Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

From the VA:

Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News

1.      VA Awards Contract For Colorado VA Hospital Work. The Aurora (CO) Sentinel (9/9, Goldstein, 8K) reports, “Kiewit-Turner has won a $1.3-million contract to begin design and construction work on a new veterans’ hospital in Aurora,” including the design of a new 206-bed medical center. “The rapid development of the new hospital in Aurora comes after years of delays and scrapped plans for a new VA hospital under several presidential administrations.” VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said, “The new hospital demonstrates our continued commitment to serve America’s veterans with the finest facilities and health care models.”
     The Denver Business Journal (9/8) reports that the hospital will “replace a 60-year-old facility in Denver that local officials have deemed outdated and inadequate to serve the region’s growing population of veterans.”

 2.      Connecticut Holding “Stand Down.” The Bristol (CT) Press (9/9, 8K) reports, “Connecticut veterans will have access to dozens of vital social outreach services during “Stand Down 2010″ Friday at the State Veterans Home campus on West Street in Rocky Hill.” Gov. M. Jodi Rell said in a prepared statement, “Our state is only now beginning to recover from the recent recession – and that can pose especially difficult challenges for veterans and their families struggling to live independently,” adding, “The practical and easily accessible assistance available at Stand Down offers an effective way for veterans to regain their independence and dignity.” State Veterans’ Affairs Commissioner Linda S. Schwartz said, “Stand Down offers a safe haven for any veteran in need to gain valuable information and assistance.”

 3.      Montana Veterans’ Cemetery Plans Waiting On Study. The Marshall (MN) News Record (9/8, Brainard) reports that the move to build a veterans’ cemetery “attracted much attention both within the county and throughout the state,” but it “will wait on both a study as to the land’s suitability and for work by area legislators to push for state funding in the 2011 session in St. Paul.” Commissioner Chuck Amunrud “is waiting to hear back” from the state planner and architect. “If there are any concerns about the property, he hopes to hear that in the near future, to try to take care of them before the legislative session starts.”

 4.      North Carolina State Legislator Seeks Review Of Resources For State’s Veterans. WSPA-TV Ashville, North Carolina, (9/8, Kittle) reports that North Carolina “state Rep. Wendell Gilliard, D-Charleston, called on the state House Medical, Military, Public & Municipal Affairs Committee to review the resources available to South Carolina veterans.” Gilliard “says the meeting will be a fact-finding mission for state representatives so they can work with their colleagues in Washington to look for solutions.” Gilliard says that “so many” have contacted him with problems or complaints “that he stopped counting two years ago.” Dr. Louise Will-Wallace, a psychologist with the Dorn VA Medical Center, “says the VA has expanded tremendously in the last few years to deal with the huge influx of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.” Veteran Steven Diaz “says he got great care in VA hospitals, but” that at the Dorn VA Medical Center, “They were having a little bit of trouble adjusting to the new veterans coming back from this war and the high cases of PTSD.”

 5.      Pennsylvania Vet Center Head Let Go. The Norristown (PA) Times Herald (9/9, Wright, 14K) reports, “After close to six years of service Rebecca Kesselring” was fired from her position as commandant of the Southeastern Veterans Center. Joan Nissley, press secretary for the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, said that “Kesselring was escorted from the premises Wednesday morning following a review of her management over the past six months.” She added that there are no charges pending against Kesselring and the move was “not based on the lack of quality care in the home or disciplinary action,” as it was “a management decision.”

 6.      Grant To Fund New Jersey Health Center For Women Veterans. The Courier Post (NJ) (9/9, 55K) reports, “Virtua Health has received a $3 million grant to fund a new health center for women veterans.” It “will be run in conjunction with the Warrior Transition Program at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst” in a pilot program “designed to help health care workers better understand the unique problems facing the growing population of women veterans.”

 7.      Sioux Falls VA Center Holding Events For Suicide Prevention Week. The Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader (9/8) reported, “To observe Suicide Prevention Week,” and as “part of VA’s campaign to help veterans, their families and others recognize warning signs of potential suicide and how to effectively intervene,” Eric Hipple, former NFL quarterback with the Detroit Lions, tell his personal story of his son’s suicide at the Sioux Falls VA Center. “VA staff will be available to provide more information about VA’s Suicide Prevention Program and to answer questions following Hipple’s presentation.” Additionally, Jenny Briest, whose husband was seriously injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq, “will share a message of patriotism during the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center’s annual community Patriot Day program.”

 8.      VA Issues Second Contract For Processing Agent Orange Claims. Nextgov (9/8, Brewin) reports that while, in July, IBM got a VA contract “to develop within three months a system to process claims for veterans suffering from diseases related to” Agent Orange, “last week officials inexplicably issued another contract searching for a second contractor to do the job in one-third the time,” even though the IBM contract is still in place. The claims will be processed separate from the other systems the Veterans Benefits Administration uses, and “VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said he wanted to tap private sector skills to fast-track the development of the system.” Former VA chief of staff Harold Gracey said that “he assumed the department put out the second procurement as a backup plan,” while “a source familiar with VA said he viewed the second source procurement as a poke at IBM to fulfill its requirements on time.” Still, veterans groups say they are “worried the department might not be able to meet its deadlines.”

 9.      VA Streamlining, Speeding Up Processing Of Agent Orange Claims. Federal News Radio (9/8, Kubota) reports, “Veterans Affairs decided to streamline and speed up the process of settling claims of illness related to Agent Orange.” Brad Mayes, Director of the VA’s Regional Office in Boston and former Director of VA’s Compensation and Pension Service, said that “VA is ‘adding three new diseases to the list of conditions that are presumed to be service-connected as a result to exposure to'” Agent Orange. He added, “VA is looking to streamline the processing of these claims, and ultimately all claims, by developing simplified exam protocols.”

 10.    Lockheed Gets Contract For Biomass Facility At New York VA Medical Center. The Greater Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin (9/9, Nguyen) reports, “Department of Veterans Affairs awarded Lockheed and construction company Whiting-Turner a three-year, $15 million contract to develop a biomass facility at the VA Medical Center in Canandaigua” that will be similar to Lockheed’s biomass facility in Owego. The “VA Medical Center’s biomass facility will be about 10,000 square feet and outfitted with a fully automated steam-generation system that uses wood chips and bark from nearby lumber yards and logging operations to produce heat and power.” Steven Bolewski, VA network energy manager, said, “Using locally available biomass as an energy source will allow the VA to avoid costly swings in energy prices.” Under the contract, “Lockheed will build, install and test the equipment for VA Medical Center, as well as train the VA on how to maintain the biomass system. Whiting will provide onsite construction leadership and work with the VA to integrate the system.”
     WENY-TV Elmira, New York, (9/8) reported, “Officials say the facility will provide the VA with some much-needed savings that can be passed on to vets.” WBNG-TV Binghamton, New York, (9/8), WICZ-TV Binghamton, New York, (9/8), WETM-TV Elmira, New York, (9/8, Davidow), WBGH-TV Binghamton, New York, (9/8), and YNN (9/8) also cover this story.