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.    New Jersey Assembly Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee passes veteran.  The Express Times – LehighValleyLive.com  He quickly discovered his daughter and son were ineligible because the 2007 law which would have covered them applied only to veterans who served on or after August 2009. Niblett said he called the US Department of Veterans Affairs but “got the …
2.    Resources for Veterans Running Businesses.  BusinessWeek  At VetBiz.gov, a division of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, entrepreneurially minded veterans can get help registering their businesses in a small business database that grants them eligibility for procurement opportunities. …
3.    Philippines goes to bat for veterans denied benefits by US.  Inquirer.net  The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Ambassador to the US Jose Cuisia met last week with officials of the US Congress, US Army and Department of Veteran Affairs (DVA). Cuisia made strong representations with Army Deputy Undersecretary Thomas …
4.    Congress looks to freeze funding for Pacific realignment.  Congress is poised to freeze funding for a multi-billion-dollar realignment of U.S. military forces in Japan and Guam under a defense budget bill hammered out Monday.
5.    VA-HUD: Homelessness Among Veterans Declines 12% in 2011.  MarketWatch  Our progress in the fight against homelessness has been significant, but our work is not complete until no Veteran has to sleep on the street,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We have been successful in achieving this milestone …
6.    Veterans make transition from battlefield to campus.  Daytona Beach News-Journal
… for military charities and putting on a leadership conference for other chapters from throughout the state. He’s the organization’s accountant now. He also receives help from the university’s Veteran’s Affairs Office and local veterans services. …
7.    Vet needs to check whether eligible for Agent Orange compensation.  Washington Times  Gus Bilirakis, Florida Republican and vice chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, recently held a roundtable with veteran-owned businesses in the Tampa Bay area to gather input regarding the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ application …
8.    Homelessness down among US veterans.  Stars and Stripes  Homelessness among US veterans dropped 12 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to a report released Monday by the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. …
9.    Department of Veterans Affairs proposal would close Hot Springs medical center.  Rapid City Journal  A proposal by the US Department of Veterans Affairs would close the VA medical center in Hot Springs and transfer many of its treatment and service options to private providers and expanded VA facilities and programs at Rapid City and Sturgis. …
10.  Veterans say they face delays getting benefits.  My Fox Boston  The federal agency that handles veterans’ disability claims is becoming increasingly bogged down by delays that can leave veterans waiting years for benefits. Delays at the US Department of Veterans Affairs was the subject …

Have You Heard?

VA recently released a series of videos in which women Veterans describe their experiences serving in the military, ranging from their significant contributions to national safety and security to the challenges they faced during their service and after returning to civilian life. “These videos show the important contributions women have made to this country through their military service,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “Women Veterans have earned the respect of a grateful Nation for their tremendous service and sacrifice.” The three- to five-minute videos are part of VA’s ongoing “Rethink Veterans” campaign to increase awareness of women Veterans and their vital roles in our nation’s history.  The videos can be viewed at www.womenshealth.va.gov  or on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/VeteransHealthAdmin. The four stories released were recorded during the July 2011 Women Veterans Summit in Washington, D.C.  Women from all eras, conflicts, and service branches were invited to share their experiences.  VA plans to release several video vignettes over the next few months. For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, please visit: www.va.gov/womenvet and www.womenshealth.va.gov

More Veteran News

•   VA Prioritizing End-Of-Life Care.  CBS Evening News  The “Department of Veterans Affairs says its mission is to fulfill President Lincoln’s promise: ‘To care for him who shall have borne the battle.'” And at the VA hospital in Fresno, California, and 13 other “VA hospitals around the country,” that includes making “end-of-life care a priority” by giving “round-the-clock comfort to those who have served their country, with music and with volunteers who step in when family can’t.” CBS showed Dr. Wessel Meyer, who oversees the Fresno VA’s “end-of-life program, aptly named ‘No Veteran Dies Alone,'” saying, “A dignified death is probably one of the most precious human gifts anyone can give.”

• VA Initiative Revives Doctor’s House Call With Modern Twist.  Federal News Radio  Veterans Affairs “wants to make its support services available to vets – no matter where they are. So, using the power of technology, it’s reviving the old-fashioned doctor’s house call…but with a modern-day, mobile twist.” Federal News Radio says VA’s “new online care system,” a pilot program, is “part of the department’s Innovation Initiative, which seeks creative solutions for problems veterans often face, such as healthcare and access to jobs.” On its website, Federal News Radio posted audio of an interview it conducted with Jonah Czerwinski, who directs VA’s Innovation Initiative. Czerwinski said the new online house call program aims to make “sure that veterans don’t have to travel great distances” for care.

•    In An About Face, VA Cancels Protested Solicitations.  Washington Business Journal  “In a bit of an about face, the Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to comply with recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office and cancel two solicitations that the watchdog agency decided should be set aside for veteran-owned small businesses. In a Dec. 8 letter to the GAO obtained by Washington Business Journal,” VA’s “deputy assistant general counsel, Dennis Foley, said the two solicitations in question were canceled but the agency had yet to decide whether a new request for proposals would be issued.” The letter from VA came after a recent court complaint about VA action on “set aside contract opportunities for veteran-owned small businesses” and after hearings before two House subcommittees, during which time lawmakers criticized how VA interprets a law on how to award such contracts.

•     Texting Added For Veterans In Crisis At Canandaigua VA Center.  Greece (NY) Messenger Post  The Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center-based national Veterans Crisis Line, “which averages 1,000 calls daily from veterans and their loved ones seeking help, now offers texting as an additional way to connect.” Victoria Bridges, program management officer for the Veterans Crisis Line, “said the texting feature is part of VA’s ongoing efforts, adding, ‘we always want to make it easier to get veterans the help they need.’ Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, during a visit last year to the Canandaigua VA, said the crisis center is playing a significant role in addressing suicide prevention, homelessness and other troubles plaguing veterans.”

• Vets Being Assisted By Treatment Courts In Buffalo, Other Parts Of US.  CNN Veterans Affairs video of a treatment court for veterans in Buffalo, New York. The court is the “first of its kind in the nation, and the model for dozens of others.” The Buffalo court “helps veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, brain trauma, and chemical dependency.” One of those who graduate from the Buffalo veterans treatment court program is Manny Welch, who went on to become a mentor for the program and to get a job with the US VA.

•  Harris To Centralize VA Repository Management.  Health Data Management  “Contractor Harris Corp. will build a federated data repository for the Department of Veterans Affairs to give a uniform view of VA repositories across the nation and centralize network development and management. The $30.5 million contract” awarded to Harris “includes an 18-month base contract and three option years. The VA currently monitors regional data repositories via manual reports, which delays addressing problems.”

•   Hospitals Do More To Prevent Infections.  MedPage Today “Infection control practices to prevent various hospital-acquired infections are being more frequently used, both at nonfederal and VA hospitals, researchers found. The fact that the trend includes VA hospitals indicates that a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) decision not to pay for costs stemming from certain hospital-acquired infections is not the primary driver of the change, according to Sarah Krein, PhD, RN, of the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System in Michigan, and colleagues.” Funding support for the “study was provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Health Services Research and Development Service, the Ann Arbor VAMC/University of Michigan Patient Safety Enhancement Program, and the National Institute of Nursing Research.”

•   Woman Dedicating Her Life To Helping Troubled Fellow Vets. CNN Newsroom  Interview with five Iraq veterans, including one who has gotten her degree in sociology and is now “dedicating her life to saving fellow vets.” The veteran, Jessi Tseng, said seeing other vets “deal with alcohol abuse, drug abuse,” and homelessness was difficult for her to see. CNN noted that one of the vets it interviewed, Ramsey Raher, has been sober for two months and is “now living in a transitional housing facility.” When asked what advice he would give to those who will soon be returning from Iraq, Raher urged them to “just listen to the command. They do a very good job of giving mandatory briefings that deal with subjects such as suicide, domestic abuse,” and alcohol abuse.

•   Women Vets Deserve Attention. Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader  “Women veterans are getting overdue attention from the Sioux Falls Veterans Affairs Hospital in Sioux Falls,” as plans to upgrade and renovate the facility “include better access to mammograms, more appealing room layouts and an atmosphere welcoming to women.” The Argue Leader adds, “As the number of female veterans rises, the need for medical services for them as they return home from active duty also will increase. The VA is wise to plan for that patient growth and to provide needed upgrades for all area veterans.”

•  Fayetteville Veterans Administration Medical Center Opens Clinic To Serve Women.  Fayetteville (NC) Observer

•   Panel To Address Issues, Opportunities For Women Vets.  Lewiston (ME) Sun Journal

•     Our Veterans Deserve More – Let’s Come Together America To Help Them Find Jobs.  FOX News

•    Navy Veteran Sentenced For Theft From 9/11 Victims Fund. Washington Post

•     American Legion Auxiliary Hosts Holiday Gift Shop For Vets. Grand Island (NE) Independent

•    Examining The Connections Between Alzheimer’s And Military Veterans. Indian Country Today Media Network

•    As Wars Wind Down Demand By Vets For Health Services Grow. WAMC-FM

•     Formerly Homeless Vet Gets A New Home For The Holidays.  WBOY-TV

•     The American Legion Mohawk Post 1450 Makes Annual Christmas Donation.  WNYT-TV