Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 6-23-09

What’s Inside Today’s Local News for Veterans

1. Activists Impressed By Shinseki’s Openness.  
2. Shinseki, Other VA Officials Promote Volunteerism.  
3. First Lady Kicks Off Volunteer Campaign In San Francisco.  
4. VA, HHS Team Up To Assist Aging Veterans.  
5. Misericordia University To Participate In Yellow Ribbon Program.  
6. Dunne’s GI Bill Work Praised
7. Buses Advertising "VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline."  
8. VA Psychiatrist At Odds With Agency On Vietnam Vet’s Case.  
9. Facility For Homeless Vets To Be Located At Dole VAMC.  
10. Foundation Assists Troubled Vets.

---

HAVE YOU HEARD?
Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick W. Dunne was in New Orleans June 12 to help dedicate the new 65,000-square-foot VA Regional Office located downtown in refurbished office space. “We’re proud to be part of the New Orleans community, and this new office will support veterans throughout the state, ensuring they receive the benefits they earned from military service," Dunne said prior to a gathering of VA employees, veterans service organization members and local government officials. The New Orleans Regional Office was closed for three and one-half months after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. The VARO re-opened the following December in temporary quarters in Gretna, La. In June 2006 portions of the operation moved back to original office space in New Orleans. All operations are now located in the new space that covers five floors of a renovated office building in the Central Business District. VARO Director Rowland A. Christian praised the dedication and service of his staff who maintained VA operations and services in spite of personal losses and disruptions experienced during and after Katrina.

---

 

1.      Activists Impressed By Shinseki’s Openness.   In a special feature on Obama Administration officials, the National Journal (6/23, Freedberg) profiles Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who "has impressed activists with his openness." Shinseki "won over veterans groups early when he took their complaints over new billing rules for VA health care to the White House. ‘Within a handful of days, the administration changed gears,’ said Raymond Kelley of American Veterans." With "no prior experience at the VA, Shinseki admits he has a learning curve," telling the Journal that he has "set out to…get to know the VA intimately." The level of diversity in Cabinet personnel is noted by another story in the National Journal’s (6/23, Barnes) special feature on Obama Administration officials.
      VA Chief Of Staff "Doing A Lot Of Outreach."   Also in its special feature on Obama Administration officials, the National Journal (6/23, Freedberg) profiles VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich, who "serves as chief of staff not only to Shinseki," but to the VA "Deputy Secretary Scott Gould. ‘Gingrich has been doing a lot of the outreach,’ said Robert Wallace, executive director of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. ‘He was the first person we met.’"
      Background Ties Gould To VA.   The National Journal‘s (6/23, Freedburg) special feature on Obama Administration officials also profiles Gould, who "was an unknown to many in the veterans community when he was nominated" for his deputy secretary post. But "Gould knows the VA. After eight years in the Navy, he left active duty to care for his father," who had Alzheimer’s and eventually received long-term care at a VA hospital, according to Gould, who said, "They did a wonderful job for my dad."

2.      Shinseki, Other VA Officials Promote Volunteerism.   In a story noting that Obama Administration officials traveled "all over the country" Monday "to promote the value of volunteering," the AP (6/23, Locke) reports "a volunteer driver from the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans" transported "Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two…veterans through commuter traffic to a VA hospital in Washington." Over "80,000 people donated time last year helping with VA-related programs, but Shinseki said there’s concern that there’s been a decline in the number of volunteers." The AP added that other "senior VA officials volunteered at homeless shelters and in other ways."
      The Politico (6/23, Henderson) says, "A dozen Cabinet officials," including Shinseki, "fanned out across the country Monday to kick off a 12-week program, called United We Serve, that aims to stimulate economic growth and encourage community service through extended volunteer work." The Washington Post‘s (6/22, O’Keefe) "Federal Eye" blog, meanwhile, said Shinseki "drove some veterans to their medical appointments at D.C.-area VA medical centers" Monday. The Post added that Defense Secretary Robert Gates was scheduled to "make one of his regular visits Walter Reed Army Medical Center" Monday "to visit wounded veterans."

3.      First Lady Kicks Off Volunteer Campaign In San Francisco.   The AP (6/23, Locke) reports First Lady Michelle Obama "kicked off a summer of community service" on Monday in San Francisco "by helping fix up a school playground, part of a national effort that saw administration officials traveling all over the country to promote the value of volunteering." The initiative, known as United We Serve, "was announced by President Barack Obama in a video message last week." The First Lady joined California first lady Maria Shriver "and several hundred local volunteers at Bret

Harte Elementary School in San Francisco, where the playground is being refurbished to include a garden with a farmers market stand where kids and seniors can sell vegetables to raise money for the school." She "talked about the importance of children getting exercise."
      The First Lady, reports the San Francisco Chronicle (6/23, Stannard, 351K), linked volunteer work "to issues her husband is tackling: public health and the economy. Childhood obesity is on the rise and diet-related health issues cost America at least $120 billion a year, she said." The initiative, notes the Los Angeles Times (6/23, Strack, 797K), was conceived by the Administration "as a way to encourage more Americans to address problems in their communities, especially in four key areas: education, health, energy and the environment." Mrs. Obama said later Monday in a keynote address to the National Conference on Volunteering and Service in San Francisco, "We have an administration that understands that service is the key to achieving our national priorities."
      Cabinet Officials Also Participate In Volunteer Projects Around Country.   The AP (6/23, Locke) reports that also on Monday in Washington, "a volunteer driver from the nonprofit Disabled American Veterans participated in the United We Serve program by transporting Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki and two Vietnam-era veterans through commuter traffic to a VA hospital." Meanwhile, "other officials promoting the event included Craig Fugate, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency…who met with firefighters and other emergency workers in Denver," and in New Orleans, "Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan helped rebuild the home of a 68-year-old widow living in a FEMA trailer."
      According to The Politico (6/23, Henderson), "a dozen Cabinet officials and first lady Michelle Obama fanned out across the country Monday to kick off" the 12-week program. It notes that "among the cabinet secretaries scheduled to skip out of their day jobs Monday for street level toiling were: Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke, who was to visit the La Mesita Homeless Shelter for Families in Mesa, Ariz; Attorney General Eric Holder, who planned to go to the Police Athletic league in Philadelphia; HUD secretary Shaun Donovan, who was scheduled to help two families move back into their homes in New Orleans; Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who planned to help volunteer drivers transport patients at VA Medical Centers; Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who was to work with volunteers at Shenandoah National Park; Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who planned to work with Habitat for Humanity in Brooklyn, New York; Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, scheduled to work with the Los Angeles Communities Advocating for Unity Social Justice and Action YouthBuild program; and DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, who was to work with the Orlando Citizen Corps Council and volunteers."

4.      VA, HHS Team Up To Assist Aging Veterans.   The Senior Spectrum (6/23, Baetge) reports, "Independence is the goal of a newly-announced nationwide grant program partnering" the US Department of Health and Human Services with the US Department of Veterans Affairs "to provide assistance to disabled older Americans and veterans who want to age at home for as long as possible." The $10 million Veteran Directed Home & Community Based Service program "was announced jointly by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki." The "program’s projected start date is September 30, 2009."

5.      Misericordia University To Participate In Yellow Ribbon Program.   The Wilkes-Barre (PA) Times Leader (6/22, Seder) said Misericordia University in Pennsylvania is "one of more than 700 schools nationwide that have agreed to participate" in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a "provision of the post-9/11 GI Bill approved by Congress last year." The "program allows degree-granting institutions to voluntarily enter into a formal agreement" with the Department of Veterans Affairs "to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the highest public, in-state undergraduate rates. In Pennsylvania that is Penn State University’s admission rate."

6.      Dunne’s GI Bill Work Praised.   In a special feature on Obama Administration officials, the National Journal (6/23, Herbert) profiles Veterans Affairs Undersecretary for Benefits Patrick Dunne, who, since "taking over the Veterans Benefits Association in October 2008," has "had his hands full with the generous new post-9/11 GI Bill. Although he may not stick around the current administration too much longer," Dunne’s "work on the education package has received strong reviews from vets. ‘People are fairly pleased that he’s staying in place as undersecretary of benefits,’ said Doug Vollmer, the associate executive director for government relations at the Paralyzed Veterans of America."

7.      Buses Advertising "VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline."   The American Forces Press Service (6/23, Quigley) reports, "The Department of Veterans Affairs took to the road, literally, when it decided to advertise about its ‘VA Suicide Prevention Lifeline’ on public transportation buses in 124 communities across the country. ‘We continue to look for new, innovative ways to reach our veterans,’ said Tammy Duckworth," the VA’s assistant secretary "for public and intergovernmental affairs. ‘VA wants to make sure to exhaust all avenues to reach those in need of our services.’ Currently, that includes public service announcements by actor Gary Sinise and TV news personality Deborah Norville. Suicide prevention coordinators also have been passing out information for several months now," according to Jan Kemp, the VA’s national suicide prevention coordinator, who said the VA is "kind of saturating the population as best we can." The Lake County (CA) News (6/21) published a similar story.

8.      VA Psychiatrist At Odds With Agency On Vietnam Vet’s Case.   The Eugene (OR) Register-Guard (6/22, Ross) said 86-year-old Betty Meister has made a "series of appeals to get her 56-year-old son’s government benefits re­instated." McLain, a Vietnam vet, went AWOL in 1972, but he "needed treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, his psychiatrist would later conclude." But McLain "was dishonorably discharged" and "stripped of his ability to get Veterans Affairs benefits." However, McLain’s "current psychiatrist, a VA-appointed doctor in Coos Bay who treats him on a limited basis, says McLain has a classic case of post-traumatic stress." That the "Army failed to diagnose and treat him for it isn’t McLain’s fault, said Rick Staggenborg, a psychiatrist who works both for the VA and for Coos County’s mental health agency." According to the Register-Guard, Staggenborg added, "I work for the VA because I believe in their mission, but mistakes happen in a complicated system This is a mistake."

9.      Facility For Homeless Vets To Be Located At Dole VAMC.   In continuing coverage, the KAKE-TV Wichita, KS (6/22) website said the Robert J Dole Veteran Affairs Medical Center "will soon be home to a temporary housing facility to help homeless vets get back on their feet. The announcement was made official in a public hearing Monday night," which was attended by approximately 60 people, some of whom

"said they are honored Wichita can finally do some good to aid those who served our country. But other neighboring residents to the hospital expressed concern over property values and safety concerns." But a "spokeswoman for the National Veterans Association reassured residents that the facility will only accept vets who have gone through steps to get there."

10.    Foundation Assists Troubled Vets.   The Martinsburg (WV) Journal’s (6/23, Vincent) "Unsung Heroes" column profiles veteran Edward Reardon, who "spends his days — and many nights — working on behalf of the Patriot’s Path Foundation, a non-profit organization he helped organize last year. It is an outgrowth of a discussion" with VA medical center officials in Martinsburg "about the need for safe, affordable housing for veterans who had finished their substance abuse treatment program locally." The Journal adds, "Thanks to the Patriot’s Path Foundation, there are now three residential houses that serve as homes for veterans who are eager to heal their lives and are actively working on various aspects of recovery, including financial and employment security," according to Reardon, the foundation’s "chairman and chief economic officer."