Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

1.   WWII veterans receive Congressional Gold Medal for service in Montford Point.  Muskegon Chronicle – MLive.com  “They were the start of the civil rights movement, so that’s what this medal is … it’s the highest civilian award,” said David Eling, director of the Muskegon County Department of Veteran Affairs and a retiree of the U.S. Air Force. The Marines were …
 
2.   Why a 5 Percent Lending Increase Matters to Veterans.  Small Business Trends  According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are approximately 23 million veterans currently living in the United States. In 2007, there were 2.45 million businesses with majority ownership by veterans. Those businesses accounted for $1.220 …
 
3.   Vets caught in dispute over water catchment systems.  Honolulu Star-Advertiser  A bureaucratic scuffle between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the state Department of Health is leaving veterans unable to qualify for VA loans or refinance existing VA loans at lower interest rates. The VA has declined to approve home …
 
4.   Veterans Affairs feverishly working to clear claims backlog.  Berkshire Eagle  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has announced technology upgrades, overtime for staff members and other changes within the past two months as it attacks a huge backlog of benefit claims from veterans. However, at the local level …
5.   Hospital wins award.  Hyperlink to Story Vindicator:  The Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center is the only hospital in Cleveland to receive the Get With The Guidelines—Heart Failure Gold Quality Achievement Award from the American Heart Association.
6.   VA Healthcare System adds mental health professionals.  Hyperlink to Story Heritage.com: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it has met the goal to hire 1,600 new mental health professionals outlined in President Obama’s Aug. 31, 2012, Executive Order to Improve Access to Mental Health Services for Veterans, Service Members, and Military Families… VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System (VAAAHS) has hired nine new mental health professionals toward this goal.
7.   Senators Say VA Must Do More for Military Sex Assault Victims.  Hyperlink to Story   With the Pentagon’s startling estimate that 26,000 sexual assaults occurred last year, two key senators today urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to step up efforts to provide care and benefits for veterans who experienced sexual assault in the military.
8.   Big Changes for Diagnosing PTSD.  Hyperlink to Above Story Brain Blogger:  The effects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can dismantle the lives of not only those who suffer from this illness, but also those of family and friends. The federal government, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and professionals within the psychiatric field are working diligently to provide alternatives in treatment for victims suffering from PTSD and their families.
9.   Young veteran broaches taboo mental health topics.  Hyperlink to Story Houston Chronicle:  A few years ago, O’Brien might have reacted to the insult by pounding his fists into a wall or drowning his sorrows in booze. Today, as he kicks off a three-month, national bus tour to talk about PTSD and the rising incidence of soldier suicide, he is ready with a healthier, more constructive response.
10. Website Makes Tracking Health Records Easier for Vets.  Hyperlink to Story Your News Now (YNN) Rochester:  Managing health care and keeping track of records can be complicated. The Department of Veterans Affairs has an online system for veterans that makes some of that easier.  “It’s one of the neatest things the VA has done in a long time,” said Ken Moore of the Monroe County Veterans Services.

 

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