Dr. Sheila Rauch is a VA leader in PTSD treatment and the director of mental health research and program evaluation at the Atlanta VA Health Care System. For more than two decades, she’s been training providers in VA, the Department of Defense, and the civilian sector in models for treating patients with PTSD.

One of those models is called prolonged exposure for primary care.

Prolonged exposure is one of the premier trauma-focused, cognitive-behavioral therapies used in VA for patients with PTSD. It often requires referral to a mental health clinic and is based on someone thinking about the traumatic events he or she has experienced – at a time when everything is fine – to help them realize those memories are not harmful and that people can do things they want to do with less fear. Case in point: Being in a crowded area where you can’t see people behind you may trigger anxious feelings, but it doesn’t mean something bad will happen.

Researcher: Many PTSD patients avoid mental health clinics

Anger, guilt, sleep problems, and re-experiencing trauma through flashbacks and nightmares are common symptoms for Veterans with PTSD.

Prolonged exposure for primary care (PE-PC) uses essentially the same concepts in a briefer format, with a less demanding in-session time commitment (four to eight 30-minute sessions versus 8 to 15 90-minute sessions). Plus, all of the treatment is done in a primary care setting.

In Rauch’s view, many patients with PTSD who are referred to mental health services will not follow up, for one, because of the stigma that exists with going to mental health clinics. The time commitment also deters many people from taking part in the traditional form of prolonged exposure, she says. She thus supports use of prolonged exposure for primary care on a wider scale in VA, noting that 155 providers are now trained to administer it.

Major declines in PTSD symptoms

Following a clinical trial that showed PE-PC is more effective at reducing PTSD symptoms than weekly phone check-ins with a provider, Rauch led a small study that focused on how that treatment works in a VA primary care mental health setting. The study included 18 patients at the Atlanta VA, 16 of whom completed the treatment protocol: four to eight 30-minute sessions. Two-thirds of the sample met the full criteria for PTSD at entry. The rest did not but had PTSD symptoms they wanted to address in primary care. The participants attended five sessions on average.

The results showed major declines in PTSD symptoms from the first to the last treatment session, according to the PCL-5 checklist, a self-report measure that is used in health care to assess the 20 most commonly recognized PTSD symptoms. The research, published online in the journal Cognitive and Behavioral Practice in October 2020, included two case studies that provided “compelling evidence” the treatment helps reduce PTSD symptoms.

Currently, Rauch is leading a larger study that is examining functional outcomes in Veterans with PTSD who receive PE-PC, compared to those who receive standard PTSD treatment in primary care. She spoke with VA about prolonged exposure for primary care.

VA Research Currents: What exactly is prolonged exposure for primary care and why is it necessary?

Rauch: Prolonged exposure for primary care is a brief version of the front-line PTSD treatment prolonged exposure. It provides treatment to patients with significant PTSD symptoms that they want to address in a primary care setting. Although it calls for fewer and shorter sessions, it is still a demanding treatment, as we ask patients to approach their worst fears. They also work a lot in between sessions by writing and reading about their traumatic memories. Most people with PTSD will never seek care for PTSD, and even those who do are unlikely to receive a first-line treatment, such as prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy. Providing this brief but effective treatment in primary care – where most people with psychological difficulties will receive their mental health care – can greatly increase access to effective PTSD care. More complicated cases call for specialty mental health services or people starting on certain medications who can later be managed in primary care.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Veterans Benefits Administration’s (VBA) disability compensation appeals dropped below 75,000, Feb. 11.

Notices of Disagreement (NODs) and substantive appeals filed in the “legacy” system decreased from 292,452 in March 2016 to 74,439 despite VBA receiving 779,720 new legacy appeals.

Both inventories represent appeals within the initial stages of the appeals process, in place prior to the department’s February 2019 implementation of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA).

“VBA is on track to eliminate its NODs and substantive appeals inventory by July.” said VA Secretary Robert Wilke. “Our progress on reducing the number of legacy appeals is proof of the modernization efforts we’ve undertaken.”

The AMA modernizes the current claims and appeals process by:

• Including three review options for disagreements with decisions.
• Requiring improved notification of VA decisions.
• Providing earlier claim resolution.
• Ensuring Veterans receive the earliest effective date possible.

Visit Appeals Modernization for more information.

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COVID-19’s impact on Veterans is not slowing down but the Department of Veterans Affairs is going ahead with its plan to restart collections for care. The agency’s Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs announced Wednesday that it would resume overpayment notifications for benefit overpayments that were suspended from April 3 through Jan. 1, 2021.

Secretary Robert Wilkie said Veterans and beneficiaries who still are experiencing financial hardships due to the pandemic still will have access to certain enhanced relief options as a result.

VA deferred collection of these overpayments during to the COVID-19 pandemic, including suspending all actions on Veteran’s debts under the jurisdiction of the Treasury Department, and suspending collections or extending repayments for preexisting VA debts.

As such, Veterans could submit their paperwork late for purposes of perfecting claims, challenging adverse decisions, submitting “notices of disagreement,” submitting “substantive appeals,” and if responding to “supplemental statements of the case.”

“These include extending repayment plans, waivers, compromises and temporary hardship suspensions,” Wilkie said in a statement. “Most importantly, the department will pause collections through October 2021 for Veterans who remain in financial hardship and request relief.”

Since April 6, VA put monthly copay patient statements on hold, although Veterans could make payments before the statements restart next month. The statements going out in January may include the total amount of any new copay charges for medical care and prescriptions received from April 6 through Dec. 31, and unpaid copay charges for medical care and prescriptions received before April 2020.

The department said it was processing benefits payments as normal and that it would not count any money received as part of the COVID-19 stimulus package as income for VA disability compensation, individual unemployability, VA pension, or parent Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) beneficiaries.

Veterans and beneficiaries with questions regarding benefit overpayments can submit requests online through the Inquiry Routing and Information System (IRIS), which has staff assigned to individual cases. Beneficiaries can also call 800-827-0648, but VA’s Debt Management Center said on its website as of Thursday, Dec. 31, it was struggling with high call volume due to the COVID-19 debt suspension notifications. The center will also close Friday, Jan. 1, for the federal holiday and will reopen Saturday, Jan. 2 from 6 a.m. EDT (7 a.m. CDT) until 2:30 p.m. EDT (3:30 p.m. CDT). The center resumes normal operating hours on Monday, Jan. 4.

As for its response to the virus itself, VA said on Dec. 16 it had begun administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to frontline health care workers and Veterans in long-term care and spinal cord injury centers, in New Orleans and Bedford, Massachusetts. As of Wednesday the department said it had administered more than 55,000 vaccines nationwide, using both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Moderna versions.

By Thursday morning, the department tabulated 152,091 cumulative COVID-19 cases among Veterans, employees and non-Veterans tested or treated at VA facilities – 10,726 active cases and 6,607 known deaths – according to its public data tracker. Employees accounted for 1,055 of the active cases, 13,587 convalescent cases, and 95 VA employees have died from the virus as of Tuesday.

It’s why employee union representatives said before the December holidays that many VA medical center workers were feeling “burned out” and a sense of despair. Age-old staffing shortages were making it even harder to treat patients and keep health care workers quarantined if they test positive.

During the six weeks between March 15 and May 1, the Veterans Health Administration canceled 7.3 million appointments after it instructed medical facility staff to avoid non-urgent face-to-face contact with patients. And although some were converted to telehealth appointments, VA Inspector General Michael Missal told Federal Drive with Tom Temin back in September that there was no evidence of follow-up for about 2.3 million of the cancelled appointments. Missal called VHA’s guidance on March 22 to designate all canceled appointments as being canceled by the patient “whether or not the patient really canceled it” problematic because it was less likely to encourage facilities to follow up.

Missal said some Veterans had multiple appointments canceled, making it unclear exactly how many individuals never got rescheduled.

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The U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the reestablishment of in-person benefits services in select locations throughout the country.

Currently, there are 11 regional offices (RO) open to the public and more are expected to reopen in the coming weeks as reopening phases will vary by RO and local conditions.

“During the last few months, VA regional offices continued performing our essential mission virtually — to provide benefits to Veterans and eligible family members,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “We have robust safety measures in place that will allow us to resume in-person services while protecting the health and safety of Veterans, their families and our team members who serve them.”

ROs will continue adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines which includes the use of social distancing, face coverings, hand sanitizer and asking sick individuals to stay at home.

Veterans can continue to interact with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) virtually for accessing benefits information online or when filing a claim online. For claim-specific questions call 1-800-827-1000. To check the availability of an RO near you, visit VA benefits offices.

VBA’s return to normal, pre-COVID-19 public-facing operations align with White House guidelines for re-opening. Read more about our response to COVID-19.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a new appointment scheduling tool Aug. 21 at the VA Central Ohio Healthcare System to make medical visits more efficient for care providers and Veterans.

A critical component of VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) effort, the Centralized Scheduling Solution (CSS) will be implemented at all VA health facilities to expedite patient-care coordination throughout the department.

“VA has delivered an enhanced scheduling system that will benefit Veterans and health care providers,” said Acting VA Deputy Secretary Pamela Powers, who has oversight of VA’s EHRM program. “This is another successful launch of a major milestone in the EHRM effort and will optimize Veterans’ access to health care by improving appointment scheduling. CSS also provides an efficient and transparent method of identifying and eliminating double bookings, flagging canceled appointments and maximizing provider time spent with patients.”

VA’s current scheduling solutions require VA staff to log in to multiple software applications to coordinate calendars, clinicians, rooms and equipment. This process requires time-intensive manual data entry and workarounds to finalize appointments. CSS will address these challenges by providing an “all-in-one” appointment management solution that offers scheduling by resource (e.g., clinician, room, equipment), simple color-coded time slots and a single view for coordinating schedules across multiple locations.

Through EHRM, VA will move from using its existing electronic health record (EHR) system, the software that stores patient information and tracks all aspects of Veteran care, to a new EHR solution that is interoperable with the Department of Defense (DOD) system. Initial EHR rollout at VA sites will start in fall 2020.

Upon full implementation at all sites, the new EHR will unify all VA health care facilities into one system linked with DOD. This modernization effort will create a comprehensive health record to provide seamless care for service members and Veterans. Visit VA’s EHRM program and CSS for more information.

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The number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since January 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010, according to the VA.

The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday that it surpassed its 2022 goals for housing Veterans experiencing homelessness.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough set a goal of housing 38,000 Veterans by the end of last year. The agency said 40,401 Veterans were permanently housed, exceeding the goal by 6.3%.

McDonough said ending Veteran homelessness was a top priority. “We at VA will not rest until the phrase ‘homeless Veteran’ is a thing of the past,” he said in a news release.

The number of Veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has decreased by 11% since January 2020 and by more than 55% since 2010, according to the VA.

In a call with reporters, Monica Diaz, the executive director of the Veterans Health Administration Homeless Programs Office, attributed the agency’s success to efficient use of subsidies and what she called an evidence-based, housing-first approach to ending homelessness. The method prioritizes getting Veterans into housing, then providing support services, including health care and job training, as well as any needed mental health or substance dependency interventions to help Veterans stay in housing.

Diaz also said her office has implemented a robust homelessness prevention program that seeks out Veterans who may be at risk of falling into homelessness and offers support services to help them avoid it.

In an interview ahead of Veterans Day last year, McDonough touted the approach and credited the American people’s generosity as a key factor in meeting his housing goals and keeping Veterans housed.

“We have the resources to begin to address those challenges with wraparound services,” McDonough said. “So the reason the Vet was homeless in the first place gets addressed. Using that, I am confident we will get to zero.”

Diaz told reporters her office is also tracking the Veterans who have been helped into housing to ensure they stay in their new homes. She said the VA is working on establishing new goals to house even more Veterans in the future.

Veterans experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness can call the National Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-4AID-VET (877-424-3838).

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PHOENIX — U.S. Army Veteran Mike Biggs was visiting his sister in Phoenix 10 years ago when a pair of fellow Veterans saw him on the street and told him something he didn't know about himself.

"They said, 'Well, you're homeless.' And I'm like, 'No, I'm not.' So they had to explain to me what the definition of homelessness is," he said.

Biggs had been too busy getting by to realize his name hadn't been on a lease for five or six years after getting out of the military.

"I said, 'Well, yeah, and I've been homeless for a very long time then.' So they said, 'Well, you need to come with us.' Didn't know these guys from a can of paint," he said.

Those two Veterans brought him to a transitional housing program run by U.S. Vets in Phoenix, and eventually offered him a job. He said he'd stay for 90 days. That was 2012, and Biggs is still working at U.S. Vets as a Veterans service coordinator.

After several years of limited progress, an 11 percent drop since 2020 has encouraged advocates and VA officials. It's the biggest reduction in five years. There were 33,136 homeless vets in 2022 — down from 37,252 in 2020 according to the annual point in time count conducted by the VA, HUD and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness. The same count found 582,462 homeless people in America - the Biden Administration says it's aiming to reduce that number 25 percent by 2025.

Key to the effort is an approach called housing first, as Biggs explains.

"Housing first is a model where the ultimate goal and the main priority is to get a Veteran housed. With that comes a thing called wraparound services," says Biggs.

The idea is to get Veterans a place to live, and then take care of other problems like health care, substance abuse, counseling and job training. It's a key part of a plan that saw a 55 percent reduction in Veterans homelessness since 2010.

That progress mostly stalled during the Trump Administration. Trump appointed a controversial critic of "housing-first" to head the federal Inter-Agency Council on Homelessness. Trump-backed candidates like Kari Lake in Arizona, who made it a campaign issue last year. As part of her failed bid to become governor, Lake argued that housing should be a reward for treatment, and called chronic homelessness a lifestyle choice.

"In some communities this has been more controversial, I think, than maybe it needs to be," says Kathryn Monet, CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

She hopes the Biden Administration's push to reduce all homelessness 25 percent by the end of his term will be spared from partisan politics.

"I do think that the renewed energy and focus that this administration has had on Veteran homelessness has really allowed for communities and providers to focus on doing what works as opposed to really working to address some of the divisiveness that we've seen in recent years," said Monet.

Monet says once people get in housing it's less expensive to take on their other issues, so resources go further. She hopes that methodology, along with robust funding from HUD and VA, can sustain the downward trend on Veterans homeless.

The biggest challenge is just finding the homes — with a nationwide shortage of low-income housing. Mike Biggs says the housing market in Phoenix is so tight that even people with jobs end up living on the streets.

"There's not enough affordable housing. When I first got here 10 years ago, you could find an apartment for $500 a month, $99 move-in special. Those places are gone. A lot of the locations now, it takes two incomes," he said, "It feels like it's an uphill battle."

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Veterans Affairs leaders are completely overhauling their training and deployment schedule for their controversial electronic medical records modernization project, acknowledging fundamental flaws in the work so far.

But VA Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers on Wednesday that he is not considering abandoning the $16-billion project to use the Cerner Millennium records platform, a 2017 decision made by then-President Donald Trump, who touted it as the solution to bring Veteran and active-duty medical files into the same computer system for the first time.

“The mission of the [project] has always been to create a platform that seamlessly delivers the best access and outcomes for our Vets and the best experience for our providers. VA’s first implementation of the records … did not live up to that promise, either for our Veterans, or for our providers,” McDonough told members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

“But by making changes, we can and we will get this effort back on track.”

The electronic records project has received intense scrutiny from Congress in recent months, in part because of the cost and scope of the project and in part because of past, expensive failures in efforts to bring the Defense Department and VA together on the same medical records systems.

“I for one am fed up with the amount of taxpayer dollars we’re spending on this program without any demonstrated benefits to Veterans or VA medical staff,” said committee chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont. “This simply cannot continue. We have literally been working on this for almost my entire time in Congress, 15 years.”

Last fall, after two years of behind-the-scenes work on data processing and planning, the new VA system went online at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash.

In a report released last week, the VA Inspector General found that rollout to be a chaotic headache, criticizing “insufficient time for training … challenges with user role assignments, and gaps in training support.”

McDonough said those kinds of reports prompted the departments recently completed 12-week review of the records changeover plans. In a report released to Congress on Wednesday, VA investigators acknowledged that significant changes are needed because “Veterans and their families are frustrated by the transition.”

That includes addressing “numerous patient safety concerns and system errors” identified during the Spokane rollout. McDonough said that staff found that all safety issues were immediately corrected, but the potential for harm because of records mistakes raised extra concerns among leadership.

Improved patient safety was a key selling point of the records overhaul, with supporters asserting that a better records system would cut down on mistaken drug prescriptions and provide physicians with better visibility of patients’ whole health records.

The internal VA review found similar difficulties with training and implementation of new records systems in private-sector ventures, and pointed largely towards issues with how staff and patients were introduced to the new Cerner system than the records system itself.

Officials promised to address all open patient safety issues by the end of this month, before the project advances any further.

Less clear is the timeline for the rest of the project. Officials were supposed to deploy the new records system to the Columbus, Ohio, VA medical center this summer, with an eye towards having the entire department medical system using the new software in 2028.

Instead, VA officials are now planning a “technical-only” deployment of the Cerner technology in two of its regional service networks (the ones encompassing Spokane and Columbus) without any impact on patients or clinicians.

Officials will also abandon previous plans for a site-by-site scheduled deployment of the new system, instead evaluating individual facilities preparations and readiness before putting the new system in place. McDonough did not say when patients and staff should expect those moves.

“I won’t go live at those sites fully until I have answers to all of our questions,” he said.

Senators praised the revamped approach but lamented the continued problems with the program.

“The longer we delay, the longer that we have challenges with this program, the less likely that the Veterans who are living today are going to benefit from this dramatic opportunity,” said committee ranking member Jerry Moran, R-Kansas.

“For this to be judged a success, I think the pause was important. We need to produce quality standards for electronic health records, get our VA employees and the practicing medical community trained.”

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Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie on Wednesday defended the department's use of an unproven anti-malaria drug for treating patients with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, saying that the drug was only being administered for high-risk Veterans.

In a letter sent to Veterans organizations, Wilkie claimed that a recent analysis of those hospitalized in Veterans Health Administration medical centers led to "misinformation" about what was taking place at its facilities. He said that hydroxychloroquine was only being given to Veterans at the "highest risk prior to receiving medication."

Wilkie also asserted that hydroxychloroquine was not an experimental drug, noting that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had authorized its emergency use when clinical trials are not available.

"VA is adhering to these guidelines, only using hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 in cases where Veteran patients and their providers determine it is medically necessary," he said.

Wilkie did not provide any details about how widespread the use of the anti-malaria drug is in Veterans Affairs facilities.

The letter came just a week after an analysis submitted for publication in the New England Journal of Medicine found that two primary outcomes for COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine were death and the need for mechanical ventilation.

The study's conclusion was based on a retrospective analysis of patients hospitalized in Veterans Health Administration medical centers with confirmed COVID-19 infections. While the study only analyzed 368 patients, it represented the largest analysis of outcomes for COVID-19 patients treated with hydroxychloroquine. The study has not been peer-reviewed.

The findings "can accelerate our understanding of the outcomes of these drugs in COVID-19 while we await the results of the ongoing prospective trials," the authors said.

President Trump has repeatedly touted hydroxychloroquine as a potential "game changer" in the fight to combat the coronavirus, though health officials have emphasized that not enough is known about the drug to determine its efficacy.

The FDA has yet to approve a drug or therapeutic for treating COVID-19.  

The agency earlier this month warned that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, another anti-malaria drug, should not be taken outside a hospital or clinical trial. FDA said it released the warning because of reports about COVID-19 patients experiencing serious cardiac events after taking the drugs.

Wilkie also stressed in a call with major Veterans organization that patients at their facilities were not being used as "test subjects," according to The Associated Press.

Veterans organizations have called on the department to release more information about how it is administering the drugs.

“Why were Veterans who were receiving treatment from a federal agency being treated with an unproven and speculative drug?” Jeremy Butler, chief executive officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, asked, according to the AP.

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Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough acknowledged that he is “frustrated” with inconsistency in how medical appointment wait time data is calculated and recorded within the department’s health care systems, and promised changes on the issue later this year.

During testimony before the House Appropriations Committee this week, McDonough said he is concerned about delivering accurate information on appointment timeliness to Veterans as they seek to resume care that was deferred or canceled in recent years.

“If you look at our average wait times across the system, they’re good, but it’s a big system and we’re coming out of a pandemic,” he said. “So I fear that there are outliers where people are waiting too long.”

Wait times at VA facilities became a national scandal in 2014 after whistleblowers revealed that officials were manipulating data to cover up long delays in care to meet performance metrics.

During President Donald Trump’s administration, the department began posting wait-time data online for all VA hospitals and clinics in an effort to provide more transparency into how long Veterans have to wait for routine or specialty appointments (and to argue for broader use of community care options for Veterans facing longer waits).

But in a report released Thursday, the VA Inspector General’s office said much of that data remains confusing and misleading.

“[The Veterans Health Administration] has sometimes presented wait times with different methodologies, using inconsistent start dates that affect the overall calculations without clearly and accurately presenting that information to the public,” officials wrote.

In response to similar concerns raised by lawmakers, McDonough said that “we have to do a better job with that” and said he expects an announcement on changes related to the wait time issues in coming months.

“We’re working really hard on it because I am frustrated with it myself,” he said.

VA health officials have predicted a significant rise in appointment requests in coming months, as pandemic conditions across the country improve and more Veterans resume deferred care.

That in turn has raised concerns about pressure on the VA health care system, and whether Veterans could see a significant increase in the time it takes to schedule appointments.

Health officials have touted new pandemic telehealth options within the department as a way to help ease the burden on facilities facing increased requests. But lawmakers this week noted that in rural areas — locations with some of the longest wait times already — a lack of reliable internet access may limit the availability of those services.

Conservative groups have pointed to issues with wait times in VA medical care as evidence that the department needs broader use of private-sector alternatives for Veterans. In a statement Friday, officials from Concerned Veterans for America said they have serious concerns with the failings reported by the inspector general.

“CVA has been calling out the VA’s transgressions in both calculation and presentation of patient wait times,” said Russ Duerstine, deputy director for the group. “I can only imagine the frustration a Veteran must experience when they can’t find a straight answer to how long it will take to get care.”

But critics of plans to shift more care to private-sector physicians have maintained that wait time data for those community care options is typically less reliable or even non-existent, resulting in worse options for Veterans already frustrated with medical care delays.

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Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told the Washington Examiner Thursday that legislation is needed before the Department of Veteran Affairs can help those Veterans suffering from a range of illnesses related to toxic exposure in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks.

But the small subset of Veterans who spent time at a contaminated Uzbek airbase that served as a northern staging ground for the invasion of Afghanistan has long called on a simple Department of Defense regulation change and the VA to cooperate.

“We don’t want our Veterans to go through what Vietnam Veterans went through in terms of not knowing,” Wilkie told the Washington Examiner in a Thursday press call hosted by Inside Sources.

“Now, the Congress does have to change legislation,” Wilkie said, describing a statutory change to the percentage a Veteran is considered disabled after a service-related injury. “We don’t deny medical services to any Veteran who is sick.”

But K2 Veteran and retired Army Staff Sgt. Mark Jackson told the Washington Examiner that Wilkie was splitting hairs to obfuscate the problem.

“Secretary Wilkie is providing the same vague platitudes that we’ve been getting for 20 years,” said Jackson, who served at the secret base known as “K2” in Karshi-Khanabad, Uzbekistan.

“It’s ironic that he says that he’s trying to prevent what happened to Vietnam Veterans because it’s already happening to us,” he said.

“He’s technically correct, any sick Veteran can go in and get care,” he explained. “That’s the point is that, without preventative care and early intervention, all we’re going to have is sick Veterans.”

Jackson said Veterans are denied preventive screenings to detect rare cancers related to their exposure. Now, he and other K2 Veterans are hoping legislation or an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act will force the VA and the Pentagon to act.

Asked by the Washington Examiner if he has asked Defense Secretary Mark Esper to conduct the required epidemiological studies that a law would mandate, Wilkie only said the K2 was among a host of things the two agencies discuss.

Recently declassified Department of Defense surveys from the time are the first official admission that the old Soviet base was unsafe. But still, since the base was secret and the studies hidden, the Pentagon did not include it on official registries that allow service members to get preventive care.

“Talk to enough widows, talk to enough of these Veterans who aren’t getting any care,” said Jackson, who suffers thyroid and gastrointestinal problems related to radiation exposure at K2.

“We now have declassified documents that say 100% of personnel were exposed to radiation during the duration of their tour between 2001 and 2005," he said.

VA press secretary Christina Noel recently told the Washington Examiner that the VA has begun a study of K2 Veterans' illnesses that is expected to yield initial results within 18 months. Jackson said none of the K2 Veterans he knows have heard from the VA yet about the study.

Thousands of K2 Veterans knew that something was wrong when they first arrived at the snowy base quickly stood up in the post-9/11 confusion.

They experienced headaches and gastrointestinal problems during their service. Some developed rare cancers soon after, others years later. The Veterans later learned their base was built on a bombed-out chemical weapons factory, had dangerous levels of radiation, and they were breathing fumes from disposed fuels.

The Pentagon estimates that about 10,000 service members spent time at K2. Those who also spent time in Iraq or Afghanistan were included in 2018 legislation to cover illnesses related to burn pits.

K2 was never included in the registries. Other Pentagon directives deem certain illnesses “presumptive” based on a service area and afford preventive care.

“We are stuck in this weird Kafkaesque purgatory where the absence one word, Uzbekistan, is preventing us from being able to get on those preventative registries so that we could get tested,” said Jackson.

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WASHINGTON – Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough on Friday signed an updated plan for a long-delayed housing development in Los Angeles that’s intended to help solve the Veteran homelessness crisis.

The 656-page plan, titled Master Plan 2022, contains details for a major construction project on the VA campus in West Los Angeles, where acres owned by the department are going unused. At last count in 2020, about 10% of all homeless Veterans lived in Los Angeles.

The updated plan calls for more than 1,000 housing units for homeless Veterans to be under construction within the next one to five years. The plan states 220 additional units will be built within six to 10 years, and the VA will add 350 more units sometime after that.

VA officials promised Friday that there would be more action on the plan following years of delays.

“While the original plan was aspirational, Master Plan 2022 is more operational in nature,” said Keith Harris, the VA’s senior executive homelessness agent for Greater Los Angeles.

The project was first established in 2016, and only 55 units have been finished in the past six years – about 8% of what was expected to be completed by this point. Harris said work on the development was “stymied by a variety of obstacles.”

After an investigation last year, the VA’s Office of Inspector General blamed the delays on land-use issues, environmental impact studies, the need for infrastructure upgrades and challenges with fundraising, among other issues.

When the plan was first created, the agency assumed the existing infrastructure on the VA campus could handle the utility requirements for the development, said Steve Braverman, director of the Greater Los Angeles Health Care System. It was later discovered that wasn’t the case. To prepare for the development, the agency secured $75.5 million for utility and infrastructure improvements from 2020 to 2022, and another $34.6 million is allocated for 2023.

Shortly after taking office last year, McDonough said he would give his approval on a revised master plan for the project, promising action and transparency.

“The original draft master plan laid out a plan for development that the VA has not met,” Harris said. “In fact, we’re well behind. It called for 700 units to be built by now. We know this deeply frustrates Veterans and advocates. It frustrates us, too.”

The VA campus in West Los Angeles is 388 acres in total. The land was donated to the government in 1888 by a wealthy California landowner who wanted the area to be used to provide health care and homes for disabled Veterans. There are several historic structures on the campus, and most of the buildings were built in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, with their characteristic red-tile roofs and stucco walls.

The campus contains a nine-hole golf course, a Japanese garden and plenty of open space. Many of the buildings now sit vacant, some because of their states of disrepair and others because the coronavirus pandemic pushed employees out of their offices.

In one part of the campus, construction workers are restoring two large buildings into permanent housing units. By the end of the year, the VA expects to have 186 apartments ready for use.

While it’s much fewer than the 700 originally planned for 2022, Harris is hoping that finishing some units this year will help the VA regain credibility that it lost among Veterans.

“I want to note, talk is cheap. Watch our actions,” he said. “We have upwards of 180 new units schedule to come online this year. If we can bring those about this year on time, I think that’ll be an important step in rebuilding credibility.”

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WASHINGTON – Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough vowed Wednesday to get all homeless Veterans living in the area known as “Veterans row” in Los Angeles into housing by Nov. 1.

About 40 people live along Veterans row, a homeless encampment just outside the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. McDonough visited the facility two weeks ago and spoke to Veterans living there.

“I think this is a question of rolling up our sleeves and getting to work and getting it done,” he said. “That’s what I pledged to the Veterans I spoke with on Veterans row that day and what the country expects us to do.”

The VA assigned a social worker and an employee who specializes in homelessness resources to speak with the Veterans and help get them into housing, McDonough said. The goal is to find them temporary housing by November – less than two weeks away.

When McDonough was asked why the resources weren’t previously expended toward Veterans row, he said: “I can’t comment as to why it didn’t happen before.”

Veterans experience homelessness at a disproportionately high rate compared to the rest of the U.S. population, and there are more homeless Veterans in Los Angeles County than anywhere else in the country.

According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, 37,252 Veterans were experiencing homelessness in January 2020. Of those Veterans, 3,681, or about 10%, lived in Los Angeles.

Veteran homelessness increased slightly from 2019, stoking concerns among advocates that the effects of the coronavirus pandemic could add to an already regressive trend. Veteran homelessness increased in 19 states and Washington, D.C., between 2019 and 2020, with the biggest increases in California, Nevada and Delaware. California accounted for 31% of all homeless Veterans in the country.

In addition to the goal of eliminating the Veterans row encampment by November, McDonough announced Wednesday that the VA would house another 500 homeless Veterans in Los Angeles by the end of 2021.

“Our efforts are continuing all across the country, but there are more homeless Veterans in Los Angeles than anywhere in America,” he said. “As we solve the problem there, it will give momentum to our efforts across the country.”

Several democratic lawmakers from California applauded McDonough’s goals Wednesday.

“What the secretary is announcing today is ambitious, but the exact kind of leadership needed to get folks in homes,” said Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif. “Addressing this crisis cannot wait.”

Earlier this year, McDonough promised he would renew the department’s focus on a major project to house homeless Veterans in Los Angeles. For about five years, the VA has been working on a plan to build 1,200 subsidized apartments for homeless Veterans on the campus of the West Los Angeles VA hospital. As of June, only 54 units had been finished.

McDonough vowed during the summer to give his approval on a master plan for the project by the end of the year. A new draft plan was posted to the Federal Register on Monday. Members of the public have until Dec. 17 to provide feedback on the plan, which is more than 200 pages.

The plan states 800 units are expected to be under development at the campus by 2023. The full plan can be viewed at westladraftmasterplan.org.

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VA Secretary Robert Wilkie this week encouraged House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pass bipartisan legislation to help VA build partnerships with community groups who can offer direct help to Veterans who are at risk of harming themselves.

The IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act, from Reps. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) would allow VA to direct grant funding to these groups across the country.

These community-based groups would be able to use that funding to identify Veterans who pose a suicide risk.

“H.R. 3495 is one-way Members of Congress from both parties can support Veterans and their local communities, and I believe it can be the beginning this year of a longer-term collaboration with the VA to get at the root causes of the suicide crisis in the nation,” Wilkie wrote to Pelosi in a letter last week. “I hope your caucus can support this bipartisan effort.”

VA has had success partnering with community groups to prevent Veteran homelessness — and those efforts have been highly successful — three states and 77 communities have effectively ended this problem. VA is optimistic that strengthening these partnerships through new grant funding would lead to similar success in preventing Veteran suicide.

Secretary Wilkie also extended an invitation to meet with Speaker Pelosi about the bill.

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The number of active coronavirus cases at Veterans Affairs medical centers nationwide rose by more than 7 percent in the last five days, a worrisome turnaround from the almost daily reductions in infections over the last month.

Department officials released updated coronavirus case information on Tuesday for the first time since May 28. Officials had said the gap in information was due to internal VA information technology updates that had originally expected to be completed on Monday.

According to the data, VA hospitals were still dealing with 1,494 active cases of coronavirus as of Tuesday morning, an increase of more than 100 cases from five days earlier. At the start of May, that total was nearly 3,000, and declined steadily throughout the month.

Overall, the department has treated more than 14,400 individuals for coronavirus in the last three months.

The Washington, D.C. VA medical center — which sits just a few miles from the White House, the site of large-scale protests over racial inequality over the last few nights — now has the most active cases of any department site in America, with 66.

VA hospitals in Chicago, Philadelphia and New York also recorded more than 40 active cases among their patients.

Last week, in testimony before the House Appropriations Committee, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie praised his department’s coronavirus response as a “great success” but added that department staff are still “routinely putting their lives on the line and sacrificing time with their families to care for Veterans, most of whom are older and are therefore more vulnerable to the virus.”

At least 1,254 department patients have died from the fast-spreading illness in the last three months. That figure is up almost 11 percent in the last week alone.

In addition, more than 1,500 employees have contracted the illness, and at least 32 have died from complications related to the virus.

On May 18, VA leaders began re-opening some department facilities in an effort to return to normal operations, based on declining case numbers throughout the Veterans Health System.

In a statement, leaders said that “rigorous safety measures — including employee and Veteran COVID-19 screening, physical distancing and appropriate personal protective attire such as face coverings” would remain in place even as services were expanded.

Nearly 9 percent of patients in VA care who contract the virus have eventually died from the illness, well above the 6 percent death rate for cases among all Americans, according to the latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, VA officials have said the mortality data for their patients “cannot be used to compare VA infection or mortality rates with the community because of differences in population risk, test availability, and follow-up.”

More than 100,000 Americans have died from the illness in the last four months, and more than 377,000 individuals worldwide have died from complications related to the virus since last fall.

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Veterans will not have to fill out paperwork to share health information

It will soon be easier for you to get VA health care in your community without paperwork.

In or after January 2020, you won’t have to provide a signed, written authorization for VA to release your electronic VA health information to a participating community care provider.

VA will automatically begin sharing your health information with participating community care providers using the Veterans Health Information Exchange. The electronic system is secure and safe.

This change will make it easier for your health care team to make better decisions about your health care. It can also help you be safer, especially during emergencies.

No action needed

If you are OK with VA sharing your electronic patient information with your community care provider, you don’t have to do a thing. Your information will be shared automatically.

Form needed toOPT OUT of electronic sharing

However, if you do not want to share your information electronically, you must submit VA Form 10-10164 (Opt Out of Sharing).

THERE IS NO SEPT. 30 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOURFORM 10-10164.

You can submit your Form 10-10164 at any time. VA will share your information until you submit your form.

If you submitted Form 10-0484 before September 30, you do NOT need to submit Form 10-10164.

You can return VA Form 10-10164 at any VA Medical Center. Just visit the Release of Information (ROI) office. You can also send it by mail. After VA processes your form, your VA health information will not be shared electronically with community providers you see for treatment.

Change your mind? No problem

You change your mind and share your health record with your participating community provider. Just complete and return VA Form 10-10163 (Opt In for Sharing) at any time.

You also can still ask VA to share your information with participating community care providers by fax or mail service.

Veterans living abroad

If you are a Veteran living and/or receiving care abroad, you don’t have to do anything. VA only shares health information with participating community care providers who treat you in the United States. If you plan on receiving care in the U.S. from VA and/or a participating community care provider, then you need to opt out by submitting VA Form 10-10164 if you do not want to share your health information.

If you don’t share your information, it will not affect your VA health care or your relationship with your VA health care provider.

DOWNLOAD AND PRINT FORMS HERE (on the right-hand side – under RESOURCES)

To learn more about health information sharing, or to download and print form 10-10164 (Opt Out of Sharing) or 10-10163 (Opt In for Sharing), visit www.va.gov/vler or contact the ROI Office at your local VA medical center.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today, as VA Solid Start celebrates its one year anniversary — the Veterans Benefits Administrationconnected with nearly 70,000 newly-separated service members.

Annually, the program aims to proactively contact Veterans three times during their first year of transition from military to civilian life at the 90-, 180- and 360-day mark after separation.

“The department’s efforts have been effective,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Approximately 124,000 service members separated from the military in fiscal year 2020, and nearly 60% of those Veterans called, answered – resulting in VA connecting recently separated Veterans to earned VA benefits, including, helping Veterans in crisis immediately connect with Suicide Prevention Specialists.”

VA, in collaboration with the Department of Defense and Homeland Security, launched VA Solid Start December 2019 in response to Executive Order (EO) 13822: Supporting Our Veterans During Their Transition from Uniformed Service to Civilian Life. The EO  was issued to improve transitioning service members’ mental health care and access to suicide prevention resources in the year following discharge, separation or retirement.

If a Veteran has separated from the military in the past 90 days and has not been contacted by VA Solid Start, call 1-800-827-1000 to reach a highly trained VA Solid Start representative.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, contact the Veterans Crisis Line to receive free, confidential support and crisis intervention available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 800-273-8255 and Press 1, text to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.

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Veterans with residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) can receive additional benefits if they are housebound. The rating and compensation criteria fall under SMC (S). If the Veteran is currently at a 100% va disability rate, and VA finds that the Veteran is housebound, they will pay the Veteran at the 100% rate with an additional $375 per month.

In order to be eligible for housebound benefits, the Veteran must have:

• A single service-connected disability rated as totally disabling and additional service-connected disabilities that are independently rated at 60 percent.
  • Example: a Veteran who has been service-connected for his back condition at 100% and has been rated 60% for PTSD.

OR

• A single service-connected disability rated as totally disabling, and (Veteran must) be permanently housebound because of the service-connected disability or disabilities.
  • Example: a Veteran who has been awarded TDIU for his service-connected TBI and has been determined to be housebound due to his condition.

A Veteran is considered to be housebound when:

• Veteran is substantially confined to his/her dwelling as a direct result of service-connected disabilities
• It is reasonably certain that the disability will persist throughout his/her lifetime

However, according to the regulations, the Veteran does not have to be completely confined to his/her home to satisfy the requirement of being “substantially” confined to the dwelling or immediate premises. The Court of Veterans Appeals has held that leaving one’s house for medical purposes cannot, by itself, constitute a basis for finding that one is not substantially confined. In addition, the Veteran’s disabilities need not be rated permanent in order to receive this benefit.

Basic SMC-S Rates for Veterans without Children

Basic SMC-S Rates with Dependents, Including Children

Source: VA.Gov

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Thursday’s congressional hearing on the Veterans Affairs budget plan for fiscal 2021 quickly turned into a referendum on President Donald Trump’s first term in office, with supporters extolling changes in the department in the last three years and critics attacking a lack of progress.

For his part, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie portrayed the agency as dramatically transformed from the tumultuous bureaucracy before his confirmation in summer 2018.

“A few years ago, there were incredible stories of failures and excuses,” he said. “And today we are not only leading the country in innovation and systems but above all, we have satisfied Veterans … It’s a record of achievement that I think most federal departments would be proud of.”

He pointed to improvements in the department’s information technology infrastructure, new accountability rules which have prompted the firing of more than 8,000 employees, shorter wait times inside VA hospitals and easier rules for health appointments outside the VA system.

Those assertions were buttressed by a two-page list of “accomplishments for Veterans under the Trump administration” by House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Republicans.

Several items, such as lower Veterans unemployment and expanded health care options, have been steady talking points on the campaign trail for Trump. Others, like the repeal of the Defense Department “widows tax,” focused more on military than Veterans issues. And claims of success on VA accountability and progress on suicide prevention have been disputed by Democrats.

Administration officials have asked for a budget of more than $243 billion for next fiscal year, an increase of more than 10 percent at a time when most federal agencies are seeing small boosts or significant cuts.

Wilkie said the money is needed to continue progress on suicide prevention initiatives, improved care for women Veterans, the ongoing overhaul of department electronic medical records and support programs for homeless Veterans.

But House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., said he is “deeply concerned” with the department’s follow-through on those initiatives and the overall federal spending plan.

“This (VA) increase comes at the expense of significant cuts to critical (non-VA) domestic programs that Veterans, especially those in crisis, depend on,” he said. “When you consider it in its entirety, this budget is a cruel document that cuts housing, food security, healthcare, and key assistance that millions of Veterans depend on.”

Much of Wilkie’s two-plus hours of questioning by lawmakers alternated between those political poles, with Democrats warning that Veterans will suffer under the funding proposal and Republicans praising it as another step in providing needed support to Veterans.

If the VA spending plan is approved — lawmakers are unlikely to pass it before the November election, and unlikely to move it ahead without a broader agreement on the whole federal budget — it would mark another significant funding boost in a steady stream of increases over the last two decades.

At more than $105 billion in discretionary spending, VA would become the second-largest federal agency, behind only the Department of Defense (which boasts nearly six times the VA proposed level). The Department of Health and Human Services, which had been the second-largest agency, is projected to receive a 9 percent funding cut under the plan.

The fiscal 2021 budget request is nearly double the total VA funding level from 10 years ago and more than five times the total in fiscal 2001, when the entire budget was about $45 billion.

Wilkie is the fourth confirmed secretary to lead VA in the last six years. Two of the previous secretaries (Eric Shinkseki and David Shulkin) were forced out of the post due to scandals within the department. In addition, another Trump pick for the post — former White House physician Ronny Jackson — withdrew his name from consideration under a cloud of controversy before Wilkie’s nomination.

Wilkie’s appearance on Capitol Hill came just few weeks after the sudden dismissal of the department’s second-highest ranking official and congressional requests for an inspector general investigation into Wilkie’s handling of a sexual assault claim at the Washington, D.C. medical center last fall.

Neither issue was broached directly by lawmakers in the hearing. Takano says he is planning another hearing on VA’s sexual assault and harassment policies in the near future. Wilkie told the committee he will testify at that event.

When asked if he hopes that hearing will help clear the air on the medical center investigation, Wilkie said “I hope so.”

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WASHINGTON — Due to supply chain and staffing shortages, the vendor contracted by the Government Publishing Office to provide printing services for the Department of Veterans Affairs is experiencing delays in printing and mailing notification letters to Veterans and claimants. The disruption may impact the ability of some claimants to meet required deadlines via written correspondence with VA.

In response to the mailing delays and to protect the best interest of claimants, the Veterans Benefits Administration is extending their response period by 90-calendar days for claimants with letters dated between July 13, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021.

If a claimant does not reply to a time-limited notification, such as, making an election of benefits or services, or reporting for a scheduled compensation and pension examination., VBA will not take adverse action to deny, reduce or terminate benefits and services unless: 1) the claimant is contacted and there is documentation of their right to respond; 2) the requested information has been received; or 3) the response period has lapsed.

VA and GPO are proactively working to quickly address the mailing delays. For questions on this matter, Veterans and claimants can contact VA at 800-827-1000.

Veterans who filed an appeal with the Board of Veterans’ Appeals can click here for information specific to Board correspondence, scheduled hearings at the Board and receiving your Board decision.

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VA-Virta Health partnership data reveals success with diabetes care

One in four Veterans live with type 2 diabetes. That’s more than double the rate for the general population.

For many, the diagnosis can be life changing. It can mean a lifetime of medication, painful injections, work issues and side effects. Lester, a Veteran of the Army Reserve and Army National Guard, recalls hearing the news that he had type 2 diabetes: “It felt like a life sentence. I was scared,” he said.

VA supports Veterans with Type 2 Diabetes through Virta partnership

To support Veterans with type 2 diabetes in new ways, VA’s Specialty Care Program Office has partnered with digital health provider Virta Health. The Virta treatment is designed to help people return blood sugar to normal levels while reducing the dose, number or need for diabetes medication.

Virta delivers care through a combination of telehealth in personalized nutrition, 1×1 coaching, provider supervision, peer support and a mobile application. VA has been working with Virta since May 2019 and, through this partnership, over 800 Veterans have started their journey in successful management of type 2 diabetes.

For Lester, the treatment gave him something he thought he’d lost: hope. “Before joining, I felt that I was going to end up with major health problems. I don’t think that anymore. My energy levels have gone way up, my pain levels have gone down, and I am able to focus much better. I’ve also lost weight, and never have any issues with hunger,” he said.

Results of pilot program presented at ADA scientific sessions

Virta presented preliminary data from their 2-year pilot program with VA at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions.

Participants were able to reduce the number of prescription drugs they take by 33%, on average. Even with a reduction of medication, this corresponded to a lowering of HbA1c (a measure of blood sugar) for those participating in the Virta treatment. Forty percent were able to lower their A1c to goal or better. Participating Veterans also reduced their weight by 7%, exceeding what is considered “clinically significant.”

What’s behind these outcomes? For many, Virta’s model of care helps them adopt and maintain meaningful lifestyle changes. People living with type 2 diabetes often need to make hourly decisions about their health, so having an on-call support network through health coaches, peer support and providers can have real impact.

“My care team at Virta is so important to me. The coaches and doctors help me stay focused, and energize me when I need a boost,” Lester added.

Virta health pilot augments VA health services

VA is committed to bringing Veterans quality care, wherever they are, and it pursues partnerships that create positive impact for our Veterans with innovative technologies that augment VA’s existing services.

Although the pilot is fully enrolled, Veterans interested in participating can indicate interest at www.virtahealth.com/Veterans. For information on VA health care, visit www.va.gov/health.

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Focusing on wellness, not illness

What matters most to you? On the pathway to Whole Health, this is the defining question. Whole Health is about treating you, the person. We want to consider the big picture of your life, not just one symptom or challenge.

That’s why we’re encouraging women Veterans to ask themselves this question and take the first step in making health a priority. VA helps women take control of their health and build positive habits for life. By identifying what’s important, you can choose care that fits with your health and well-being priorities.

You don’t have to wait until something is wrong to focus on your well-being. Just ask Patty. After 28 years in the Air National Guard, Patty describes transitioning to civilian life and starting a new job at a VA medical center as “a little scary” and “anxiety provoking.”

“This is really an awesome benefit”

Then she learned about Whole Health. Even though she wasn’t experiencing any big health issues, she attended a Whole Health peer-led group. During a follow-up call, a Whole Health coach strongly encouraged her to meet with a provider.

“I thought, well, I’m going to get someone who isn’t familiar with what I was going to want in the civilian sector.” But to her surprise, “They were fantastic. This is really an awesome benefit for all Veterans.” Having experienced the impact of Whole Health as a Veteran and VA employee, she sees the positive impact it is having on both groups.

Each of us has the power to impact our well-being. Whole Health offers the skills and support you need to make the changes you want. It may include self-care strategies and complementary therapies such as meditation, massage, and yoga, along with your conventional medical care.

Self-care is not something you have to figure out on your own

In the Whole Health approach, you can look at all areas of your life, including areas of strength and aspects where support could be helpful to you. These areas of self-care include:

• Mindful Awareness – Being aware of thoughts and feelings to focus on the present.
• Moving the Body – Exercising and moving for energy, flexibility, and strength.
• Surroundings – Having comfortable, healthy spaces that support your body and emotions.
• Personal Development – Moving toward what matters most to you.
• Food and Drink – Nourishing your body to not only live, but to live well.
• Recharge – Getting enough sleep, rest, relaxation.
• Family, friends, and coworkers – Developing close, loving, supportive relationships with others.
• Spirit and Soul – Cultivating a sense of connection, purpose, and meaning.
• Power of the Mind – Tapping into your ability to heal and cope through mind-body approaches.

Start your Whole Health journey by exploring the Circle of Health to find self-care resources that match your needs: https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTH/circle-of-health/index.asp

To learn more about Whole Health self care, watch VA’s #LiveWholeHealth guided meditation videos.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the launching of its Veterans Signals (VSignals) surveys to assess education benefits processes.

VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) will email one of three surveys to randomly selected Veterans and beneficiaries who have recently interacted with VA’s education benefits program.

The survey focuses on the experience at one of three critical touchpoints in the GI Bill journey: either applying for benefits, enrolling in school or receiving education benefits offered through VBA. VA provides education benefits to more than 900,000 beneficiaries annually.

“VA is using VSignals as part of a strategy to leverage customer experience data,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “The surveys give beneficiaries an opportunity to provide direct feedback on VA’s performance. We are constantly searching for ways to better serve the nation’s Veterans.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to improve customer satisfaction, VBA worked with beneficiaries to design the surveys. The results will be used to identify trends in customer experience and design program improvements as necessary. Education participants will have the opportunity to give direct feedback regarding education benefits and services.

Direct feedback, from Veterans and other beneficiaries, is a key component of VBA’s three-part customer experience framework which is to:

• Listen to our customers.
• Improve processes, benefits and services based on what we hear.
• Empower employees to act.

VA’s Veterans Experience Office (VEO) built the VSignals platform based on industry best practices for use across VA to collect feedback and transform the experience Veterans have when they interact with VA. Since June 2017, VSignals has surveyed more than 28.8 million participants, receiving 5.2 million responses with an average return rate of 17.9%.

Learn more about the G.I. Bill or to apply for educational benefits.

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Today, Veterans Health Administration Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone announced a number of actions VA is taking in response to recent events at the Atlanta VA Medical Center’s Eagles’ Nest Community Living Center and ongoing issues at other VA facilities in that region.

These actions include:

• Placing the Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 director on immediate administrative leave
• Effective immediately, Charleston, S.C., VAMC director Scott Isaacks will take over as Acting VISN 7 director
• Detailing the VISN 7 Chief Medical Officer to other administrative duties outside the VISN, pending a review of the quality and safety of care issues in the network
• Detailing seven Atlanta VAMC staff members into non-patient care positions while an Administrative Investigation Board composed of subject matter experts from outside VISN 7 investigates the handling of this issue
• Realigning VA’s Office of Network Support, a VA Central Office-based organization that had been responsible for collecting and disseminating reports regarding incidents at medical centers across the nation to VHA leadership
• This move will streamline VA’s adverse action reporting processes by ensuring issues are quickly reported from local and regional officials to VHA leaders

Retraining all VA personnel involved in reporting urgent issues throughout the chain of command

The VHA Chief of Staff and VHA Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management were in Atlanta this week working with Atlanta VA Health Care System’s new Director Ann Brown to conduct an onsite review of Eagles’ Nest CLC’s operations to ensure it has the right leaders and staff in place to provide the highest quality health care and services possible.

“What happened at Eagles’ Nest was unacceptable, and we want to ensure that Veterans and families know we are determined to restore their trust in the facility,” said VHA Executive in Charge Dr. Richard Stone. “Transparency and accountability are key principles at VA, and they will guide our efforts in this regard.”

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Strategies that help older Veterans

New challenges appear with age. Those challenges can make the symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) more noticeable, cause them to come back after many years or even to occur for the first time.

“It really wasn’t until after I retired and moved to be with my family that the [PTSD] symptoms began to be bothersome and disrupt my life, disrupt my family’s life,” says Mary Martin, an Air Force Veteran.

Don’t assume that these changes are a given or that it’s just what happens with getting older. Memories or impacts of trauma can be addressed at any age. You’re never too old to get help, and older adults can benefit from effective PTSD treatments, even for people who experienced trauma decades ago.

It’s common for older adults to minimize and deny the pain they experience from past traumas. They’re more likely to try to cope with these issues by themselves instead of seeking mental health treatment. However, strategies that once seemed to help with PTSD symptoms can be more difficult to maintain as people get older.

Common challenges and strategies

Dr. Elissa McCarthy, clinical psychologist at the National Center for PTSD, and Dr. Joan Cook, associate professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, shared some common challenges faced by older adults and strategies for how to deal with those challenges:

• CHALLENGE: More free time. Increased amounts of free time can make unpleasant memories more frequent.
• STRATEGY: Create structure and maintain a routine or organized schedule. Spend more time on hobbies or doing other enjoyable activities that you may not have made time for earlier in life. For example, learn to play an instrument, bake, start a blog or make a scrapbook with old photos.
• CHALLENGE: Loss of purpose. Retirement can be challenging if work was a large part of your identity.
• STRATEGY: Learn new skills or volunteer. For example, many older Veterans enjoy giving back by mentoring Servicemembers or younger Veterans.
• CHALLENGE: Loss of loved ones.
• STRATEGY: Having a network of supportive people is important. Maintain relationships with people you care about and make new friends, too. For example, look for social groups who enjoy your hobbies or an activity you want to learn.
• CHALLENGE: Changes in physical ability.
• STRATEGY: Replace hobbies with other similar activities. For example, if poor eyesight makes reading difficult, try audiobooks or podcasts instead. For those who are homebound or have limited mobility, there are other options, like telehealth, for receiving counseling and care from home.
• CHALLENGE: Medical problems. Living with untreated PTSD can make other mental and physical health issues worse.
• STRATEGY: Don’t assume this is how aging needs to be, be proactive in managing health conditions and get treatment for PTSD symptoms that arise.

Symptoms may worsen

As people age, their PTSD symptoms may suddenly appear or become worse, causing them to act differently. It may be unsettling to see these changes in a loved one, but it’s nothing to fear. Changes are common and treatment can help. If a loved one is living with PTSD, these tips can help:

• Take time to understand what friends or loved ones went through and what they’re now experiencing as they live with the symptoms of PTSD.
• Be supportive and nonjudgmental. Think about how to respond better if a loved one says they’ve experienced trauma or may have PTSD. Responding negatively, even unintentionally, can shut someone down. Thank them for sharing their personal story with you.
• Connect them with care. If being the main support person for a loved one becomes too much to handle, connect them to help and remain in a loving, supporting role. Don’t forget that loved ones need help and support, too.
• Give hope. Understand that symptoms can come and go throughout different times in a person’s life. Remind loved ones that they’ve successfully coped in the past, and can do it again.

Visit the National Center for PTSD website for information, videos and tools to help manage PTSD. For more information on older adults with PTSD, download the Understanding PTSD and Aging booklet.

If you care about someone with PTSD, download the Understanding PTSD: A Guide for Family and Friends booklet to learn more about how to support your loved one and take care of your own needs.

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Telehealth video appointments have increased by more than 1,000%

William Vaughn didn’t know his Huey helicopter was sharing airspace over Vietnam in 1969 when a plane overshadowed him and his crew and sprayed them with a powerful herbicide that packed a lifelong punch.

“We had a military aircraft fly no more than 50 feet over our helicopter. It covered us with Agent Orange,” recalled Vaughn. Vaughn, pictured above, is an Army Veteran who enlisted in 1968 and spent about eight months flying in Southeast Asia. “It covered the entire aircraft and our crew.”

From 1962 to 1971, the U.S. military sprayed more than 19 million gallons of tactical herbicides to remove the dense tropical foliage that provided enemy cover in Vietnam. VA has linked numerous diseases to Agent Orange exposure.

“We were heavily dosed with those types of herbicides throughout the war,” Vaughn said. “Combine these exposures with a couple crash landings, and my health was never the same.”

PTSD, back pain, peripheral neuropathy

Today, Vaughn is 90% service disabled and diagnosed with PTSD and chronic back pain. He also has peripheral neuropathy. The treatment causes numbness, sharp pains and muscle weakness in his extremities. It also causes aphasia, which impedes his ability to speak clearly.

“When I first began receiving treatment at VA, I was prescribed painkillers. Eventually, I began attending in-person chronic pain classes and appointments,” said Vaughn. “These classes were helpful, but the process of attending in-person classes and appointments was often as stressful as finding a safe landing zone in Vietnam.

“Battling Seattle traffic on the way to the VA Medical Center was always a challenge. It amplified the pain, since many of my symptoms are brought on by stress.”

That’s when Vaughn was referred to Dr. Erika Shearer. Shearer is a TeleMental Health psychologist within the VA Puget Sound Health Care System. She offers virtual visits through VA Video Connect. The app enables Veterans and their caregivers to meet with VA care providers through live video on any computer, tablet, or mobile device with an internet connection.

Vaughn and Shearer now meet online once every two weeks.

“Brings me back into focus.”

“Dr. Shearer is able to help me from her office in Portland in a comfortable, private setting. And I’m able to receive the help I need in a comfortable setting without the stress of traffic and hospital waiting rooms. She brings me back into focus and helps me deal with a very dark time.”

Vaughn also credits virtual visits and VA telehealth technologies with helping him stay healthy while following COVID-19 social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders. Vaughn is an early adopter of My HealtheVet. The online platform lets Veterans send secure messages to their VA care teams, refill VA prescriptions and download their electronic health records. Together, My HealtheVet and VA Video Connect allow him to receive care without risking exposure to the coronavirus.

The number of telehealth video appointments held in one week through VA Video Connect has increased by more than 1000% since February 2020. Data shows that VA providers conducted approximately 10,000 appointments a week in early February compared with more than 120,000 appointments a week in May.

Veterans interested in starting VA telehealth services should talk with their VA care teams.

Visit the VA Video Connect webpage to learn more about using the app to enhance your care.

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Metro-area Veterans were moved out of ant-infested facility in April

Eagles’ Nest Community Living Center, the problematic Veterans Administration long-term care facility­, is being decommissioned.

On Wednesday, the VA Southeast Network announced the permanent closing of Eagles’ Nest after determining the Decatur building is no longer suitable for residential patient care.

The VA said it plans to rebuild a state-of-the-art facility in metro Atlanta. It also plans to increase long-term-care beds at the Trinka-Davis Veterans Village in Carrollton, about 50 miles west of Atlanta.

The VA transferred Eagles’ Nest’s 34 residents in April to other facilities in Alabama, South Carolina and Dublin, Ga. The VA said at the time it moved them out of the 90,000 square-foot building to limit their exposure to COVID-19.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, citing internal VA documents, reported earlier this week that local officials had recommended Eagles’ Nest be replaced after determining an infestation of fire ants couldn’t be eradicated. Other VA documents warned of cracks in the roof.

The internal VA documents suggested planning and construction for a new facility could take five years and cost more than $70 million.

Calls to the VA to determine an actual cost and location were not immediately returned Wednesday.

But in a press release, the VA said demolition will begin in fall 2021 with a projected completion date of fall 2022.

The decision wasn’t easy, but needed, according to Veterans Integrated Service Network 7 Interim Director Joe Battle.

“As caretakers of our nation’s heroes, it’s our responsibility to take decisive action when appropriate. We are working diligently to quickly create and execute a plan to rebuild and address the Atlanta VA’s long-term care bed needs and are committed to ensuring there are no delays in deciding the best way forward,” Battle said in a statement.

The ant situation came to a head in September 2019.

That is when the daughter of Eagles’ Nest patient Richard Marrable, a cancer patient, discovered him covered in more than 100 bites. Marrable died a few days later.

An investigation found staff had known since at least July 2019 about the infestation in multiple rooms, and at least five Veterans had been bitten. Gnats were also a problem and a 2018 review of the facility by the VA’s Office of the Inspector General rated Eagles’ Nest two stars out of five.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs will change its disability ratings criteria for mental health conditions, sleep apnea and tinnitus, part of a major overhaul of the review process to ensure that compensation matches Veterans' medical conditions and needs, department officials say.

The VA plans to update its Schedule for Rating Disabilities -- its guide for determining how it evaluates and provides benefits for service-connected disabilities -- for mental health conditions, to include their impact on Veterans' lives, and abolish the "0%" disability rating for any service-connected mental health diagnosis in favor of a 10% minimum, according to a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register.

For tinnitus, the department will get rid of its stand-alone rating and consider the condition a symptom of whatever underlying disease is its cause.

As for sleep apnea, ratings will be assessed based on the effectiveness of treatment and the condition's impact on "earning impairment," according to the notice.

Previously, most conditions were assessed on the number and severity of symptoms, but VA officials said the consideration of lost wages or productivity is needed to ensure that the department compensates Veterans appropriately.

Officials say the changes, which would go into effect after a period for the public to comment and a final version is published, likely will result in higher disability ratings for Veterans with mental health conditions, but fewer qualifying for disability compensation for tinnitus and sleep apnea.

Veterans already receiving disability for these conditions will not see their ratings downgraded by any changes, officials said.

"Veterans who currently receive compensation for a service-connected condition in these body systems will not have their disability rating impacted when the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities is updated," Thomas Murphy, acting VA undersecretary for benefits, said in a press release.

Assessing disabilities by the impact they have on earning capacity will allow the department to "more accurately compensate [Veterans] for their service-connected disabilities, officials said in the Tuesday press release.

"Updating the rating schedule allows Veterans to receive decisions based on the most current medical knowledge relating to their condition," Murphy said.

Under the proposal for mental health conditions, the VA will consider a condition's impact on cognition, relationships and ability to complete tasks, care for oneself and perform activities necessary for functioning daily.

Citing studies that showed the current VA disability rating system does not adequately provide compensation to make up for earnings lost if a Veteran misses work or can't work as the result of a service-related mental health condition, the department plans to adopt the new criteria to "more accurately capture the occupational impairment caused by mental disabilities and provide more adequate compensation," according to the notice.

The new criteria also will be used to assess disability ratings for eating disorders, which currently are outlined in a separate part of the disability ratings schedule.

Officials said an overhaul of the system is underway because the disability ratings evaluation schedule has been updated piecemeal since it was first created in 1945.

To date, the VA has completed updating 10 of the 14 sections of the schedule; the proposed changes to mental health and the section that covers tinnitus and sleep apnea make up half of the remaining.

VA officials said the changes made to the criteria reflect modern medicine and a better understanding of how diagnoses and treatments affect Veterans' lives.

Speaking with reporters during a press conference Monday, a VA benefits official noted that when overhauling the section on musculoskeletal injuries, the department shortened the time period for Veterans to receive disability payments following a hip replacement from 12 months to four.

"We looked at more recent medical studies... and found that the time somebody is off of work after having that surgery is closer to three months... so we made a revision to that portion," the official said.

The VA is seeking public comment on the proposed changes to the ratings schedule through the Federal Register. After the comment period closes April 18, the department will review them and draft a final version, to include the dates the changes will go into effect.

Once the changes are made, Veterans who believe their ratings should be upgraded based on the new criteria should file a claim, the official said.

"We anticipate seeing higher evaluations for mental health conditions," the official said.

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VA officials will announce the move on the 10-year anniversary of the 'don’t ask, don’t tell' policy’s repeal

The Department of Veterans Affairs will unveil plans Monday to restore full benefits for LGBTQ service members who left the military with a classification other than honorable discharge due to their sexual orientation, according to a report.

The initiative would apply to LGBTQ Veterans who were forced to leave the military under the now-repealed "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy, the Military Times reported, citing sources familiar with the matter. Additionally, Veterans Affairs officials will open reviews into cases of Veterans who served before or after the "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy was implemented and were treated improperly upon discharge.

VA officials will announce the move on the 10-year anniversary of the policy’s repeal. White House officials are also set to hold an event commemorating the anniversary, according to the report.

Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately return a request for comment.

LGBTQ Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges will gain access to VA medical care, disability and other benefits they did not previously receive. However, Veterans who received dishonorable discharges or have a criminal record will not be eligible.

The "don’t ask, don’t tell" policy was implemented in 1994 under the Clinton administration and repealed in 2011 when President Biden served as vice president under former President Barack Obama. Roughly 14,000 service members were reportedly forced out of the military under the policy.

The Biden administration has taken steps to create a more inclusive environment for LGBTQ service members in recent months.

In June, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the department would offer gender confirmation surgery for transgender Veterans for the first time in its history. Months earlier, Biden repealed a Trump-era policy that largely barred transgender individuals from military service.

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Veterans Affairs physicians will begin screening all department patients for military-related toxic exposures starting in November, the latest step in efforts to understand the scope and severity of injuries caused by burn pit smoke and other battlefield toxins.

The new screening tool, mandated under legislation passed by Congress this summer, has been used at 15 VA medical center pilot locations over the past few weeks.

VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Shereef Elnahal told reporters Wednesday that of the more than 13,000 Veterans who have gone through the screening so far, about 37% said they have “concerns” about possible toxic exposure issues during their time in the ranks.

“That represents a substantial percentage of Veterans in our care that may have been exposed to a toxin that we were not aware of,” Elnahal said. “That could mean more benefits or a higher medical priority categorization for them … This is clearly already bearing fruit.”

The issue of military toxic exposure — particularly poisonous smoke from burn pits — has been a focus of national attention in recent months. In August, Congress finalized and President Joe Biden signed into law the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT, Act, a sweeping measure to improve the research, care and benefits surrounding those injuries.

Past Department of Defense studies have estimated that nearly 3.5 million troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may have suffered enough exposure to burn pit smoke to cause health problems.

VA officials said by better screening all department patients, they’ll be able to provide more information to physicians about common injuries and a better picture to researchers about the impact on the Veteran population.

The screening tool will be expanded to all VA medical sites and the 9-million-plus Veterans enrolled in VA medical care just before Veterans Day. Patients will be required to go through the screening at least once every five years, looking for any signs of lingering respiratory problems or emerging health issues.

The toxic exposure screening will not initially be available to Veterans outside the VA health care system, Elnahal said.

The move comes as VA officials are also urging all Veterans to look into whether they are eligible for free health care coverage through the department under benefits expansion included in the PACT Act.

Starting on Saturday, tens of thousands of Veterans from the Vietnam War, first Gulf War and Post-9/11 conflicts will be eligible for new health care coverage. Veterans will have one year to enroll and could be eligible for lifelong coverage if physicians find evidence of serious service-connected health problems.

More information on enrollment is available at the VA website.

VA officials said they are working to handle the additional workload if the bulk of those newly eligible individuals enroll.

“Our number one strategic challenge is hiring,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We have concrete efforts we are doing to meet very aggressive hiring goals in a tough labor market.”

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Veterans Affairs officials on Thursday announced they will immediately begin processing disability claims for three new illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure in Vietnam, even though final rules on the cases are still a few weeks away.

“Many of our nation’s veterans have waited a long time for these benefits,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough in a statement. “VA will not make them wait any longer. This is absolutely the right thing to do for veterans and their families.”

Presumptive benefits for the three conditions — bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinsonism — were mandated by Congress in the annual defense authorization bill passed in December.

For the last five months, VA officials have been working on how to implement that order, to ensure the extra workload doesn’t overload the claims processing system. The previous presidential administration had said the work could take up to 24 months, but McDonough in February publicly vowed to speed up that process.

About 52,000 veterans and another 6,000 family members of deceased veterans are expected to qualify for the new benefits, which can be worth several thousand dollars a month.

Adding the three illnesses to the list of presumptive conditions related to service in Vietnam is key, because it removes the need for documentation conclusively linking veterans’ illnesses to their time in the ranks.

The government already recognizes 14 other conditions connected to widespread chemical defoliant use during the Vietnam War, which sickened hundreds of thousands American veterans.

VA staff noted that the rulemaking work still continues for the change, but they are looking at ways to speed the lengthy review process by getting cases filed as soon as possible. Payouts could be sent out in coming months.

Department officials will also review existing cases which were denied in the past to see if they qualify for benefits now. They could not say how many individuals may be affected by that move.

Veterans who were denied in the past do not need to take any action to have their case reviewed. Depending on the results of their case review, the department could send out retroactive payments to their initial date of filing, leading to large windfalls for some individuals.

The list of new presumptives does not include high blood pressure, a condition that outside health advocates say has strong links to chemical defoliant exposure but was not included in the defense legislation last year.

Outside advocates estimate as many as 160,000 additional veterans would qualify for disability benefits if that condition were added to the presumptive list. Lawmakers are pushing to do that in a pair of sweeping toxic exposure bills which advanced in Congress this week.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs topped 20,000 deaths connected to COVID-19 on Tuesday, just a few weeks before the two-year anniversary of the first pandemic case within the department.

The totals equate to about 28 deaths a day from the virus over the last 23 months.

The grim milestone comes as the latest nationwide surge in cases related to the virus’ Omicron variant has abated. Active cases at VA medical centers across the country had spiked at nearly 78,000 in mid-January, but had dropped to around 20,000 over the weekend.

Despite a lower fatality rate among patients who contracted that variant, the number of deaths among VA patients has also surged along with the higher caseload. Of the 20,131 deaths reported thus far, almost 2,400 — 12 percent of the pandemic total — have come since Jan. 1.

About 40 percent of the deaths occurred among inpatients at VA medical centers, according to department statistics. The others were among individuals receiving care at other hospitals but connected to the VA health care system.

The totals also include at least 243 VA employees who have died from coronavirus-related conditions.

VA officials have cautioned that their death totals do not represent all of the Veteran fatalities in America, but instead only a portion of that group with connections to VA medical care.

The Louis Stokes VA Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, has seen the most deaths of any facility, with 447 known deaths. Seven other department hospitals in Arizona, Minnesota, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina and Texas have seen 300 or more deaths connected to COVID-19.

More than 77.5 million Americans have contracted coronavirus in the last two years, and nearly 917,000 (about 1.2 percent) have died because of respiratory and circulation problems resulting from the infection.

Among individuals tracked by VA, that figure is much higher: about 3.4 percent. Department officials have noted that their patients are much more likely to be older and have existing health problems than the general population, making them more vulnerable to the virus than the average American.

Earlier this month, when the nation passed 900,000 deaths linked to COVID-19, President Joe Biden issued a statement grieving the losses and urging all Americans to get vaccinated against the virus.

“We can save even more lives and spare countless families from the deepest pain imaginable if everybody does their part,” he said in a statement. “I urge all Americans: get vaccinated, get your kids vaccinated, and get your booster shot if you are eligible. It’s free, easy, and effective — and it can save your life, and the lives of those you love.”

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Robert McKean of Sarasota hasn’t needed the VA Health Care System, until now.

The 77-year-old Marine Corps Veteran, who served during the Vietnam War era, says his post-service life has been good and he doesn’t need major medical care.

But McKean, like many older adults and the rest of the U.S. population, needs a COVID-19 vaccine.

He filled out an application under the impression that his name would be added to a list of Veterans awaiting a vaccine provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

He simply wanted the potentially lifesaving shot to keep he and his wife, Olivia, safe.

McKean went to the VA to drop off his forms and they told him it would take about a week to get him into the system.

On Jan. 16, McKean got the bad news he was ineligible in a letter from the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System because of income limits. He got on the phone Thursday and was passed off to four different departments before he hung up.

The VA letter said McKean was assigned to “Priority Group 8g” (an assigned priority group consisting of higher income Veterans) on Jan. 17, 2003. The VA suspended new enrollments of Veterans assigned to this priority group, making McKean ineligible to enroll.

“We were both very upset,” Olivia McKean said. “My husband was so angry and upset that he hardly slept last night. He was so worked up about it. It was so wrong.”

Online, the McKeans quickly found other Veterans going through the same situation who were denied the COVID-19 vaccine because of income limits.

“My wife got into a letter-writing mode,” McKean said.

McKean was a sergeant in the Marines assigned to the infantry, but was never deployed to Vietnam. After his military service, he went back to college and retired comfortably with a “middle-class retirement.”

He does not think he should be put at the front of the line. There are others he believes need the shot more.

But he does not believe he should be ignored completely.

“The VA should be reserved for people with greater need and greater resources than we have,” he said. “But I don’t want a kidney transplant, I want the COVID-19 vaccine.”

McKean said vaccinations are a bipartisan issue and an emergency.

Another Veteran, Donald Fleishman, also went to the VA Medical Center for help with the coronavirus pandemic raging and vaccines hard to get. The 86-year-old West Palm Beach resident joined other Veterans seeking inoculations at the sprawling VA Medical Center in Riviera Beach.

And like many others, he was turned away.

“If you’re making over a certain amount of money you can’t get the vaccine,” said Arlene Fleishman, who spent 2½ hours at the medical center with her husband Monday before being told he was ineligible.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous, especially since the government is paying for the vaccines,” Donald Fleishman said.

“It’s almost like they’re penalizing him for being successful,” his wife said.

Officials at the Riviera Beach hospital said they don’t make the rules. According to a 2006 law, Veterans who aren’t already receiving services have to make less than a certain amount of money to be eligible for care – and that includes the shots that are being offered to those 70 and older.

To qualify for free benefits in Palm Beach County, a Veteran with no dependents has to make less than $34,171 a year. Veterans with no dependents who make less than $51,535 annually can receive treatment at the VA with copayments. The income limitations vary by state and county.

Ronald Gross, a Vietnam era Veteran, said he doesn’t view the coronavirus vaccine as a benefit but more like a service.

“Everyone’s supposed to get it,” the 76-year-old Boynton Beach resident said. “It’s supposed to be free.”

Further, like the Fleishmans, he said the income requirement was never explained to him until he showed up at the Riviera Beach hospital even though he called before he went.

“I was just trying to get protected,” Gross said.

The requirement is just the latest glitch in the vaccine rollout that has left seniors frustrated after being promised that they, along with front-line health care workers and nursing home residents and staff, would be first in line for the vaccine.

After numerous news reports of people flying into the state to get the vaccine, Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees on Thursday made it clear that the inoculations are for Florida residents only.

“The COVID-19 vaccine remains scarce within the United States, and vaccine availability in Florida is extremely limited,” Rivkees wrote in a public health advisory. People will have to prove they live in the state to get vaccinated, he said.

Seasonal residents won’t be shut out under Rivkees’ order. Those without a Florida driver’s license can provide other proof of residency such as rental agreements, mortgages or utility bills.

As of Thursday, 39,710 out-of-state residents had received the first dose of the two-shot vaccine. Another 1,255 had received both doses.

Overall, 1,059,041 people have received the first shot and 123,971 have had the second shot as well.

The scarcity Rivkees highlighted has confounded those 65 and older.

So far, the VA Medical Center in South Florida has inoculated about 7,000 Veterans over 70, said Kenita Tills, a hospital spokeswoman.

Meanwhile, in an effort to increase transparency about who’s getting the vaccine, state health officials have expanded the information they are offering on their website. The state is also now giving racial and ethnicity breakdowns by county.

Some have complained that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to tap Publix supermarkets to administer the vaccine will increase the racial divide.

Others worry about the online system they must use to get a vaccination appointment at Publix.

On Wednesday, about 250,000 logged on at once, forcing people to wait for more than hour in a virtual line. Only about 24,000 people in 18 counties across the state got appointments.

But, with few options, many seniors said they will log on again when the website opens. Having been shut out of the VA, Donald Fleishman said he has no choice.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is coming under fire as the number of Veterans and health care workers infected with coronavirus within its system continues to mount.

Critics say the department is not doing enough to protect both Veterans and workers and is being opaque about supply shortages, death rates and other challenges in confronting the crisis.

More than 6,000 VA patients have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 400 have died. Meanwhile, more than 2,000 VA health care workers have gotten the coronavirus, with 20 deaths.

The numbers as well as reports of equipment rationing have left lawmakers and Veterans groups demanding answers from the department and the White House coronavirus task force.

“They are the second largest agency within the federal government,” said Jeremy Butler, the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“So if there's anyone that should be a part of this national conversation coming out of administration, it's the VA. But we don't see any VA representation at the president's daily coronavirus briefings. We're not seeing anywhere near the level of media and public outreach from the VA like we see with the Department of Defense, who's also on the front lines of this,” he added.

Officials have defended the department’s response. In an emailed statement, VA press secretary Christina Noel said the department’s personal protective equipment (PPE) “practices are keeping Veterans and employees safe during challenging times, and the numbers prove it.”

She cited an infection rate for Veterans Health Administration employees of less than 1 percent, compared with 2.1 percent at Detroit’s Henry Ford Health System and 4.4 percent at the University of Washington Medicine.

“We understand that this national emergency has generated concern among some employees, but the department continues to be successful in helping America fight COVID-19,” she said.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal this month, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie acknowledged VA health centers did not have PPE for an “optimal situation” because normal supply chains “cannot be maintained in a once-in-a-century crisis.”

But the department had enough equipment to follow crisis guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he added.

In a second interview with the Journal published Wednesday, Wilkie acknowledged the department was slow to publicly disclose the extent of its mask shortages but suggested criticism is a matter of hindsight.

“It’s easy to be wise after the event,” he said.

“Are there a lot of things I would want to have that we had to disperse to the rest of the country because they were suffering? Sure,” Wilkie added. “Do I have what I need to combat this? Yes.”

Wilkie’s comment came after several news outlets reported on internal memos that showed the VA rationing protective gear such as N95 respiratory masks even as VA officials publicly said it faced no shortages.

In addition to news reports, a March report from the VA’s inspector general also said “facility leaders expressed concerns related to supplies needed to test patients for COVID-19” and “acknowledged low inventory of personal protective equipment for staff.”

As of Friday, the VA reported 2,003 Veterans Health Administration employees confirmed to have COVID-19 and 20 deaths.

Shortages of PPE have beset hospitals nationwide. But top Democrats this past week said issues at the VA have been exacerbated by “a broken federal procurement and distribution process.”

In a letter to White House coronavirus task force head Vice President Pence, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee ranking member Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and 15 Democratic colleagues urged greater use of the Defense Production Act to get supplies for the VA.

“Our nation made promises to provide the care our Veterans earned through their service to defend the freedoms we all hold dear. The administration's slow response and lack of a coordinated nationwide effort undermines the services the VA can provide Veterans,” said the letter, co-signed by former presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Kamala Harris (D-Calif.).

“VA health care personnel from across the country are reaching out for help because they are afraid for themselves and afraid for their patients,” the letter added. “Those who care for Veterans should not be afraid to wake up every morning, go to work and help save Veterans’ lives.”

Another letter from Senate Democrats this past week to Wilkie led by Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) expressed concern that VA guidance “may be driven not by best practices for VA staff and patients, but by PPE shortages throughout the system.”

The letters followed one earlier this month from House Democrats that asked Pence and acting Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to “immediately allow the Department of Veterans Affairs... to cooperate with Congress” in fighting the coronavirus.

The letter, organized by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.), said information the VA is giving his committee in briefings “stands in stark contrast to what we have heard from VA employees and read in the media regarding PPE shortages at VA medical facilities.”

Pence, for his part, has touted the VA’s response to the crisis as a success, claiming that coronavirus cases have plateaued.

“We are also very proud of our team at the VA,” Pence said Wednesday at the daily White House coronavirus briefing. “The VA has addressed its capacity issues. It’s not seen cases among the Veterans in its facilities increase, so they are deploying teams to focus on nursing homes.”

The next day, the VA reported one of its biggest single-day increases in cases for patients so far. As of Friday, the department said it had 6,474 positive coronavirus cases among Veterans and 400 inpatient deaths.

Terrence Hayes, spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), said his organization “understands the difficulty that the department, along with other health care systems nationwide, are having as it pertains to securing proper protective equipment for its medical professionals and staff.”

“The VA has assured us on numerous occasions that all essential medical staff have the required PPE to ensure the health and safety of our Veterans and themselves during this pandemic,” he said in a statement. “The VFW will continue to monitor this situation and hold VA accountable during this challenging and unprecedented time because our Veterans’ health remains paramount.”

Other organizations were less diplomatic.

The VA “is just making stuff up,” said Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America. “They're denying, denying, denying, and just like it's an Agent Orange claim, deny, deny until we all die.”

VA leaders have been holding weekly calls with Veterans organizations, but Weidman dismissed the calls as uninformative.

Weidman said he is concerned Veterans who need to be hospitalized are being told to stay home because of the PPE shortage.

"What they have been doing is telling people, 'Don’t come in. Call.' And when people call, they ask what their symptoms are, and they say, 'Listen, just stay home and rest and let us know if it gets a whole lot worse,'" he said. "One of their problems, why they're telling people not to come in, is because of their shortage of PPE."

Veterans groups are also expressing concern about an analysis released this past week of the use of an anti-malaria drug to treat COVID-19 patients at VA medical centers, saying it is indicative of the larger problem of the department not protecting Veterans well enough.

President Trump has touted the drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a “game changer,” but the analysis found primary outcomes for COVID-19 patients treated with it resulted in higher death rates and the need for mechanical ventilation.

“It kind of all ties into this lack of communication and transparency from the VA, but now I feel like it's even ratcheted up to another level of seriousness because we're talking about testing an unproven drug on Veterans with seemingly dire results and consequences but getting very little information from the VA on the process,” Butler, the CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said.

“It is troubling that it seems there could be a connection between the issues that are being highlighted at the president's level and the lack of communication from the VA,” he added.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is under pressure to ease restrictions on Veterans’ access to medical marijuana to help treat pain and other ailments.

Veterans advocacy groups want to know if marijuana can treat chronic pain, as well as help address widespread suicides among Veteran communities.

While 33 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes, Veterans are finding themselves fighting stigma and roadblocks from the federal government’s drug laws.

Under official federal policy, VA health care providers may not recommend marijuana or assist Veterans in obtaining it. The VA also won’t reimburse Veterans who pay for marijuana out-of-pocket.

Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, meaning it is in the same category as drugs like heroin and LSD. According to the federal government, it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value. Until that classification changes, the VA has said its hands are tied.

“[The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee] can make strong proposals for us to move forward with recommendations of filling out forms and such but, in the end, we need to go back to the [Drug Enforcement Agency] DEA and [Justice Department] for their opinion,” Larry Mole, chief consultant for population health at the VA, said during a House hearing in the spring.

That opposition is frustrating members of Congress and some leading advocacy groups, and there is a growing bipartisan push to ease the prescribing ban, as well as force the agency to conduct research into the drug’s efficacy.

Both the American Legion, the country’s largest Veterans organization, and Veterans of Foreign Wars support research into the medicinal uses of cannabis. They have made the issue a top legislative priority.

“If there’s a viable medical treatment available to civilians, it’s not just inappropriate, it’s patently unjust that Veterans don’t have access to it,” said Lindsay Rodman, an executive vice president at the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, which represents the country’s youngest Veterans.

Despite an existing VA directive, Veterans risk having a negative mark in their permanent records if they are flagged using legal medical marijuana.

Former VA Secretary David Shulkin said it would be safe for Veterans to talk about marijuana with their providers. But Veterans groups argue there’s still a stigma, and some Vets are reluctant to bring up the issue.

Pending legislation in the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee could help.

One bill, sponsored by Reps. Lou Correa (D-Calif.) and Clay Higgins (R-La.), would require the VA to conduct research on the effects of medicinal cannabis on Veterans diagnosed with chronic pain and PTSD.

Another bill from Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.) would ensure that the VA secretary won’t deny a Veteran benefits because the Veteran participates in a state-approved marijuana program.

Steube said Veterans are getting caught between the states and the federal government, and he wants to change that.

“Veterans who were taking advantage of this state-approved program were having challenges with the VA and their benefits with the VA. There was a lot of confusion,” including cases where Veterans were being told they would lose benefits, Steube told The Hill.

“If we have Veterans who have gone through the process... they shouldn’t be denied that health care they’ve earned just because they were taking advantage of state-approved medicinal marijuana programs,” he said.

Another bipartisan bill from Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) would allow VA doctors to give recommendations and opinions to Veterans regarding participation in state marijuana programs.

Blumenauer withdrew a similar amendment from the annual House spending bill in June, but his legislation remains active in the committee.

VA leadership strongly opposes all the bills, and advocates admit that even if the legislation passes the House, Senate Republicans will be reluctant to buck the administration.

“We are realistic it will be a much more difficult problem to pass it in the Senate than the House,” Rodman said.

Other marijuana legislation that’s not specific to Veterans could still help Veterans gain access. For example, Steube also introduced a bill to reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance, to make it easier to research.

VA officials have said that the department supports medical marijuana research, and the agency is conducting some trials.

But the studies are small-scale, and lawmakers want the agency to go further. They argue the VA has the authority to allow rigorous clinical trials but is using bureaucratic red tape as an excuse.

“We authorized VA last year to do the studies. They didn’t do it,” Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.) said during a recent hearing. “We need to make sure that they have to study [medical marijuana]. I just don’t think we as politicians should be telling scientists how to design the studies.”

The federal government has put significant restrictions on cannabis research. Scientists need permission from a host of federal agencies to start the research, including the Food and Drug Administration, the DEA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Even then, there is only one facility in the country that is allowed to grow marijuana and distribute it for research purposes, and there have been concerns raised that the marijuana grown at the facility is poor quality.

The VA has also in the past declined to participate in FDA-approved private sector research on medical marijuana and Veterans’ post-traumatic stress disorder, and has blocked researchers from having access to VA hospitals and Veterans who might benefit from the research.

But advocates insist they’ll keep up pressure on the VA.

Veterans groups say it doesn’t matter what the research concludes. They say they just want the VA to be able to conduct it, and they want Veterans to be able to talk to their providers about whether they should be using marijuana.

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A new House proposal would make the Department of Veterans Affairs Individual Unemployability program permanent even for elderly Veterans, following attempts in recent years to pare back the benefit.

On Tuesday, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. and chairwoman of the House Committee on Financial Services, introduced the Protecting Benefits for Disabled Veterans Act, arguing the change is needed to provide assured financial support for Veterans who depend on the program.

Codifying the program is needed “so that we can ensure all Veterans who are unable to secure a job due to a service-related disability receive benefits,” Waters said in a statement. “It also ensures that Veterans are not kicked out of the program simply because they’ve earned other benefits, like retiree benefits.”

That was a major friction point between Veterans advocates and President Donald Trump’s administration, which proposed cutting back on the benefit for Veterans after they reach retirement age.

Under current rules, the Individual Unemployability program awards payouts at the 100 percent disabled rate to Veterans who cannot find work due to service-connected injuries, even if actual rating is less than that. That financial support can top $20,000 a year for some individuals.

The program is aimed largely at working-age Veterans, but VA officials said in 2018 that about 225,000 Veterans over the age of 60 were also enrolled in the program.

At the time, the Trump administration argued that unemployment benefits for those individuals didn’t make sense, since many were collecting retirement or Social Security benefits not available to working-age Vets.

Cutting off the benefits for Veterans eligible for Social Security payouts would save about $3 billion a year. But lawmakers rejected the plan after Veterans groups argued that the money provides a critical safety net for those elderly Veterans, and removing it would create significant hardship.

Waters’ plan would go further, ensuring that future administrations can’t revisit the idea. The IU program has been in operation since 1934 but is not authorized in statute, meaning it can be altered or ended without first getting congressional approval.

The legislation would change that, and insert language guaranteeing that “Veterans applying for the IU program will not be denied based on their age or eligibility for retirement benefits.”

The bill has several Democratic co-sponsors who sit on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, but faces a long legislative path before becoming law.

It was one of two Veteran themed-bills introduced by Waters on Tuesday. The other, the Veterans Service Organization Modernization Act, would create a $10 million program within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to Veteran’s service organizations for maintenance and upgrades to local community facilities.

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Veterans Affairs leaders publicly unveiled their initial plans for coronavirus vaccine distribution this week as active cases and deaths related to the illness reached record highs among the department’s patients.

According to data publicly released by the department, officials at 140 medical sites across the country were tracking at least 17,629 patients with active cases as of Friday morning. That’s the highest daily figure reported by VA since the start of the pandemic, an increase of 188 percent from Nov. 1 and up 429 percent from Oct. 1.

In addition, VA researchers reported 446 deaths over the last week, the highest total of any seven-day stretch since the first VA patient died from coronavirus complications in mid-March. At least 5,542 patients have died from virus-related issues over the last nine months, an average of almost 21 a day.

In addition, at least 79 VA workers have died from the virus over that span. VA officials have declined to answer questions on how many of those were front-line health care workers who had direct contact with Veterans.

However, department officials have downplayed the sharp spike in case and death numbers over the last few months, saying that hospitalization rates among coronavirus patients have remained steady or declined.

The number of inpatients with the virus has also steadily increased in recent weeks, up about 255 percent since mid-October.

On Thursday, VA officials said they will begin providing vaccinations in coming days to front-line VA health care workers and Veterans living in long-term care units at 37 of medical centers across the country. That work is contingent on final authorization from the Food and Drug Administration on vaccine use.

A day earlier, Richard Stone — the Veterans Health Administration’s executive in charge — told Senate lawmakers that about 73,000 doses would be available in the first wave of vaccinations. That’s enough to cover about 36,500 individuals, since the vaccine is a two-dose regimen.

In a statement, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said that the department “is well prepared and positioned to begin COVID-19 vaccinations” and that “our ultimate goal is to offer it to all Veterans and employees who want to be vaccinated.”

Priority will be given to health care workers “because they are at high risk for contracting and spreading COVID-19 to other staff members and patients.”

As more doses become available, department officials said, priority will be given to Veterans “based on factors such as age, existing health problems and other considerations that increase the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19.”

The initial 37 sites selected for the vaccines were chosen for their ability to reach a large number of Veterans and ability to store the doses at extremely cold temperatures. The first vaccine, made by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, requires refrigeration at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius to remain viable.

Those 37 sites are:

* Birmingham VA Health Care System (Alabama)

* Phoenix VA Health Care System (Arizona)

* West Los Angeles VA Health Care System (California)

* Palo Alto VA Health Care System (California)

* Eastern Colorado VA Health Care System (Colorado)

* West Haven VA Health Care System (Connecticut)

* Washington DC VA Health Care System

* Orlando VA Health Care System (Florida)

* Augusta VA Health Care System (Georgia)

* Edward J. Hines Jr. VA Hospital (Illinois)

* Lexington VA Health Care System (Kentucky)

* Southeast Louisiana VA Health Care System (Louisiana)

* Maryland VA Health Care System (Maryland)

* Bedford VA Health Care System (Massachusetts)

* Ann Arbor VA Health Care System (Michigan)

* Minneapolis VA Health Care System (Minnesota)

* Harry S Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital (Missouri)

* St. Louis VA Health Care System (Missouri)

* Omaha VA Health Care System (Nebraska)

* Southern Nevada VA Health Care System (Nevada)

* Raymond G. Murphy VA Health Care System (New Mexico)

* New York Harbor VA Health Care System

* Western New York VA Health Care System

* Durham VA Health Care System (North Carolina)

* Cleveland VA Health Care System (Ohio)

* Oklahoma City VA Health Care System (Oklahoma)

* Portland VA Health Care System (Oregon)

* Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center (Pennsylvania)

* Pittsburgh VA Health Care System (Pennsylvania)

* Caribbean VA Health Care System (Puerto Rico)

* Memphis VA Health Care System (Tennessee)

* Dallas VA Medical Center (Texas)

* Michael E. DeBakey VA Health Care System (Texas)

* Audie L. Murphy VA Hospital (Texas)

* Richmond VA Health Care System (Virginia)

* Puget Sound VA Health Care System (Washington)

* Milwaukee VA Health Care System (Wisconsin)

Stone said he expects more sites to be added as new refrigeration equipment is installed, and as subsequent vaccines that do not require the extreme cold temperatures are approved.

More information on the vaccine distribution is available on the VA website.

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As of Aug. 11, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) updated portions of the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities (VASRD, or Rating Schedule) that evaluate infectious diseases, immune disorders and nutritional deficiencies.

The collection of federal regulations used by the Veterans Benefits Administration helps claims processors evaluate the severity of disabilities and assign disability ratings.

“VA is in the process of updating all 15 body systems of the VASRD to more accurately reflect modern medicine and provide Veterans with clearer rating decisions,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “By updating the rating schedule, Veterans receive decisions based on the most current medical knowledge of their condition.”

The complete list of updates to the rating schedule is available online. Claims pending prior to Aug. 11, will be considered under both the old and new rating criteria, and whichever criteria is more favorable to a Veteran will be applied. Claims filed on or after Aug. 11, will be rated under the new rating schedule.

Updating the rating schedule for conditions related to infectious diseases, immune disorders and nutritional deficiencies, enables VA claims processors to make more consistent decisions with greater ease and ensure Veterans understand these decisions. VA remains committed to improving its service to Veterans continuously and staying at the forefront of modern medicine as it has for decades.

Since Sept. 2017, VA has updated the schedules for dental and oral conditions, conditions related to the endocrine system, gynecological conditions and disorders of the breast, the general rating formula for diseases of the eye, skin conditions and the hematologic and lymphatic systems.

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The number of homeless Veterans living on the street or in temporary shelters and cheap hotels is expected to skyrocket after the end of this month as the federal moratorium on evictions for back rent expires, top government officials said Wednesday.

The Department of Veterans Affairs "is deeply concerned about possible dramatic increases in homelessness when eviction moratoria are lifted," Keith Harris, national director of clinical operations for the VA's Homeless Programs Office, said at a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing.

As they brace for the moratorium's June 30 end, the VA and the Department of Housing and Urban Development were planning to increase funding for rental assistance and boost the number of HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) vouchers by 70,000, said Richard Cho, senior adviser for housing and services at HUD.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has extended the eviction moratorium several times, most recently in March to June 30, and advocacy groups called for another extension at the hearing.

Lifting the moratorium at this time "could result in an unprecedented wave of Veteran homelessness," said Kathryn Monet, chief executive officer of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

In her written testimony, Monet urged the subcommittee members to consider a range of factors that will come into play as the nation emerges from the pandemic and emergency relief assistance is eased or lifted.

"There will be a deepening economic crisis when unemployment benefits sunset. Similarly, the housing crisis will deepen when the eviction moratorium sunsets," she said.

Monet warned that "nearly 15 million Americans have accrued over $50 billion in missed rental payments, and Veterans are among them. They will immediately be added to the 'at-risk' category of homelessness if unable to access enough emergency rent assistance or other homelessness prevention funding."

Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., said "the moratorium probably saved a lot of Veterans from being evicted, and once you're homeless it's nearly impossible to get out of homelessness and it's very expensive to do it."

Monet agreed.

"One of the things we all know about homelessness is that prior experience of homelessness increases your likelihood of being homeless again," she said. She called for an extension of the moratorium "not forever but for a little while longer until we can get everyone back on their feet."

Harris responded to the issues raised by Monet and other homeless advocates by stating, "We're as concerned as anyone else in this hearing today about the possible impact of lifting the eviction moratorium."

He said the VA planned to push "significant funding" to Supportive Services for Veteran Families, the VA program that provides grants to private, nonprofit organizations and consumer cooperatives for assistance to Veteran families. He also noted that the VA and HUD no longer bar Veterans with other than honorable discharges from receiving HUD-VASH vouchers and said that unemployed Veterans who fall behind on their rent would not be barred from rental assistance once they gain a job.

"If they become employed, that will not be held against them," Harris said.

A Failed Campaign to End Veteran Homelessness

Without directly criticizing the Trump administration, Harris and Cho said that the vaunted effort begun in 2010 to end Veteran homelessness effectively had stalled from 2016-2020, with the number of Veterans in shelters or on the street consistently estimated in the range of 37,000, among a general U.S. homeless population of about 580,000.

The most recent HUD one-night estimate, in January 2020, put the number of homeless Veterans at 37,252.

"This number does not account for the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has added to the nation's housing challenges, including for Veterans," Harris said.

About one-third of the communities who normally participate in the survey opted out this year because of pandemic restrictions. HUD has no reliable estimate on how many Veterans have been homeless in 2021. Cho said HUD did not expect to do another homeless Veteran survey until 2022.

Harris said one of the main problems in getting homeless Veterans off the streets was the nationwide lack of affordable housing since the height of the pandemic.

To address the housing crisis, Harris said in his written testimony that the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Joe Biden in March, included more than $10 billion in funding for individuals who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

He also said Biden's proposed American Jobs Plan would invest nearly $150 billion in grants and programs, "providing HUD with the tools and resources it needs to build and modernize millions of affordable and sustainable places to live and revitalize communities nationwide."

The HUD and VA outlines to renew the drive to end Veteran homelessness received pushback from Reps. Barry Moore, R-Ala., and Madison Cawthorn, R-N.C., who both questioned whether VA and HUD were overspending.

By his estimate, VA and HUD would be spending $41,963 apiece for each of the 37,252 homeless Veterans in HUD's 2020 survey, Moore said. "This is an extraordinary amount of money."

Harris said Moore failed to consider the turnover in the Veteran homeless population, noting that VA and HUD served about three times the 37,252 number during the course of a year. He also said VA and HUD had programs serving about 300,000 Veterans that aimed to keep them in their homes and out of shelters and off the streets.

Cawthorn said he was outraged that homeless Veterans were not taking advantage of the expanding jobs market. "I cannot reject what I just heard more strongly," he said of the calls by homeless advocates for an extension of the eviction moratorium and expanded rental assistance.

The moratorium was put in place "because people were not able to go out and get a job because of COVID-19," but currently about nine million jobs are available, he said. The jobs were not being taken "because the federal government is literally sending people paychecks to sit at home," an apparent reference to expanded unemployment benefits, Cawthorn said.

"It's absolutely ridiculous. The moratorium on rent has got to end," Cawthorn said. "It's absolutely insane. It's destroying so many of these landlords' lives, because so many people are unwilling to go out and get a job. It's disgusting, and it's un-American."

Harris and Cho did not respond to Cawthorn's charges, but Cho added perspective on the Veteran homelessness issue in his written testimony.

"When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States and Americans across the country were told to stay safe by staying home, there were more than half a million Americans who could not do so because they had no home to stay in," Cho said.

"That includes over 37,000 Veterans who, after serving and sacrificing in our nation's military, were sleeping either in congregate shelters with beds spaced not six feet, but inches apart, or forced to sleep outside, face the elements, and be without access to hygiene and other facilities."

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VA Secretary Denis McDonough said he would consult the future under secretary for health on how to handle the rising cost of private sector care.

The Department of Veterans Affairs may alter the rules for its community health care program, a system designed to help Veterans see doctors outside of the VA system if they don’t have easy access to a VA medical facility, to stop that program’s growing spending from devouring its overall health care budget, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough.

During a Senate hearing on the VA budget Tuesday, McDonough said the community care program now accounts for 33% of the VA's total health care demand, up from roughly 26% last year.

McDonough warned lawmakers last year that the growth was not sustainable, but said Tuesday he would consult with his new under secretary for health before formally proposing the move.

"[33% is] a high number, and that's the highest number yet of the three years of the Mission Act. Care overall, as you have seen in the budget, is growing. Care in the community as a portion of that is growing... My hunch is that we should change access standards," McDonough said.

The 2018 VA Mission Act overhauled the department's private-sector health care programs for Veterans, consolidating a number of civilian-care programs into a single community care program available to more Veterans, with the costs covered by the department.

Under at least one of its predecessor programs, VA Choice, Veterans were only eligible for community care if they lived more than 40 linear miles from a VA medical facility or were unable to get an appointment within 30 days.

But the Mission Act expanded the standards to include Veterans who face drive times of at least 30 minutes to a primary or mental health appointment or 60 minutes for specialty care, or those who must wait 20 days or more to be seen for primary care or 28 days for specialty care.

McDonough said he would consult his new under secretary for health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, once he is confirmed by the Senate as to whether changes are necessary.

"I'm not going to hoist him with my views. He happens to be a health care professional so we should probably have his views on this," McDonough said.

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran, the committee's ranking Republican, introduced a bill last July that would give Congress the authority to determine eligibility thresholds for community care.

During Elnahal's confirmation hearing, Moran asked Elnahal what he thought of the access standards, which Moran described as "reasonable" and a "concrete measure" on which Veterans "can rely in terms of accessing care."

"Wait time calculation, the access standard regulations I think are very clear," Moran said on April 27.

The Senate was to vote on Elnahal's nomination on May 25, but what was expected to be a swift approval was blocked by Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who said he objected to what he said was President Joe Biden's failure to "appoint qualified individuals to serve in important roles."

Scott did not cite Elnahal specifically or detail why he thought Elnahal, a former Veterans Affairs assistant deputy under secretary for health and chief executive officer of University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, was unqualified.

The VA has not had a permanent under secretary for health since 2017, when Dr. David Shulkin, who had held the position since 2015, was nominated to be VA secretary.

In the three years since the Mission Act has been in effect, Veterans have reported that they encounter problems getting referrals to community care. The decision to refer is supposed to be determined by a Veteran and their doctor, but Veterans have said that their requests are often denied by VA employees who are not members of their health teams.

An investigation by inewsource and USA Today in November found that VA administrators have overruled doctors' referral recommendations to ensure that patients stay in the VA direct care system.

McDonough addressed the investigation during a hearing in December, saying the findings were not true.

"To suggest that by design we're breaking the law is an overstatement," McDonough said.

Nonetheless, McDonough said VA must do something to ensure that the community care budget does not continue expanding at its current rate. The VA's $301 billion fiscal 2023 budget request includes $99.1 billion for medical services, including $28.5 billion for community care, according to budget documents.

"What we know is demand for health care over the course of the Mission Act has increased. It has increased more intensively for care in the community," McDonough said.

McDonough said the department would seek input from Congress and the public using the federal regulatory process before changing the standards.

The House Appropriations kicks off deliberations on the VA funding bill Wednesday. The Senate Appropriations Committee has not released a timeline for introducing its version of the bill.

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Updated VA Welcome Kit Now Available

Getting the most out of your VA experience begins with understanding what VA can do for you.

Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors can use the newly updated VA Welcome Kit to learn about VA benefits and services. The VA Welcome Kit is organized around major life milestones, such as separating from military service, retirement, or seeking care while aging. The 14 ‘quick-start guides’ included in the VA Welcome Kit provide additional information, such as:

• Applying for VA health care.
• Getting started with mental health services.
• Getting started with health services for women Veterans.
• Understanding community care.
• Accessing urgent care.
• Applying for disability compensation.
• Understanding the modernized decision review process.
• Applying for education benefits.
• Applying for burial in a VA national cemetery and for memorial products.
• Getting started with services for Veterans aged 65+.
• Getting started with Veteran state benefits and services.
• Getting started with Vet Center services.
• Getting started with caregiver benefits.
• Applying for survivor benefits.

Whether you are just separating from service or have been a civilian for years, the VA Welcome Kit is your guide to helping you get started at VA – and sustaining you throughout your VA journey. It offers information on how VA can help you at major life milestones, including planning for retirement and care into your golden years.

The VA Welcome Kit also has information on accessing resources for taking care of yourself, such as accessing mental health care, women Veterans’ services, caregiver support and getting care at community providers.

Navigate VA Benefits

Keep the VA Welcome Kit handy for reference and share it with anyone who may also need help navigating their VA benefits. Over 800,000 VA Welcome Kits have been downloaded and over 260,000 printed and distributed to more than 250 organizations and individuals so far. The VA Welcome Kit is regularly updated online when new information is available, so we encourage you to bookmark the link.

If you have suggestions for additional information to include in the VA Welcome Kit, please submit them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it received the highest level of distinction within the Gears of Government President’s Award program for three innovations that have greatly improved services for Veterans at VA hospitals across the country.

The award recognized Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) staff responsible for curating, funding and expanding in-house innovations, which include practices to de-prescribe unnecessary medicine to Veterans, prevent hospital acquired pneumonia and reduce opioid overdose deaths at VA campuses.

“The VHA IE team has transformed the way VA employees view the culture of innovation in our organization,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VHA IE truly empowers frontline employees to help improve services for Veterans by investing in the infrastructure necessary to adopt cutting edge solutions in collaboration with academic and industry partners. By providing staff with proper resources to develop their ideas, we are now able to turn those ideas into real, workable concepts.”

Since its reconfiguration in 2018, VHA IE has helped reshape employees’ ability to discover and spread their innovations throughout the VA health care system. To date, VHA IE innovation projects have improved care for more than 1 million Veterans, lowered costs for taxpayers by over $40 million, saved lives from opioid overdoses and advanced care for the entire field of medicine.

VHA IE was selected from over 200 teams and individuals for outstanding mission results, customer service and accountable stewardship.

Learn more about VHA IE.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it received the highest level of distinction within the Gears of Government President’s Award program for three innovations that have greatly improved services for Veterans at VA hospitals across the country.

The award recognized Veterans Health Administration Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE) staff responsible for curating, funding and expanding in-house innovations, which include practices to de-prescribe unnecessary medicine to Veterans, prevent hospital acquired pneumonia and reduce opioid overdose deaths at VA campuses.

“The VHA IE team has transformed the way VA employees view the culture of innovation in our organization,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VHA IE truly empowers frontline employees to help improve services for Veterans by investing in the infrastructure necessary to adopt cutting edge solutions in collaboration with academic and industry partners. By providing staff with proper resources to develop their ideas, we are now able to turn those ideas into real, workable concepts.”

Since its reconfiguration in 2018, VHA IE has helped reshape employees’ ability to discover and spread their innovations throughout the VA health care system. To date, VHA IE innovation projects have improved care for more than 1 million Veterans, lowered costs for taxpayers by over $40 million, saved lives from opioid overdoses and advanced care for the entire field of medicine.

VHA IE was selected from over 200 teams and individuals for outstanding mission results, customer service and accountable stewardship.

Learn more about VHA IE.

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Veterans Affairs leaders will recommend closing three major medical centers and more than 170 other outpatient health facilities in coming years as part of an ongoing review of the department’s footprint across America, according to documents obtained by Military Times.

But VA officials will also push for construction of 255 new health care and community living facilities as part of the plan, a trade-off that they say will put almost 200,000 more Veterans within a 30-minute drive of basic medical care and 370,000 more Veterans within an hour’s drive of specialty care.

VA Secretary Denis McDonough is expected to detail the plan on March 10 during an event with the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute.

In planning documents, VA officials cautioned that the closures and new facility construction are “several years away” at the earliest, if they are implemented at all.

The work is part of the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission approved by Congress in 2018 but just getting underway this year. The process is similar to the base closing commissions stood up in the 1980s and 1990s to reassess the Defense Department’s holdings in an effort to find waste and cost-savings.

The VA recommendations will be reviewed and approved — or amended — by an independent panel of experts from the Veterans community and health care industry over the next year.

However, VA officials have spent months researching Veterans medical care access and needs in local markets across the country, and their recommendations will carry significant weight with the still-to-be-named commission.

In planning documents outlining the work to Veterans advocates, VA officials pledged that “in the short run [the plans] will have no impact on VA employees or services.”

But if the commission agrees with the proposals, it could mean shifting staff across communities or even state lines to better staff the new medical facilities infrastructure envisioned by officials.

In recent weeks, McDonough has proposed major investments in the VA workforce in order to recruit and retain top talent, to include better pay and benefits.

Officials have also briefed medical staff across the country on the changes, although the information released so far has been focused on local changes and not comprehensive for the entire department.

VA currently maintains 171 major VA Medical Centers across America. The new plan calls for closing three of those, although officials have not yet specified which three.

In recent weeks, lawmakers in Ohio and South Dakota have indicated their VA hospitals may be on the short list for closure, and have protested that the moves could hurt their local communities.

In place of those shuttered locations, dozens of other to-be-built inpatient facilities would assume their workload. The department wants to establish 27 new stand-alone community living centers (VA has two now), 48 new inpatient facilities partnering with private-sector offices (VA has seven now) and 12 new residential rehabilitation treatment programs (VA has 10 now).

The VA proposal also calls for closing 86 Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (about 16 percent of the department’s total today) and 88 other outpatient offices. They would be replaced by 140 new multi-specialty CBOCs, which officials say will provide a wider range of services to Veterans.

The moves would represent a massive investment in the future of VA medical care, particularly if lawmakers go along with the new construction plans.

Republicans lawmakers in recent years have pushed for more private-sector care options for Veterans in need of medical services, arguing that having VA duplicate that work is inefficient and often inconvenient for Veterans.

But the VA recommendations argue the changes are needed to “maintain appropriate internal capacity and invest in modern infrastructure to meet the demand” of Veteran patients.

On the other side, federal worker unions said they have concerns that the looming closings will hurt both VA staff and patients.

“Closing VA facilities will force Veterans to rely on uncoordinated, private, for-profit care, where they will suffer from long wait times and be without the unique expertise and integrated services that only the VA provides,” said American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley in a statement.

“Every time the VA has tried to privatize Veterans’ care, the private sector has charged Veterans more money out of pocket for worse outcomes. The VA’s newest attempt at wholesale privatization will have the same effect. Veterans will suffer as scammers and grifters eagerly take advantage of the VA’s open checkbook”

The recommendations are expected to be formally submitted as part of the Federal Register on March 14.

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Veterans Affairs officials want to talk about your guns.

Staff working on suicide prevention are planning to increase their focus on the importance of lethal means safety as part of their suicide prevention campaign. On Wednesday, VA officials said that will include more training for staff and more public service announcements for Veterans on best practices for gun storage and mental health help.

“We are not gearing any campaign or messaging towards restriction,” Dr. Matthew Miller, executive director of VA’s Suicide Prevention Program, told members of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday. “We are gearing our messaging and campaign towards safety, time and space between a person, a firearm and ammunition.

“A [pause] of 10 to 20 minutes can be life saving.”

Miller’s comments came two weeks after VA officials released their annual report on Veteran suicide rates, showing a decline in 2019 (the latest year for which data was available). The 7 percent decrease put Veterans’ suicides at their lowest rate since 2007.

But the figures still translate into about 17 Veteran deaths a day by suicide across America. Of those, roughly 70 percent are the result of firearms use.

Public health officials for years have pushed for increased focus on gun ownership and safety among Veterans as a way to reduce suicide among Veterans, noting that former military members are more likley to own and use the weapons.

In the President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) initiative released in June 2020, administration officials said they found “robust and compelling” evidence that lethal means safety efforts could reduce Veterans suicide nationwide.

And VA has run multiple public service messages and safety training programs on the issue in recent years. But much of that work has been publicly downplayed or curbed as the topic has frequently run into political opposition from gun rights activists and conservative lawmakers, who view the efforts as an attempt to infringe on individuals’ Second Amendment rights.

In testimony Wednesday, Miller and other VA officials said they are cognizant of those concerns, but also convinced that the topic must be broached more widely to save Veterans’ lives.

“In fiscal 2022 we’ll be moving forward with that … addressing lethal means safety specifically for Veterans, for families and loved ones and community members, and for health care systems,” he said. " We’re also working from an interagency perspective within the government, where lethal means safety is a primary goal for interagency collaboration and coordination.”

In the last month, department officials have released a series of new ads — both online and on through media networks — informing Veterans that “a simple lock puts space between a thought and a trigger.”

The PREVENTS report, compiled and approved by President Donald Trump’s administration, noted that “time and space can create an opportunity for a change of heart or for someone to intervene” in cases of Veterans’ emotional distress.

“In addition, if one means for attempting suicide is not available, most people do not substitute a different method,” the report said.

The announcement of a new gun safety push by VA drew only mild pushback at Wednesday’s hearing.

Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., warned that “mandated removal of Veterans’ firearms [in cases of mental health problems] would be very counterproductive and completely unacceptable to many members of this committee.” But he also said he thought the approach of VA thus far is “headed in the right direction” in his view.

“This is a real problem,” he said. “The amount of times that Veterans are using firearms to take their own lives … if we can get time between them and their firearms, then that’s going to be a good thing.”

Other lawmakers pushed VA officials to mandate more firearms safety training for front-line staff interacting with Veterans on mental health and support issues. Miller said officials plan to expand that by fall 2023.

The latest VA report on Veterans suicide is available on the department’s web site.

Veterans experiencing a mental health emergency can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was recently recognized in studies by two independent peer-review journals — JAMIA Open and Psychiatric Services — for efforts to deliver trusted, easy access and high-quality online health care services to Veterans with complex health care needs or residing in remote areas.

The department’s tablet program is one part of VA’s extensive telehealth program. The VA’s use of technology to enhance care options for Veterans is supported by the VA MISSION Act.

“Telehealth technology remains a vital platform to provide high-quality health care to all Veterans, regardless of challenges they may face in accessing care,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA’s tablet program is a model that other networked health care systems across the country can mirror, and demonstrates the potential of telehealth capabilities in the years to come.”

According to the JAMIA Open study published Aug. 5, VA’s initiative to distribute video telehealth tablets to high-need patients appears to have successfully reached Veterans with social and clinical access barriers, including Veterans in rural areas and patients with mental health conditions.

The study published by Psychiatric Services, Aug. 5, validates that the initiative also appears to improve access and continuity of mental health services of Veterans with mental health conditions. Furthermore, researchers discovered that VA’s efforts are improving clinical efficiency by decreasing missed opportunities for care.

Learn more about VA Telehealth Services.

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As part of its ongoing effort to prevent Veteran suicide, The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today a new partnership with non-profit organization America Salutes You, to raise awareness of mental health resources for service members, Veterans and their loved ones.

The partnership will promote VA’s Be There campaign and share suicide prevention resources through videos, public service announcements and broadcast events streaming online and airing on television networks across the country.

“Educating the public about suicide prevention resources is key to curbing Veteran suicide,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA’s partnership with America Salutes You shows a solid combined effort towards improving Veterans’ overall health and well-being.”

Through this partnership, America Salutes You will host concerts and events to educate Veterans and their loved ones about suicide prevention with an emphasize on access to VA care. As part of VA’s National Strategy for Preventing Veteran Suicide, these events use a public health approach to reach Veterans in their communities and aim to raise awareness about mental health, social determinates of suicide and suicide prevention resources through social media and streaming services.

Veterans who are in crisis or having thoughts of suicide, and those who know a Veteran in crisis, can call VCL for confidential support 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Call 1-800-273-8255 and press 1, send a text message to 838255 or chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat.

Media covering this issue can download VA’s Safe Messaging Best Practices fact sheet or visit www.ReportingOnSuicide.org for important guidance on how to communicate about suicide.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is partnering with the nonprofit The American Kidney Fund (AKF) to help Veterans   diagnosed with kidney disease live healthier lives.

The VA-AKF collaboration augments existing VA programs and services that support Veterans through early identification of kidney disease and referral for appropriate treatment.

“Our goal is to ensure our Veterans are aware of the resources needed to understand, manage and help treat kidney disease,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This alliance improves Veterans’ access to kidney disease resources, programs and support, and provides information on VA benefits to those diagnosed with or who are at risk for developing the disease.”

Additionally, Veterans will have access to webinars, awareness campaigns and events to increase their consciousness of risk factors, causes, complications and treatments of kidney disease and associated conditions.

The prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the Veteran population is higher than in the general population. Kidney disease affects about 1 in 6 Veterans, including more than 40,000 VA-enrolled Veterans who are diagnosed with kidney failure, known as end stage renal disease, who rely on dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

VA employs more than 200 nephrologists who specialize in the care of patients with kidney disease and has a comprehensive research portfolio aimed at preventing and improving the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Through the partnership with AKF, VA will also share publicly available data with AKF for clinical research.

“By working together, AKF and VA will leverage each other’s strengths to address the unique challenges Veterans face in managing their kidney health,” said LaVarne Burton, AKF president and CEO. “Through providing educational materials and programs from prevention through transplant, we aim to improve the quality of life for the thousands of Veterans at risk for or living with kidney disease.”

AKF, founded in 1971, works on behalf of the 37 million Americans living with kidney disease, and the millions more at risk, to provide programs that address early detection, disease management, financial assistance, clinical research, innovation and advocacy.

For more information on this or other partnerships, contact VA’s Office of Community Engagement.

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To better support Veterans impacted by COVID-19, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is partnering with Blue Star Families (BSF) for the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative (CMSI).

The mission of CMSI is to share information, maintain engagement and develop best practices and policy approaches to ensure our military families receive the support it deserves.

“Our nation, military families and communities are facing a challenge like we have not seen in one hundred years,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “In dealing with COVID-19, our national security depends on ensuring we provide our military families with as much understanding, information and support as possible.”

CMSI builds upon previous work between VA and BSF to include comprehensive coverage of the federal response with a daily newsletter; hosting virtual town halls on the key issues impacting the military; identifying best practices and policy solutions and creating a repository to capture frequently asked questions.

VA and BSF joined forces with the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) and participants of the White Oak Collaborative to create a united, national platform to provide resources and expertise to support communities, states, and military families in crisis. ADC is also a connection point for civilian and military leaders on community-military issues.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal partners to develop a comprehensive COVID-19 vaccine plan to ensure VA safely and equitably distributes vaccines once authorized.

The plan will be a phased approach based on scientific and historical evidence, lessons learned from past pandemic vaccine plans and input from scientific experts both within and outside VA.

“In October, staff at VA medical facilities conducted important planning exercises in preparation for the vaccine,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “These exercises help us to address vaccine distribution, allocation, safety monitoring and supply tracking.”

COVID-19 vaccine implementation will include an initial limited-supply phase followed by a general implementation phase, when large supplies of the vaccine will be available to Veterans who want to receive one.

VA experts in ethics, health equity, infectious disease, logistics, pandemic planning, pharmacy and public health as well as those in the areas of change management, clinicians from various disciplines, data, education, IT, safety and training, along with government partners, were sought for input to help develop the plan. VA also conducted Veteran listening sessions for valuable feedback in the planning process.

To learn the latest information visit CDC COVID-19 Vaccine.

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Suits for Veterans enrolled in the Compensated Work Therapy program

More than 40 Veterans stopped by the Gulf Coast VA Health Care System ready to “Dress for Success.” The event, sponsored by Men’s Wearhouse, offered new and gently used suits to Veterans who are enrolled in the outpatient and inpatient Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program.

Anthony Williams, CWT program manager, said events like this are important for Veterans who are trying to find employment.

“I believe an event like this lets Veterans know we are serious about helping them find employment,” he said. “Several Veterans said they didn’t have clothing to wear for interviews, so they never really tried to gain community employment.”

In the photo above, from left, Bob Davis, chief of Voluntary Services, Bryan Matthews, medical center director, a Men’s Wearhouse employee; Anthony Williams, Compensated Work Therapy Program Manager and another Men’s Wearhouse employee pose for a photo.

Air Force Veteran grateful for VA and community support

Kyle was in transportation in the Air Force for eight years before separating back to civilian life. That transition didn’t go as well as he’d hoped.

“I went in the Air Force when I was 17 and got out when I was 25,” he said. “I felt this loss of identity that I never imagined.”

Decked out in his new suit, Kyle said he was thankful. “It means a lot, not just that the VA would do this, but to have the community come out and support us Veterans who are struggling to get in the workforce. It just means a lot.”

Kyle entered the work program through the VA. It wasn’t because he wasn’t able to find a job, but because he found himself on a path that wasn’t healthy.

“I’ve had jobs,” he said. “But the environment wasn’t good for me and I knew I needed to change some things.”

He started as a night stocker at a local store. Within three weeks, he was promoted to oversee all the night stockers.

“My work ethic speaks for itself,” Kyle said. “But I had to ask myself what I was going to do to be successful. The answer to that was to find this program so I didn’t end up on the wrong path again.”

Men’s Wearhouse employee measures Veteran for a suit

Williams said he’s trying to transform the CWT program. He recently hired two Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists to start community-based employment service programs in Biloxi and Mobile.

“We are not only trying to help them ‘Dress for Success,’ but we are in the process of starting life skills and computer training,” Williams said. “We are going to partner with our business community and our Veteran Benefits Administration partners to assist Veterans.”

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today a new nursing research and training collaboration with the Prostate Cancer Foundation (PCF) focused on expanding the role of advanced practice registered (APRN) nurses in the genetic services workforce and the delivery of precision oncology patient care.

The expansion includes the creation of VA’s New Data Nurse of the Future program as part of the department’s joint effort with PCF’s Precision Oncology Program for Cancer of the Prostate network.

This program leverages genetic data and other sources of “big data” from the electronic health record to improve translational prostate cancer care and research. It increases Veteran access molecular testing, targeted treatments and clinical trials of novel therapeutics.

VA Secretary’s Center for Strategic Partnerships facilitated the Office of Nursing Services-PCF collaboration which brings together multi-disciplinary experts in nursing, clinical genetics and medical oncology to launch a curriculum of coursework and clinical research training that will culminate in the credentialing of APRNs who will serve Veterans in the VA-PCF network of Centers of Excellence and affiliated sites.

“As the largest segment of the nation’s health workforce, the “New Data Nurse of the Future” program will be critical in delivering VA’s innovative resources to our Veterans,” said VA secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA nurses are vital to all facets of precision oncology care, including educating and counseling Veterans about genetic testing, targeted treatments, and opportunities to participate in clinical trials. This opportunity will help us expand genetic education and workforce to optimize the clinical services for Veterans with prostate cancer.”

By the end of the course, participating VA nurses will be able to integrate cancer genetics and oncology knowledge into clinical practice, apply practitioner-level proficiency to cancer risk assessment and case management, and recommend risk-appropriate options for cancer screening and prevention, among other proficiencies.

“Advances in precision medicine have changed the way nurses think about cancer. Its no longer about which organ is affected — rather much more important the genetic signatures that are common across different cancers,” said Jonathan W. Simons, M.D., president and CEO of PCF. “Empowering nursing leadership in precision oncology will help us bring exceptional treatment options to not only our nation’s Veterans, but potentially to all cancer patients around the globe.”

Grants totaling $600,000 grant from Independence Blue Cross of Pennsylvania and the Katz Foundation established the pilot. It will initially focus on serving Veterans in Philadelphia; Wilmington, Delaware; the Bronx, New York; and East Orange, New Jersey. The first cohort of two APRNs have begun their training with the national team of experts and are expected to complete the program within one year.

Each year, VA treats an estimated 40,000 prostate cancer patients, of which an estimated 15,000 have metastatic disease that require genetic consults and services.

Learn more about VA’s National Oncology Program.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the Board of Veterans’ Appeals(Board) has exceeded its annual goal of issuing 91,500 appeals decisions in fiscal year 2020.

The Board reached this goal weeks ahead of schedule and is on track to issue more decisions.

“This goal was reached ahead of schedule despite the challenges and difficulties of operating during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. This shows the Board’s agility, flexibility and most importantly its unwavering commitment to Veterans.”

The Board was able to quickly pivot to a 99% telework environment at the onset of COVID-19, to ensure that appeals decisions on VA benefits and services to Veterans were not delayed.

It has also provided Veterans the option to choose virtual tele-hearings, allowing them to continue to hold hearings before the Board in a safe, no-contact environment. Since March 23, the Board has held more than 3,000 virtual tele-hearings and continues to increase capacity for more Veterans to transition to a virtual hearing environment.

If you want to transition to a virtual tele-hearing, click here.

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Veterans Affairs officials said they are nearly finished with their review of families receiving caregiver stipends, but still do not have any timeline for when new eligibility criteria for the program will be unveiled.

That means for now, the department still has no plans to change any payouts for existing program participants, even as a significant expansion of the program looms this fall.

Department leaders held a meeting on April 28 regarding the current status of the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. Officials said the forum included “Veterans services organizations, those who serve caregivers, VA staff, congressional partners and actual caregivers who are participants.”

VA Secretary Denis McDonough referenced the meeting during testimony before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee the same day.

“We’re in constant communication with this committee staff and with your individual office staff about these issues,” he said. “And we’ll make a determination as to whether we need to issue new regulations or take some other step for continuation of the program.”

In late March, McDonough announced a halt on all expulsions from the program of “legacy caregivers” — post-9/11 Veterans who were admitted to the program before October 2020 — in a dramatic reversal of department plans.

Since last fall, officials have been reviewing those approximately 20,000 families to see if they still qualify for the program (and its monthly stipend) under eligibility rules updated two years ago.

VA officials said their initial work found that nearly 90 percent of families would have been pushed out of the program under that review, a figure that McDonough called “too high.”

Officials have completed about 88 percent of the reassessments now, and expect to finish the rest in coming weeks. However, that information is being gathered to help shape future changes to the program, and will not be used to exclude individuals from the benefit.

About 33,000 Veterans are currently enrolled in the program, designed to support and compensate full-time caregivers providing at-home assistance to severely wounded Veterans.

The stipends vary based on where Veterans live, but generally hover around $3,000 a month for the most severely wounded individuals and $1,800 for others in need of around-the-clock care.

VA officials declined to release specifics of potential changes discussed at the meeting last week, calling it one of a series of planning events designed to improve the program.

“We do not want to rush this process,” officials said in a statement. “Once we feel we have gathered enough information, we will be in a better position to provide more detailed updates.”

Leadership from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation — one of the outside groups involved — wrote on social media that the meeting was positive and productive, but said no timeline was given for when new requirements or additional reviews may be announced.

At least one major change is already in the works. Currently only Veterans who served before 1976 or after 2001 are eligible for the benefit, but the program is scheduled to be open to all Veterans starting this October, per orders from Congress.

In his testimony to lawmakers, McDonough acknowledged the stress the recent review placed on Veterans’ families and promised that future changes would not come as a “surprise” to caregivers or Congress.

Lawmakers vowed they will be monitoring the issue in months to come.

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The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 gave VA an opportunity to consider new and previously submitted Blue Water Navy claims. Now, thanks to collaboration with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), VA and NARA are helping to determine ship locations and to digitize more than 1,800 vessels’ deck logs.

The data contained in these ships’ deck logs is critical in determining qualifying ship locations in accordance with the law. For the first time, VA will have each of these ships mapped with precision, providing a comprehensive view of their locations.

VA estimates that there are between 420,000 and 560,000 Vietnam-era Veterans who may be considered Blue Water Navy Veterans. The law also extends benefits to survivors and dependents of those Veterans with confirmed service and whose claims would have been granted as a result of the new law.

What Veterans need to know

NARA’s and VA’s collaboration has already assisted in granting more than 22,524 claims since Jan. 1, 2020. The effort digitized more than 29 million images from U.S. Navy and Coast Guard deck logs. It has also provided data, such as ship name, date and coordinates to feed an internal claims-related technical processing system that identifies the vessels that may have traveled within the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam. This proactive approach ensures that Rating Veterans Service Representatives have the evidence needed to render a decision the first time a case is reviewed.

This effort has resulted in faster service for Veterans and reduced the need for physical handling of archival records which preserves our nation’s historical documents. NARA is in the process of redacting the images to make them publicly accessible on the National Archive’s website.

How to file a claim

VA works with Veteran Service Organizations (VSO) and other partners to ensure Veterans and survivors are aware of the changes and know how to determine eligibility for disability compensation or Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) when filing a claim.

If Veterans, survivors or dependents have previously filed and were denied a claim, they can file a supplemental claim. VA encourages Veterans to work with an approved claims representative or VSO to determine if they qualify.

To learn more, please visit https://www.benefits.va.gov/benefits/blue-water-navy.asp.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today the use of digital screening at VA health care facilities and increased telehealth has enabled the department to dramatically increase the rate of COVID-19 testing for Veterans and employees.

To date, VA has tested more than 576,000 Veterans and employees for COVID-19, one of many aggressive steps used to prevent transmission of the virus.

The Veterans Health Administration’s COVID-19 employee infection rate is less than 1% of its workforce – much lower than other health care systems. Employees testing positive for coronavirus could be due to exposure in the community and not related to any potential workplace exposure.

“Testing is a critical piece of VA’s public health response to protect and care for Veterans, their families, health care providers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Our testing policies and procedures have helped to significantly limit the spread of the virus within our medical facilities, while universal COVID-19 testing for patients and staff as well as other safeguards at VA’s community living centers and spinal cord injury units, has minimized the COVID-19 exposure risk for some of our most vulnerable patient populations.”

In March, VA tested an average of 631 people a day for COVID-19. As of Aug. 24, VA is currently testing an average of 6,300 people daily, approximately a 900% increase, and has diagnosed 43,276 Veterans with COVID-19. Among its 9.2 million patients enrolled in VA health care, 3,195 are active COVID-19 cases, 413 of which are inpatient. A total of 37,293 VA COVID-19 patients have reached convalescence, meaning they have been discharged from care or are 14 days past their last positive test, whichever comes later.

Veterans can request a COVID-19 test by sending a secure message to their provider via My HealtheVet, scheduling an appointment online or calling their provider by phone.

Veterans must be enrolled in VA health care to receive a COVID-19 test through VA. There is no copay. Results typically take two to four days and the medical provider will contact the Veteran with results. Veterans who test positive should monitor their symptoms, stay in touch with their medical provider and avoid contact with anyone else.

Visit VA’s public health response webpage for more information on ways to protect against COVID-19. For a real-time look at the status of COVID-19 patients who have been tested or treated at VA facilities visit VA’s COVID-19 National Summary webpage.

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Board of Veterans’ Appeals (Board) hired seven new Veterans Law Judges (VLJs) effective March 1, to help the Board continue its record-breaking progress adjudicating Veterans appeals.

These new hires bring the Board’s total number of VLJs to 102 – the largest since the Board’s inception in 1933.

“2019 was a historic year for the Board and we look forward to reaching new milestones in 2020, said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “In fiscal year 2019, the Board issued 95,089 decisions to Veterans and held more than 22,000 hearings – both are record numbers.”

Eight months after implementation of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 (AMA), VA announced its plan to resolve legacy appeals by the end of 2022. The appointment of the seven VLJs will help VA towards meeting that goal.

Veterans Law Judges are both experienced attorneys and subject matter experts in Veterans law.

Following an initial screening, the chairman of the Board recommends a list of candidates to the VA secretary. The selected VLJs are then appointed by the secretary with the final approval coming from the president.

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Veterans sign construction beam in “Topping Out” event

Veteran Health Indiana hosted a “Topping Out” event for the new Terre Haute VA Clinic on October 14, 2020.

Veterans took part in history by signing one of the beams in the facility.

The new clinic will provide Veterans with many different services. These services will include physical therapy, optometry, telehealth, audiology, home based care, basic imaging, and mental health.

“It’s not only healthcare. It’s mental healthcare. It’s socialization and a connection that many find to be of greatest importance in their life,” said Medical Center Director Laura Ruzick.

The facility is an essential part of the community because it will provide health care services to 10,000 Veterans.

“Mental health is an extremely important aspect of everyone’s life. That includes returning Veterans or Veterans from our communities who have lived here in the Terre Haute community for years,” explained Veteran and supervisory social worker Patrick Hoekstra.

“It’s important to be able to come in and get the services they require so they can get back to whatever normal is to them,” Hoekstra added.

The $40 million facility will also combine existing Terre Haute Mental Health and Primary Care Clinics capable of providing health care services to Indiana Veterans. The new clinic will open in fall 2021.

Veteran Health Indiana also serves over 70,000 Veterans each year. Affiliated with the IU School of Medicine, the health system provides complex, tertiary care as well as basic primary care.

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WASHINGTON — A multibillion-dollar electronic health records system launched less than two years ago by the Department of Veterans Affairs needs major improvements, agency officials told senators on Wednesday.

"This is an extremely important effort to solve a decades-long problem and is essential that VA get it right for the health and safety of Veterans," said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s subpanel on military construction, Veterans affairs, and related agencies. "In addition, this is a major investment, and VA has a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure the system works, and its success can be measured."

The VA originally signed a $10 billion contract with the company Cerner in May 2018 to overhaul the agency's health records system and make it compatible with the Defense Department’s system. However, the cost of the project later increased to about $16 billion.

So far, the new records system has been launched at five of the VA’s 166 health care facilities. In some cases, additional launches at some facilities have been postponed because of ongoing problems with records system, along with delays caused by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

"I am concerned," said Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. "We're into this damn near five years and we haven't done a damn thing. I mean, we've implemented, and it's been a train wreck in my opinion."

At the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash., where the system was first launched in October 2020, issues included unauthorized and inaccurate medication orders, patients' name and gender errors, issues in scheduling primary care appointments, misdirected links to video medical appointments and lost referrals.

The VA had originally scheduled to launch the new records system in July at the Boise VA Medical Center but moved it to 2023 after the VA inspector general released a report that revealed the system caused harm to 149 VA patients.

"Just one Vet harmed is one Vet too many and, right now, the bottom line is that the Cerner system is not delivering for Veterans in the ways that it should," VA Deputy Secretary Donald Remy said the hearing. "It needs major improvements.”

Shereef Elnahal, VA's undersecretary for health, said he visited the Columbus VA Medical Center in Ohio and saw firsthand the issues clinicians and providers faced using the records system. Among the most concerning problems that he said he saw included putting in orders for lab work or tests.

"They were not confident in many cases, and in many clinical settings, that those orders were actually getting where they needed to go on behalf of their Veterans," Elnahal said. "So, there was a lot of manual rework, recheck, that had to be done to meet those Veterans' needs."

He also said employees told him the system was stressful to use. Leaders at the Columbus VA facility told Elnahal that some employees quit partly because of problems working within system, Elnahal said.

In October, Paul Brubaker, acting principal deputy assistant secretary and deputy chief information officer at VA's Office of Information Technology, told House lawmakers that the agency contracted with the nonprofit Institute for Defense Analysis to calculate an estimate of costs of the Cerner electronic health record system.

A review issued in July by the institute estimated the implementation of the electronic health record system would cost nearly $39 billion in 13 years. The estimate also included more than $17 billion to sustain the system.

"VA has an opportunity to manage cost drivers such as productivity loss associated with deployments [of the new system]," Rieksts said during the hearing. "As the system is rolled out to more facilities, emerging information will provide additional insights regarding risk and uncertainty in the cost estimate.”

Mike Sicilia, executive vice president for industries at Oracle, which purchased Cerner in June, told the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee in July that he reviewed the system's issues. Oracle took over Cerner's electronic health record contract with the VA, Defense Department and the Coast Guard and established a command center led by Oracle's senior engineers.

Sicilia said Wednesday that Oracle hosted a summit with the VA, Defense Department, Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office, and Leidos Holdings Inc. to discuss the federal electronic health record system's performance and its issues. Sicilia said the meeting led to plans for the system and that Oracle sent a letter to the VA detailing the plans and a roadmap.

Sicilia also said Oracle is working with the VA to revamp training for employees to learn to use the electronic health records system.

"We are working on more than 40 different technical operational improvement projects for the federal enclave that we expect to lead to improved performance and greater stability," Sicilia said in his written testimony. "We have made progress already, completing four projects and expecting seven, potentially eight, more to be complete by the end of the year. As we work on these projects, we will continue to analyze the system and make other fixes as needed."

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Veterans Affairs officials still have millions of coronavirus vaccines to distribute in coming months, but they are already warily eyeing the next massive medical challenge to follow: making up millions of medical appointments for Veterans who have put off routine and specialty care because of virus concerns.

“We’ve had massive amounts of health care deferred,” said acting VA Under Secretary for Health Richard Stone in an interview with Military Times on Wednesday. “We’re down almost 12,000 surgeries a month from before the pandemic. And have to be able to look after those who need us when they come back.”

Federal medical experts have estimated that as many as 41 percent of Americans have deferred regular check-ups or non-emergency care visits since last spring, when public officials ordered business closures and stay-at-home orders in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19.

VA officials said that they have made up some of those lost appointments through telehealth. In a roundtable with reporters this week, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said that the number of online appointments has increased almost 20-fold in the last year, from 2,500 a day last March to 45,000 a day this month.

“But we’re still looking at delayed or deferred care of more than 19 million appointments,” he said. “And some of that delayed care is going to be more costly than it has been in the past.”

Department leaders are highlighting those new expenses as part of their campaign for President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package, under debate on Capitol Hill. The $1.9 trillion plan includes about $15 billion in new VA spending, money that some conservatives have argued could be deferred until next fiscal year, and considered in the normal budgeting process.

McDonough dismissed that assessment.

“I wish we had the ability to just let this be an issue out over the horizon,” he said. “But with telehealth, we need additional information technology investments now to respond to the demand, including more hardware and software for Vets. And we don’t know exactly when all those other [in-person] appointments will come back.”

Stone said medical officials are already preparing for the flood of rescheduled appointments. At the height of the pandemic, about 6,000 workers a day were unable to work because of contract tracing or personal illness. That number is down to around 1,000 a day now, effectively giving VA an influx of extra workers to handle rising patient demands.

He said that as Veterans receive vaccines, they are also being informed of services that have reopened (to make up for missed medical appointments) and of other resources available to them. That’s particularly important for individuals who may be facing new mental health issues from the stress and isolation of the pandemic.

“This isn’t something that will just be over,” he said. “We recognize that we’re going to be dealing with the effects of this pandemic probably for the next few years.”

The vaccine effort shouldn’t take nearly as long. In the first few weeks of vaccine distribution, VA was administering about 104,000 doses a week. Now they’re up to about 194,000 each week, Stone said, with the capability of going even higher.

Stone was in New York this week taking part in a mass vaccination event as part of the department’s Fourth Mission responsibilities, to act as a backup system for American health care. VA staff administered vaccines to about 1,500 locals, from a separate supply from their doses for Veterans and staff.

“When vaccines are available from our federal partners, we’re at the front of the line asking for more,” he said. “They’re seeing that we can get it into people’s arms quickly, so that has helped us get more.”

Nearly 10,600 VA patients have died from coronavirus complications in the last year. Nationwide, nearly 520,000 Americans have died from medical issues linked to the virus.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs underestimated how much it’ll cost to make a variety of physical infrastructures upgrades needed to support the new electronic health record at its medical facilities.

VA’s previous physical infrastructure estimates were unreliable, the department’s inspector general said earlier this week, raising questions about the overall costs of the EHR modernization effort.

VA is updating the electrical work, cabling, heating, cooling and ventilation to prepare for the Cerner Millennium suite at its medical facilities. The Veterans Health Administration estimated the costs of performing that work on two previous occasions — once in June 2019, when it projected the upgrades at $2.7 billion. VHA offered a second estimate later that year in November, when it said physical infrastructure upgrades would cost $1.1 billion.

But the actual costs for EHR physical infrastructure upgrades are likely more, potentially $3.1-to-$3.7 billion, according to the VA inspector general.

VA has consistently said its massive electronic health record modernization effort will cost $16.1 billion.

But that figure, which includes the 10-year contract with Cerner Corporation, $4.3 billion for IT infrastructure upgrades and an additional $1.8 billion for program management and other support contracts, didn’t include physical infrastructure costs. And VA has never included those costs in quarterly reports to Congress about the project.

Those investments are separate from VA’s IT infrastructure upgrades, which include things like buying new computers or network equipment.

It’s unclear why exactly VA’s previous physical infrastructure estimates varied so significantly, the IG’s report describes a wide variety of discrepancies and omissions between the two cost projections.

The department’s November estimate, for example, didn’t include costs of upgrading cabling at VA facilities across the country. Fiber optic cabling costs represented 17% of the June 2019 budget but 41% of the November estimate, according to the IG.

And while the June estimate did include anticipated escalation costs for VA to complete these upgrades over several years, the November figure left them out. VA agreed the omission was an error.

The IG said VHA used similar methodology to prepare both estimates but based those projections on different cost assumptions for data center investments and others.

Those discrepancies were based, in part, on underestimated costs at two of VA’s initial go-live sites for the EHR, the IG said.

The department underestimated physical infrastructure costs by 57% at the Seattle facility and 108% at the American Lake VA Medical Center.

Poor planning at the start of the EHR modernization project didn’t help either, the IG added.

“Inadequate planning for physical infrastructure upgrades from the time the EHRM contract was awarded to Cerner in May 2018 also contributed to unreliable estimates,” the IG said. “VHA did not have enough information about the state of VHA facilities or the infrastructure the system required to make fine-tuned cost predictions.”

Both VA and EHRM leaders said they didn’t know the scope of the department’s physical infrastructure deficiencies when the contract was signed.

Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are concerned — and frustrated — with the changing EHR cost estimate.

The “report from VA’s inspector general raises serious questions about the financial management of the EHRM program,” Frank Mrvan (D-Ind.), chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization Subcommittee, said in a statement. “It appears that decisions where made, whether intentional or not, that obscured the complete costs of the program from Congress and the American people.”

At a hearing on VA’s overall infrastructure needs on Thursday, VA said it didn’t have an updated figure detailing EHR physical infrastructure costs and didn’t have a timeline for when one might be available.

“Republicans have been sounding the alarm about the accuracy of VA’s electronic health record modernization cost estimates for years,” Mike Bost (R-Ill.), ranking member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “The IG has proven us right. This was already going to be the most expensive electronic health record overhaul in America. Now we know VA has been underestimating it by at least $3 billion. VA must be upfront with Congress about the true costs of this effort. That is why I have been calling for the ongoing strategic review to include a complete, updated cost estimate.”

The department launched a strategic review of the EHR program after hearing concerns from employees and clinicians at the VA medical center in Spokane, Washington, the first go-live site for the project.

“We’re looking really closely at this report,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough told reporters Thursday. “I’m going to refrain right now from making additional commitments about what’s happening on EHR until our strategic review is completed, which I anticipate in the next several weeks.”

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Most major Veterans service organizations are urging Congress to support a provision in the COVID-relief package to terminate a GI Bill loophole they say encourages for-profit schools to scam and recruit Veterans with predatory tactics.

But getting rid of the loophole faces a last-minute challenge. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is fighting the provision, sources with direct knowledge said. He is going to introduce Amendment 941, which would strip the provision out of the package, his office confirmed.

On Friday, the Senate starts a series of tough amendment votes on the $1.9 trillion relief bill that could extend late into the night. The long stretch of votes is known as a vote-a-rama, during which senators will introduce many amendments to the relief package to add or eliminate elements such as the 90/10 provision.

Democratic Sens. Kirsten Sinema of Arizona and Joe Manchin of West Virginia are wild cards with the 90/10 vote, a source with direct knowledge said. Neither senator's office responded to a request for comment.

On Friday, 31 Veterans advocate groups and military organizations penned a letter to the Senators stressing the need to close the so-called 90/10 loophole. Currently, for-profit schools must collect at least 10% of their revenue from non-federal sources.

"Closing the 90/10 loophole has long been a top priority for military and Veteran serving organizations," the letter states. "This is even more imperative now as COVID has increased predatory colleges' targeting of military-connected students."

The letter was signed by most major Veteran and military groups such as AMVETS, the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and the Military Officers Association of America.

After more than a decade of some lawmakers and advocates pushing to gut the loophole out of law, Democrats attached the provision to the massive COVID-relief package. As with a lot of bills passed through Congress, unrelated measures are often attached for easier passing into law.

To make the 90/10 provision easier to pass, a deal was brokered Thursday night between Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions, and Sen. Richard Burr of North Carolina, the top Republican on the committee. It would delay implementation of the loophole closure by six months, a source with direct knowledge of the situation said.

The 90/10 rule doesn't count the GI Bill as federal revenue despite being earned on duty and paid out by the Department of Veterans Affairs. This gives for-profit colleges an incentive to recruit Veterans to stay in business, Veterans advocates have argued.

The for-profit school industry rejects that characterization, saying some institutions might have to raise prices and it could be more difficult to accept new student Veterans if the 90/10 rule is gone.

"It is unconscionable to exploit the COVID-19 relief bill as a vehicle to deny Veterans and active-duty service members the right to use their earned benefits on the career school of their choice," said Jason Altmire, CEO of Career Education Colleges and Universities, an industry group that represents for-profit institutions. "Congress should focus on stimulating the economy instead of including provisions that will be harmful to Veterans, active-duty service members, and low-income students."

In 2018, the VA inspector general warned that the agency could waste $2.3 billion in payments to "ineligible colleges" over the next five years. In the majority of cases, the wasted payments would go to for-profit universities.

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The Biden administration really does struggle with math. And as they look to boost the budget of the Veteran Affairs, it’s becoming quite obvious.

The budget for the VA has been suffering for years. Ask any Veteran if they’re happy with the quality of care they are receiving or if they think they’re being properly compensated for their injuries. The answer will be a resounding “no.”

VA officials are asking for $270 billion for the next fiscal year. It’s a lot more than what has been spent in the past, but it’s desperately needed to get the Veteran Affairs budget to the level that it needs to be.

Mike Bost, a Republican Representative out of Illinois, has said “the time has come to ask when VA will be adequately funded.” As a ranking member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, he believes that Congress must work to prioritize Veterans.

When you look at the way that Congress has been spending money lately, $270 billion is a small request. After all, shouldn’t we be taking care of our Veterans before we take care of many of the other things that Congress wants to spend money on – like gender studies in foreign countries?

For the fiscal 2022 year, there’s an ask for a 10 percent increase in VA spending. The problem is that there are many Democrats that don’t understand the math.

If the budget goes up by 10%, that means that demand for VA services should go up by 10%, too…right?

Wrong. The VA has been significantly underfunded for years.

Proof of that is to show that in 2001, the VA budget was only at $45 billion. That’s not a lot of money to care for the number of Veterans in the system. This includes not only their disability compensation but also the care that’s provided at VA facilities around the country.

Over the years, the VA budget has grown – but it’s still not where it needs to be.

Many want to look at the VA budget in comparison to prior years. The budget in 2001 was six times smaller than the budget that’s being requested for 2022.

Rather than comparing it to prior years, Congress needs to look at the realistic number that’s needed to process VA claims and take care of Veterans properly.

If the Democrats can focus on infrastructure, Republicans can focus on VA benefits. And speaking of infrastructure, there’s another demand for the VA. Administration officials also want to see $18 billion from the $2 trillion infrastructure plan so that upgrades can be made to VA hospitals.

Veterans have had to sacrifice a lot so that Americans can enjoy life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And as VA Secretary Denis McDonough points out, there are toxic exposure bills sitting before Congress that could end up adding tens of billions more to the VA spending in the next few years.

Bost has concerns that the VA Veterans being enrolled is actually dropping. This means that some spending will go down. He’s eager to grow the VA budget, but wants to ensure that it is in line with demand.

Meanwhile, there are Democrats who would love nothing more than to cut from the VA so that the money can go to frivolous other things.

We have to take care of our Veterans. Without them, we would not be the country that we are today.

It does appear that there are enough people in Congress who want to fight for our Veterans. Caregiver benefits and funding for homeless Veterans are both being boosted.

Finally, we can finally see some sensible spending within the budget. Luckily, some money is actually going toward Americans. It’s nice to see that we’re not cutting from everywhere to give to migrants. Now, if we can just boost the budget a bit more for Veterans, we might actually save the country.

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Those participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers are eligible

Designated family caregivers of Veterans participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers can receive COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.

Each facility will determine its own start date based on site-specific resources, needs and vaccine availability.

“Caregivers play a critical role in caring for some of our most vulnerable Veterans,” said VA Acting Under Secretary for Health Richard A. Stone, M.D. “One of the most important things we can do for caregivers is to help them take care of themselves. The current pandemic has amplified the importance of our caregivers whom we recognize as valuable members of Veterans’ health care teams.”

The testing and vaccines will be administered in line with CDC allocation guidelines. Vaccinations will be offered in accordance with VA’s phased risk stratification framework and will build upon elements outlined in the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for the Veterans Health Administration. Veterans and their caregivers can get the latest information and sign up to receive updates on VA’s COVID-19 vaccine webpage.

For more information visit VA’s Caregiver Support Program, contact your local facility’s VA Caregiver Support Coordinator or call the Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274 from Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

More information

VA’s COVID-19 vaccine information is at https://www.va.gov/health-care/covid-19-vaccine/stay-informed. People can sign up to get updates on how VA is providing vaccines across the country. The site also provides updates when people can get vaccines.

Visit the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers website at https://www.caregiver.va.gov/support/support_benefits.asp.

Visit VA’s Caregiver Support Program site at https://www.caregiver.va.gov/.

Find a Caregiver Support Coordinator at https://www.caregiver.va.gov/support/New_CSC_Page.asp.

Read the COVID-19 Vaccination Plan for the Veterans Health Administration at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/n-coronavirus/VHA-COVID-Vaccine-Plan-14Dec2020.pdf.

Find a VA location at https://www.va.gov/find-locations/.

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A Veteran claims he was kicked out a McDonald’s in Everett, Wash., despite following orders from a manager.

A disagreement arose between the two men last Friday, at about 6 p.m., over an item the customer was wearing around his neck: a 4-inch-long talon-shaped blade. Now, the customer is saying that he was discriminated against by the restaurant.

Jonathan Nagel, a Veteran who served in Afghanistan, said he was wearing the blade around his neck legally, K5 News reports. According to Washington’s open carry law, if a blade cannot be folded shut, it can still be carried in public as long as it is visible.

Nagel said that when he approached the counter at the McDonald’s, the manager asked him to put the blade away, which Nagel said he was not allowed to do. He eventually agreed to put it away, but after a verbal altercation reportedly broke out, Nagel says he was told to leave the restaurant.

“(The manager) said, 'No, I don't want your service, you can leave,' just that plain and simple,” Nagel explained to K5 News.

“I fought for this country, I deserve to be here,” he continued. “I deserve a Quarter Pounder with cheese if I want one. I don't deserve to be discriminated against.”

In a statement obtained by Fox News, Alefa Eserjose, the owner and operator of the McDonald’s where the incident occurred, said, “The safety and security of our guests and crew are our top priority. We will continue to ensure our restaurants are a safe space open to anyone in the community where customers and crew feel comfortable.”

According to K5 News, Nagel is now seeking an attorney.

"I'm in my country, being treated like I'm some kind of criminal or foreigner who has ill-intent -- and I'm not," the Veteran said.

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Jon McLane says other lawsuits he's filed are not red flags

DENVER -- A former homeless Veteran is defending a $50 million lawsuit he filed against the City of Denver after the case was dismissed following his arrest last May.

Jon McLane, a homeless activist and ordained pastor from Arizona, spent five years on the streets after serving eight years in the Army. He said he's still serving his country — now helping fight for homeless Vets. But the lawsuit he filed in Denver is raising red flags for some, as this isn't the first time he's been involved with the courts.

McLane, along with his group and church, the Veteran Rescue Mission, drove from Arizona to Denver to set up a five-day camp in an area adjacent to the Denver Public Library, just across from Lincoln State Park, which was recently closed due to what city officials called a "major rat infestation," that also forced the removal of a homeless camp that set up in the area.

"We as a community, whether a Veteran community or a church community, have set up to provide something (so) these people don't die on the streets," McLane said.

He argued Denver's camping ban criminalizes people for being homeless, but doesn't propose any solutions.

District 10 City Councilmember Chris Hinds told Denver7 he can't comment on the city's lawsuit, but said he feels for McLane, despite his methods to raise awareness of the issue.

"The majority of Americans are one paycheck away from being homeless," said Hinds. "I certainly empathize with the fellow, but suing the city is not he answer."

This isn't the first time McLane has sued a city, and Denver7 inquired about those previous lawsuits.

In 2017, for example, McLane and another homeless advocate filed a lawsuit in federal court against the City of Tucson, Ariz., "seeking millions in damages for harassment from city officials" over a shuttered homeless encampment called Safe Park, according to a news article from Tucson.com. At the time, the website reported the city settled with McLane and the other homeless activist, awarding each of them $20,000 with no admission of fault from the city.

A year later, in 2018, KVOA.com reported McLane had filed a lawsuit against Pima County, Ariz., after his nonprofit, the non-denominational Christian church, Veteran Rescue Mission, received a letter from the Pima County Attorney stating that, "due to zoning issues, their church cannot operate on the property." It's unclear whether he received a settlement from that lawsuit.

Denver7 also found out McLane has made stops in Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.

When asked what he has to say to critics who argue the group is going from city to city profiting from homelessness, McLane rebutted the accusations.

"Any money we get – any money we have gotten, has gone directly into helping the people," McLane told Denver. "I know God knows. That's what's most important to me."

But as Denverite's Donna Bryson reports, not everyone is convinced. In an interview with Bryson, a social worker who runs a tiny home project in Tucson for the homeless said McLane, "has a knack for drawing attention to the issue of homelessness, but also to himself," further stating she worked with him years ago but has since severed ties with the activist and pastor. Bryson also reported on a comment McLane made to a Tucson newspaper columnist, which appeared to indicate he was seeking personal gain from the lawsuit.

The activist-turned-pastor remains undeterred, however, and told Denver7 that when it comes to homelessness, the time for talk is over.

"Certainly trying to hide it or shun it isn't going to be the answer. Vets commit suicide every day. If I can chip at that in any way, I've done my part," he said.

McLane said the total sum of $40,000 he and the other homeless advocate were awarded in Tucson went to building a tiny home village for homeless Vets. Denver7 could not independently confirm that statement with Tucson, Ariz., officials, but found this article from KOLD News 13 dated May 9, 2018 – a little more than a year following the settlement with the City of Tucson – which reported on the efforts of a group of volunteers helping the Veteran Rescue Mission in building a tiny home village in that city. The following year, however, on July 18, 2019, an article from KVOA News 4 Tucson reported that tiny home village was violating a local zoning ordinance. Denver7 was not able to corroborate if that tiny home village remains open.

McLane told Denver7 he has submitted a similar plan to the Denver City Council to help the homeless here in Denver, saying any money from the Denver lawsuit or anywhere else will go directly to helping the homeless.

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Veteran Robert Jarousak, who served his country in both the Navy and the Army, has struggled with his weight for years.

“I used to eat anything I wanted, at any time I wanted, day or night,” said Jarousak. “When I ate at a buffet, my plate was piled high with food. I would usually go back for seconds, plus have several desserts. I would also drink at least four Mountain Dews a day and exercised very little.”

Recent studies have revealed that the Veteran population has a weight problem. As of 2019, about 80% of Veterans nationwide are overweight or obese. Distressingly, obesity is linked to chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is also associated with arthritis pain, injuries, and muscle atrophy.

During his yearly check-up, Jarousak’s physician was concerned when the Veteran’s liver function test results came back abnormal. He immediately referred Robert to a specialist who confirmed fatty liver disease and prediabetes.

Choosing a Plan

Weighing 276 pounds, Jarousak met with Clinical Dietitian Misty Loafman at the Lawton VA Outpatient Clinic in March 2018. During their conversation, Misty listened to his doubts and offered several options for him to lose weight and improve his overall health.

Jarousak thought VA’s 16-week MOVE! Weight Management Program might work for him. He began working closely with his MOVE! Care Team and his Primary Care Team to address not only his diabetes, but also his other health concerns.

Obesity can be addressed with small steps that can lead to big results. Evidence shows that even a 5% reduction in body weight creates a meaningful effect on overall health and reduces risks for chronic illnesses.

“In MOVE!, I learned the bottom line was eating and drinking fewer calories and exercising more,” said Jarousak. “This meant tracking my daily calories and reading food labels to make healthier food choices.”

With the encouragement and continuous support of his MOVE! Care Team, Jarousak started slowly by walking every day. At first, he could only walk about ten blocks. Eventually, he increased that number and started running. After hearing about Misty’s running adventures, Jarousak decided to try a 5K race. Since that first event, he has participated in several others and ended 2019 by running the Honolulu Marathon.

Road to Success

To date, Jarousak lost 88 pounds.

“Now that I have started my diet and exercise program, I eat a lot healthier,” said Jarousak, who says he found success by setting goals, keeping a daily food journal, and being mindful of his caloric intake. “I’m crushing my run times, setting personal records, and I’m committed to a healthy lifestyle. I’m also looking forward to doing more this year. To other Veterans, I say, ‘Are you ready to improve your life?’”

MOVE! Information

MOVE! is a weight management and health promotion program designed to improve the lives of Veterans. MOVE!’s core ideas — encouraging healthy eating behavior, increasing physical activity, and promoting even small weight losses — are easy to follow and based on the latest in nutrition science.

“MOVE! is available for all Veterans at all VA health care facilities. MOVE! coordinators provide direct support and assist Veterans in meeting their weight loss goals,” said Loafman. “We also offer TeleMOVE!, a telehealth option using in-home messaging technologies, and MOVE!Coach, a mobile app providing anytime fingertip access to tools and resources. But, I think the best part of the MOVE! is that it really works. I’ve seen it personally.”

Each year, about 120,000 Veterans nationwide participate in the MOVE! Program. In fact, the participation rate in MOVE! is more than double the 2-3% rate in similar private sector programs. At the Oklahoma City VA Health Care System, about 2,000 Veterans join annually.

If you would like to learn more about how MOVE! has helped thousands of Veterans achieve their weight loss and health goals, read these MOVE! Success Stories.

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Gary Sinese foundation builds home for disabled Veterans

JUPITER, Fla. - On Thursday morning, there were a lot of tears, hugs and well wishes to one Veteran and his family as they opened the doors to their forever home.

"It's still surreal. It doesn't feel like it's our house yet," retired Sgt. Stefan LeRoy as he spoke to tent full of people.

After almost a year of construction, the bright blue home in Abacoa, Jupiter, was finally finished.

This home is special.

It's a smart home gifted to the family by the Gary Sinese foundation.

"This will be the first time I will be able to give my baby her own bath because I'll be able to get into the bathtub," Leroy said.

Leroy was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012. While helping fellow soldiers he was struck by a bomb and lost his legs, making everyday life challenging. As the family moves in, tasks like cooking, showering and maneuvering from one room to another should become easier.

As the family prepares to spend the first night in its new home, the LeRoys are looking forward to the simple things.

"I think just being a family and together, that's why we have the open space, and cooking together, " said LeRoy's wife.

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His calling in life: showing people there is another way

hese days, Jeff Henson is doing what he believes has been his calling in life. He’s showing people who have attempted or have had thoughts of suicide that there is another way.

The Air Force Veteran (pictured above) is a volunteer at Save A Warrior. The nonprofit provides counseling in mental health, wellness and suicide prevention to Veterans, active-duty military and first responders. More than 1,100 men and women have gone through the program since it began eight years ago.

Many of these people, Henson explains, are missing “their family, their tribe” with whom they once built a friendship and camaraderie in the military or elsewhere. A lot of them not only have PTSD, he says, but PTSD and moral injury, which is essentially a conflict with one’s personal code of morality.

A Veteran may feel guilt, shame or self-condemnation for violating his or her moral beliefs in combat by killing someone, witnessing death or failing to prevent the immoral acts of others.

The will to live

Henson believes moral injury is a form of “complex PTSD” that can also stem from negative circumstances in one’s childhood.

“We introduce a Veteran to a tribe of 12 other Veterans who came to Save A Warrior at the same time as total strangers. They can leave as ‘brothers’ with an understanding that it’s not always what happened down-range that has them stuck in life. We provide hope and magic that is the will to live.”

Henson has been there himself. Diagnosed with PTSD and void of hope, he went through the Save A Warrior program in 2016 while in Veterans’ treatment court in Orange County, California.

Flashbacks from the Gulf War

His court time stemmed from a domestic violence incident in 2013. At the time, he was experiencing many of the classic PTSD symptoms: nightmares, mood swings, anxiety, depression, isolation and flashbacks. When the incident happened, he had flashed back to a moment when he unintentionally witnessed a decapitation in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, during the Gulf War in 1990, and he lost control.

Study links PTSD with criminal justice involvement

Earlier this year, a VA study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress found that Veterans with PTSD — compared to those without — are six times more likely to experience run-ins with the law.

The researchers say it is unclear what is driving the ties between PTSD and criminal justice involvement. They say the general strain theory may partially explain the results. That theory asserts that the risk of criminal behavior is higher among people who have experienced traumatic events and report negative effects, such as high levels of anger or irritability,

It gave me hope

Meanwhile, as part of getting his life back together, the 59-year-old Henson is pursuing a doctorate in psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies.

He’s also trying to give back to the organization that gave him so much.

“Save A Warrior did not save my life, but it gave me hope,” he says. “It’s the difference between `being alive’ and `living.’ It’s also about being of service. I’m one of the shepherds who helps people through the process that I went through.

“When we’re kids, we’re told by our parents not to use four-letter words,” he adds. “I dispute that because hope is a four-letter word. And hope is powerful.”

Click here to read more of Henson’s story.

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A traveling replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall holds thousands of names of people who gave the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War.

It spent the weekend in Southwest Florida, but Veteran Terry Kehoe says there are names missing.

We found him sitting in front of the wall holding this homemade sign for “Prince.”

Prince was a scout dog who detected bombs and enemy fighters. Kehoe says after Prince’s service he was euthanized along with 4,000 other scout dogs.

“I had him for 9 months and we walked point for the infantry,” Kehoe said.

That means every day, every mission, Kehoe and Prince risked their lives to lead their unit through the Vietnamese jungle. “He kept me alive,” he said.

In the air, in the field, and at the base. In the middle of a war – a soldier and a scout dog became best friends.

“I wish this was a picture today, that would be nice,” Kehoe said. “I’m fortunate my name is not on this wall so I can look back on the memories.”

The photo he held up is the last picture they took ever together.

With a half-smile, Kehoe didn’t know he was leaving Prince and just about every war dog behind to die, “They were euthanized at the end because they were excess equipment.”

4,000 war dogs served in Vietnam and a large majority of them never came home.

His emotions welled up as he recalled that moment, “I just needed more time to… excuse me… I just needed more time to say goodbye to him. And that’s a very difficult thing cause I said goodbye to Prince in Vietnam, but I didn’t realize he was going to meet that fate. So I really never got a proper goodbye.”

So Kehoe sits in the grass, oblivious to the crowds. He does what it takes to give his partner a proper goodbye – 49 years later.

“I would tell him that I love him… miss him… I’d love to cuddle him right now. It would be… I’d like to pet him. That would be nice.” 50 years later — that bond is still as strong as ever.

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Veteran improvements were the focus of a modernization fair held Jan. 29 at the VA Central Office in Washington, D.C.

The fair highlighted Veteran improvements to benefits, appeals, technology and experience, all aimed at improving VA’s efforts.

“Veterans are voting with their feet,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said. He pointed to an increase of nearly two million appointments in 2019 and a VFW study that showed 91 percent of Veterans would recommend VA health care to other Veterans. Wilkie said those changes show VA’s need to modernize.

Modernization efforts

VA employees educated people about ten different VA modernization efforts to help Veterans:

• Appeals modernization gives Veterans choice, clarity and control in the appeals process. The new law modernizes the current compensation appeals process, giving Veterans three review options for disagreements with decisions.
• Connected care provides digital health technologies that make accessing VA care simple for Veterans.
• Digital transformation uses technology to improve user and customer information technology experiences. This helps VA provide the highest-quality care, benefits and services to Veterans.
• Electronic health record modernization, or EHRM, establishes a common health record solution with the Department of Defense. This will help active duty members as they become Veterans. For all Veterans, this modernization will give VA clinicians quick and efficient access to a full health record.
• Financial management business transformation increases the transparency, accuracy, timeliness and reliability of financial information, increasing opportunities to provide better Veteran service.
• Under the GI Bill, The Colmery Act significantly improves education benefits for Veterans, service members, families and survivors.
• Healthcare modernization helps Veterans by collaborating throughout VA, academia and industry to advance care delivery and service.
• Patient Experience strives to improve Veterans’ experience by improving patient interactions from communications to physical environment.
• Supply chain modernization ensure VA staff have equipment and supplies where and when needed to help Veterans.
• Veterans Legacy Memorial is a secure, web-based platform housing a digital memorial for each of the 3.7 million Veterans interred in VA national cemeteries.

Focus on Veterans

One of the major changes is EHRM, which the director of infrastructure readiness said will transform Veteran health care.

“EHRM is a game changer for VA, for Veterans and for health care, across the board,” said Aziza Shukair. She said this EHRM will help Veterans because providers will have one, comprehensive record to help Veterans make health care decisions.

These modernization improvements focus on better Veteran care, said the Veterans Affairs chief of staff.

“As we’re transforming, we’re not doing it for the sake of change,” said Pamela Powers. “We’re doing it for the sake of our Veterans, and they really depend on us to get it right.”

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Martha Llorens has visited nearly every thrift store in the Dallas-Fort Worth area at least once.

But her visit to one of those brightly lit and crowded stores on this particular day was different from the previous trips. This time she was leaving empty handed.

Llorens served in Operation Desert Storm with the Army as an Avionics Technician. She felt tremendous pride in being able to perform the job that she had trained to do in the most hectic of times. When the time overseas ended and life resumed a normal pace, Llorens had a hard time readjusting.

These new difficulties manifested themselves into a way unique to most people: hoarding.

“I used to keep a very neat house, but when I came back from overseas the last time, I was a totally different person,” said Llorens. “I just didn’t care about anything.”

Clutter Busters and Treasure Seekers

Llorens attends VA North Texas’16-week self-help group called Clutter Busters and Treasure Seekers, a class to develop different strategies and skills to deal with compulsive acquiring, saving and hoarding.

Hoarding disorder is relatively rare and the exact cause is not known, though stressful life events and tragedies like the loss of a loved one are linked as risk factors. Nationwide, fewer than 200,000 new cases of hoarding develop each year. For Veterans like Llorens, battling the disorder meant committing to help and attendance in a group like Clutter Busters.

“I took the class because I really needed it,” said Llorens. “I have a lot of stuff and I needed something to help me get back my life, to where I was before.”

Sheryl Fairchild, VA North Texas Senior Clinical Social Worker, leads Clutter Busters with fellow social worker, Donna McCollum. The two focus on the meaning of possessions and talk about the difference between collections, clutter and hoarding with the Veterans.

Letting go of personal possessions is very challenging for Llorens.

“I have stuff I bought and never even opened,” said Llorens. “When I got it, I said I would open it later, and later never came.”

Driven by family

Fairchild and McCollum brought Llorens and other Veterans from the class to a thrift store to donate items the group had gathered from their homes. The items ranged from clothing to VCR tapes. For Llorens, this was the first donation she had made in a very long time.

“It was hard to let go of some of my things,” said Llorens. “I paid money for these items and it’s like throwing my money away.”

Although it was hard letting go of a small amount of her possessions, Llorens felt good to have reclaimed some closet space and plans to make another donation very soon. The real motivation for the breakthrough donation made while attending Clutter Busters is driven by her family.

Llorens family has not visited her much at the epicenter of her hoarding disorder—her home.

“I want my life back–I took this class because my house is out of control and I can’t let it get any worse,” said Llorens. “I want my kids to be able to come to my house and not be embarrassed, and I want them to bring my grandkids.”

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Bay Pines VA program gets struggling Veterans back on their feet

“I was crashing and burning—in a downward spiral—broken,” recalls Coast Guard Veteran Stewart Taylor. Then he began mental health treatment at Bay Pines VA Healthcare System.

Taylor had struggled for years with bipolar affective disorder (BAD). BAD is marked by extreme mood swings that can interfere with normal day-to-day life. He was using drugs to cope with his illness and on his way to “living alone by the railroad tracks” when he was admitted to the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC) at Bay Pines.

The PRRC is an outpatient program that supports patients by helping them connect with their local communities in personally meaningful ways. As a condition of joining the program, each patient must have a specific goal to work towards. As the patient achieves their goal, their mental health symptoms can decrease significantly and in some cases go away entirely, according to PRRC psychiatrist Dr. Matthew Knisely.

Standing Taller

“Our patients make enormous changes in their lives,” says Knisely. “We’ve helped Veterans who were so unwell they could barely leave their homes. We are approaching mental health care in innovative ways that are long overdue.”

Taylor recently graduated from the PRRC program after two years of treatment. Over that time, he became more optimistic and hopeful. Medication controlled his BAD. He discovered insights into his complicated past and started to develop higher self-esteem.

A former co-worker recently told Taylor he looks happy and is standing taller than he had been before.

Successful graduates

Knisely says that during its eight years of operation, the PRRC has graduated many Veterans with similar success stories. The treatment team includes doctors, nurses, social workers and licensed mental health counselors. There are also Veteran peer specialists who have successfully overcome their own mental health problems.

“Each person gets to really use their strengths in their position, which leads to the best patient care,” says Chrissy Agenor, the program’s nurse manager.

As for Taylor, he plans to move forward in his life with newfound health and peace of mind.

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PITTSBURGH — On the morning of July 29, 1967, Preston Gardner, a Navy senior chief petty officer, had just finished an overnight shift aboard the USS Forrestal, an aircraft carrier operating in the Gulf of Tonkin during the Vietnam War.

A stray electrical signal ignited a rocket on board. It shot across the flight deck, hitting the fuel tank of a fully armed fighter jet. Seconds later, a 1,000-pound bomb fell from the plane and cracked, sending flames sweeping across the ship.

Gardner immediately positioned himself beneath the deck, spraying water to help thwart further damage. Twenty-four hours later, he was able to remove himself from his position. The flames claimed the lives of 134 sailors.

Gardner knew he would never forget the smell of burnt flesh. The odor lingered as he and surviving crew mates spent 23 days sailing back to the United States.

“It is something I’ll remember the rest of my life,” said Gardner, now 75, of Cheswick.

He is one of hundreds of thousands of Americans alive today who can describe the horrors of the Vietnam War firsthand. Their status as war Veterans is central to their identity. Yet when they fill out the 2020 census, they will be unable to designate themselves as such. The census does not collect that information.

It’s not just a point of pride for those who have served. Data generated by the census determines state and federal funding, as government services are allocated according to demographics. Without such a designation, organizations that focus on helping Veterans find jobs and housing may not receive enough funding to support the people they serve.

In Pennsylvania, that means more than 813,000 Veterans could be impacted, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, with 78,241 Veterans in Allegheny County and 26,645 in Westmoreland.

Vietnam Veterans account for 40% of Veterans in the state and are now the largest group of Veterans across the country. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam, with a total of 3.4 million sent to Southeast Asia during the war, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The Veteran question has not been on the census since 2000, spokeswoman Susan Licate said.

She noted that a question pertaining to Veterans’ benefits is included on smaller surveys such as the American Community Survey, the Current Population Survey and the Survey of Income and Program Participation — but those are not as definitive as a complete count, said Ben Stahl, CEO of the Veterans Leadership Program in Pittsburgh’s Strip District.

“We comprise a large amount of Vets in the state,” Stahl said of Allegheny County Veterans. “When it comes time for our elected officials to portion funding, it behooves them to know where these people are getting resources to live.”

Demographic, social and economic data on Veterans collected from the American Community Survey is used for policy analysis, program planning and budgeting of Veteran programs. But data collected during the census determines congressional seats and federal and state funding.

“It has the potential to not allow the necessary resources to be allocated,” Stahl said. “We’re not able to get the right resources to the right people at the right time.”

About 65% of the money for the Veterans Leadership Program comes from federal funding, he said.

“If we don’t have the right and accurate number of Veterans, all services would be affected and Veterans services could be affected,” said Dayna Brown, executive director of Beechview-based Pittsburgh Hires Veterans, noting that several local Veteran services rely on data for funding.

Last year, the former head of the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs pushed for the census to include a question about Veterans, the Associated Press reported. Terry Schow, a Vietnam Veteran, said the question would give states a more accurate count of people with military service.

Schow noted that smaller surveys, like the American Community Survey, only go to a portion of the population. The ACS is sent to 3.5 million people per year. The United States has a population of nearly 330 million people.

He added that counts from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which he said uses census data for spending on Veteran housing, hospitals and assistance programs, likely miss a large number of people.

The changing Veteran

Those numbers become increasingly important based on differing needs of Veterans who have served in changing wars. The changes have resulted in a career soldier who serves multiple tours of duty rather than someone who was drafted to serve for a designated amount of time.

Western Pennsylvania mirrors that changing Veteran, said Jack Wagner, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Hires Veterans.

“This whole region is one of the highest concentrations of Veterans in America,” said Wagner, who previously served as state auditor general, a state senator and on Pittsburgh’s City Council. “It probably has a lot to do with our history, with our core values, a lot to do with blue-collar tradition, with steel and coal and manufacturing. But today it has transformed into a high technology region when, in fact, the military has become high technology in many ways.”

Following the Vietnam War, the United States stopped using the draft. But it was in place during World War I, World War II and the Korean War.

According to census data, about 12 million Americans served in uniform during World War II and 3.6 million during the Korean War.

Now, Veterans from World War II and Korea make up fewer than 10% of Veterans in Pennsylvania.

Following the Vietnam War, the number of soldiers sent to war dropped.

According to the VA, more than 690,000 soldiers were deployed during the Gulf War. Last year, about 22,000 troops were serving in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria as part of the Global War on Terror that started in October 2001, according to the Congressional Research Service.

“It’s the longest period of prolonged warfare in American history, and Afghanistan is the longest sustained campaign. … We’ve done that with an all-volunteer force,” said Matt Zamosky, director of the Westmoreland Veterans Affairs. “There’s really no indication that we’re going toward a draft.”

Of Veterans today, one in five served on active duty following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a 2019 Pew Research report.

Of post-9/11 soldiers, about three-quarters were deployed at least once, compared with 58% of those who served before them. They are also twice as likely as their pre-9/11 counterparts to have served in a combat zone, the report shows.

Predictions from the Department of Veteran Affairs show there could be 5.1 million post-9/11 Veterans by next year.

“We are now into multi-generations of families that are serving,” Zamosky said. “So a father could be serving with his daughter. It’s a unique time for Veterans.”

Plethora of help

Still, about one in three post-9/11 Veterans have a disability, data shows. Vietnam Veterans are facing lasting effects from Agent Orange, a herbicide used by the U.S. military to clear plants and trees that Vietnamese soldiers would hide in during the war. The chemical has caused diseases such as cancer, heart disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and more.

“I’ve lost many friends through the Agent Orange. Many of my brothers came back, but they didn’t come back,” Gardner said. “They’re just a body.

“You hear of a Vietnam Veteran, fairly well-decorated, just dying in the street or something like that.”

Today, several local nonprofits are aimed at helping reintegrate soldiers into society and provide medical attention. They include the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Downtown Pittsburgh; Veterans Place of Washington Boulevard in Pittsburgh’s East End, which works to end homelessness; Helping Hands for Wounded Veterans in White Oak; and several others.

“Right now, Veterans are much more accepted back into society,” said Carl Kusbit, commander of VFW Post 1437 in Springdale. “There are many great programs out there to help Vets.”

Kusbit, now 70, served in the military during the Vietnam War, although he did not see combat. At the age of 55 he reenlisted, serving as an Army medic in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Like Kusbit, Bill Roland, 69, of North Versailles continues to offer his military services. Around the time of the Vietnam War, Roland served in the Navy, although he was never deployed to the war. Years later, he received a second chance at serving as an operating room nurse in Kosovo and in cities across Central America.

Most recently he offered to work on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic.

People like that, Wagner said, are the reason Pittsburgh Hires Veterans is aimed at helping all age groups reintegrate into society after leaving the military, adding that Vietnam Veterans, who are between the ages of 65 and 75, are still looking to work.

“I’m an older Veteran, I’m a Vietnam Veteran and I’m still working, and many Veterans today choose to work if they’re physically capable of doing so,” Wagner said.

Gardner, who is the commander at the Springdale American Legion, takes comfort knowing he is doing all he can to help not only Vietnam Vets but those who have served since.

“It’s rewarding that I’m a part of it,” he said.

Still, Gardner struggles with his own memories from his time in the service.

“I try to not remember the negative stuff because you’ll always have negative,” he said, choosing instead to focus on the support from his family and American Legion friends.

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For U.S. Army Veteran Tom Voss, it was the unseen wounds of war that gushed from his body and crippled his insides day in and day out.

While more than 6,000 miles from the battlefields of Iraq and back in the beloved land he served, Voss no longer felt at home in his skin. The wincing memories of doing or witnessing horrific things that collided with his fundamental beliefs – the “moral injury” – walked like a shadow alongside him and inside him, propelling him toward suicide as a means to end the pain and suffering.

“You are trained in the infantry to move through challenges without asking for help. When I got out of the military, that is what I tried to do,” Tom Voss, co-author of “Where War Ends: A Combat Veteran’s 2,700-Mile Journey to Heal,” told Fox News. “But that caught up with me down the road.”

The issue of Veteran suicides has long plagued the nation and been a bipartisan cause for concern among the political establishment.

But why is it that the numbers remain so alarmingly high?

“You have to approach this very much like one of the really top health issues, like cancer,” said Dr. David Shulkin, former Secretary for Veterans Affairs (VA) and author of the new book “It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Serve Your Country.” “This is going to be a long-term journey and try to address the issues surrounding brain health.”

According to the 2019 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 45,390 American adults died from suicide in 2017 – the most recent available year of data collection – including 6,139 U.S. Veterans. The report stated that the number of Veteran suicides has exceeded 6,000 every single year between 2008 and 2017, and in 2017, the suicide rate for Veterans was 1.5 times the rate for non-Veteran adults.

In 2005, an average of 86.6 American adults, including Veterans, died by suicide daily. In comparison, an average of 124.4 Americans died by suicide daily in 2017, indicating a sharp rise across the country.

Specific to Veterans, the study found that suicides increased from 5,787 to 6,139 over those 12 years. In 2005, an average of 15.9 Veterans died by suicide daily, and in 2017, an average of 16.8 Veterans died by suicide each day.

The report also underscored that for each year, from 2005 to 2017, Veterans with recent Veterans Health Administration (VHA) use had higher suicide rates than other Veterans. Of those VHA users, 58.7 percent had a diagnosed mental health or substance use disorder. Suicide rates were also highest among those diagnosed with opioid abuse disorder or bipolar.

In terms of age groups, Veterans between 18 and 34 were deemed to have the highest suicide rate in 2017, at 44.5 per 100,000. This marked an uptick by 76 percent from 2005 to 2017.

Nonetheless, the “absolute number” of suicides was highest among the Veterans in the 55-74 age category, amassing 38 percent of total suicide deaths. Analysts surmise this is because there are simply more Veterans accumulating as time goes on, and also because the older one gets, generally the more isolated and lonely they become.

The Veteran suicide rate for women Veterans was concluded to be 2.2 times higher than non-Veteran women. However, the suicide numbers were 1.3 more for male Veterans than non-male Veterans. Moreover, there were 919 suicides among “never federally activated former National Guard and Reserve members in 2017,” averaging 2.5 suicides a day.

So what is the path forward to addressing the stagnant crisis?

“We know that the suicide rate is climbing across the United States for all Americans and in all states. But Veterans are also unique: the suicide rate in the military doubled in the first decade of 2000 and had remained elevated ever since,” said Rajeev Ramchand, a behavioral scientist and fellow at the Veteran support-focused Bob Woodruff Foundation. “And the youngest group of Veterans, those 18-34, have the highest suicide rate. This suggests to me that there is also something specific about the recent military experience that is contributing to suicide risk.”

In Voss’ case, he sought to confront his demons by embarking on a 2,700-mile expedition across the U.S., grasping for solace along the way.

“We have to look at the whole life cycle of a military person, how we are teaching them to manage stress when they come in (to the military) as there are a lot of people already coming in with trauma. Giving them the tools to manage stress only strengthens our military in deployment and when they come home,” he said. “Things like meditation, yoga – these things were created thousands of years ago to manage the mind.”

Shulkin concurred that Veteran suicide needs to be fought in a “multifaceted way,” incorporating integrative processes like yoga and tai chi, emotional support dogs, equine therapies, and cannabis for specific situations.

Firearms were also singled out by researchers for having been used in 70.7 percent of male Veteran suicide deaths, and some 43.2 percent of female Veteran suicides in 2017 – averaging out at 69.4 percent – as the means of self-inflicted injury. By comparison, firearms were used 48.1 percent of non-Veteran suicides in 2017.

“The biggest oversight is the clear relationship between firearm availability and suicide. Locking up one’s firearms using safes or other locking devices has been shown to reduce suicides by almost half,” Craig Bryan, who studies the issue at the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah, said. “Probably the best evidence to support this comes from the Israeli military. When they changed their policies requiring soldiers to store their military firearms in the armory on weekends, they observed a 70 percent reduction in firearm suicides and a 40 percent reduction in the overall military suicide rate.”

In his words, it’s a simple change — “storing guns safely led to an enormous drop in suicides.”

In 2015, both chambers of Congress unanimously passed the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, named in honor of a former Marine sniper who took his own life in 2011 after failing to receive the needed VA health care. The bill was designed to improve mental health and suicide prevention services at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 2018, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) pinpointed bureaucratic confusion and unfilled work positions as key contributors hampering VA anti-suicide efforts, described as a “deeply troubling level of incompetence” by Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.) who requested the investigation. The VA announced it would immediately address the red flags.

Yet it has been argued that, despite years of congressional funding and an uptick of studies, it has been challenging to zero-in on the specified causes that lead to suicide or suicide attempts. Bryan hopes that the murkiness is now starting to shift in favor of a clearer picture.

“On the health care side, we need to increase access to the most effective treatments,” Bryan noted. “Unfortunately, we tend to focus on access to care without focusing on the quality of care.”

Thus as suicides continued to rise, last year, the Trump administration opted for a more aggressive approach.

In May 2019, President Trump signed an executive order called the PREVENTS Initiative, aimed at arming state and local governments with the tools and resources needed to identify and intercede when a U.S. Veteran is considered to be at risk of suicide. PREVENTS also seeks to raise public awareness of Veteran’s struggles and allocate more money specific to mental health programs.

A presidential task force, which has subsequently been formed to illuminate ways to make data collection faster and coordinate federal and state resources, has also vowed to increase VA outreach and further education on firearms and its relationship to Veteran suicide.

Given that the data lags two years behind, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s initiative bears fruit in combating the epidemic.

Nonetheless, the VA states that suicide prevention remains a primary focus. So what else is being done?

A spokesperson for the VA insisted that "suicide prevention is VA’s highest clinical priority, and the department is taking significant steps to address the issue.

The Joint Commission explained that “The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been able to reduce the number of in-hospital suicides from 4.2 per 100,000 admissions to 0.74 per 100,000 admissions on mental health units, an 82.4% reduction, suggesting that well-designed quality improvement initiatives can lead to a reduction in the occurrence of these tragic events.”

A representative also emphasized that "all VA health care facilities now provide same-day services in primary and mental health for Veterans who need them."

Since 2017, the department has been actively coordinating across its networks, as well as working in close partnership with the White House, Congress, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and local communities.

A Veterans Crisis Line expanded its text and chat access, and claims to have improved from answering 70 percent of incoming calls in 2017 to 99.6 percent of calls without rollover in 2019. The VA also attests to making progress in “clinical research developing and testing evidence-based psychotherapy advances, medications and alternative approaches to treating PTSD,” in addition to significantly broadening community partnerships, clinical partnerships, and outreach.

Other initiatives in the VA pipeline include the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act, which would require that the VA offer $25,000 vouchers to Veterans diagnosed as having PTSD. As it stands, the VA only financially backs service dogs for use related to mobility and physical needs, rather than mental needs.

The bill was introduced last summer by Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., but is yet to reach the House floor.

Last year, the VA also kicked off an outreach suicide prevention program in rural regions, having determined that suicide rates were heightened among those in more isolated pockets of the country.

According to Shulkin, the key lies in a hybrid partnership between the public and private sectors, and in making better use of the money available.

“When you look back at the problems of the VA, many have been systematic and span decades. It’s a system that needs to be updated and modernized. It needs to do things like embrace technology and give nurses more practical authority,” he underscored. “It’s not about just throwing more money at it. I have never felt that the VA suffered from a lack of financial support, but it needs to be internally evaluated in creating a better system of care.”

Voss, who co-authored “Where War Ends” with his sister Rebecca, also highlighted the importance of giving families a “peek behind the curtain” in the hopes that loved ones can ascertain a richer understanding of the moral traumas suffered by Veterans.

“For our family, the writing was healing — talking about the sorrow and shame and survivor’s guilt,” Rebecca added. “We need to all understand what war does to people. If we don’t understand, we aren’t understanding the real costs of sending our children into battle.”

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The stress, anxiety and forced isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic may have increased American's risk of suicide, including for Veterans. But that risk could continue to grow even as the pandemic begins to lessen, experts warn.

Veterans struggling financially because of the pandemic -- who lost work, took pay cuts or furloughs or who became homeless or were at risk of losing their homes -- could continue to carry those burdens, complicated further by existing health issues and an expectation their stress and other mental health concerns will disappear when the crisis ends.

Those feelings of anxiety, depression or even post-traumatic stress are normal and should be expected during a worldwide crisis, health experts emphasized during a press call hosted by the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention. But there's help available.

"During the actual crisis, suicides can go down," said Barbara Stanley, a New York State Psychiatric Institute researcher. "It's in the aftermath that it gets worse. We expect to see fallout in terms of possible increases in suicide as a tail going forward."

About 20 Veterans die by suicide daily, according to Department of Veterans Affairs data. While that data is usually about two years old, the rate of suicide among Vets hasn't budged much over recent years. But that means it will be difficult to tell if the pandemic had a significant effect on the suicide rate.

In mid-March, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told Veteran service organizations calls to the Veteran Crisis Hotline rose 12 percent.

That's why researchers said they're sounding the alarm now, to try to get resources to Veterans hopefully in time to save lives.

One of those resources is telehealth. The VA has moved much of its mental health care online or over the phone as its hospitals and clinics shuttered or limited patients during the outbreak.

Before March of this year, about 15 percent of all VA mental health appointments were by phone or online. Now, it's more than 80 percent, according to Dr. Matthew Miller, VA director for suicide prevention.

Stanley and other experts predicted a "marked rise in telehealth and teletherapy" on the horizon for mental health specifically, and said patients have been eager for the change, though doctors and other care providers have "had to make that adjustment... in the past, they may have never considered telehealth for suicidal clients. Now, they have been forced to make that change."

"This has been an adjustment we made to make sure Veterans have what they need," Miller said on the call. "Whether or not we keep offering these (telehealth) services, ultimately that's up to the Veterans. If a Veteran finds this is a modality that increases their access to services, then VA is all in. If their preference is traditional, face-to-face meetings, we'll keep that, too. This just provides more options for Veterans."

Before the pandemic, about 170,000 VA mental health appointments were by phone. In April, VA had 768,000 mental health appointments over the phone. VA had the capacity to support about 120,000 remote users in February, said Charles Worthington, VA's chief technology officer. Since then, VA has doubled that to 240,000 and is closing in on nearly 500,000, he said.

In March, VA held 34,000 online video appointments, up 70 percent from February. Telehealth group therapy held 2,700 meetings in March, up more than 200 percent from the previous month.

The department also recently launched a "COVID-19 chat-bot" capable of answering frequently asked questions about VA's response to the pandemic, check symptoms and direct Veterans to resources and help.

But it's not just the resources that are the key, experts said. It's Veterans knowing they're available and understanding that they can help.

"Suicide is not a forgone conclusion," said Julie Goldstein-Grumet, director at the Zero Suicide Institute, part of the Education Development Center. "There are resources available."

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If you or someone you know needs help, contact the Veteran Crisis Line 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 (select option 1 for a VA staff member). Veterans, service members or their families also can text 838255 or go to Veteranscrisisline.net.

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On Veterans Day, Iraq War Veteran Paul Rieckhoff criticized first son Donald Trump Jr. for comparing business deals his family gave up so his father could be president with the sacrifices Veterans made.

"Don Jr. is of age, if he really wants to understand what sacrifice is all about, he can join the military," Rieckhoff told CNN New Day host John Berman.

In a segment of his new book, Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us, Trump Jr. described a visit to Arlington National Cemetery. While his father, then-President-Elect Donald Trump, stood in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Army played "Taps," which is performed at military funerals, Trump Jr. said he thought about his family's sacrifices.

"In that moment, I also thought of all the attacks we'd already suffered as a family, and about all the sacrifices we'd have to make to help my father succeed—voluntarily giving up a huge chunk of our business and all international deals to avoid the appearance that we were 'profiting off the office,'" Trump Jr. wrote, according to Axios.

Rieckhoff, who founded the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) organization, told Berman this was an example of how the president and his family are "tone-deaf about what it means to serve." While he acknowledged there are many different ways to serve your country, he called comparing losing business deals to the Veterans buried at Arlington "ridiculous."

"Unfortunately, that's the kind of tone that's permeated the last three years of this administration," Rieckhoff said.

Rieckhoff wasn't alone in finding Trump Jr. comparing his own experience to those who served in the military to be inappropriate. Veteran Army Major Richard Ojeda posted on Twitter that the first son should be "banned from that hallowed ground."

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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today released survey results showing Veteran trust in VA health care outpatient services has increased more than 5% since 2017, reaching 90.1% as of April 12.

VA received surveys from 4,030,438 Veterans since June 2017 to the present via the Veterans Signals customer feedback program which asks Veterans about their care experience and to rate their trust in VA.

“These improvements are a testament to not only VA’s investment in patient experience programs but also the dedication of our employees.” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Even during a pandemic, our VA team has continued its steadfast commitment to delivering the highest quality care for our nation’s Veterans.”

This delivery of quality care reflects VA’s priority mission of customer service and its goal to ensure a positive patient experience. In the past three years, more than 95,000 Veterans Health Administration employees have been trained on VA’s customer experience training program called Own the Moment. VA has also implemented programs like Red Coat Ambassadors nationwide to improve the Veteran’s navigation of care facilities across the country. Initiatives such as VA Patient Experience Week (April 27-May 1) share best practices in culture changing patient experience tools, technology and training with institutions and providers across the country.

According to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS), the results of these and other improvements, has been an increase in the VA patient experience by 4% in the past four years while private sector’s national average has increased by only 1%.

Since the VA began offering Veterans the option to respond to Veteran Signals surveys with free-text feedback, 68% (918,873) of their comments have been complimentary, 18.9% (255,351) have been concerns and 13.3% (179.902) are recommendations. VA uses this feedback at the national, regional and local levels to make improvements in the way VA provides care and services.

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An Army Veteran in Georgia was sentenced to six years in prison Monday for running a scheme that exploited a program for disabled Veterans to get approximately $48 million in outstanding federal student loans fraudulently discharged.

De’Reek Banks, 41, told more than 500 borrowers that he could get their student loans discharged — canceled, essentially — in return for a fee.

“Many of these borrowers” believed that Banks would do so legitimately, according to a Justice Department news release. Banks collected around $891,202 in fees from the borrowers.

What Banks really did was send letters on fake Department of Veterans Affairs letterhead to Federal Student Aid, the government office responsible for student loans, claiming that the borrowers were Veterans with total or permanent disabilities. Thanks to these supposed disabilities, the borrowers received more than $48 million in loan discharges, which have since been reversed, according to court documents.

Banks once worked at the VA himself, according to court documents filed by family members.

“This defendant brazenly stole funds from innocent student loan borrowers by exploiting a financial aid program intended to assist military Vets who sacrificed their health for the security of our country,” U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan, with the Northern District of Georgia, said in a statement. “He tricked borrowers into believing that he could legitimately obtain federal student loan discharges for them while attempting to defraud the U.S. government of almost 50 million dollars.”

Banks pleaded guilty in March to theft of government property. He faced a maximum sentence of 10 years.

In the lead-up to sentencing, family members and friends filed letters attesting to his character and asking for a lighter sentence. According to the letters, Banks and his wife have eight children, some of whom are adopted.

“De’Reek’s big heart is ultimately what lead to the situation that we are in now,” his wife wrote in a letter to the judge. “I realize that the charges brought against De’Reek are very serious and troubling. The bad he did was meant to help people and not harm them.”

After serving his sentence in a prison near Atlanta, Banks will be on supervised release for three years. He has also been ordered to pay $910,416.69 in restitution — even though the court set his fine and cost of incarceration at $0 because of his inability to pay.

A lawyer for Banks did not respond by late afternoon Thursday to a request for comment sent that morning by Military Times.

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A new economic assistance program for food service operators will begin accepting registrations on April 30, 2021, and for the first three weeks, Veterans will be given priority treatment.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, will be administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) and provide economic assistance to food service owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program will provide business owners with direct cash grants to make up for losses they may have suffered because of the numerous state and local government-imposed COVID-19 shutdowns and other economic factors that may have affected their business operations.

Registration begins at 9 a.m. April 30, with applications being accepted until noon May 3. Applications from businesses owned by Veterans, women and socially or economically disadvantaged individuals will receive priority handling for the first 21 days of the program. After that, all applications will be processed in the order received. The program will continue until its $9.5 billion in funding is gone.

While the program is being implemented and administered by the Small Business Administration, there is no limitation on the number of employees an eligible business can have.

Two other assistance programs created by the federal government last year to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic ran out of funding in record time. Those programs had much more funding but were not limited to food service enterprises.

The new program will provide direct cash payments for pandemic-related revenue losses to eligible food service businesses including:

• Restaurants;
• Food stands, food trucks and food carts;
• Caterers;
• Bars, saloons, lounges and taverns;
• Snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars;
• Bakeries whose onsite sales comprise at least 33% of gross receipts;
• Breweries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, taprooms, wineries and distilleries whose onsite sales comprise at least 33% of gross receipts;
• Inns whose onsite sales comprise at least 33% of gross receipts; and
• Licensed alcohol producers that allow the public to taste, sample, or purchase products.

There is a limit of $10 million in funding per business. The money does not have to be repaid as long as it is used in accordance with regulations.

"Restaurants are the core of our neighborhoods and propel economic activity on main streets across the nation," SBA administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman said in a press release. "They are among the businesses that have been hardest hit and need support to survive this pandemic. We want restaurants to know that help is here."

For More information

For more information, visit sba.gov/restaurants or view the program guide at https://www.sba.gov/document/support-restaurant-revitalization-funding-program-guide.

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His advice: Take the first step

In February 2019, Air Force Veteran Steve Homison turned 65 years old and stepped on the scale. After that, he decided to call the Butler VA Health Care System and get started working out at the Wellness Center.

Today, you can find Steve at the Wellness Center five days a week. He’s down about 40 pounds. Education and support from the personal trainers have helped him learn how to get the most out of his workouts.

“I like to work out on my own, but with their advice,” said Steve. “The personal trainers are very knowledgeable. I will ask them, ‘Here’s what I want to work on, what do I do?’ You can ask them any question, and they will work with you.”

Homison is pictured above with personal trainer Evonne Patterson.

Prior to coming to the Wellness Center, Steve didn’t know how to work out. The personal trainers explained how to do the weights, how to stretch, etc. Personal trainers possess the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to design safe and effective fitness programs. They instruct and assist people in reaching their personal health and fitness goals.

Weight is down, numbers are good

Steve has noticed a big difference thanks to his efforts at the Wellness Center, and not just with the weight loss. His cholesterol number has gone down by 50%, blood sugar number has gone down 10 and his blood pressure is under control.

“I was up and down redoing my lights on my house, and it didn’t even phase me. I’m more limber, more agile and I move better.”

With the start of the new year (and a new decade), many people set goals similar to Steve’s: lose weight and gain strength. Steve’s advice for making this happen: “Take that first step. Get into your mind that you must take that first step every day. That’s the hardest thing to do. The first step to working out is moving towards your equipment.”

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Vietnam Vet says we have to take care of each other

A familiar face to Milwaukee-area Veterans and the Milwaukee VA is doing his part to make sure people get the COVID-19 vaccination.

John Ziegler, 74, is one of a handful of Milwaukee residents featured in the Healthy MKE multimedia outreach campaign designed to reach people reluctant to get the vaccine.

“I feel it’s doing my duty,” he says in one of the commercials. “The more we get vaccinated, the sooner we can get back to doing what we want to do. We have to take care of each other. That’s what life is about.”

A Navy Vietnam Veteran, Ziegler is the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ state representative to the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. He has logged thousands of hours volunteering at the hospital and works tirelessly to raise funds and whatever else is necessary to help Veterans.

When he was approached to take part in the campaign, he didn’t hesitate.

Supports the science – vaccinations best path forward

“If it helps get the word out, it’s worth it,” he said. “The more people that get vaccinated, the quicker we get out of this thing, I hope.”

While he supports the vaccinations, he believes getting the shot is a personal choice and understands why some are hesitant. But he supports the science, saying vaccinations are the best path forward.

Ziegler got his shots as soon as possible earlier this year. Having been exposed to Agent Orange, he has diabetes and has “Only one working lung, and that’s at half capacity.”

That condition put him at high risk for COVID-19 and he responded by spending the past year being as safe as possible. He has limited outside interactions with others, dutifully wears a mask and keeps his distance among others.

Targeting residents who are still undecided

According to Healthy MKE, a coalition of local government, nonprofit, health care, public health and community organizations, the campaign targets residents of Milwaukee County who have been “disproportionately affected by the pandemic and are undecided about receiving COVID-19 vaccinations.”

“This campaign recognizes the importance of hearing authentic, relatable stories from local members of the community, from schoolteachers to retired Veterans, health-care workers, clergy, small business owners and more,” said Mara Lord, chairwoman of the Milwaukee area vaccine communications and community mobilization efforts. “It’s a way to both honor their unique perspectives and show how getting vaccinated is a way to express personal strength and commitment, so we can all get back to the people, places and things we love.”

“At least we tried.”

The campaign includes TV, radio, digital outdoor billboards, online digital outreach, and social media.

Ziegler realizes some people won’t get the vaccine. Though vaccine is plentiful and available for free to all who want it, clinics are having trouble filling time slots.

“We now have more vaccine than Vets who will take it,” Ziegler said. He added he hopes the ad campaign is successful but realizes some people won’t get the vaccine.

“I don’t know if this will change anybody’s mind. If it doesn’t, at least we tried.”

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MASSILLON, Ohio – Leonard Miller was in his kitchen when he heard a frantic knocking at the door and the sound of a little girl screaming for help.

The 13-year-old girl told her neighbor that their dog was attacking her younger sister and would not let her go. Miller didn’t think. He reacted.

The following minutes were a blur as he rushed to the home next door.

Thinking back to Sunday afternoon, the 88-year-old wishes he would have grabbed his baseball bat before heading into the home. He didn’t want to be without a weapon, so he snatched the first thing he could — a 2- to 3-foot nutcracker that was part of a Christmas display outside of his neighbor’s home.

“This dog had this little girl down just growling,” Miller said. “He had her arm and was shaking her like he would shake an animal or something. I hit the dog in the head three or four times, and it wouldn’t let loose.”

After hitting the white pit bull a few more times in the back, it finally let loose its grasp on the 10-year-old child, Miller said. The girls ran out of the home, and Miller backed away from the dog, locking it in the house.

As he made his way out of the home, the dog didn’t make a move to attack him, he said. It didn’t growl at him. He yelled authoritatively at the dog: “No. No. No.”

He took the girls to his home, where he called an ambulance.

'I was whaling on that man':82-year-old female bodybuilder fights off intruder, breaks table on him.

On Monday, the dog’s owner surrendered it to the Stark County Sheriff’s Office.

″... That dog was vicious,” Miller said Monday morning. “I don’t know what they’re going to do.... I couldn’t sleep too good because of everything that happened yesterday.”

Severe injuries

Miller, a U.S. Army Veteran, served as a combat medic in Korea. His instincts kicked in, and he didn’t hesitate to help the girl. Even at 88, Miller uses the treadmill and lifts weights to stay in shape.

“My doctor tells me, ‘you’re in better shape than most 50-year-olds,’” Miller said.

Perry Police Chief Mike Pomesky said officers were called to join the Fire Department just before 4:30 p.m. Sunday.

It appeared the attack was unprovoked, Pomesky said. The girl was transported to the hospital with severe injuries, he added.

The 10-year-old girl’s condition was unknown Monday. She had severe injuries to her left arm, officials said.

The neighbor girl reminds Miller of when his own children were young. He said he often saw the girl, who is a cheerleader for youth football, doing somersaults and playing in the front yard.

“I’m glad I was here to help,” Miller said. “I don’t know what would have happened.”

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Army Veteran Craig Hall’s home on wheels is a 35-foot Mobile Vet Center for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

He drives more than 1,000 miles a month throughout the northeast attending events, answering questions about VA programs and services and helping Veterans with readjustment advice.

On Wednesday, he and his family got to see and explore their new home for the first time.

Hall, his fiancé and two children received a mortgage-free home from the national nonprofit organization Building Homes for Heroes.

Hall hasn’t had a home of his own since returning from Iraq in 2007.

More than 100 people, including community leaders, local Veterans and several of Hall’s co-workers from Vet Centers from across New England attended a special ceremony for Hall and his family. The ceremony began with a parade leading to his newly refurbished Glastonbury home.

Over the last 13 years, Building Homes for Heroes has donated 200 homes to Veterans. This year in commemoration of Veterans Day, they made a commitment to gift 11 homes in 11 weeks.

On what community leaders described as a “perfect New England day,” gray and overcast with cold rain and temperatures in the 30s, Hall choked up with emotion at his ceremony.

“Probably the second or third greatest day of my life next to my kids being born and meeting my fiancé, this is the greatest day of my life,” he said. “This is truly a monster gift I never thought I would ever receive. It’s organizations like Building Homes For Heroes that step up and do things for our combat wounded Veterans, for our services members who are put in harm’s way and lift up our spirits and do incredible things like this. I’m beyond words.”

Motivated to serve after 9/11, Hall went to an Army recruiter in Springfield, Mass., and enlisted in 2005. He served until honorably retired as an Army specialist due to combat-related injuries.

Hall was a 19K M1 Abrams Tank Crew member with the 1st Cavalry Division in Samarra, Iraq, in 2007. While carrying out a mission, an improvised explosive device blew up under the tank in which he was riding. Hall lost his leg below the knee.

Continuing to serve

A native of Wales, Mass., he continues to serve as one of three Vet Center outreach specialists in New England who drive a Mobile Vet Center. He takes it everywhere, representing VA at community events, helping to connect Veterans with benefits and programs.

He works closely with outreach specialists from the VA New England Healthcare System. Hall’s assisted more than 1,000 Veterans since he started with VA in 2015.

Now, when his day is done, he’ll have a new home to enjoy with his family.

Hall’s family arrived at his new home on Wednesday as part of a procession that included the Glastonbury Fire Department, Glastonbury Police Department, Miss Connecticut Acacia Courtney, Glastonbury Emergency Medical Services and a Mission BBQ truck. An honor guard contingent from the Massachusetts Military Order of the Purple Heart and Veterans of Foreign Wars led the procession.

Hall helped many of these Veterans through his VA work. They said they came down to support Hall and his family.

Hall says this incredible outpouring of support is symbolic of the love he receives from his family and the community. He said that support inspires him to continue to serve through his work with VA.

“This home has given my family what I fought to protect in the Army — true freedom,” said Hall. “I am just so grateful for everything.”

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In late August 2019, Shannon Harness awoke to serious pain in the lower right side of his abdomen — a telltale sign of appendicitis.

Harness booked it to the emergency room of the only hospital in the county: Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center in Salida, Colo. After a CT scan, doctors told Harness he had acute appendicitis and required immediate surgery.

A surgeon performed an appendectomy that night and released Harness the next day.

But a couple of days later, Harness felt sharp pains where his appendix had been. The pain grew until he was on the floor screaming.

"It was disturbing," says his partner Eliza Novick-Smith. "He has a pretty high pain tolerance," given previous injuries from military service and mountain biking.

Harness went back to the hospital, where another CT scan revealed a blood clot the size of a brick floating in his pelvic area, a rare complication that most likely came from clipping and stapling the appendix tissue in the first surgery, his surgeon says. Harness would need another operation to check for the source of bleeding and to remove the clot.

After four more days in the hospital, he went home. It took him a couple of months to fully recover.

Then the bill came.

Patient: Shannon Harness, 39, a Marine Corps Veteran and an operations manager for a company that builds mountain bike trails across the United States. At the time of this incident, Harness had no insurance.

Total owed: The original hospital bill was $80,232 for both surgeries: The first surgery cost $35,906 and the clot surgery cost $44,326. This amount does not include payments to the surgeon, anesthesiologist, pathologist or radiologist.

Service provider: Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, a nonprofit critical access hospital in Colorado, where the surgeries were performed. Anesthesia, radiology and pathology were performed by other providers.

Medical services: Laparoscopic appendectomy, followed by a second surgery a few days later to resolve complications.

What gives: Uninsured patients are extremely vulnerable to exorbitant hospital bills. It's difficult to negotiate with a hospital without the leverage and bargaining power of an insurance company. Worse, uninsured patients are often billed three or four times what an insurer or government program would pay for the same service, says Anthony Wright, executive director of Health Access California, an organization advocating for affordable health care in California.

"As somebody who's uninsured, you are getting an unnegotiated rate," Wright says — a rate derived from the hospital's master price list. Insurers typically pay a rate that is a tiny fraction of that cost.

Harness was uninsured for seven years before this incident. (Though he now has VA Health Care, he had initially avoided looking into VA Health Care because he felt "other Vets needed it more.")

His employer didn't offer insurance, and the Affordable Care Act plan he qualified for cost $350 a month — money he didn't have.

One option for uninsured patients is a hospital's financial assistance program, a requirement in some states. In Colorado, every hospital is supposed to have a comprehensive charity care program for uninsured patients that earn less than 250% of the federal poverty level.

Heart of the Rockies hospital determines financial assistance on a sliding scale of family size and income. They also offer a self-pay discount of 15% to uninsured patients. Harness said the hospital's financial services office initially told him he was ineligible for their assistance program as well as the Colorado Indigent Care Program. Harness had worked overtime the previous month and missed the qualification by around $200. The hospital would use only his past two pay stubs to verify his income, he says.

The hospital wouldn't answer any questions about Harness' care or bills, even though he gave it permission to do so.

Another quirk of the U.S. health care system that Harness encountered is that when surgeries don't go as planned, and need revision with another operation, the patient (or his insurer) typically pays again. Medicare and some insurers have experimented with "bundled payments," through which the hospital gets a set fee for the surgery and any follow-up care for 90 days thereafter.

Resolution: Harness filed a grievance with the hospital with the help of Novick-Smith, who is a lawyer, to push back on the bills for the two surgeries — $35,906 for the first and $44,326 more for the second —and express concerns with the quality of care.

Healthcare Bluebook, which estimates costs based on insurers' claims data, says a fair price for an appendectomy in Salida is around $12,600. Dr. Gina Adrales, director of minimally invasive surgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, says the complication Harness experienced is not common. The complication rate for an appendectomy is fairly low, she says.

In November, the hospital decided to give Harness a 30% discount for both surgeries — leaving him with a still hefty bill of $56,162.40.

The couple followed up repeatedly with the hospital for months, often finding representatives "hard to reach." More than six months later, in March, the hospital told Harness he would have to pay for the second surgery because it was a risk he accepted by agreeing to the appendectomy.

Adam Fox, director of strategic engagement at Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, says it's "especially important" to push back on bills resulting from surgical complications. "It usually indicates that something didn't go right in the first surgery and at least that second surgery should be provided at a substantially reduced cost to the individual," he says.

By May, the hospital gave in. Lesley Fagerberg, Heart of the Rockies' vice president of financial services, wrote a response to Harness' grievance, reducing the total bill by roughly the amount charged for the second surgery. But she didn't explain how the hospital had come to that decision.

"Unfortunately, there was a complication in your appendectomy surgery," Fagerberg wrote. "As explained in the consent to treat, a surgery/procedure has inherent risk. Your case has been reviewed and the total bill has been reduced by $31,218.60."

Harness' final bill from the hospital, Fagerberg wrote, stands at $22,304.17 after adjustments that included a self-pay discount.

Harness and Novick-Smith said that still seemed too high to them, and after some research, offered to pay the hospital $12,000 upfront. The hospital rejected this offer.

Now, Harness is working out a payment plan with the hospital. The hospital offers an interest-free payment plan if he can pay it off in two years, but for Harness, those monthly payments would be more than his rent.

"I would not be able to do it by myself — I wouldn't have another choice other than taking out a loan," Harness says. "Before the appendectomy, I was looking for property and homes to purchase and that is pretty much completely off the table right now."

Novick-Smith says she's glad the hospital ultimately wrote off the bill for the second surgery. But she still feels angry with the hospital.

"What feels particularly hard is that the hospital markets itself in our community as this vital community resource," she says, "and they provide a lot of jobs. Their lack of transparency and lack of communication with us made this all a whole lot worse, especially because there's nowhere else to go."

The takeaway: The United States health care system is not forgiving to the uninsured, who, paradoxically, often face the highest bills of all patients. The benefit of having insurance is in part that your plan pays much of the bill, but also that you get the benefit of being charged the plan's highly discounted rates. If your employer doesn't provide health insurance, check whether you're eligible for a public program, says Wright.

If you're uninsured and stuck with a huge bill, Fox says, the first step is to ask for an itemized bill to ensure it reflects the actual service you received. The next step is to check the hospital's charity care policy. Another resource uninsured patients can turn to are organizations like the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative.

"It's by no means a perfect solution because there's only so much that we can do to help consumers advocate for themselves in these cases, but we do our best," Fox says.

If all else fails, Wright says, it's best to put pressure on the hospital before they sell the bill to a collections agency. There's less room for negotiation once a bill goes to collections, Wright says. And if all else really fails, you could try calling the press.

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Gold Star families, Purple Heart recipients, and other Veterans still have a chance to place a name on a brick for the new Regional Monument of Courage.

The new monument is going up next to the Lubbock Area Veterans War Memorial at 82nd street and Nashville Avenue.

Mary Caballero is part of a Gold Star family ever since her 41-year-old daughter, Virginia Caballero, died in the United States on her way back from serving in Kuwait five years ago.

Mary says her daughter was also a purple heart recipient after being shot in the hip on another deployment in Iraq, before she was in Kuwait. She says the monument will be an honor.

“It’s an honor. I appreciate everyone for what they are doing to build that monument for everybody. I just appreciate everything and everybody for what they’re doing for us,” Caballero said. “She did love her career in the Army- she loved that- and she tried just so hard to stay there.”

The monument is a project put on by Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 0900, and the City of Lubbock.

Danny Koch, a member of the Friends of the Monument of Courage, said three parties are being honored on the new monument.

“First, are the region’s 12 Medal of Honor recipients, the highest award for courage given by the government. Seven of the 12 were killed in action. Their families received it posthumously. The national average for Medal of Honor recipients, 60- almost 70 percent were killed in action. Then, the second group will be the Gold Star families; those who’ve lost a soldier and more in the service of their country,” Koch said.

Purple Heart recipients or families of Purple Heart recipients will be recognized too.

The project costs 300,000 dollars, but Koch says with donations and pledges, they’re almost there.

“And it will be a place where our youth can go to learn what sacrifice is all about. Learn about the cost of war, learn that some family members don’t come home,” Koch said.

Bricks are 200 dollars. Koch says that if you never received a Purple Heart, but served the country with honor and distinction, you're eligible for a brick too.

The funding is going towards the monument and other Veterans advocacy missions like lowering the suicide rate in Veterans.

The monument is expected to go up in May around Memorial Day.

For more information on how you can request a brick, call Steven Oien, Commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Chapter 0900, at 707-592-4598

To donate, head to: https://www.0900moph.com/monument-of-courage

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Once again, Department of Veterans Affairs bureaucrats are making a concerted effort to prevent Veterans from using our health-care benefits at community-based providers outside the VA system — despite a law requiring them to do so. 

Seven years ago, while suffering from excruciating pain, I attempted to make a primary-care appointment at a VA hospital. In the week between Christmas and New Year’s, no one at my Durham, N.C., VA facility answered the phone. In January, it took two weeks to get a new provider assigned and an appointment scheduled. The earliest they could offer was April 15, 90 days out.  

At that point, inflamed joints throbbing, I asked if I could use my Choice card, which had arrived in November with the promise it gave me access to private, local health care in the event “the Veteran is told by his/her local VA medical facility that he/she will need to wait more than 30 days from his/her preferred date or the date medically determined by his/her physician.”

No dice.

The Veterans Choice Program was enacted by law in the wake of the 2014 VA wait-time scandal. Nevertheless, the VA denied me the Choice option until after my appointment in 90 days.

With the team at Concerned Veterans for America, I worked hard to help pass that bill and believed the program would make a difference. Alas, faceless bureaucrats undermined its implementation every step of the way.

So we went back to work.

In 2018, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed the VA Mission Act, which bolstered Veterans’ health-care options, providing access standards that shortened the requirements for Veterans seeking private care to those who could not get a VA appointment within 20 days or who had to drive more than 30 minutes to a VA facility.

It was a positive reform. But again, we see VA bureaucrats working, despite the law, to limit Veterans’ ability to access care. 

In 2020, some Trump administration officials expressed public doubts about using community care during the COVID pandemic. That was all career bureaucrats needed to hear. It’s been on the rocks ever since.

After a lawsuit filed this year, the VA finally responded to Freedom of Information Act requests that it account publicly for wait times and Veterans’ ability to access community care. 

The results were startling and add to concern about the 20 million appointments that have been canceled, denied or delayed since the pandemic’s start.

The FOIA documents revealed the VA’s failure to follow the law and its own regulatory requirements as it refuses to refer eligible Veterans for community care, possibly cancels appointments without patient consent and dissuades Veterans from seeking community care in call scripts.

In January 2020 at the Prescott, Ariz., facility, for example, 10.3 percent of Veterans were listed eligible for primary care in the community when in fact 68 percent were eligible. The VA is also denying Veterans community care due solely to cost. That’s not part of the law, and getting Veterans the care they need should always be the top priority.

The Biden administration has sent clear signals it intends to accede to the bureaucrats’ wish to end community care.   

The Mission Act page on the VA Web site was recently removed. The VA has ceased providing Veterans easily accessible information about the program. And the department is dismantling the community-care office, integrating it into the general patient-management system. It’s blocked referrals to community care at every opportunity. 

Last month, it issued a call for input on access standards. Parts of the request for information are technical, but question No. 6 asks: “What are Veterans’ experiences with, and feedback on, the VA access standards established in 2019?” Might this be the first step in dismantling the program and ensuring that Veterans cannot seek VA-sponsored care in their communities?

“During the pandemic I had an appointment with the VA urologist as a follow-up because of elevated” prostate-specific antigen levels, a New York Veteran posted on the My VA Story Web site. “The VA canceled and rescheduled it four times until I asked why and was told they were only seeing patients on an emergency basis. My condition was probably not an emergency but I felt it was urgent enough that I transferred my records to a civilian urologist.”

The VA didn’t refer him. He paid out of pocket to get the care he needed — the care he’d earned. 

All Veterans deserve quality, timely care. When I was in pain, access to community care would have solved my situation sooner. Don’t let the VA take it away.

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ATLANTA - Kevin Rumph, Jr., has pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of medical products. Rumph used his U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) issued credit card to buy over $1.9 million worth of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) equipment, which he stole and then sold.

“As a VA employee, Rumph’s job was to serve those who served and protected our nation,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kurt R. Erskine. “His greed was a betrayal of trust that deprived veterans of the scarce resources needed by them to live productive lives.”

“The defendant’s deceitful actions breached the public trust, undermined the integrity of VA’s healthcare operations, and tarnished the important work that honest VA employees do every day in support of our nation’s veterans,” said David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge at the VA OIG. “The VA OIG thanks the VA medical center for referring this matter and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its partnership in holding the defendant accountable for his unlawful conduct.”

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Erskine, the charges and other information presented in court: Kevin Rumph, Jr., was a purchasing agent employed by the VA. He had been employed there since 2012. He worked in the VA’s Prosthetic Department at its Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located in Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia.

Rumph’s job duties included receiving prosthetic request forms and prescriptions from physicians, therapists, patients, and patient representatives, and reviewing those forms for proper documentation and justification of the items, services, and durable medical equipment being requested. Rumph prepared purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and sensory aids devices, medical supplies, and durable medical equipment and coordinated the delivery of medical equipment and supplies through contracted providers utilizing his VA-issued purchase card.

In addition to his legitimate purchases for veterans’ health care needs, Rumph used his government-issued purchase card to make unauthorized purchases of CPAP supplies from a supplier in Alabama. He then stole and sold the CPAP supplies to a vendor located in Ohio. CPAP supplies are medical products used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.

Between 2013 to 2021, Rumph made hundreds of unauthorized CPAP supply purchases costing the VA in excess of $1.9 million.

Kevin Rumph, Jr., 41, of Fairburn, Georgia, pleaded guilty to theft of medical products. Sentencing is scheduled for November 17, 2021, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown.

This case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Huber, Deputy Chief of the Complex Frauds Section, is prosecuting the case.

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Turnover rates among Veterans Affairs staffers have risen slightly in recent years, and officials worry that could increase dramatically if Congress doesn’t help ease the burden of bringing new candidates into the department’s workforce.

“We are continuing to see a bit of concern,” said Jessica Bonjorni, chief of the Veterans Health Administration’s human capital management office, during a hearing on department staffing issues before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Thursday.

“Normally at this time in the fiscal year we would have seen growth in our workforce of about 1.5 to 2%. But right now, we’re flat. And so we are trending behind because it’s becoming more difficult to find people out there for certain occupations.”

The department employs more than 400,000 employees across its health care, benefits and memorial services operations. In a typical year, about 9.6% of that workforce — around 40,000 individuals — leaves due to retirement, firings or leaving for new jobs elsewhere.

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic that figure has risen slightly, putting several thousand more positions in flux, VA management officials said. While officials emphasized to lawmakers that the issue isn’t a major problem yet, they also said they want to find fixes before it becomes one.

Bonjorni said some of the problems stem not from any VA-specific issues but instead from shortages across the U.S. for in-demand specialties.

“Nursing turnover is one area … where we’re seeing increasing turnover,” she told lawmakers. “Medical technologists and health techs, we’re having some challenges there too.”

But other staffing vacancies are increasing among entry-level posts in areas such as food service and housekeeping duties. Bonjorni said officials are looking into whether pandemic burnout could be playing a factor in hiring and retention for those jobs, and expect to issue a report on those findings in coming weeks.

The department also is pushing lawmakers to provide authorities for better pay, expanded benefits and relaxed hiring requirements to help replace those individuals more quickly.

Expedited hiring processes were approved as part of pandemic response, but those authorities are set to expire later in 2022. VA officials want to see them made permanent, saying that too often the regulations surrounding the hiring of new federal workers is overly cumbersome.

But members of the committee have concerns about permanently loosening those hiring procedures. While individuals can start working before things like fingerprinting and credentialing checks are completed, waiting too long to complete those tasks could cause more serious workforce issues down the line.

“It is not difficult to imagine the worst case scenario if those are not completed in a timely manner, VA could end up employing unqualified, clinically incompetent individuals or individuals with criminal backgrounds,” said committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-California.

“These are people who would be delivering health care to our Veterans while having access to controlled substances and Veterans’ sensitive health information. And those risks would absolutely have to be mitigated before I could support changing the existing law.”

VA officials said they’ll work with members of Congress in coming weeks to find ways to address those concerns while still speeding up the process.

“Anything that we can do to extend those authorities would be much appreciated,” said Gina Grosso, VA’s assistant secretary for human resources operations. “Our ability to have less regulation over hiring, less regulation over caps on retention authorities, and less restrictions on how we pay awards and bonuses will help us be more competitive with the private sector.”

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As the number of coronavirus cases in the Department of Veterans Affairs is headed down, the number of coronavirus vaccine doses in the system is poised to increase sharply.

On Thursday, the department reported a three-month low in active coronavirus cases among patients, at just under 8,500. The active case total has declined steadily over the last three weeks and is down 58 percent in the last month.

The news on case counts came the same day VA officials announced that the Department of Health and Human Services is providing 200,000 additional doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in addition to the 125,000 doses they provide each week.

“VA has worked diligently to offer and administer the COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible to Veterans who receive care at VA,” said acting VA Under Secretary for Health Richard Stone. ”The additional doses will help us to continue reaching our Veterans at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 during this period of limited supply.”

Officials said the extra doses will not accelerate its vaccination schedule, but will help meet the immediate need facing the department.

VA has administered nearly 1.5 million doses of the coronavirus vaccine in the last two months, with about 400,000 medical employees and high-risk Veterans already completing the two-shot regimen.

In recent weeks, some VA medical centers have begun the second phase of vaccine distribution, administering doses to Veterans older than 75 and other frontline workers such as police officers and food service workers. Department leaders have said decisions on when to shift to that second phase depend on local availability and demand.

During a House Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on Thursday, Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., said that VA leaders are distributing the vaccine nearly as quickly as it arrives, with a backup inventory of only about a day and a half across the system.

Stone has warned it will likely take months to fill the expected demand of vaccines for about 7 million individuals, but has said the department’s stated goal is to eventually make the vaccine available to any Veteran or staffer who requests it.

In remarks before the National Institutes of Health on Thursday, President Joe Biden said he expects to have enough vaccine doses available for every adult in America by the end of July.

Despite the positive news, deaths among VA patients connected to the virus continue to mount. The department reported 9,812 deaths as of Thursday evening, up about 430 in the last week and nearly 1,000 in the last week alone. The number of employee deaths rose to 128 on Thursday.

Nearly 30 VA patients a day have died from virus-related issues since last March. Nearly 60 percent of all deaths in the department have come since Nov. 1.

More information on the coronavirus vaccine is available at the department’s web site.

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Southeast region has struggled with problems, turnover

The Department of Veterans Affairs has appointed a new network director to oversee health care services to more than 1.2 million Veterans living in most of Georgia and Alabama and all of South Carolina.

The government agency announced over the July 4th weekend that Dr. David Walker will head the VA Southeast Network, called VISN 7.

The region has had more than its share of problems in recent years, with investigations of Alabama VA facilities and numerous problems in the metro Atlanta area VA hospital and its complex of clinics. They range from Veteran suicides to long shutdowns of surgical suites.

The regional director’s position has been a revolving seat in the past decade, with numerous interim directors and directors. The last full-time director retired in 2019 after a Veteran staying in a long-term care facility was found covered in ant bites.

Walker replaces interim director Joe Battle.

Walker was the acting network director for the VA MidSouth Healthcare Network, which stretches from southern West Virginia to northern Mississippi, since January 2021. Earlier, he was the director for the hospital and clinics in Jackson, Mississippi. He is board certified in psychiatry.

In a statement, Renee Oshinski, Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Operations, said Walker’s “sound leadership qualities and proven experience will be valuable assets for the health care network, the employees, volunteers and most importantly, for the Veterans we are honored to serve.”

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About 14 months after Congress and the president passed into law a measure to grant Veterans Affairs benefits to sailors who served on ships off the coast of Vietnam, VA has granted about 22,500 of those claims.

The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act required the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide disability benefits to Veterans who served in the waters off of Vietnam. The measure was just one more provision in a decades-long fight to guarantee the same benefits to thousands of Navy Veterans who served in the waters offshore of Vietnam that their land and brown-water comrades were already entitled to after potentially being exposed to Agent Orange.

Since then, the department has received 66,853 Blue Water Navy disability claims as of Aug. 31, VA Press Secretary Christina Noel told Connecting Vets this week, more than 8,300 per month since VA began processing the claims. From that total, VA has processed 31,774 (48%) and granted 22,524 of those (71%), denying about 29%. The claims granted represent about 34% of all claims filed so far.

Those awarded claims amount to about $641 million in benefits to those 22,524 Veterans or their survivors, according to VA.

This week, VA announced it had completed digitizing deck logs, aiming to expedite Blue Water Navy Veterans' disability claims. The effort was a partnership between VA and the National Archives and Records Administration to digitize Navy and Coast Guard deck logs to help validate Blue Water Veterans' claims.

“The team at NARA recognizes the importance of this effort making it easier for BWN Veterans to receive the benefits they’ve earned without burdening them with paperwork,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “Since Jan. 1, VA has processed thousands of claims and encourages every Veteran, dependent and surviving spouse who is eligible to file a claim as soon as possible.”

VA provided digital images of the deck logs to NARA, available through the National Archives catalog. Navy logs were finished in December 2019 and Coast Guard logs were completed this month.

“Through this scanning project, VA contractors digitized declassified Navy and Coast Guard deck logs from 1956-1978 in NARA's holdings, including the log of the hospital ship USS Sanctuary, which I served aboard during the Vietnam conflict,” Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero said in a statement. “As a Veteran from this era, I recognize the unprecedented value this provides to Veterans making these logs easily accessible online.”

In June, about a year after the bill passed into law, VA had approved 17,401 claims out of more than 58,300 filed and has increased the number of approved claims by about 29% since then.

Both the House and Senate passed the bill granting Blue Water Navy Vets benefits unanimously and the president signed it into law in June 2019.

About a week after the president's signature codified those benefits, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie delayed all claims processing until Jan. 1, 2020, as first reported by Connecting Vets. That stay effectively stalled the benefits many aging and ill Veterans thought they had finally gained with the passage of the bill in Congress.

Pleas from Veterans, their families and advocates over the following months rendered no change or response from VA, and those who reached out to the president told Connecting Vets they received no response.

At the time, Wilkie said the department was "working to ensure that we have the proper resources in place to meet the needs of our Blue Water Veteran community and minimize the impact on all Veterans filing for disability compensation."

Veterans were allowed to file their claims, but they were not processed until Wilkie's stay lifted on Jan. 1, 2020.

Veterans, dependents or surviving spouses can contact approved Veterans service organizations for help filing claims, according to VA. For more information, call VA at 800-827-1000.

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Veterans Affairs police officers would be mandated to wear body cameras to record interactions on department campuses and dramatically increase their conflict resolution training as part of a slate of new suicide prevention bills being introduced in the House.

The move comes amid a national debate on police reform and accountability sparked by the death of George Floyd, a Black man who prosecutors say was murdered by a white Minneapolis police officer in May. Local prosecutors have charged a total of four officers in connection with his death.

The VA police bill — being introduced today by Rep. Kathleen Rice, D-N.Y. — is being paired with another on improving data collection on VA outreach efforts to recently separated Veterans and would also require a host of new reports to Congress on arrests by campus police and how frequently they use force when interacting with individuals.

“These two new bills will help us take meaningful steps to address all the factors that can lead to Veteran suicide, from requiring key crisis intervention training for VA police to promoting connectedness throughout the transition from servicemember to civilian,” said House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif.

“We have a responsibility to ensure VA police have accountability, working body cameras, and the tools and training they need to de-escalate crises.”

An estimated 20 Veterans and military members die by suicide each day. That number has fluctuated only slightly over the last decade, despite a host of federal efforts aimed at reducing the problem. Takano has said his committee’s new push of legislative solutions is designed to bring new ideas and approaches to the issue in hopes of changing those results.

Rice said the police proposal, while connected to the suicide prevention effort, was prompted by an incident at the Northport VA Medical Center in New York where one of her constituents was “horribly mistreated” by campus police, but no body camera footage was available to help review the case.

“Major reforms are needed within the Department of Veterans Affairs police force, including the need for increased crisis intervention training for police officers to prevent suicide,” she said in a statement to Military Times.

“(This bill) will address these officer training shortcomings, require the use of body cameras, and enact other important measures that will increase accountability and transparency.”

VA’s police force includes more than 4,000 officers across the country, mostly at hospitals but also charged with patrolling department cemeteries and other VA buildings. Under federal law, the officers have the ability to make arrests on department property and can carry firearms.

Under department regulations, police can use body cameras “for investigative purposes only” and the use of any recording devices is “not authorized for the routine taping of conversations during patrol and other duty activities.”

In recent months, a number of lawmakers and advocates have called for increased training among the force to help stem a wave of on-campus Veterans suicides in public spaces, noting that the officers are often the first point of contact for individuals not already in medical care.

Veterans Affairs officials have updated those training policies. But they have also acknowledged difficulty in recent years retaining officers, leading to new hires and a need for new training at locations throughout the country.

A report from the VA Inspector General released in December 2018 noted difficulty in oversight of the police force — both in terms of crisis response and inappropriate use of force — because the department “did not have adequate and coordinated governance over its police program.” Department leaders have promised that changes put in place since then are addressing that problem.

But Rice’s bill would codify that, calling for regular reports to Congress on police incidents, participation of civil rights groups and local community leaders in developing new police training programs, and requiring a body camera be activated in all on-campus interactions, except in cases where the officer’s life is in imminent danger, making activation of the camera impossible.

Those recordings would also be preserved for future investigations, regarding both charges of inappropriate behavior or for developing better intervention response techniques.

No estimate has been released on the cost of purchasing new cameras, storing that data or developing the new officer training programs.

Both Rice’s bill and the other suicide prevention measure being introduced today — the Solid Start Reporting Act, introduced by Rep. Robin Kelly, D-Ill. — are expected to be debated by the committee in coming weeks.

Kelly, a former mental health counselor, said her measure calling for annual reports on VA’s Solid Start program (which reaches out to Veterans in their first year of separation from the military to explain VA benefits and check for mental health needs) shares a similar oversight and accountability with the police reform measure.

“Congress must ensure that programs designed to address a real and growing crisis work,” she said. “If not, how can we improve them? Providing for the mental health of service members, Veterans and their families is everyone’s responsibility and Congress will continue to do our part through funding and oversight.”

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Defendant admits stealing ventilator and bronchoscopes and selling for a fraction of their value on eBay

Seattle - A respiratory therapist at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Seattle pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to theft of government property, announced U.S. Attorney Brian T. Moran. GENE WAMSLEY, 41, of Bonney Lake, Washington, admits stealing a ventilator and other respiratory medical equipment in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and selling it for his own gain. WAMSLEY faces up to ten years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart on January 11, 2021.

According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in January 2020 when VAMC reported two bronchoscopes, used for examining a patient’s airway, went missing from the hospital. A third bronchoscope was reported missing in April 2020. In all, WAMSLEY admits stealing and selling three bronchoscopes worth over $100,000 for just $15,750. WAMSLEY sold the scopes to a Florida resident via eBay. When WAMSLEY’s home was searched in June, law enforcement seized a fourth bronchoscope and a $6,000 sleep apnea device called a WatchPat that had been stolen from the VA Medical Center.

Further investigation revealed that in April 2020, WAMSLEY also stole a $9,950 respirator and sold it via eBay to an Ohio man for just $6,000.

The total loss to the United States from the thefts is $132,291.

The case is being investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday reversed its plans to discard additional doses of the coronavirus vaccine from Pfizer vials that arrived overfilled.

The department's initial guidance was issued despite the Food and Drug Administration approving use of all full doses available in each vial during the public health emergency, an internal memo shows. VA issued new guidance Thursday authorizing the use of additional full doses of the vaccine when they are present.

"After receiving additional input from FDA and other governmental agencies, VHA has made the decision to rescind the initial guidance on this topic and proceed with using the extra doses of Pfizer vaccine in the vials when the extra doses are present," VA Press Secretary Christina Noel told Connecting Vets.

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine vials that recently shipped may be overfilled beyond the standard five doses per bottle. In some cases, it may be a negligible amount, but in others, it may be enough for several extra doses of the limited vaccine, company and federal officials said this week.

But VA officials initially didn't want medical staff to administer more than the five doses per vial, and any additional doses were planned to be "discarded," according to a memo obtained by Connecting Vets, which was sent to Veterans Health Administration pharmacy chiefs and others at the department Thursday morning. VA officials initially argued using the extra doses could jeopardize future allocations of the vaccine before changing course Thursday evening.

"The national COVID planning team has made the decision that only five doses of product should be withdrawn from each vial until the time in which VA is able to solicit more information from FDA, CDC and Pfizer," Jennifer Martin, deputy chief consultant of formulary management for VA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, wrote in the first memo.

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday said it was aware some vials of the Pfizer vaccine may contain extra product, and was working with the company to determine the best path forward. Overfilling is not unusual in medicine to ensure full, accurate doses, but since some of the Pfizer vials may contain enough for additional full doses beyond the standard five, the FDA specifically advised all doses were acceptable to be used in the meantime, though separate vials should not be combined.

"Given the public health emergency, FDA is advising that it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable (the sixth or possibly even a seventh) from each vial, pending resolution of the issue," the FDA said in a tweet on Wednesday. "However, since the vials are preservative-free, it is critical to note that any further remaining product that does not constitute a full dose should not be pooled from multiple vials to create one."

Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said in an email that "it is acceptable to use every full dose obtainable (the sixth or possibly even the seventh) from each vial, pending our administrative solution to this issue" and once again warned against mixing liquid from multiple vials.

VA cited three main reasons for its initial decision to discard additional vaccine doses, "despite the information that has come from the FDA:"

-         The CDC is requiring strict inventory monitoring for the vaccine, and drawing extra doses could make the data "questionable" since there is no current way to confirm which vials were overfilled and which were not. "Sending what appears to be inaccurate data to CDC may jeopardize VA's ability to get additional allocations (of the vaccine) in the future," the memo reads.

-         There is a risk that some VA sites may try to combine overfill from multiple vials of the vaccine. Mixing those could be an "injection risk" for patients since the vials don't contain preservatives. FDA specifically warned against this.

-         The vaccine requires a two-dose series, and the allocation sent to VA for the second dose is based on the total number of doses sent in the first round -- five doses per vial. If VA is able to get extra doses from some vials and not others, there's no guarantee a second allocation of the vaccine will also be overfilled and have enough extra doses to go around, leaving some patients unprotected, according to the memo.

VA said it planned to wait for additional information from the FDA, Pfizer and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before it will determine "whether or not it makes sense to change this policy in the future," the initial memo reads. "Until that time, sites should only be using five doses per vial." But after Connecting Vets' story published, VA released new guidance calling for the use of additional doses when available.

VA does not plan to track how many doses it's discarding in its pharmacy benefits tracking system, according to the initial memo.

"Any overfill that is discarded does not have to be tracked as waste per the PBM tracker," the memo said.

So far, it's unclear how many extra full doses may be included in the initial shipments of the Pfizer vaccine.

A spokesman for Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, told Connecting Vets Thursday afternoon that the senator "expects VA leaders to coordinate with CDC and FDA leaders on how to use the extra doses in an effective way."

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Arizona, said "wasting vaccine doses is outrageous" in a statement on social media Thursday.

"The Department of Veterans Affairs must follow FDA guidance and use all vaccine doses available to save lives," Sinema said.

The initial guidance followed the leader of the Veterans Health Administration, Dr. Richard Stone, telling Congress last week that initial shipments of the vaccine wouldn't be enough for the millions of Veterans and hundreds of thousands of VA staff who will need or want it.

As the largest healthcare system in the United States and America's backup healthcare system in times of crisis, VA hospitals were among the first to receive and administer doses of the vaccine, and VA, the second-largest federal agency, is likely receiving more shipments of the vaccine than many other major health systems.

VA's public-facing COVID-19 data tracking tool has also been offline for maintenance for six days. The last time the data was updated, VA had reached a record-high number of active cases and patient and staff deaths were spiking at the department.

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No Veterans were harmed, Robert Wilkie tellsFOX Business' Liz MacDonald

Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie responded to a scathing inspector general report in an interview with FOX Business' Liz MacDonald Wednesday, saying no Veterans were harmed.

The report revealed Veterans Affairs workers at nine different offices improperly canceled and delayed tens of thousands of medical tests, such as X-rays and cardiac imaging, jeopardizing the health of military Veterans.

The inspector general audit did not mention the reforms that have been put in place since President Trump took office, Wilkie said.

Wilkie said only eight Veterans had to get extra follow-up care due to the mistakes.

"That's particularly important when you consider that we carry out about 11 million radiological appointments each year," Wilkie said on "The Evening Edit." "What was not put in there was all of the reforms that have been put in place just in the last year-and-a-half, thanks to this president."

Wilkie said he is particularly proud of expanding choice for Veterans.

"We put their needs at the center of their care, not the needs of the bureaucracy of the VA," Wilkie said.

He said since that reforms were put into place, the VA has sent 1.6 million Veterans into private-sector health care so they could get treated sooner and more conveniently.

When asked if the VA should be privatized, he was quite clear with his answer: no.

"What we should be doing is making sure that every available avenue is open to our Veterans so they get the best care," Wilkie said. "That is the key."

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A place of help, hope and healing

Through a partnership between VA and CaringBridge, Veterans and their caregivers can use free CaringBridge social sites as a place of help, hope and healing.

CaringBridge is a nonprofit social network dedicated to helping family and friends communicate with and support loved ones during a health journey with a free, personal and protected website. It takes only a few minutes to create a site and share an update on your health and then invite your family, friends and peers to your site to receive strength and encouragement from your community.

There are many stories of CaringBridge families who receive the support of their loved ones to emotionally heal during difficult times. Army Veteran Jeff Edwards is one of these stories, who used his community to keep going after his injury.

After Spinal-Cord Injury, ‘Protect and Serve’ Takes New Shape

Jeff Edwards of Herman, Minn., fell from roofs and crashed dirt bikes as a kid, parachuted into dangerous places with the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and faced potential harm for 13 years as a sheriff’s deputy and SWAT-team marksman. Breaking his neck in shallow water, while on vacation in Mexico in 2015, was not something Jeff had ever imagined.

“It was just a freak accident,” he said. “I got rolled by a wave and hit the crown of my head on the bottom of the ocean… instantly paralyzed.” Jeff said he remembers thinking, “All the dangerous and dumb things I have done in my life, and a wave takes me out?”

After a medical evacuation—securing an air ambulance that required up-front payment of $30,000 became longtime girlfriend Dani Murdoff’s first act as a caregiver—Jeff had surgery at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis to stabilize his spinal cord. And then he set his first goal: going home.

Using CaringBridge

During his health journey, Jeff and Dani built a CaringBridge site to update family and friends and to request support. CaringBridge allow families to easily reach out in times of medical need. Jeff and his family let their community know their needs through journal posts and directing them to the Ways to Help section of their CaringBridge site.

“I hated being in the hospital,” Jeff said. “They said I would have to be there for at least three months, and then I would be in [physical] rehab for six months.” But after just one month, he transferred to the Spinal Cord Injury & Disorder Center at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System.

Doctors at the VA, where Jeff was eligible for treatment as a Catastrophically Disabled Veteran, also thought it would take six months for him to master a wheelchair, bathe, dress, cook and learn to drive with hand-controls. But in three months and 10 days, Jeff “checked all the boxes” of self-sufficiency.

He then went home to figure out his next steps with his family, friends and law enforcement community that had rallied around him.

Making the transition home and moving on

While Jeff was in the hospital, Dani put up for sale the two-story house they had been restoring and put into motion plans for building a place with an open floor plan and no stairs. Next on the to-do list was a new line of work. “Obviously, I couldn’t be a law enforcement officer,” Jeff said. “You have to be able to chase the bad guys.”

Through the VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America, Jeff landed a work-at-home job with a computer-storage company based in New York. He wanted to quit on Day 2. “It was completely different from what I was used to, and way out of my knowledge base,” he said. “But I’m not much of a quitter, so I figured I would give it a week… and within the first month I started catching on.”

Although “not a quitter” sums up so much, Jeff said he still thinks about the day his life changed.

“Every day there are ‘what-ifs,’” he said. “I think, ‘What if I had just hung out at the pool that day? Or gone across the street to shop? Or had not even gone on vacation?’ How different my life would be.”

While he said he feels entitled to those thoughts, Jeff won’t let them take over. He also refuses to be consumed by anger. “So many guys with injuries like this are angry with the world,” Jeff said. “But I look at it like, ‘This was my fault… something I did to myself.’ Granted, nature had a little hand in it, but I made the decisions that led up to what happened.”

Advice on healing and saying yes to help

What remains difficult is being on the receiving end of help. “Learning how to say, ‘yes’ to help was very, very hard. And it still is,” Jeff said. “But I am getting a little better.”

And life offers so many opportunities to practice. Jeff is handy—his workshop gives him away—so talking son Jake through repair of things out of Jeff’s reach offers an exercise in bonding.

He also enjoys hunting and fishing, which remain possible thanks to an all-terrain wheelchair. Being outdoors and doing activities he loves is good for Jeff’s soul, although having to depend on Dani or daughter Briona to load the track-chair onto its trailer is yet another reminder of how life has changed. Reconciling the before-and-after like this is at the core of Jeff’s healing process.

For Jeff, healing is a mix physical and mental. And while he does not pretend to have all the answers, he has this advice for others: “For me to heal, I had to push myself. Maybe you’re not going to be 100%, but you’re going to be at 100% of what you are capable of at a time. The stronger you can stay mentally, the better off you will be as a person. Try to do the best you can, with what you have. That’s what healing means to me.”

To learn more about CaringBridge, visit www.caringbridge.org/military.

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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene disparaged the 1.33 million active-duty U.S. Department of Defense members, including the 481,254 active-duty U.S. Army members by declaring that joining America’s Armed Forces is “like throwing your life away.”

Now she’s facing the consequences, including blowback from her fellow members of Congress who served or have served in the U.S. Military, and other Veterans.

Vote Vets, an advocacy group that represents over 1.5 million Veterans, military families, and their supporters, accused Rep. Greene of supporting traitors and being a traitor herself.

U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), a current Lt. Colonel and pilot serving in the U.S. Air National Guard, derided the Georgia Republican Congresswoman as an “absolute idiot,” and took Kevin McCarthy to task as well, lamenting that Greene will “still will be praised by people like” ⁦the House GOP Minority Leader,⁩ “because, well, money and speakership.”

“She has no clue why we join to serve our country,” declared U.S. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), an Iraq War Veteran who served in the U.S. Marines. “Nor does she understand how the military works. When you are a selfish person you can’t understand selfless people.”

Retired Army officer and Iraq War Veteran Fred Wellman, a former executive director of the Lincoln Project who served 22 years in the Army and did four tours of duty, according to his bio at the National Military Spouse Network, did not hold back.

“This is the anti-military kind of lies we’ve come to expect from the performative jackassery wing of the GOP,” Wellman said. “Selfless service makes no sense to people like Greene, Gaetz, and Trump. Every generation of my family has served. She only serves herself.”

Retired U.S. Air Force Colonel and F-15 fighter pilot Jim Hendren, an independent Arizona state Senator and former Republican:

"Not my son and I know a lot of young people don't want to have anything to do with that. It's like throwing your life away."

Well, it is my son. He's not throwing his life away. He's defending your freedom to say such idiotic things.

Intelligence and foreign policy analyst Malcolm Nance, a former U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer specializing in naval cryptology called Greene “MoscowMarge” and accused her of working for Russia.

“Marjorie Taylor Greene (Q-GA) says joining the US military is ‘like throwing your life away … Not to mention how they’ve been forced to take the vaccine,'” notes retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Moe Davis, a former Guantanamo Chief Prosecutor. “You can’t support anti-American scum like MTG and her ilk and say you’re an ‘American Patriot.'”

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