Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 3-26-09

What’s Inside Today’s Local News for Veterans

1. Following Critical Documentary, VA Highlights New Approach To Mental Healthcare.  
2. Report Criticizes Gulf War Vaccine Tests Conducted By Israel.  
3. Injured Troops Criticize Fort Bragg Warrior Transition Unit.  
4. Hundreds Of Vets Show Up For Testing At Miami VA Hospital.  
5. As Area Braces For Floods, Fargo VA Hospital Transfers Patients.  
6. Stimulus Plan Includes Money For VA Facilities.  
7. Sioux Falls VAMC Honoring Vietnam Vets With Quilt Show.  
8. Performers Put On Show At Kerrville VAMC.  
9. Downhill Skier To Participate In Winter Sports Clinic.  
10. Submarine Vets Memorial To Be Dedicated At National Cemetery.

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HAVE YOU HEARD?
In January 2006, Gilbert Mendez, then an Air Force Reserve medic, was working ER at Balad Air Base, Iraq as field medics arrived with critically wounded Bob Woodruff, ABC news national correspondent. Injured by an IED blast, “his head was swollen to double the size and there was a lot of blood and dirt,” Mendez said. “We just tried to keep him breathing and stop the bleeding until we rolled him into the operating room.” Woodruff, who underwent months of recovery, thanked Mendez in a recent email. “Those doctors, nurses and medics saved my life. If this happened to me five years earlier, I would not have lived.” According to Mendez, now a practical nurse at the VA medical center in Spokane, Wash., he was just doing his job. “A ‘thank you’ from a wounded warrior, even a national reporter, is better than any medal the military can give,” said Mendez.

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1.      Following Critical Documentary, VA Highlights New Approach To Mental Healthcare.   Nathan Havey, who "works on the communications team at Brave New Foundation," wrote in an opinion piece appearing on the Huffington Post (3/23) that Fred Gusman is the executive director "of The Pathway Home, an alternative transition center to care for those" with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "who have fallen through the cracks" of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Gusman, his center, "and three Iraq war veterans are the subject of Broken Promise, a new documentary" that shows the negative "experiences many returning vets struggling with invisible wounds have had with the VA." A recent premiere screening of the film in San Francisco kicked off "a national tour for veterans that is being organized by the online documentary series IN THEIR BOOTS." Havey noted that at the conclusion of the San Francisco event, "representatives from the VA" explained that their agency "has responded to the frustrations and concerns of Iraq and Afghanistan vets like those in Mr. Gusman’s program by appointing a program manager specifically for those vets in hospitals across the country." Havey added, "IN THEIR BOOTS will film a special short update from the VA that will be attached to the film to share the VA’s efforts with everyone."
      Guam Vet Center Co-Hosts Women Veterans Conference.   Guam’s Pacific Daily News (3/25, Pueblo) noted that the Guam Vet Center, "in conjunction with the Purple Ribbon Campaign and other military and government services on-island," held the third Women Veterans Conference this week at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa. Cathy Illarmo, "team leader for the Guam Vet Center, said the conference was a way to reach out to women veterans. Information about employment opportunities, knowing where to go for help and what services the Veterans Affairs Office offers were available, Illarmo said."
      VA Praised For Hiring Vets As Outreach Specialists.   In continuing coverage, an editorial in the Estherville (IA) Daily News (3/26) says, "For all the flak that it takes," the VA "deserves a pat on the back for a new program aimed at helping victims" of PTSD. The VA "has hired 100 former service members as outreach specialists to nudge Iraq and Afghanistan veterans into programs that will transition them back into civilian life." The Daily News argues that this time, the VA "has taken the right approach," because veterans "helping veterans is a great idea. Let’s hope it continues throughout…all areas of the VA."

2.      Report Criticizes Gulf War Vaccine Tests Conducted By Israel.   AFP (3/26) reports, "Israeli soldiers subjected to ‘unnecessary’ testing as part of the army’s bid to find an anthrax vaccine around the 1991 Gulf war were not adequately warned of the risks, a declassified report said on Wednesday. The state was forced to release the findings…following an order from the high court." The "findings of the medical commission of inquiry released" by the court "also sharply criticised the secrecy that had surrounded the entire operation. Public radio said several dozen soldiers were believed to have fallen ill after the tests, some of them developing epilepsy."

3.      Injured Troops Criticize Fort Bragg Warrior Transition Unit.   In continuing coverage, the AP (3/25, Maurer) reported, "Soldiers in a recovery unit for wounded troops at Fort Bragg told the Secretary of the Army that they feel forgotten by the military and that combat duty would be better than the treatment they get now, according to a memo obtained by the Associated Press." The document "summarized the comments of soldiers who attended a closed-door meeting last week with Army Secretary Pete Geren. It was held after the service said it would look into complaints of overzealous discipline reported by The Associated Press." The Army "set up its 35 Warrior Transition units two years ago to help soldiers navigate the medical system and monitor their progress," but a "recent Associated Press investigation found that discipline rates vary widely across the system. The comments to Geren mirror those of a dozen current and former soldiers interviewed by the AP about their time in Fort Bragg’s unit."

4.      Hundreds Of Vets Show Up For Testing At Miami VA Hospital.   In continuing coverage, the New York Times (3/26, A19, Cave, 1.12M) reports, "Hundreds of veterans…streamed into the Miami Veterans Hospital on Wednesday to be tested" for HIV and hepatitis "after officials there announced that improperly cleaned colonoscopy equipment might have exposed them to infection." The "threat…appears to have caused a panic among a much larger swath of the veteran population. A hot line for South Florida veterans had received more than 3,400 calls as of Wednesday afternoon." The Times, which notes that veterans may have been similarly exposed to infection at VA

facilities in Tennessee and Georgia, says "two local congressmen…have called for an inquiry" by the VA’s inspector general. Meanwhile, "many veterans said they were frustrated that after problems at the Walter Reed veterans’ hospital in Washington, the VA still seemed to struggle with meeting basic standards of care."
      In its "Political Intelligence" blog, the Boston Globe (3/25, Rhee, 373K) said that on Wednesday, US Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) also urged the VA’s inspector general "to investigate sanitation standards at VA hospitals, following reports this week that facilities in Florida and Tennessee rinsed, but did not disinfect equipment used in colonoscopies." According to the Globe, as "many as 9,000 patients may have had invasive procedures with contaminated equipment."
     Blogger Says VA "Did The Right Thing."   Larry Scott wrote on his VA Watchdog (3/25) blog that as the story about problems "with the colonoscopy procedures at the Miami VA has unfolded over the past two days, more information has come to light that shows the VA in a better light." For example, the VA "was the one who released this information in an expeditious manner." Scott added that as he went "back over" his VA press releases, he found that the agency had implemented a "national safety ‘Step-Up’" program "to try to weed out problems of this nature." So, "for all the bad news," the VA "did the right thing." But the "media firestorm should still be a learning lesson for VA. Instead of just letting the Miami VA put out the word, VA Central Office could have controlled this by holding a press conference and announcing the results of…’Step-Up’ (something we still don’t have)," with the Miami problems included in those results."

5.      As Area Braces For Floods, Fargo VA Hospital Transfers Patients.   The AP (3/25) noted that on Tuesday, the Veterans Affairs medical center in Fargo, North Dakota, "transferred 14 veterans to the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud as a precautionary measure" while "the Red River Valley braces for potential flooding."

6.      Stimulus Plan Includes Money For VA Facilities.   The Longview (TX) News-Journal (3/26, Isaac, O’Neal) reports, "It’s not the hospital area officials wanted, but an extended care facility for veterans slated to open in 2010 in Tyler signals welcome relief, local leaders said Tuesday." The US Department of Veterans Affairs "awarded grants this past week for 160-bed extended care facilities in Houston and Tyler. The federal economic stimulus plan provides $17.4 million for construction of the two facilities."
      The AP (3/26) says the VA hospital "in Denver is in line for more than $5 million in repairs and upgrades, mostly to heating and air conditioning systems." It is "not clear whether those repairs are for a building that will still be used after a new, 200-bed VA hospital opens in the Denver area, expected in 2013." The AP also notes that the VA hospital "in Grand Junction will get $3.8 million for a new solar-power system, repairs to ventilation systems and renovations." The Denver Business Journal (3/26) runs a similar report.                                                                                                                                              The AP (3/25) pointed out that the US VA "plans to spend $8.3 million on medical facilities and cemeteries in Louisiana. The money is part of the stimulus package approved by Congress." About $6.7 million "will go to upgrading the Overton Brooks VA Medical Center in Shreveport. Also, the agency plans upgrades at the VA medical

7.      Sioux Falls VAMC Honoring Vietnam Vets With Quilt Show.   The Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader (3/25) noted, "The Sioux Falls Veterans Administration Medical Center is observing the anniversary of the withdrawal" of US troops "from Vietnam with a quilt show this week. The show honors South Dakota Vietnam veterans, especially those who lost their lives in Vietnam, and runs through Friday in the front foyer of the medical center."

8.      Performers Put On Show At Kerrville VAMC.   The Kerrville (TX) Daily Times (3/25, Bolaños) reported, "To show Kerrville’s veterans appreciation for their service, the Re-Creation’s ‘Glamorous!’ show took center stage at the Kerrville Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Monday." Re-Creation, which does not receive any compensation, "consists of performers who dedicate time touring the nation and bringing fun and laughter to veterans through their shows."

9.      Downhill Skier To Participate In Winter Sports Clinic.   The Longmont (CO) Times-Call (3/25, Mellskog) profiled 60-year-old disabled veteran Mark Drake, who "downhill skis with a mono-ski – a lightweight chair anchored to one board – using poles equipped with mini skis to stabilize himself." Drake’s hobby is "strongly supported by recreational therapists for motivating people with disabilities to push for greater rehabilitation. To promote that," the US Department of Veterans Affairs "and the Disabled American Veterans will sponsor the 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Snowmass Village from March 29 to April 3." The Times-Call noted that Drake, who will participate in the event, said, "It’s so nice to bring a newly injured person or someone who’s just started in adaptive sports to see the joy that they can receive."

10.    Submarine Vets Memorial To Be Dedicated At National Cemetery.   The second story in the Redding (CA) Record-Searchlight’s (3/25) "North State in Brief" column noted, "A memorial honoring" US submarine "veterans on ‘eternal patrol’ will be dedicated at 11 a.m. on April 4 at the Northern California Veterans Cemetery" in Igo, California. The memorial "was financed through donations, said Jim Gibson of Anderson, past USS Cuttlefish base commander" of the US Submarine Veterans Inc. Its dedication "is in conjunction with the 108th anniversary of the purchase of the USS Holland, the first commissioned submarine" in the US Navy.