Tag: Veterans’ Affairs

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Indianapolis, Indiana, Reno, Nevada, Sioux Falls, Iowa, Chicago, Illinois, Stamford, Connecticut, Portland, Oregon, Fort Myers, Florida, Leesburg, Virginia, Madison, Wisconsin, and Weslaco, Texas.

From the Post: Q&A with W. Scott Gould, deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs Interview by Ed O'Keefe The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to hire roughly 105,000...

VA Education Call Center Again Operating Five Days a Week - The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced that the Education Call Center, closed on Thursdays and Fridays over the past two months, is again operating five days a week. (2/23/10)

The U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs, as part of their continued commitment to our Nation’s Service Members, Veterans, and their families, launched a new and improved National Resource Directory (www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov).

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Stockton, California, Shreveport, Louisiana, Biloxi, Mississippi, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Port Orchard, Washington, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albany, New York, Columbia, South Carolina, Chicago, Illinois, College Park, Maryland, and Los Angeles, Califronia.

The AP (2/22, Hefling) notes that during a recent interview, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki "said he's making it a top priority this year to tackle the backlog of disability claims that has veterans waiting months - even years - to get financial compensation for their injuries." Shinseki, "a former Army chief of staff who had part of a foot blown off when he was a young officer in Vietnam, was unapologetic about a decision he made in October to make it easier for potentially 200,000 sick Vietnam veterans who were exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide to receive service-connected compensation." Shinseki "said he's looking ahead to make sure Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries don't have similar problems getting financial compensation."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Sarasota, Florida, Chillicothe, Ohio, Minneapolis, Minnesota, South Bend, Indiana, Fort Myers, Florida, Remsen, New York, San Clemente, Caliornia, Evergreen Park, Illinois, and Kings Park, New York.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Camp Lejeune North Carolina, San Francisco, California, Tallmadge, Ohio, Cicero, Illinois, Hampton Roads, Virginia, Sioux City, Iowa, Newton, Massachusetts, Fort Myers, Florida, Athens, Georgia, and Louisville, Kentucky.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Moundville, Alabama, Amherst, Massachusetts, Ontario, Canada, Lorain, Ohio, Tampa, Florida, Lynchburg, Virginia, Salt Lake City, Utah, Long Beach, California, Aurora, Colorado, and Hanson, Kentucky

In continuing coverage, Modern Healthcare (2/19, Lubell, 72K) reports, "Robert Petzel has been sworn in as undersecretary for health at the Veterans Affairs Department, the agency announced. Petzel will be heading the Veterans Health Administration, the 262,000-employee component of the VA that is composed of 153 hospitals, more than 800 geographically separate outpatient clinics or mobile clinics, and 232 readjustment counseling vet centers." Modern Healthcare notes that in a written statement, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said Petzel's "commitment to outstanding medical quality and access for veterans will be critical to leading VA in its 21st century transformation."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Bayboro, North Carolina, Alamagordo, New Mexico, St Louis, Missouri, Spartanburg, South Carolina, Los Angeles, California, and Waco, Texas.

Shinseki: Workers Being Moved Back To New GI Bill Helpline.The AP (2/18, Hefling) reports, "Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with questions about the new Post-9/11 GI Bill will again be able to get help by phone five days a week starting Thursday." Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, who "made the announcement in an interview while traveling to a meeting with veterans" in West Virginia, "says that GI Bill helpline employees have been tapped since December to help process a backlog in education claims. With claims being processed more efficiently now, Shinseki says those workers are being moved back to the helpline."

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Battle Creek, Michigan, Pell City, Alabama, Lafayette, Louisiana, Lompoc, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, Beckley, West Virginia, San Ramon, California, Chillicothe, Ohio, Los Angeles, California

"The military needs to step up and address this problem," said John Wilson of the advocacy group Disabled American Veterans, which maintains a registry of more than 500 veterans with disorders they blame on burn pits. The fumes emanating from the pits, he warned, could become the Agent Orange of the current war zone.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues from Maryville, Tennessee, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Illinois, Richmond, Virginia, Mason City, Iowa, Burlington, Vermont, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, and Plant City, Florida

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from Savannah, Georgia, Salt Lake City, Utah, Rockland, Massachusetts, Davenport, Iowa, Shreveport, Louisiana, Anchorage, Alaska, Manila, Philippines, Los Angeles, California, Nashua, New Hampshire, and Charleston, West Virginia.

Regional stories on veterans, health,education and other benefits and issues today from: Monterey, California, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Wichita Falls, Texas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Lufkin, Texas, Fayetteville, North Carolina, Hartford, Connecticut, Sunrise, Florida, Springfield, Missouri, and Chattanooga, Tennessee.

If approved by the NRC, the unprecedented request would eliminate the negative "medical event" categorization for 80 of 97 previously reported cases in which prostate cancer patients were given improper doses of radiation at the VA's Philadelphia facility. NRC officials say they do not recall ever getting a similar request.

Regional Stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and issues today from: South Bristol, New York, Pocatello, Idaho, Carmel, California, Port St Lucie, Florida, Bishop, Texas, Chillicothe, Ohio

Regional stories on veterans health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Lorain, Ohio, Wichita Falls, Texas, Salt Lake City, Utah, Louisville,Kentucky, Charleston,South Carolina, Port St. Lucie, Florida, Joliet, Illinois, Johnston, Iowa, St Paul Minnesota, and Mason, Texas

VA is known for its commitment to innovative quality and safety programs and for the transparency of results they achieve. In 2008, VA issued its first comprehensive facility-level report of quality and safety data, reporting on care provided in inpatient and outpatient settings, quality of care within specific patient populations, and patient satisfaction and outcomes. Improved and re-issued in 2009, the report is a comprehensive snapshot of the quality of care VA provides.

Regional stories on veterans' health, education and other benefits and services today from: Prescott, Arizona, Norman Oklahoma, Lufkin, Texas, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Anchorage, Alaska, Oakland, California, Tomah, Wisconsin, Buffalo, New York, Sunderland, Massachusetts, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Buffalo, New York, and Wellesley, Massachusetts

Regional stories on veterans, health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Marksville, Louisiana, Forest Grove, Oregon, San Diego, California, Des Moines, Iowa, Salt Lake City, Utah, Cleveland, Ohio, Milpitas, California, and Austin, Texas

Did you know that the Board of Veterans’ Appeals publishes a law journal? The Veterans Law Review, founded by Board Chairman James P. Terry, encourages frank discussion of relevant legislative, administrative, and judicial developments in veterans’ benefits law. The 2nd volume of the Veterans Law Review is slated for national distribution later this month. For more information, including guidelines for submitting an article for the 3rd volume of the Veterans Law Review, visit Law Review.

Regional stories on veterans health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Shreveport, Louisiana, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Corvallis, Oregon, Helena, Montana, Bay Pines, Florida, Salem, Oregon, San Diego, California, Cincinnati, Ohio, Hagerstown, Maryland, Los Angeles, California, and Boulder City, Nevada

Murtha, First Vietnam Combat Vet Elected To Congress, Passes Away. The AP (2/9) reports 77-year-old John Murtha US Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), "an influential critic of the Iraq War whose congressional career was shadowed by questions about his ethics, died Monday." In 1974, Murtha "became the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress," a point also noted by McClatchy (2/9, Youssef), the Wall Street Journal (2/9, Bendavid, Miller, 2.08M), The Hill (2/9, Tiron, 21K), and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Regional stories on veterans health, education and other benefits and issues today from: Helena, Montana, Pocatello, Idaho, Washington, DC, Modesto, California, Goshen, New York, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Tempe, Arizona, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Florence, South Carolina

President Obama's 2011 budget proposal includes 20 cost-saving ideas submitted by federal employees; three from VA employees: -- Allow Veterans to Keep Medication When They're Discharged: The award-winning SAVE Award idea would allow veterans leaving VA medical facilities to keep leftover medications, including eye drops and inhalers. The plan would save taxpayers $14.5 million in the next four years.

Regional stories on veterans health, education and other benefits and issues, today from: Scranton, Pennsylvania, Morristown, New Jersey, Hillsboro, Illinois, Oceanside, California, Milford, Massachusetts, Detroit, Michigan, Chula Vista, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, and Haverstraw, New York

Regional stories on veterans' health, education,other benefits and issues today from: Prescott, Arizona, Ballston Spa, New York, Melbourne, Florida, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Joliet, Illinois, Conroe, Texas, Vero Beach, Florida, Elmira, New York, San Francisco, California, and St. Joseph, Missouri.

Regional stories on Veterans benefits, health, education and other issues today from: Redding, California, Phoenix, Arizona, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Bennington, Vermont, Denver, Colorado, Torrington, Connecticut, Roseberg, Oregon, Ocala, Florida, Nobleboro, Maine, Fort Worth,Texas, Vineland, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chillicothe, and Columbus, Ohio.

Regional stories on Veterans, health, education and other benefits and issues, today from:Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, Terre Haute, Indiana, Concord, California, Lombard, Illinois, Wilmington, North Carolina, Cranford, New Jersey, Houston, Texas,Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, Terre Haute, Indiana, Concord, California, Lombard, Illinois, Wilmington, North Carolina, Cranford, New Jersey, Houston, Texas, and Cranford, New Jersey

Regional stories on Veterans benefits, health, education and other issues today from: Watertown, New York, Morgantown, West Virginia, Allentown, Pennsylvania, Battle Creek, Michigan, Washington, DC, Stockton, California, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Buckeye Lake, Ohio, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, Denver, Colorado, Portland, Oregon, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Cedar Rapids, Iowa

If you watched the Grammy Awards on January 31, you were part of one of television’s largest audiences and you also saw VA’s new health care recruitment ad. The Winter Olympics is another big-audience event coming up where the commercial will run a total of 12 times between February 8 and February 28. The ads will also run during CBS’s Amazing Race on February 14 from 8-9 p.m. (EST) and on 60 Minutes February 28 from 7-8 p.m. (EST). The ads direct viewers to VA Careers, and VA medical centers are making sure all available jobs are posted to make the most of the ad campaign’s referral to the site for information about VA job opportunities. These are just a few of the hundreds of television airings scheduled for the recruitment ads in the near future.

The failure to answer 90 percent of calls says a lot about the VA. As the second-largest bureaucracy in the country, it continues to be a model of how not to run government programs. Forget all of Washington's buzz words: transparency, efficiency, fiscal responsibly. We need the administration to try a new term, "customer service." These veterans aren't calling to order an iPad, they're trying to take advantage of a historic benefit that was promised to them by Congress and this president.

Top 10 Veterans news from around the country features the top stories on Veterns Benefits,Health, Education and other issues in summary form from the Veterans Administration.

Today's regional stories on veterans affairs, health, benefits and education from: Fargo, North Dakota, Gainesville, Georgia, Seattle, Washington, Madison, Wisconsin, Tallahassee, Florida, Des Moines, Iowa, Sacramento, California, Washington, DC, Wagner, Souh Dakota, Roseburg, Oregon, Omaha, Nebraska, and Starkville, Mississippi.

Today's regional stories on veterans, health education, other benefits and issues from: Baltimore, Maryland, Fort Worth, Texas, Spokane, Washingon, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Melbourne, Florida, Jefferson City, Missouri, Huntington, West Virginia, Madison, Wisconsin, Greenville, Texas, Chattanooga, Tennessee, Winfield, Kansas, Watertown, New York, and Klamath Falls, Oregon

To expand health care to a record-number of Veterans, reduce the number of homeless Veterans and process a dramatically increased number of new disability compensation claims, the White House has announced a proposed $125 billion budget next year for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

# VFW Head Lauds Shinseki, Sees Improvements In Vets' Health Care. # NY Governor: Keep Aid To Local Vets' Agencies At Current Level. # Vets Cemetery In Kentucky On Track For Fall Opening. # Acute Psychiatric Unit Proposed For Vermont VAMC. # Ohio County Hard Hit By Veteran Suicides.

"I still think about suicide, but when I start thinking about it I have to think, 'What's the impact on everyone I care about?'"

Regional stories today on veterans education, health, benefits, and news from: Bloomfield, New Mexico, San Diego, California, Pueblo, Colorado, New Albany, Indiana, St Paul, Minnesota, Sarasota, Florida, Augusta, Georgia, Temple, Texas, Anchorage, Alaska, Highland Park, New Jersey, Colleyville, Texas, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Red Bluff, California