Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 10-01-08

1. VA Sponsoring Summer Sports Clinic. 
2. Vets Said To Still Be Concerned About Situation At Marion VAMC.  
3. Chaplain Part Of VA Hurricane Assistance Team.  
4. Ceremony Held For New VA Clinic In Indiana.  
5. Hospital In Wisconsin Wins VA Nursing Services Award.
6. VA Selects Contractor To Build New Clinic In Guam.  
7. VA Grants Will Create Additional Beds For Homeless Vets In Tennessee.  
8. Three People Accused Of Stealing From Disabled Vets.  
9. Schwarzenegger Signs Gold Star License Plate Bill.  
10. Study Stresses Importance Of Occupational Therapy For Osteoarthritis Patients.

1.      VA Sponsoring Summer Sports Clinic.   The United States Olympic Committee‘s (9/30) website published a press release by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which announced that over "50 recently injured veterans from around the country are in San Diego" to participate in "the first National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic, a rehabilitative sports experience sponsored" by the VA "and hosted by the VA San Diego Healthcare System. ‘The adaptive sports offered at this clinic will provide these veterans a unique environment for self development,’ said" VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake. The website said the press release was written by Richard Olague, who is affiliated with the clinic and the US paralympic team, a division of the US Olympic Committee that "works collaboratively with the VA…to introduce veterans to physical activity."

      The La Jolla (CA) Light (10/1) reports activities at the clinic, which started Monday, "will take place through Friday around San Diego." Cindy Butler, "San Diego representative for the VA, said the vets will get instruction in…various sports, as well as stress management and coping skills. After the training sessions, the teams will travel and compete together throughout the week." The Light added that Olague, "the VA public affairs coordinator overseeing" the clinic, "said…the main purpose of the clinic is to provide the veterans with opportunities to bond and establish camaraderie."

2.      Vets Said To Still Be Concerned About Situation At Marion VAMC.   The Southern Illinoisan (10/1) publishes a letter to the editor that was picked as one of the three "best during September" by the paper’s editorial board. In that letter, VFW Post 2605 Commander David Conrad writes, "A delegation of six members of VFW Post 2605 (Carbondale) attended" a "recent ‘town hall meeting’" at which Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake was also present. Conrad says Peake "seemed to have an arrogant attitude toward punishing" the officials responsible for "about nine unnecessary" post-surgery deaths at the Marion VA Hospital. Conrad adds, however, that the new administrators now in place at Marion "gave assurances that the horrors of the past will not be repeated, but no one provided any specifics. That is the reason we are still concerned." The Illinoisan ran two other letters, then asked readers "to pick the winning letter and author from the three – the recipient of the monthly Golden Pen Award."

3.      Chaplain Part Of VA Hurricane Assistance Team.   The Kittanning (PA) Leader Times (9/30, Signorini) reported Lonnie Long, chief chaplain at the Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, "traveled to San Antonio Sept. 10 with a group of employees from a VA hospital network." That "group served as a federal emergency medical team to assist in relief efforts" provided to Hurricane Ike victims.

4.      Ceremony Held For New VA Clinic In Indiana.   In continuing coverage, the Elkhart (IN) Truth (9/30, Weinhold) said a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday for a Veterans Affairs clinic scheduled to open in Elkhart County this week. Local veterans "said the clinic will make access to basic medical services much easier." The Goshen (IN) News (10/1, Davis) reports representatives "from the…national VA" attended the ceremony. 

5.      Hospital In Wisconsin Wins VA Nursing Services Award.   On its website, WKOW-TV Madison, WI (9/30) reported, "The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital of Madison has received one of the ten 2008" US Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Nursing Services Innovation Awards, "according to Deborah A. Thompson, Director." The award "recognizes an outstanding group of individuals for their commitment to innovation and quality patient care." The Middleton "team will be formally recognized during the annual VA Nursing Leadership Conference in 2009."

6.      VA Selects Contractor To Build New Clinic In Guam.   In continuing coverage, Guam’s Pacific Daily News (10/1, Limtiaco) reports that this week, the US Department of Veterans Affairs "announced that a contractor has been selected to build Guam’s new veterans clinic." According to the VA, Reliable Builders was selected last week to construct the clinic, which ‘is scheduled to be built…by December 2009." In noting the announcement, VA Secretary James Peake said, "Veterans and their representatives have long been asking for more VA presence on the island. This new clinic will provide a big step in that direction."

7.      VA Grants Will Create Additional Beds For Homeless Vets In Tennessee.   The Tennessean (10/1, Theobald) reports, "Two Nashville groups have received a total of more than $800,000" in grant money "from the Department of Veterans Affairs to create beds for homeless veterans. The Campus for Human Development received $487,460 for a new building with 25 beds," while "Next Stage received $332,800 for renovations to provide 25 beds. The grants are part of $36.7 million given to community groups by the VA to create 1,526 beds for homeless veterans."8.      Three People Accused Of Stealing From Disabled Vets.   In continuing coverage, the Boston Herald (10/1, Fargen) reports two former Bedford Veterans Affairs Medical Center workers "are facing charges that they preyed on disabled combat vets, stealing their identities, writing checks in their names and fraudulently securing credit cards." US Attorney Michael Sullivan announced this week that Wilfredo Hernandez and Jessica Rivera, along with Gladys Hernandez, Wilfredo’s mother, had been indicted on charges of conspiracy, identity fraud, and access device fraud. Deb Outing, "a spokeswoman for the Bedford VA, said the hospital police department cooperated with the investigation. ‘Our patients that have been affected by this are going to be given the highest quality of attention and security available,’ Outing said."9.      Schwarzenegger Signs Gold Star License Plate Bill.   On its website, KVML-AM Sonora, CA (9/30, Johnson) reported California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger "has signed Senate Bill 1455," which "will allow families who have lost loved ones in defense of this country to make use of Gold Star license plates." KVML added, "The Department of Veterans Affairs will fund the Gold Star Family license plates using privately raised funds." 

10.    Study Stresses Importance Of Occupational Therapy For Osteoarthritis Patients.   HealthDay (9/30) reported, "Adding occupational therapy to a structured exercise program increases physical activity for most people who have hip and knee osteoarthritis, say researchers" in a study appearing "in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism." In a news release, study author Susan L. Murphy, a research health science specialist at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, said, "Occupational therapy is really the missing link in promoting wellness of people with hip and knee osteoarthritis."