Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 2-27-09

1. Obama’s VA Budget Proposes More Money, Increased Access.  
2. Walter Reed Treating More Brain Traumas, Psychological Disorders.  
3. Officials Say VA Will Begin Processing New Educational Benefits In March.  
4. VA Psychiatrist Pleased By Substance Abuse Bill’s Introduction.  
5. VA Vote On Hold For Deed. 
6. Special Court Would Give Vets Second Chance.
7. Extra Effort Nets Rehab Care For Waiting Vet.  
8. Dublin VAMC To Host Car And Truck Show.  
9. South Dakota Legislature Resolution Calls For Study Of Veterans Cabinet Post.
10. Resolution Allows Land To Be Donated To Santa Fe National Cemetery. 

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HAVE YOU HEARD?
The Northport, N.Y., VA Medical Center (VAMC) held its fifth annual Bereavement Support Program Memorial Service last month, a culmination of a year-long outreach to the next-of-kin of some 500 veterans, inpatients and outpatients, who passed away last year. Sharing heartfelt memories and reflections, close to 100 family and friends of the veterans spoke of the dedication, sensitivity and skill of VA staff that cared for their loved ones. Sponsored by Social Work and Chaplain Service, the Bereavement Support Program sends out a “Bereavement Support Packet” to each deceased veteran’s next-of-kin. The packets contain a series of six letters (each addressing the stages of grief), a directory of bereavement support groups, and recommendations on books dealing with grief. During the holiday season, the next-of-kin also receive a holiday card, a letter on ways to cope with grief during the holidays and a hand-crocheted snowflake, representing the uniqueness of each veteran’s life. One family member, after receiving the holiday card and snowflake, commented that “it was so beautiful, I couldn’t believe the VA would still remember me after my husband was gone – the snowflake still hangs in my window.”

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1.      Obama’s VA Budget Proposes More Money, Increased Access.   The AP (2/27, Hefling) reports, "President Barack Obama wants to expand" healthcare "access to veterans earning modest incomes." The President’s "proposed budget for Veterans Affairs," which calls for the agency’s discretionary spending to be increased "by 10 percent to $53 billion, would provide healthcare "to non-disabled veterans whose income exceeds about $30,000 annually." Obama’s budget would also "provide extra funding for programs targeting homeless veterans and those in rural areas. And it would pay for upgrades to the VA’s technology system to help eliminate the average six-month wait to have a disability claim processed." UPI (2/27) publishes a similar story.
      VA Said To Be In Line For "Healthy" Funding Increase.   Government Executive (2/27, Peters) says VA would receive a "healthy" funding increase "in the Obama administration’s 2010 budget proposal, according to information released by the White House Office of Management and Budget on Thursday." The "budget request ‘is very much a good news story’ for veterans, said" a senior OMB official, "who briefed reporters on background on Thursday." The VA "would receive $113 billion in 2010, an 11 percent increase from 2009. The funding boost would improve health care programs and expand coverage to more than 500,000 veterans by 2013, according to the official," who added that the budget fully funds information technology "and other areas necessary to implement the department’s plans."
      Murray Concerned About "Priority 8" Veteran Access Timeline.   In an article headlined "Obama 2010 Budget Highlights By Agency," the AP (2/27) notes the Administration said that under its plan, 500,000 "Priority 8" vets would be eligible for VA healthcare by 2013. But Senate Veterans Affairs Committee member Patty Murray (D-WA), "expressed concern" about that date, saying, "I believe that we need to move quicker to get our ‘Priority 8’ veterans within the system, so that’s one area I’ll be looking at."
      "Key Appropriators" Signal Support For Allowing More "Priority 8"Access.   CQ (2/27, Johnson) reports, "Key appropriators say they support a provision in President Obama’s budget proposal that would expand veterans benefits to ‘Priority 8’ vets." Richard M. Burr, of North Carolina and Steve Buyer of Indiana, the ranking Republicans on the Senate and House Veterans Affairs "committees, say they will support" Obama’s "proposal as long as current services aren’t hindered. ‘If the secretary can assure me and the veterans community that care and benefits will not be compromised, I will support him,’ Burr said." According to CQ, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, the ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, offered similar support, while Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD), the subcommittee’s chairman, and Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX), chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies, both offered unqualified support for Obama’s plan.
      AFGE President: Budget Allows For Proper Staffing Levels At Various Agencies, Including VA.   The "Federal Diary" blog for the Washington Post (2/26, Goo) noted that John Gage, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), "the largest federal employee union, praised" Obama’s budget, saying it would allow workers "to finally have the resources to run our agencies." Gage added, "From the Department of Homeland Security’s Border Patrol agents’ efforts to protect the border" to the Veterans Affairs "nurses and doctors – federal employees are so pleased to see that President Obama recognizes that understaffing is dangerous and self-defeating."

2.      Walter Reed Treating More Brain Traumas, Psychological Disorders.   Stars And Stripes (2/27, Shane) reports, "Doctors at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are treating fewer torso and limb injuries in troops returning from combat but more brain trauma and psychological disorders," Ward Casscells, "the top Pentagon health official," said Wednesday. Casscells, "assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said that’s largely due to the drop in violence in Iraq, and could reverse as fighting intensifies in Afghanistan in coming months. But he also credited better recognition of brain injuries by doctors and a lessening of the stigma associated with some psychological diagnoses." Stars And Stripes notes that on Tuesday, Casscells "and other military health experts toured" Walter Reed "to see changes made in the two years since a Washington Post investigative report found poor living conditions and frustrating regulations for some patients." Casscells "said he’s pleased with the improvements." In related news, the website for The Oprah Winfrey Show (2/26) provided links to stories on the talk show host’s recent visit to Walter Reed.
      Pentagon Official Proud Of Military’s Response To Walter Reed Crisis.   In a related story, the Army Times (2/27, Kennedy) notes, "Michael Dominguez, who is stepping down after 2½ years as principal deputy undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness" at the Pentagon, "said he was caught short when the Walter Reed scandal broke just months after he took office," but he "added that he’s proud of how the military has reacted to the crisis since." Dominguez "said once the magnitude of the problem was laid bare, the Defense Department immediately began to work with the Veterans Affairs Department, the administration and Congress to try to fix things." Still, Dominguez "acknowledged that the cultural change necessary to help troops deal with" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and "traumatic brain injury will be a long time coming to a military that he said too often still thinks: Service first, service members second."
      Oregon Clinic Attempting To Compensate For Shortage Of Mental Health Services Staff.   The Bend (OR) Bulletin (2/26, Cliff) reported, "Among soldiers who have been in combat, PTSD is shockingly common," but "there may not be enough people to treat" them, especially at the VA’s Bend Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Oregon, which "many say…is unable to serve veterans as well as it should because it lacks the capacity." Clinic psychiatrist Dr. Clarence (Bud) Carnahan acknowledged the problem, saying some veterans "are put on waiting lists because in our clinic we just don’t have the personnel." The clinic, however, "has taken several steps to help with the patient load," including instituting a Vet Center that "uses staff from Eugene or Salem."
      Advocates Say Increase In PTSD Cases Is Contributing To "Staggering" Military Suicide Rate.   The Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press (2/26, Gregory) reported, "An increasing number of veterans are surviving combat but not the after-effects – namely" PTSD. The "accompanying addictions or mood disorders" associated with PTSD "create a fatal recipe that veteran advocates say is contributing to a staggering suicide rate among military personnel." Currently, however, the US Army "is in the middle of a ‘stand-down,’ which requires that individual units devote a day between Feb. 15 and March 15 to suicide prevention training. The stand-down will be followed by 120 days of ‘chain teaching’ across the entire Army." The VA, meanwhile, "is publicizing a service-wide suicide prevention hotline."
      Suicide Prevention Coordinator Speaks To DAV Chapter.   The Summerville (SC) Journal Scene (2/25, Berman) noted, "Speaking last Thursday to a group of military veterans, neuropsychologist Dr. Mark De Santis shared a suicide statistic that must have been sobering for his older, predominantly male audience. White men over the age of 70 are twice as likely to kill themselves as any other demographic, said De Santis, suicide prevention coordinator" for the Ralph Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina. Furthermore, "he added, veterans are twice as likely as non-veterans to take their own lives. De Santis, who addressed members of the Summerville chapter of Disabled American Veterans at VFW Post 3433 near Ladson on Feb. 19," encouraged those in attendance "to look for warning signs – suicidal thoughts, self-destructive behavior, hopelessness, anxiety, rage, risky behavior, increased substance abuse, etc. – in people they know."

3.      Officials Say VA Will Begin Processing New Educational Benefits In March.   NextGov (2/27, Brewin) reports, "Officials with the Veterans Affairs Department told a House panel on Thursday that they have developed a computer application and hired more staff to process claims under the new GI Bill but will not have a working computer system to manage the entire workload automatically until December 2010." The "new bill calculates tuition benefits based on the veteran’s length of service and the highest tuition charged by a public college in the veteran’s home state. Separate housing allocations," meanwhile, "are based on cost-of-living allowances" in "300 ZIP codes. To determine eligibility for tuition and housing benefits, the Veterans Benefits Administration developed a new front end to an existing processing system that will turn around claims within 24 days, Keith Wilson, director of the Office of Education Service at VBA, told a hearing held by the House Economic Opportunity Subcommittee. Wilson said the application will go live in March and claims processors will have completed training by then." But Stephen Warren, acting assistant secretary for information and technology at the VA, "told the subcommittee" being developed with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command "will not be completed until December."
      Rieckhoff: IAVA’s Position On New GI Bill Was "Grossly Misstated."   Education assistance for vets was also noted in an op-ed by Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), who stated in "The Passdown," Military.com‘s (2/26) op-ed page, that a "recent article…in the" Virginian-Pilot "grossly misstated the position of IAVA regarding the new GI Bill benefit by implying we are seeking a reduction in the value of that benefit. There is already a cap on the benefits available under the new GI Bill" and this cap "varies wildly and unfairly by state. IAVA supports a fairer, national ceiling which would increase the benefit for many veterans who wish to attend private colleges or universities, and would have no effect on anyone attending a public school. Ideally, there would be no cap," but if there is one, "it should be fair and generous." However, regulations recently issued by the VA "have made the benefits system both confusing and unfair."

4.      VA Psychiatrist Pleased By Substance Abuse Bill’s Introduction.   In continuing coverage, the Chattanooga (TN) Times Free Press (2/27, Gregory) reports, "Experts say an increasing number of combat veterans are returning from the war zone only to face a new battle" with "addiction. Yet substance abuse treatment has ‘been under-resourced chronically across the (veteran health care) system for decades,’ according to Dr. Paul Ragan, an associate professor of psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and a staff psychiatrist" at the US Veterans Affairs medical center in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Ragan "was pleased to learn that several" US legislators "have taken notice of the problem," and have filed a bill asking for comprehensive review and oversight of military substance abuse programs." But VA spokesman Jim Benson "said the department already has several performance-based review systems to ensure veterans are getting the best care they can."

5.       VA Vote On Hold For Deed.   The Biloxi (MS) Sun Herald (2/27, Lee) reports, "The Gulfport Redevelopment Commission will ask the City Council for authority to negotiate private leases" on Veterans Affairs property "only after the entire acreage is officially deeded to the city. The VA has agreed to give" Gulfport 92 acres, but the city "is still waiting on the second of two deeds. City Attorney Jeff Bruni," who "said the process has taken longer than even the VA contemplated," expects "the second deed at any time."

6.      Special Court Would Give Vets Second Chance.   In continuing coverage, an editorial in the New Britain (CT) Herald (2/26) said a "special veterans court" that state legislators in Connecticut are considering establishing "is a good idea."

7.      Extra Effort Nets Rehab Care For Waiting Vet.   The Kenai (AK) Peninsula Clarion (2/26, Hermanek) reported, "It may have taken an act, or acts of Congress, but things are looking up for Richard Creary, the veteran awaiting rehabilitation therapy at Elmendorf Air Force Base following a stroke he suffered in his Soldotna home Jan. 9. Thanks to the perseverance" of Creary’s "partner, Scharlott Thomas, as soon as a bed becomes available at the Providence Extended Care Center in Anchorage, Creary is to be transferred there to begin therapy" at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ expense. Thomas had been trying for weeks to achieve such an outcome, but it was not until her "account of Creary’s lack of…care was reported in the Peninsula Clarion," and calls were made to Alaska’s US senators, that "changes started happening, she said."

8.      Dublin VAMC To Host Car And Truck Show.   The Dublin (GA) Courier Herald (2/26) said the Dublin Veterans Affairs Medical Center "is hosting the 2nd Annual Car and Truck Show on Saturday, March 14, 2009, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m." The Courier Herald noted that proceeds from the show "will be donated" to the hospital.9.      South Dakota Legislature Resolution Calls For Study Of Veterans Cabinet Post.   The Aberdeen (SD) American News (2/26, Mercer) said the South Dakota Legislature "is stepping into the deepening rift between the…administration" of South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds and leaders of South Dakota veterans organizations "over the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs." By a 20-13 vote, the Senate "has approved a resolution calling for a study of splitting the department in two and creating a new Cabinet-level agency to address veterans’ issues." Maj. Gen. Steven Doohen, who heads the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, had "testified against the proposal at the Senate committee hearing." The News added, "The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider the measure…on Monday."

10.    Resolution Allows Land To Be Donated To Santa Fe National Cemetery.   The second story in the Santa Fe New Mexican’s (2/26) "Local News In Brief" column reported, "About 5 acres of city land next to the Santa Fe National Cemetery will be donated to federal cemetery officials under a resolution approved Wednesday by the City Council." The US Veterans Affairs Department "has said that without the land donation, the cemetery will run out of burial space by about 2010." According to the New Mexican, Santa Fe Public Works Director Robert Romero said documents that move toward a formal transaction should be ready in about a month.