Florida congresswomen Gwen Graham recently introduced a new plan that would help military servicemembers recovering from injuries from their time in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Veterans, Education, Training Act would provide veterans with a wider range of resources as they transition into life after service.
More recovery coordinators set to assist injured vets
According to the Tallahassee Democrat, The VETS Act would make it mandatory for the Veterans Administration to aid nursing schools in developing a program in which veteran recovery coordinators are educated and trained. The number of coordinators would also need to be increased.
John Hayes, a retired Marine, said that this program is long overdue. Hayes was wounded while in Afghanistan, losing his legs and shattering one of his arms. He had to undergo 65 surgeries as he spent several years recovering from his life-changing wounds.
"Every day I would wake up and tell my wife to take my boots off, and she would have to explain to me every day probably for about a month that I lost my legs," Hayes told WCTV.
He now lives happily with his family in Florida. He said that he got where he is today due to the VA and its program, which gave him a case manager who aided him as he recovered, tending to his specific needs. Although Hayes admits he is pretty tough, he told WCTV that he never could have accomplished the recovery on his own.
Florida veterans deserve more
There are currently over 25,000 veterans living in the South Georgia and North Florida region. Graham's act would provide more training and resources for these veterans. It would also offer a recovery coordinator to help those who were seriously wounded, like Hayes, ease into life as a civilian.
Hayes noted that having a close relationship with VA staff can greatly assist veterans.
"To get an actual person that calls you back that day that cares about you and your interest is huge," Hayes explained to WCTV.
Graham is currently working with the veterans committees and the armed services in an attempt to officially pass the VETS Act. She believes that the retired servicemembers who fought for their country deserve more resources and helping hands. Transitioning to civilian life after war is not easy and the VA has an obligation to make it less daunting for them.
The University of Indiana has recently announced that it will be holding the Veterans Interprofessional Case Competition on April 7. The event will focus on introducing 30 USI students training to become health care providers to the unique needs of veterans during life after military service and the post-combat experiences they may face. Military experts from across the country, along with faculty members, will educate students during the workshop.
The impact of war on servicemembers and loved ones
According to the university, Vaughn DeCoster, Ph.D., associate professor of social work, noted that almost 8 million military servicemembers have been sent to war over the past 50 years. Not only does this impact the servicemen, but their loved ones as well.
Due to the large number of people impacted by war experiences, health care providers are more than likely to treat one of these patients. DeCoster explained that students working toward a career in health care or social service should learn how to care for these patients. In order to deliver high-quality care to veterans and their families, social service and health care employees must work together to remain sensitive to their patients' specific needs and experiences.
Future care providers prepare for patients with war-related issues
The workshop will start with the presentation of the colors by USI's Reserve Officer's Training Corps color guard. The students invited to attend the event will be pursuing a career in social work, occupational therapy, food and nutrition or nursing.
During the event, veterans will recite case vignettes to interdisciplinary student teams, who will then develop and present an intervention plan to a panel of experts.
"This activity is unique because it combines essential knowledge of the military, combat and post-war readjustment, along with evidence-based approaches and local resources," said DeCoster, according to a news release by the university. "During this team activity, students will apply what they have learned and interact with care providers and actual representatives from the veteran patient population. This is a great opportunity for the student teams to learn assessment skills, identify key problems, develop a holistic intervention plan and problem solve possible care challenges."
One guest speaker, Tony Sanavria, a retired lieutenant colonel after 25 years of active duty, will educate the students on what it is like to be on tour during wars in Iraq, Korea and Afghanistan and explain the issues that he and his friends had to face once they returned to civilian life. This will reach students on an informative and emotional level.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald recently visited Helena, Montana, to discuss health care with the area's veteran population.
McDonald shows commitment to veterans
The Great Falls Tribune reported that McDonald engaged in a roundtable discussion at the Montana National Guard Joint Force Headquarters. He was joined by representatives from local veterans groups, universities and state veterans agencies. The meeting was just one of his stops – he will continue to travel around the state all week, speaking with Montana vets and touring area VA facilities. McDonald has been in his position since July, when he took the job after Eric Shinseki resigned amid a public scandal concerning long wait times at VA facilities across the country. Since taking over the seat, McDonald has visited 20 states to speak with local veterans, noted Military Times.
McDonald started his speech by acknowledging the state's vast servicemember community, since Montana has the second-highest per capita veteran population in the country. He explained to local vets that the government is well aware of the sizeable number of soldiers in the region and will continue making health care for Montana vets a top priority.
Significant changes to come
McDonald's first order of business is to hire new staff to care for Montana veterans, largely due to a hefty claims backlog that he would like eradicated by the end of 2015. While local VA centers are currently having employees work overtime to sift through these claims, he noted that not only is this unacceptable, but unsustainable. McDonald acknowledged that the nation's veteran population is only growing larger, especially in Montana, and that the VA needs to step up its efforts to deal with the expanding demographic, noted the Great Falls Tribune.
Military Times explained that McDonald has already started hiring new Montana VA workers, including cardiology nurses and urologists. He hopes to place a bigger focus on bringing in talented mental health workers, responding to a nationwide push for increased attention to the psychological well-being of former soldiers. The source noted that he specifically hopes to bring qualified mental health specialists to rural areas, where local vets might not have easy access to this type of care. The source also noted that the VA is looking into constructing more Montana outpatient surgery facilities, providing increased access to telemedicine services and even creating a transportation program for vets with limited access to cars.
The recent addition to the VA has also been influential in spearheading investigations at centers across the country where patients reported receiving low-quality care. He has also renewed the organization's commitment to ending veteran homelessness, reported the source.
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently announced it would be granting $30 million to help Los Angeles area homeless veterans in their life after service. The grant comes as part of a larger initiative, explained a VA news release. The department will be giving $93 million in total toward this cause, and the money will be distributed across 15 U.S. cities. The larger initiative is known as the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program.
According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the money will be used over the course of three years. It will be invested in both consumer cooperatives and private nonprofit institutions committed to providing veterans and their families with housing. The ultimate goal is to provide low-income and at-risk servicemembers with the resources they need to get off the streets and into permanent residences.
"This is a program that works, because it allows VA staff and local homeless service providers to work together to effectively address the unique challenges that make it difficult for some veterans and their families to remain stably housed," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald.
On Monday, March 30, the White House and the Pentagon agreed to support a proposed overhaul of military pay and benefits packages. According to USA Today, the change also includes putting servicemembers on a 401(k) retirement plan.
Military Times explained that the 15 recommendations were created by the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission and were officially sent to Capitol Hill in January. If these are all finally approved, they will establish new investment accounts for all military personnel. Additionally, they will reduce service pensions by 20 percent and revamp current insurance offerings to make them resemble typical civilian plans.
All together, the changes would save $12 billion annually. USA Today explained that this cost-cutting is a driving factor behind the adoption of the new plans, especially for the Pentagon. The source explained that the cost of supporting personnel according to the current benefits has gone up by 46 percent over the past 10 years. If it continues to expand at this rate, it will take up the entire defense budget over the next 24 years.
While no official commitment has been made, President Obama is expected to approve the pay overhaul sometime before April 30.
The Veterans Affairs department recently announced its plan to loosen one of its policies to make it easier for former soldiers to access quality medical care in their life after service. The current standard dictates that veterans have to live at least 40 miles in a straight shot from the closest VA medical facility in order to qualify for government-funded private health care services. The Washington Post reported that the updated rule will instead measure distance in driving miles, using programs like MapQuest and Google Maps to get an accurate reading.
Distance rules adjusted
This change is part of an ongoing attempt to revitalize the VA as a whole and deliver proper health care to former servicemembers. The Wall Street Journal noted that this rule adjustment is being made to the Veterans Choice Act, a piece of legislation that was passed last year after many vets reported medical complications directly linked to long wait times at VA institutions. While the act was a good start, its original method of distance measuring immediately drew criticism from lawmakers and veterans advocates alike.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the straight-line distance policy was not doing much to help rural vets, who, despite living within a 40-mile straight line, may need to take roundabout routes to access highways and commercial roads, making their actual driving experiences much longer than that. By plugging their home addresses and VA destinations into commercial mapping programs, however, they are able to prove that their health care commute may actually total well over 40 miles, making them eligible to receive VA-funded private care.
Reactions positive, but more can be done
The adjustment was met with applause by critics who had been pushing to have it changed. The Washington Post reported that House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller described the new rule as "a welcome, commonsense change" to the VA health care system.
Despite the support for the change, however, some still feel as though the government should be doing more to provide former soldiers with exceptional medical care. The Wall Street Journal explained that the rule does not take into account what type of VA facility the veteran in question lives near, which could contribute to medical issues. For example, a vet requiring special treatments who lives near a VA institution that does not offer them will not be able to take advantage of government-funded private care. Likely, he or she will still have to make a long commute to a far-away VA center that does offer these treatments, or he or she will need to pay for private care by him or herself. This is a major concern for many veteran groups, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, an organization that is continuing its campaign to adjust this policy.
The Washington Post indicated that the new distance rule will be implemented sometime in the coming weeks.
In an effort to revamp the Veterans Affairs department, President Obama has nominated a new candidate for the VA's undersecretary of health position.
According to Military Times, Obama has selected Dr. David Shulkin, currently the president of Morristown Medical Center in New Jersey. The source also noted that the president nominated LaVerne Council, CEO of Council Advisory Services, for the post of the VA's assistant secretary for information and technology. The two positions have gone unfilled for months, but once the Senate approves Obama's choices the new leaders are expected to take over immediately.
NJ.com reported that Shulkin has been at Morristown since 2010. Previously, he was vice president of Atlantic Health, and spent time as president and CEO of New York City's Beth Israel Medical Center. His experience as both a doctor and an administrator is what made him the president's first choice, explained the source. His selection was informed by a search committee that examined prospective candidates and sent Obama their recommendations.
The job Shulkin will likely be taking over was previously held by Robert Petzel, who resigned after it was revealed that VA facilities all over the country, but particularly the branch in Phoenix, had incredibly long wait times that officials believe may have cost some veterans their lives. In addition to improving the quality of management for the department, Obama made it a priority to get veterans the best medical care possible in their life after service. NJ.com noted that president signed a bill in August that would fund private medical care for former servicemembers who could not get a VA appointment within 30 days.
Although there is not an official timeline for when the Senate will approve Obama's choices, they are expected to agree with his decisions and start enacting much-awaited changes in the near future.
Vets Drive Yellow NYC is a new program that is helping former servicemembers get jobs as New York City taxi drivers in their life after service.
According to NBC New York, the hiring initiative involves seven taxi garages, the owners of which are paying for the hackney licenses of returning soldiers in order to help ease their transition to civilian life. Having the owners purchase the licenses also speeds up the process, which can often be lengthy.
AM New York explained that cab drivers are in high demand throughout the city, mostly due to the spike in popularity of ride sharing programs like Uber and Lyft. Since many soldiers are returning from war actively searching for ways to support themselves, matching them up with cab companies seems like a natural choice.
Veterans can take advantage of the program by attaching their discharge papers to their driver applications. This will get them hiring preference so that they can immediately schedule the mandatory drug and driving tests and have their official licenses within a month.
Garage owners are excited to take on former servicemembers, mostly because the skills they learned in the service translate well to the fast-paced life of NYC taxi driving. Not only are they a trustworthy and respectable pool of applicants, but many of them drove in combat situations. They are more than equipped to handle the often unpredictable streets of the Big Apple. Additionally, they hope passengers will return to using cabs in place of ride sharing apps once they know they will be helping to support veterans with every ride.
Participating veterans have been pleased with their experiences so far.
"It's a job where you do get to travel a lot and travel with a purpose. It's interacting with people from every single culture, every single place," veteran and taxi driver Peter Lloyd told AM New York.
President Obama's administration is set to announce the creation of a panel that will be charged with determining ways the Veterans Affairs Department can better help soldiers in their life after service.
Reuters reported that VA Secretary Robert McDonald will officially announce the details of a board at an event at the Phoenix VA facility. President Obama will also be there to unpack the details of how the panel will work and what the goals of this initiative are. Bloomberg explained that while he is in Phoenix, the president will meet with VA employees, veterans organizations and veterans to talk about the current strengths and weaknesses of the VA Department, and learn what they believe should be done to make improvements.
The committee members have yet to be revealed, though Reuters noted that they will come from both the private and public sectors. Their combined experience runs the gamut from customer service to veteran advocacy. The group is comprised of not only health care professionals but also business moguls, academics and organization managers. The range of strengths and passions is intended to help ameliorate every facet of VA care.
Alfred Bettencourt, now 89, was recently recognized for service he did as an 18-year-old soldier fighting in World War II. The Cranston, Rhode Island, native was given a long-overdue Purple Heart Award, in addition to a Bronze Star Medal and World War II Victory Medal, for heroic actions he performed on Dec. 12, 1944, when he was wounded in combat, reported Cranston Patch.
According to Military Times, the recognition was severely delayed due to a 1973 fire that destroyed Bettencourt's military records. The former servicemember's family, along with local police and firefighters who had heard the soldier's story, partnered with U.S. Senator Jack Reed to recover these files.
Once they got the official word that Bettencourt would be able to receive the awards, his supporters planned a surprise event at the Morgan Health Center in Johnston, Rhode Island, where the vet resides in his life after service. Many local officials attended the ceremony, including Cranston's mayor Allan W. Fung, to show their respect for Bettencourt's immense sacrifices, noted Cranston Patch.
"Alfred was just a teenager when he was wounded in combat. On behalf of a grateful nation, today we honor his service with a token of our enduring gratitude and respect," Senator Reed said as he gave the medals to Bettencourt.