 11 of which were gold, according to head coach and Southern Arizona VA Hospital spinal clinic nurse Karen Gialle."

10.    Hayden VAMC Using "Brain Boosters" To Help Injured Vets.   On its website, KNVX-TV Phoenix, AZ (8/26, Aleman) reported, "Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are now using computer games and puzzles to help them recover from brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder." Staff at the Carl T. Hayden Veterans Affairs Medical Center use "’Brain Boosters’ groups to help veterans…recover from brain injury." The groups are educated "on how the brain works and how injuries, post-traumatic stress and sleep deprivation can affect…thinking" processes. VA clinical staff then help the groups "use everyday tools to strengthen their abilities to focus, reason through problems and remember." KNVX noted that before veterans become involved with the "Brain Booster" groups, they are screened for brain injuries using a screening "tool…developed at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Health Care System." The tool has been "adopted by the VA nationwide."