Top 10 Veterans News from Around the Country 3-6-09

1. Shinseki Attends White House Healthcare Summit.  
2. Alexandria VAMC Sponsoring Diabetic Education Class
3. Scholarship Provides Iraq Vet With New Home, Other Assistance.  
4. Disabled Vets Featured On Cheerios Boxes.  
5. Competing Projects, Fundraising Slowdown Delay Fisher House Plans.  
6. More Vets Seeking Benefits In Tough Economy.  
7. Former Marines Upset With Newspaper Display Decision.  
8. New Location For VA Clinic In Colorado Provides More Space.  
9. VA Clinic In Indiana Said To Be On Track To Open In September.  
10. Huntington VAMC Receives Performance Award.  

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HAVE YOU HEARD?
Some say climbing into a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine can feel like crawling into a casket. Aiming to ease patient claustrophobia, nervousness and fear, a new approach called the "ambient experience" is being used to relax patients undergoing MRI’s at the VA Medical Center in Omaha, Neb. Using a combination of soothing colors, images, lights and sounds, patients select the colors and scenes, such as mountains, beaches, deserts or jungles, which are projected onto the room’s walls and ceiling. Relaxing sounds, including waves lapping or birds chirping, are played during the MRI scan. Relaxed patients are less likely to move, enabling the scanner to produce a better image. VA staff says that the sensory package “extra” purchased with the new $1.5 million MRI machine is proving its worth and patients agree. Richard Clark, 64, was among the first patients scanned in the new machine. A mountain image appeared on the wall, and bird sounds competed with noise of the MRI machine. "I was mainly listening to the birds in the background," said Clark. "It kind of helps you relax." According to Will Ackerman, public affairs officer at the medical center, the package of soothing colors and sounds is the first of its kind among VA hospitals. 

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1.      Shinseki Attends White House Healthcare Summit.   The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (3/6, Simon) reports, "During a breakout session" of a White House healthcare summit Thursday, US Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) "said he wanted to inject ‘a dose of reality" into the debate by talking about cost. ‘A dose of reality is: what can we afford, especially given the economic times that were in?’ he said." The lawmaker "participated in one of five sessions at the summit, meant to bring together government officials, members of Congress, and ‘stakeholders,’ from business to the medical field. Peter Orszag, director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, a retired Army general; moderated the session in which Cantor took part."
      The second story in Chris Cillizza’s "The Fix" blog for the Washington Post (3/5) also took note of the summit, describing it as "the first step in what could be a lengthy fight in Congress over an attempt to provide" healthcare coverage "for everyone in America." Cillizza added that the summit featured "a number of administration bigs," including VA Secretary Eric Shinseki.

2.      Alexandria VAMC Sponsoring Diabetic Education Class.   The Alexandria (LA) Town Talk (3/6) reports the Alexandria Veterans Affairs Medical Center "is sponsoring the diabetic education class, ‘Super Foods for Women’s Health/Soy for Health Benefits,’ Thursday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m." in the hospital’s "Women’s Clinic Conference Room, Building 3, 3rd Floor. The class is designed to educate women about foods that may help improve their wellness and soy benefits for everyday wellness and prevention of certain chronic diseases."

      Army Hopes Programs Will Result In Lower Suicide Rate.   On its website, CNN (3/5, Levine) said recent, "alarming" suicide figures "have sparked service-wide training programs to help identify soldiers at risk of suicide." One such program, which "runs February 15 through March 15, will include training to recognize behaviors that may lead to suicide and instruction on how to intervene. The Army will follow the training with another teaching program, from March 15 to June 15, focused on suicide prevention at all unit levels." The Army also "has a program called Battlemind, intended to prepare soldiers and their families to cope with the stresses of war before, during and after deployment." CNN added that last October, the Army "and the National Institute of Mental Health signed an agreement… to share strategies to lower the suicide rate."
      Troubled Vet Evaluated After Standoff With Police.   The Harlingen (TX) Valley Morning Star (3/6, Del Valle) reports, "A retired Air Force sergeant surrendered Thursday after he barricaded himself in his home and threatened to kill himself during a three-hour standoff with police, authorities said. A Cameron County SWAT team used a battering ram to open the door of the house before a police negotiator talked" 39-year-old Alex Leal "into surrendering about 11 a.m." Authorities "took Leal to Valley Baptist Medical Center in Harlingen where he was evaluated, said Detective Art Flores." The Star adds, "Leal, a veteran of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, is undergoing psychiatric treatment" for PTSD, according to Leal’s wife, Bobbie Jo Garcia, who "Garcia said she

wanted" the US Department of Veterans Affairs to give her husband 90 days of psychiatric treatment at a San Antonio veterans hospital. But the "government put her husband on a waiting list of veterans seeking benefits, she said. ‘I’m pleading with the VA to help him,’ said Garcia." The VA clinic in Harlingen "is reviewing…Leal’s case, Mario Martinez, an official with the agency’s police department, said."
      Iraq Vet Concerned About Gun Permit Application.   The Omaha (NE) World-Herald (3/5, Cole) said that when Iraq veteran Tim Mechaley "sought to buy a 9-mm Ruger pistol for protection at his midtown apartment, the Omaha Police Department rejected his application for a gun permit" because, he "was told," he admitted on his application form that he has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many "veterans suffer from PTSD, said Dr. Ahsan Naseem, director of the Lincoln post-traumatic stress disorder clinic of the Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System," who "declined to comment on whether PTSD should be considered in granting gun permits." The World-Herald added that Mechaley, who eventually received a license after filing an appeal, "hopes to convince the police department to change its gun-permit request form" so that it asks whether an applicant has ever been pronounced mentally impaired or been committed to a mental institution.
      Book Said To Show How Vets Are Being Mistreated.   In a book review for the Sunbury (PA) Daily Item (3/6) John Deppen writes, "Coming on the heels of Martin Schram’s 2008 book, ‘Vets Under Siege: How America Deceives and Dishonors Those Who Fight Our Battles,’ independent journalist Aaron Glantz’s new book, ‘The War Comes Home – Washington’s Battle Against America’s Veterans’ (University of California Press, 2009) is yet another damning indictment of a broken bureaucracy whose mistakes and misdeeds are harming our veterans. Glantz spent several months in Iraq following" the US invasion. Upon "his return to America, Glantz began to recognize symptoms" of PTSD "in himself, and decided to investigate how veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were coping with their experiences in combat zones." He wound up uncovering "one nightmarish situation after another." Deppen concludes that the US government "and our nation must address the problems detailed" in Glantz’s book.

3.      Scholarship Provides Iraq Vet With New Home, Other Assistance.   In continuing coverage, the KTVU-TV San Francisco, CA (3/5) website said 43-year-old veteran Jay Wilkerson, who was "badly wounded" in Iraq, "received a warm welcome home Wednesday night at Veterans Hall" in Pleasanton, California, where Wilkerson now lives, thanks to a scholarship from the Sentinels of Freedom, a nonprofit group "dedicated to helping…injured and wounded" veterans "transition back into civilian life." KTVU noted that the scholarship provides Wilkerson with "a place to live, transportation, aid to go to college and mentors to advise him in all the aspects he will need for life as a civilian." The KRXI-TV Reno, NV (3/5) website ran the same story.

      The Antelope Valley (CA) Press (3/5, Anderson) noted that the Wounded Warrior Project, a nationwide nonprofit, was "formed by veterans as they began to see the march home of the wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The group’s basis is veterans helping veterans, and also outreach to their families." The Press focused on the family of wounded veteran Jerral Hancock, noting that Hancock’s stepfather, Dirrick, often "carries him across areas that are not suited for wheelchair access. ‘Still trying to get help from the VA (Veterans Affairs Department) to get the doors widened in the house,’ trooper Hancock remarked recently. ‘Been a year and a half. ‘May not seem like a big thing, but it would help.’"
      The Long Beach (CA) Press-Telegram (3/5, Mellen) reported, "As if on cue, the rain clouds dissipated and the sun came out just before a celebration Wednesday morning to announce the latest program" by US Vets-Long Beach "at the Villages at Cabrillo. Geared for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are struggling to transition back into society," the Long Beach branch of a national nonprofit organization "was launched in August and has 12 clients who are receiving housing, counseling, case management and opportunities to either advance their job prospects, earn an education or deal with the after-effects of being in combat."
      The Springfield (MO) News-Leader (3/5, Leicht) said clinical psychologist Rita Spilken "started the Our House Foundation four years ago to help wounded warriors returning from Iraq and Afghanistan." And since "putting the organization’s listing in the phone book, she’s been deluged with calls." The News-Leader added that the "goal of Our House Foundation is to build a transitional community in the Ozarks for wounded veterans to receive medical and psychological help, counseling for them and family members, rest, care and time to recover."

4.      Disabled Vets Featured On Cheerios Boxes.   In continuing coverage, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (3/5, LaRussa) reports, "As head of the University of Pittsburgh’s Human Engineering Research Laboratory, Rory Cooper is helping to guide emerging technologies and treatments to improve mobility for people with physical disabilities. But for the 49-year-old disabled vet, "inspiring others to see past their disabilities can be as rewarding as the latest medical advancement." Cooper, who participated "in the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games last summer," is "one of 12 medal winners selected to appear on a special edition Cheerios cereal box." The Tribune-Review adds that while he "signed cereal boxes and cards Thursday morning" at the VA medical center in Oakland, Pennsylvania, Cooper lavished praise on the games, saying the event is "one of the best things ever created." Cooper is also "scheduled for signing sessions" Friday at VA hospitals in East Liberty and O’Hara.

5.      Competing Projects, Fundraising Slowdown Delay Fisher House Plans.   The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (3/6, Roche) reports, "Plans for a 20-room family guest house on the grounds" of the Veterans Affairs hospital in Oakland, Pennsylvania, "might be delayed for a year or more because of competing projects and a slowdown in fundraising in the weakening economy. Similar projects in a dozen locations across the country are ahead of the Pittsburgh plans, said Jim Weiskopf, spokesman for the Maryland-based Fisher House Foundation, which is building the facility." Although "backers of the project had hoped construction might begin this year, Weiskopf said a start is not likely before 2010 or even 2011." The Tribune-Review adds that there are no Fisher Houses in Pennsylvania.

6.      More Vets Seeking Benefits In Tough Economy.   The Tooele (UT) Transcript-Bulletin (3/6, Belnap) says 82-year-old veteran Bert Ogden, who went to the "Department of Workforce Services last November to meet with Dino Genco, veteran advocate with the Utah Department of Veteran Affairs Outreach Office," is "just one of an increasing number of vets coming forward decades after retiring from military service searching for extra help – especially as the state of the economy continues to worsen." The "process of obtaining benefits is unquestioningly complicated, however, leaving many vets confused and frustrated." Genco "said he understands that the hoops that vets have to jump through in order to apply for benefits are often difficult. ‘The VA is here to take care of taxpayer dollars, not the vets,’ Genco said."

7.      Former Marines Upset With Newspaper Display Decision.   In continuing coverage, the Indianapolis Star (3/6, Higgins) reports, "The local Department of Veterans Affairs says the controversy over a World War II-era newspaper is settled, but a group of former Marines vows to keep fighting. Members of the local Marine Corps League, angry that a framed front page from 1945 was removed from a hallway at the Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center, is considering picketing the hospital." Ronald Albright, the group’s leader, wants Roudebush to put back up a display that showed "a page from The Indianapolis Times with the headline ‘Japs Surrender.’" The VA, however, "announced Wednesday that the historic page was gone for good and would be replaced by a front page from The Indianapolis Star bearing the same news but expressed as: ‘WAR IS OVER — Truman.’" The original "front page from The Times had hung for a decade or more at the VA Medical Center, but last month it caught the eye of a new employee who considered it a racial slur and complained to hospital Director Tom Mattice." Mattice then "ordered the newspaper removed."
      Hospital Director Pleased With Replacement Display.   The WXIN-TV Indianapolis, IN (3/5) website reported, "The VA’s National Center for Ethics suggested the replacement article," and Mattice "thinks it’s a suitable fit. ‘What we really want to do is honor all of the veterans who come through these hallways,’" to "’make sure they feel respected and their service is just as honored as everybody else who has served the country,’ said…Mattice. Hospital officials are also in the process of re-evaluating the rest of their memorabilia to ensure it doesn’t offend anyone."

8.      New Location For VA Clinic In Colorado Provides More Space.   The Loveland (CO) Reporter-Herald (3/5, Dailey) reported, "With nearly three times more space, staffers at the new Veterans Affairs Clinic in Fort Collins can serve their patients more efficiently, officials said. ‘That’s a big driver,’ said Andrew Ruben, spokesman for the Cheyenne Veterans Affairs Medical Center." The clinic, which "moved into the new space the last week of January," has "been open for business since Feb. 2. However, a grand opening ceremony will be held Friday to celebrate the new 10,000-square-foot location at 2509 Research Blvd."

9.      VA Clinic In Indiana Said To Be On Track To Open In September.   The Martinsville (IN) Reporter-Times (3/6, Nelson) says a community outpatient Veterans Affairs clinic "is on track to open by September" in Martinsville. Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center spokesperson Linda Jeffrey "said specifications are nearly ready to be released for bid by an outside contractor." After a contractor "to provide the service is chosen, a firm opening date for the clinic can be planned. As of now, it appears the clinic should open in September." The Martinsville clinic "is slated to be one of 44 clinics to open in 21 states in 2009."

10.    Huntington VAMC Receives Performance Award.   The Huntington (WV) Herald Dispatch (3/5) noted that the Huntington Veterans Affairs Medical Center "has been recognized as the best performing facility in its VA MidSouth Healthcare Network for the third year in the row. The recognition was based on achievement of clinical quality, access to care, financial management and customer satisfaction performance measures established nationally by the VA." The hospital’s "award included $500,000 added to the medical center’s budget for enhancement of veterans’ services."