Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
The VA is hiring doctors, nurses, and other medical jobs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hd9GOZwOVPY
and this jewel
we need more quality professionals to treat us, the veterans of the nation, we prefer doctors that we can communicate with in English being a primary language they understand and that we the patients can understand what they are telling us,to many times we are being treated by doctors that are barely proficient in English and it is aggravating to us, not to be able to understand the people treating us.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Military updating tactics on trauma
Military updating tactics on trauma
By Kate Wiltrout
The Virginian-Pilot
© November 5, 2009
After more than eight years of war, most Americans know that PTSD stands for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Now, say military and medical experts, as well as warriors whose minds were scarred by combat, it's time to learn some new acronyms.
The second day of a two-day conference on building resilient warriors wrapped up Wednesday in Norfolk with a suggestion that the "D" be dropped from PTSD. It's normal to be stressed out by trauma, one combat veteran explained, so why label it a disorder?
His suggestion was endorsed by one of the highest-ranking men in the military - Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Addressing the conference by speakerphone, Mullen told the 400 attendees that he now uses the term "combat stress" instead of PTSD. He changed his vocabulary, he said, after a service member told him the word "disorder" creates a stigma for sufferers - even as the military is encouraging troubled troops to ask for help.
The conference was sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence For Psychological Health & Traumatic Brain Injury. A Department of Defense entity with an unwieldy name, the organization aims to be a one-stop shop for professionals and military personnel battling back from brain injuries and combat trauma.
Headed by Army Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, it was born out of the controversy surrounding Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2007. Early that year, The Washington Post revealed that the hospital was unprepared to deal with the long-term needs of combat-wounded troops.
The controversy generated attention from the top brass - and more than $1 billion in funding. Sutton, a psychiatrist with 28 years in uniform, said the Walter Reed scandal was both a tragedy and a blessing in disguise.
"We were laboring under a civilian HMO business model that did not fit the needs of our warriors and their families," she said to thunderous applause, adding that the news reports reignited a "fire in the belly" to solve the problem.
Now, Sutton said, the military has extensive resources and is creating a range of programs to address the long-term effects of concussive injuries common in combat, as well as lingering psychological effects.
She's less concerned, initially, about what the condition is called - is it traumatic stress injury or combat stress trauma?
"From the standpoint of a troop and his or her loved ones," she said, "they just want to get better."
Sutton said her organization is helping to establish standards of care for injuries across the military so that, say, an Army private or a Navy SEAL get the same treatment if they're on foot within 50 meters of a blast.
That treatment might be as simple as a day of rest, she said, to let the brain recover from the concussive force.
The standards must rest on science-based evidence, she said - not a misguided idea of strength.
"That suck-it-up mentality is no longer working," she said.
Senior leaders such as Mullen fully support the idea that a warrior's mind, body and spirit must be healthy and aligned, Sutton said. Young troops who grew up watching TV shows such as "Frasier" and "The Sopranos" seem to accept the idea that getting counseling doesn't mean someone is weak. It's the military's "middle managers" who need to embrace it, she said.
Navy SEALs, Sutton said, have a great phrase for paying attention to psychological health: They call it getting a "neck-up check up."
Kate Wiltrout, (757) 446-2629, kate.wiltrout@pilotonline.com
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I am glad the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs understands that the stress caused by traumatic events is not a "disorder" rather it is a normal reaction to a unnatural event, the scenes of combat, explosions, the fear of death, etc. The stigmatism to soldiers that raise their hand and say I need help has been a career ender for decades rather than a simple trip to a psychiatrist, the soldiers get labeled as unstable and can't be trusted, since they just can't "suck it up" "man up" or whatever else idiotic terms people higher in the chain of command determine to be appropriate.
Many soldiers have always felt the restraint of asking for help knowing that doing so, would stop promotions, get them harassed by the chain of command, instead they turned to self medicating either with alcohol or drugs to treat themselves. One only has to go back to the Vietnam war where many soldiers were thrown out on Personality Disorders after returning from Vietnam, which denied them veterans benefits and even treatment at VA Medical centers since they recieved a bad discharge, yet the Army primarily returned to this same tactic at Fort Carson as reported by NPR in the past few years.
I feel that if thetroops can get treatment earlier in their lives they may not end up totally disabled by the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress, they may always have some symptoms but it might not prevent them from being able to keep a family together, hold a job or a professional position, etc, like many WW2 Korean and Vietnam veterans have been largely ignored by society over they years.
Like Colin Powell stated, "you broke it, you own it" this should also apply to the men and women that serve this nation in uniform. It is already supposed to according to the "PROMISE" made when our men and women enlist in the military, if you are killed or hurt by your service the nation will care for you and your spuse and children, it doesn't day we will kick them to the curb and ignore them.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
House chairman calls delayed payment to veterans 'an insult'
House chairman calls delayed payment to veterans 'an insult'
By Michael O'Brien - 11/11/09 02:40 PM ET
Delays in disability benefit payments are "an insult" to military veterans, the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee said Wednesday.
Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-Calif.) urged the federal government to cut through red tape in deploying benefits.
"People have died before they've gotten their benefits or they've lost their houses because they didn't have a check coming in," Filner said during an interview on Federal News Radio. "What I would like to do is just cut through all [the] red tape."
The chairman said that the government's slowness to respond to claims from disabled veterans is "an insult."
Filner called on the Department of Veterans Affairs to process claims as quickly as the IRS handles tax returns, guaranteeing a three-week turnaround in benefits payments.
"Why don't we do the same thing with our veterans?" Filner asked. "We send out a check as soon as we get their application, and audit it whenever we ... as much time as we have to take. But at least recognize that the soldiers that deserve compensation, we ought to get it to them quickly."
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Yes the sytem they use now can leave veterans waiting years for their first payment, which leads to divorce, homes lost and vehicles repossesed there is no rational basis for this, the VA now treats all claims as being fraudulent and making the veterans prove they are entitled to the benefits and "benefit of the doubt" the VA applies it, they doubt the veteran ever tells them the truth, and make the veterans wait for a BVA Judge to decide their claim, my claim was filed in Nov 2002, the BVA Judge awarded my claim on April 7, 2009. The local VARO sent the award letter with the percentages and back pay on 4 June 2009, simply shocking to say the least.
My BVA claims award on April 7, 2009, the hearing was held on Feb 4, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A painful lesson in the health risks of modern warfare
A painful lesson in the health risks of modern warfare
By David K. Winnett Jr.
Posted: 11/09/2009 08:46:54 PM PST
By David K. Winnett Jr.
The tools of modern warfare are vastly more effective now than in previous wars. They are more precise and infinitely more lethal, and some pose great risk to those who employ them. Case in point is depleted uranium - or DU.
DU is a byproduct of enriched uranium, a highly radioactive substance. Since 1991, the United States has used DU in the manufacture of protective armor plating for tanks and armored combat vehicles, as well as heavy armor-piercing ammunition. We not only shield our combat vehicles with DU, we also fire DU-coated ammunition at enemy vehicles, with quite deadly effect.
Since the use of DU began, a heated debate has continued over the long-term health risks. Upon impact, DU is vaporized. The resulting microparticulate is distributed throughout very large areas of the battlefield. If ingested, there is a risk of kidney, liver, heart or brain damage. The Department of Defense's own studies have demonstrated genetic, reproductive and neurological damage in rodents exposed to DU. If ingested, DU can remain in the human body for a lifetime, wreaking havoc on internal organs and the central nervous system.
DU was first used in combat during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Now, thousands of veterans of that war suffer from permanent, life-altering chronic illnesses. Is this mere coincidence? After the war, Veterans Affairs saw a huge increase in disability claims submitted by Gulf War veterans. Yet no one was
able to identify a cause. Many veterans were deemed to be experiencing psychosomatic illness, the VA blaming the complaints on post-traumatic stress disorder. Most were told, "It's all in your head."
For 15 years I have lived with intermittent bouts of blurry vision, sore muscles often accompanied by uncontrolled twitching of major muscle groups, hand tremors and frequent bouts of extremely debilitating fatigue. I have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, neuro-myalgias and chronic fatigue. I have an unexplained scar on my right kidney and an enlarged liver, yet I am not overweight, have never been a smoker and my alcohol intake has always been moderate.
DU is not the only suspected cause of Gulf War illnesses. Other possibilities include exposures to low levels of sarin gas accidentally released into the atmosphere during the demolition of seized Iraqi ordnance, multiple vaccinations, non-FDA approved anti-nerve agent pills, smoke from burning oil wells and heavy use of pesticides. Regardless of the cause, let's use these experiences to reduce the chances of future battlefield exposures, and to work toward improving the quality of life for those permanently afflicted by battlefield hazards.
In 1994, a law authorized the VA to grant "presumption of service connection" for certain symptoms associated with the Gulf War. Qualifying symptoms for compensation include: fatigue, rashes, muscle pain, joint pain, neurological symptoms, respiratory symptoms, sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiovascular symptoms. When these symptoms cannot be attributed to a known illness, they are to be considered "undiagnosed illnesses," and presumed to be the result of exposures in the war.
The law begins, "The Secretary may pay compensation ." The problem lies in the word "may." VA centers across the country are permitted to interpret the law as they see fit. They "may" award compensation, or they may not. The majority of Gulf War-related disability claims are denied. Approval rates also differ from one VA region to another.
Fewer than 4,000 of the 670,000 Americans who served in the Gulf War have been awarded the disability rating prescribed in the law. Yet the VA's own "Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illnesses" reported last year that one in four veterans are sick. Using VA's numbers, that's 167,500 sick veterans. Tens of thousands have been rated with post-traumatic stress disorder, yet less than 4,000 veterans, including myself, have been awarded the "undiagnosed" rating.
The ground war lasted 100 hours. The number of post-traumatic stress ratings far exceeds what would be expected for such short duration. Instead of being referred to neurology or the infectious diseases department in the VA, these veterans have been directed to psychiatry. Many more have given up hope that they will ever obtain assistance from the government that sent them to war. Some have taken their own lives.
Far too many have been unjustly denied medical and disability benefits. For that reason alone, the law should be amended. The word "may" should be changed to "shall." Those who served in the Persian Gulf War are heroes, one and all. This disenfranchisement of so many courageous American veterans must end immediately.
Regardless of the cause of Gulf War illnesses, Americans should demand that their elected representatives continue to provide annual funding for Gulf War illness research through the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, and to hold the secretary of Veterans Affairs accountable for fairly and consistently administering disability claims submitted by Persian Gulf War veterans.
A free nation has a moral obligation to ensure that its injured or ill veterans are made whole again to the fullest extent possible through a compassionate system of disability compensation and proper medical treatment, no matter the cost.
David K. Winnett Jr. is a retired Marine Corps captain and the chairman of funding development for the National Gulf War Resource Center (www.NGWRC.org). He lives in Torrance.
David K. Winnett, Jr.
Captain, USMC (Ret.)
Fleet Services Manager
Two VA Employees Slain, One Wounded during Shooting
VA Suffers Losses and Offers Help at Ft. Hood
Two VA Employees Slain, One Wounded during Shooting
WASHINGTON (Nov. 10, 2009) -- In the midst of providing mental health
services and other support to the Ft. Hood community following the
recent shooting, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) learned about
its own losses from the violence. Two VA employees, both serving on
active duty with their Army Reserve units, were among the slain. A
third VA health care worker on reserve duty was seriously wounded.
"Speaking for the entire VA family, I offer heart-felt condolences to
the families of these dedicated VA employees," said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "They devoted their working lives to
care for our Veterans, and they died in uniform, preparing to safeguard
our Nation's freedom."
Russell G. Seager, Ph.D., a 51-year old nurse practitioner at the
Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center in Milwaukee was killed in the
deadly attack. He was a captain in the reserves. In his VA duties, he
led a mental health team treating a wide variety of Veteran patients,
from the youngest combat Veterans just back from deployments to Iraq and
Afghanistan, to World War II Veterans dealing with depression.
Seager signed up for the Army Reserve four years ago. This would have
been his first overseas deployment. Seager was motivated to prevent the
mental health problems of young combat soldiers from occurring in the
first place. He was to be assigned to a Combat Stress Control unit to
watch for warning signs, such as anger and insubordination, among
front-line soldiers.
Seager, who was also a well-respected teacher at Bryant and Stratton
College in Milwaukee, leaves behind a wife and son.
VA's other fatality was Juanita L. Warman, 55, a nurse practitioner at
VA's medical center in Perry Point, Md. She was a lieutenant colonel in
the Maryland National Guard, with two daughters and six grandchildren.
Herself the daughter of a career Air Force member, she held a masters
degree from the University of Pittsburgh.
Warman volunteered for "Beyond the Yellow Ribbon," a program to help
members of the Maryland National Guard readjust after returning from
overseas deployments. She provided mental health counseling and helped
develop a program about the myths and realities of post-traumatic stress
disorder. She was preparing for deployment to Iraq at the time of her
death.
Dorothy Carskadon, 47, a captain in the reserves and a social worker and
team leader at the VA Vet Center in Madison, Wis., was wounded in the
gunfire that brought Ft. Hood activities to a halt. She is currently in
stable condition in the intensive care unit at the Darnall Army Medical
Center at Ft. Hood.
As a VA team leader, Carskadon oversees other social workers in
providing individual and group counseling for combat Veterans
experiencing difficulty readjusting to the civilian community following
military service. A new Army officer, Carskadon was preparing for her
first deployment.
On an average day, more than 850 VA employees don uniforms to serve
military commitments in Reserve and National Guard units across the
country and overseas.
VA has been responding to the Ft. Hood tragedy since shortly after the
sound of gunfire was replaced by the sirens of emergency responders.
Through official agreements and the shared sense of mission to care for
military members and Veterans in the central Texas region, VA has
provided clinical supplies, including pharmaceuticals, and sent mental
health teams from nearby facilities as well as four fully staffed,
portable Vet Centers to aid in counseling military members and families.
Teams of physicians, nurses and other clinical and support personnel
were placed on stand-by for possible deployment to Ft. Hood or to
receive additional patients following the shooting.
VA operates several clinical and benefits processing locations on Ft.
Hood and routinely has about 18 employees working on the post. Initial
actions included confirming the safety and security of those employees.
VA continues to coordinate with the Department of Defense on providing
care and support to all those affected by the tragedy.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
This release from the VA show the committment of many of the VA employees and their dedication to the nation, besides helping the nations veterans.
Monday, November 9, 2009
VA pays to settle lawsuit over Michigan vet's suicide
VA pays to settle lawsuit over Michigan vet's suicide
DETROIT — The federal government has agreed to pay nearly $220,000 to settle a lawsuit over the suicide of a U.S. Marine from Michigan.
Randen Harvey's family had accused the Department of Veterans Affairs of failing to keep him in a hospital or commit him to a mental-health facility.
The 24-year-old Harvey served two tours in Iraq. He died of a drug overdose at his father's home in Farmington Hills in 2006.
Thomas Campbell, a lawyer for Harvey's estate, says the lawsuit was settled last week, a few days before trial in federal court.
A message seeking comment was left with the U.S. attorney's office, which represented the VA. Harvey grew up in Mio and Farmington Hills.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
