Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 1-15-09

1. Shinseki Pledges To Modernize VA.  
2. VA To Open New Clinic In Texas.  
3. VA Identifies Spouses That Are Eligible For Error-Correcting Payments.  
4. US Army’s Former Use Of Unlicensed Counselors In Iraq Criticized.  
5. Portland VAMC To Co-Sponsor Class On Mental Illness.
6. VA Awards Funds To Assist Rural Ohio Vets.  
7. New Account Center At Lebanon VAMC Expected To Create Hundreds Of Jobs.  
8. Legal Partnership Requirements Completed For New VA Clinic In South Dakota.  
9. Lake City VAMC To Celebrate MLK’s Birthday On Friday.
10. Study Says Gene Test For Colon Cancer Patients Could Save $604 Million.

1.      Shinseki Pledges To Modernize VA.   McClatchy (1/15, Adams) reports Eric Shinseki, whom President-elect Barack Obama selected to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, "pledged Wednesday to modernize and overhaul the veterans’ disability and health-care system." Before a "friendly audience" at the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Shinseki "told lawmakers that he’d transform" the VA "by making it more efficient and better able to serve veterans. His confirmation is expected to proceed without problems," but if it does, "he’ll inherit an agency that’s been mired in dysfunction for much of President George W. Bush’s tenure." McClatchy adds that some of Shinseki’s priorities include "implementing a new veterans education benefits bill, streamlining the disability claims process and bringing more veterans into the health-care system."
      A separate McClatchy (1/15, Blumenthal) story adds, "If confirmed, Shinseki would oversee a department that has faced a barrage of criticism over the past eight years for everything from misleading Congress about how much money it needed to failing to prepare for an influx of veterans who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan." And under "persistent questioning" from US Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Shinseki "promised changes." McClatchy notes that with "670,000 veterans in Washington state, Murray, a senior member" of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, "has been one of the most outspoken critics of the VA during the eight years of the Bush administration."
      Akaka Anticipates Shinseki Will Be Confirmed Next Week.   The AP (1/15, Hefling) reports the 66-year-old Shinseki, a retired general, "said Wednesday that six-month waits to process a disability claim would not be acceptable under his watch." He "received a warm welcome from senators" at the hearing, and US Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, "said he anticipates Shinseki would be confirmed on Tuesday – the day Obama is sworn in as president." The Hill (1/15, Tiron), meanwhile, reports, "Senators find Shinseki to be a perfect fit for the job," and members "of both parties predicted an easy confirmation."
      And in a story noting that the Senate "warmly received several of President-elect Barack Obama’s choices for Cabinet positions Wednesday," the AP (1/15, Jalonick) says Shinseki "promised to modernize the nation’s second largest agency. ‘The frustrating lack of timeliness, and the challenges of coordinating DOD and VA’s systems, are some of the areas that must be addressed quickly,’ he said." Along similar lines, CongressDaily (1/15) reports Shinseki "added…he will work with Defense Secretary Robert Gates to ensure a seamless transition for troops leaving the military and entering the VA." NextGov (1/15, Brewin) and the Federal Times (1/15, Neal) run similar stories.
      Senators Praise Shinseki, Express Concern About VA.   Stars And Stripes (1/15, Shane) reports, "Senators had nothing but glowing praise Wednesday" for Shinseki, "calling him an exemplary soldier and an excellent pick" for VA secretary. But "they also offered plenty of gloomy forecasts about the challenges facing" the VA "in the near future, and warned Shinseki that good intentions won’t be enough to help veterans." Shinseki, meanwhile, "said he believes improving the department will require a transformation at nearly every level: more training for staff, better use of technology and a shift in attitude towards a ‘people-centered’ department."
      The Air Force Times (1/15, Maze) reports, "No major obstacles appear to block the path of…Shinseki’s nomination," but "he and the Obama administration face a long list of challenges." The "retired four-star acknowledged during" Wednesday’s confirmation hearing "that there is much he doesn’t know about veterans issues, like details of the complicated disability ratings system that is the bane of veterans trying to get help, and could be part of the reason it is so difficult to quickly reduce the backlog of claims awaiting processing. But, he promised to learn."

      CQ (1/15, Johnson) reports, "Senators pressed…Shinseki on Wednesday to explain how he plans to restore care to millions of veterans without service-related disabilities, foreshadowing political wrangling over the issue. Questions also were raised" at Shinseki’s "confirmation hearing about the process by which the department would make funding requests." Still, Shinseki "was all but guaranteed that he will be confirmed the next" VA secretary when members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee "unanimously endorsed the former Army chief of staff’s nomination."
      The Gannett News Service (1/15, Yaukey), which also covers Shinseki’s hearing, notes that when Obama nominated Shinseki, he "declared him to be a man ‘who finally modernizes our VA to meet the challenges of our time.’" Other sources covering the hearing include NPR (1/15, Kelly), The Politico (1/15, Dimascio), Voice Of America (1/14, Tate), the Walla Walla (WA) Union-Bulletin (1/15, Hagar).

2.      VA To Open New Clinic In Texas.   In continuing coverage, the AP (1/14) reported, "A new $40 million clinic for war veterans will open" in Harlingen, Texas, in 2010. The US Department of Veterans Affairs "announced Monday that it would sign a long-term lease with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio" for the clinic, which will be "built on the Regional Academic Health Center campus."
      The Corpus Christi (TX) Caller Times (1/14, Powell) reported, "Although it’s not the veterans hospital sought by local veterans and lawmakers, some veterans said the new facility will be convenient for many South Texans." US Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), and US Rep. Solomon P. Ortiz (D-TX), "had lobbied for a facility that would put the brakes on road trips to San Antonio’s Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital for 114,000 South Texas veterans." Hutchison "said the Harlingen facility will provide 95 percent of the services that Valley veterans have had to make 500-mile round-trips to San Antonio to get."
      The San Antonio (TX) Express-News (1/15, Brezosky) notes plans for the clinic were announced by VA Secretary Dr. James Peake. Valley veterans "have made their lack of medical care a key political issue," and US senators representing Texas "were quick to tout their efforts to bring services within reach."

3.      VA Identifies Spouses That Are Eligible For Error-Correcting Payments.   The syndicated "Sgt. Shaft" column, appearing in the Washington Times (1/15, Fales) reports the Department of Veterans Affairs "has identified nearly 11,000 surviving spouses of deceased veterans who are entitled to receive a lump-sum payment to correct an error in their VA benefits. Also documented were more than 73,000 who had been previously paid." Officials with the VA "are still tracking down eligible survivors." In a press release, VA Secretary James B. Peake, addressed the matter, saying, "I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group. We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses."

4.      US Army’s Former Use Of Unlicensed Counselors In Iraq Criticized.   The AP (1/15, Hefling) reports the 2005 suicide in Iraq of 20-year-old Jason Scheuerman, "the subject of an internal" US Army investigation "exposed to The Associated Press by his family, casts light on the armed forces’ reliance on unlicensed counselors before…Army policy was changed to exclude them in 2006." Barbara Romberg, a "clinical psychologist…who donates mental health sessions to recent" veterans, "commended the military’s efforts to improve mental health care but said combat is far from an ideal environment for a psychologist in training." The AP adds, "Chris Scheuerman and his wife…were in San Antonio this week for a suicide prevention conference sponsored by the Defense Department and the Department of Veterans Affairs."
      VA, DOD Employees Attend Suicide Prevention Conference In Texas.   In continuing coverage, the American Forces Press Services (1/14, Tolzmann) reported, "More than 750 people from the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs and private enterprise — including social workers, chaplains, researchers, and family members — are gathered" In San Antonio "this week for a suicide-prevention conference." The "four-day conference features workshops and training that focus on suicide-related topics that include crisis negotiation of a suicide in progress, resilience in suicide prevention, overall suicide-prevention strategies and mental health strategic initiatives."

5.      Portland VAMC To Co-Sponsor Class On Mental Illness.   The Oregonian (1/14) reported, "Families of military veterans with mental illness are invited to a free 12-week class in Portland beginning Tuesday." The class, "sponsored by the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center and National Alliance on Mental Illness Oregon, will be held at the Portland Veterans Administration."

6.      VA Awards Funds To Assist Rural Ohio Vets.   In continuing coverage, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (1/14) noted US Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) "announced Tuesday that $1 million has been awarded to the Veterans Administration of Ohio to help build mobile health clinics, pilot programs and to expand fee-based health care services." The "administration was awarded the money" by the US Department of Veterans Affairs. The Dayton (OH) Daily News (1/14) ran a similar story.

7.      New Account Center At Lebanon VAMC Expected To Create Hundreds Of Jobs.   WPMT-TV Harrisburg, PA (1/14, 10:07 p.m. ET) broadcast, "More than 400 jobs are expected to be created" at the Lebanon Veterans Affairs Medical center. A "renovation project slated to begin later this year will create a new account center at the medical facility in North Cornwall Township." The "center could open sometime in the year 2011." WGAL-TV Harrisburg, PA (1/14, 5:19 p.m. ET) aired a similar report.

8.      Legal Partnership Requirements Completed For New VA Clinic In South Dakota.   The Wagner (SD) Post (1/14) said the Department of Veterans Affairs "Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Wagner is moving ahead" after legal requirements "to establish a partnership between the Sioux Falls VA Medical Center and Indian Health Service (IHS)" were completed. The VA "is now designing and obtaining the modular building. This will be followed by site preparations by IHS."

9.      Lake City VAMC To Celebrate MLK’s Birthday On Friday.   The Lake City (FL) Reporter (1/14, Britt) noted that the Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center "has honored the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for more than a decade with an annual observance program highlighting his achievements and the achievements of minorities in the community." That "tradition will continue later this week when" the hospital hosts a ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday." This "year’s event will honor King’s 80th birthday celebration." The theme for the "observance is: ‘Remember! Celebrate! Act! A Day On, Not a Day Off!’"

10.    Study Says Gene Test For Colon Cancer Patients Could Save $604 Million.   In continuing coverage, Bloomberg (1/14, Lauerman) reported, "Testing all colon cancer patients" in the US "for a drug-defeating gene mutation might save $604 million annually in costs for treatment with Erbitux, the drug marketed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. and Eli Lilly & Co., scientists said" this week. Over "10,000 patients diagnosed with colon cancer each year have mutations in a gene, called KRAS, that render Erbitux ineffective, said Veena Shankaran, a researcher at the Veterans Affairs Midwest Center for Health Services and Policy Research in Chicago." The American Society of Clinical Oncology, which hosted a conference this week "where the results were announced, is recommending KRAS testing for all eligible colon cancer patients. Those who have the mutations shouldn’t get Erbitux or similar drugs, said Jennifer Obel, a gastrointestinal cancer specialist and spokeswoman for the society."