Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 11-15-08

1. Peake Visits Maine VA, Vows Rural Services.  
2. Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans Face Unique Challenges Returning To School.  
3. Hospital In Connecticut Screening Vets For Brain Injuries.  
4. Troubled Iraq Vet Hopes To Assist Others.  
5. VA Commended For ALS Presumption Decision.  
6. VHA Investigation Reveals No Widespread Radiation Underdosing.  
7. Dole Says Veterans Groups Oppose His Proposed VA Reforms.  
8. VA Plans Larger Austin Clinic.  
9. New VA Clinic Opens In Florida.  
10. Union, Vets Groups Urge VA To Reconsider Plans For Salisbury Hospital.

1.      Peake Visits Maine VA, Vows Rural Services.   The AP (11/15) reports that Secretary Peake "says he wants to make it easier for veterans in rural states such as Maine to access health care, counseling and other services offered by his department." Peake "toured the Togus VA Medical Center on Friday to meet with veterans and discuss operations and issues." The visit "came at the invitation of Rep. Michael Michaud." WCSH-TV Portland (11/15, Webster) publishes a similar report.
      In more detailed coverage of the visit, Maine Today (11/15, Cover) reports, "With 38 percent of veterans across the country living in rural communities, Peake said he wants to make sure they get the help they need. ‘What we really want to do is ensure that it’s not just your address that determines whether or not you get an opportunity to get services that the VA offers, that in service to the country, you have earned,’ he said. To that end, Peake talked about new veterans’ facilities planned for Bangor and Lewiston, and two vans that will travel the state to help veterans who suffer from mental health problems."

2.      Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans Face Unique Challenges Returning To School.   The San Jose Mercury News (11/15, Kraatz) reports that "about 520,000 veterans, many of them fresh off the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, are using some form of the Montgomery GI Bill to fund their education, according to John Powers, executive director of the advocacy group Student Veterans of America." But "as they navigate the transition [from military life], veterans face an astounding number of obstacles and frustrations, far beyond what the typical civilian student has to deal with." The Mercury-News goes on to outline the obstacles, focusing especially on PTSD and other psychological effects of battle.

3.      Hospital In Connecticut Screening Vets For Brain Injuries.   The Hartford (CT) Courant (11/14, Byron) reported, "Federal veterans affairs officials have described traumatic brain injury as the ‘signature wound’ for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and it is estimated that thousands of returning soldiers may suffer from it, often without knowing it." Therefore, the new-Britain-based Hospital for Special Care "has started a free" brain injury "screening program for veterans throughout the state." The screenings began "in June and so far between 30 and 40 people have had one, said John Stanwood, a neuropsychiatrist at the hospital." Stanwood "said the hospital is working with the federal VA and the state Department of Veterans Affairs on the program."

4.      Troubled Iraq Vet Hopes To Assist Others.   The Santa Rosa (CA) Press Democrat (11/14, Hay) profiled Iraq veteran Josh Fowler, who "received a 100 percent disability rating from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs for his" post-traumatic stress disorder. Fowler "has decided he wants to start a group for combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, to ensure his comrades know what services and benefits they deserve and are eligible for. To find out how to go about that, he makes contacts with other veteran groups: Vietnam Veterans of America, Swords to Plowshares, the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America."

5.      VA Commended For ALS Presumption Decision.   CNN (11/15, Harding) profiles "retired veteran Thomas Cuddy," who suffers from ALS. The network notes that there is "an increased rate of ALS among Gulf War veterans," but that "the cause of this connection is still unknown." Nevertheless, "the Department of Veterans Affairs established ALS as a service-connected disease on September 23, 2008." And "while it may seem as if the VA has moved slowly in reacting to these studies, [one expert] notes that there is still a lot that is unknown about the connection between ALS and military service. ‘In that regard, I commend the VA in taking this step before many scientists are fully convinced,’ [the expert] says."

6.      VHA Investigation Reveals No Widespread Radiation Underdosing.   Government Executive (11/15, Peters) reports, "Veterans Health Administration doctors investigating radiation underdosing of prostate cancer patients said they have found no problems at nine of 13 medical facilities that perform the treatment known as brachytherapy." The investigation was motivated by previous discoveries at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, where "more than 90" cases of improper radiation dosing were discovered.

7.      Dole Says Veterans Groups Oppose His Proposed VA Reforms.   The AP (11/14) reported that when former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole gave the "keynote address for Grinnell College’s celebration of World War II veterans on Thursday," he "said injured Iraq War veterans need the quality-of-life benefit he proposed as part of one of six reforms" to the US Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare program. But, Dole continued, the "problem is that" veterans groups so far oppose the reforms "because these younger veterans would get more than Korean veterans or Vietnam veterans or World War II veterans." He added, "We got a lot of push back from those major service organizations and Congress listens to them, you know, very carefully."

8.      VA Plans Larger Austin Clinic.   The Austin Business Journal (11/15, Harrington) reports, "Faced with a growing veteran population in Austin, the Department of Veterans Affairs plans to build a 230,000-square-foot clinic to replace its 60,000-square-foot location in South Austin. With the new clinic, expected to open in 2012, the department plans to add specialty services to its primary care practice and add 170 staff members. VA officials say the new building will enable doctors to treat 50 percent more patients."

9.      New VA Clinic Opens In Florida.   The Lakeland (FL) Ledger (11/14, Rufty) reported, "A large and expanded medical clinic for veterans has opened in Southwest Lakeland. Currently staffed by six physicians and a part-time physician’s assistant, half of the 20,000 square-foot" clinic "opened informally Monday. Additional staff…will soon join the complex," which is "five times larger than the crowded, 4,000-square-foot clinic on South Florida Avenue." A key feature "of the clinic is that…it will offer women’s" healthcare services.

10.    Union, Vets Groups Urge VA To Reconsider Plans For Salisbury Hospital.   In continuing coverage, Federal Daily (11/14) reported, "The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and veterans service organizations urged the Department of Veterans Affairs…to reconsider plans to eliminate emergency and inpatient health care services at the Salisbury VA Medical Center in North Carolina." AFGE "held an informational picket at the center last week along veterans groups, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars…and Rolling Thunder. AFGE also filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office last month, saying that VA did not have the authority to make such a drastic move without consulting veterans affairs committee members in the House and Senate." AFGE "said that the proposed changes at Salisbury are a product of a new VA leasing program that emphasizes leasing facilities or purchasing care from outside providers, while downsizing efforts to construct new facilities."