2. VA Regional Office In Texas To Add 100 Claims Processors. The AP (2/19) reports, "The Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Waco is adding 100 claims processing jobs to help veterans receive their benefits faster. The announcement was made Thursday in Waco by VA Secretary Eric Shinseki" and US Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX), who "says the jobs were needed because the VA has had too few employees to handle a more demanding workload stemming from increased veterans' health care and benefits." The Waco (TX) Tribune-Herald (2/19, Dennis, 35K) and the Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram (2/19, Vaughn) publish similar stories, as does the Austin (TX) American Statesman (2/19), which makes its coverage the second item in "Texas Digest", and the Conroe (TX) Courier (2/19, 11K), which makes its coverage the second item in "Community News".
Recovery Act Funding New Jobs. According to the KWTX-TV Waco, TX (2/18) website, Shinseki and Edwards "scheduled a news conference Thursday in Waco to announce the new jobs, which are funded by money from the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed a year ago Wednesday by President Barack Obama. 'Our veterans deserve this, and I am glad that the American Recovery Act funding is making it possible,' Edwards said." KWTX noted, "The new jobs will pay an average of more than $38,000 a year and benefits include health insurance, Edwards said."
KCEN-TV Waco, TX (2/18, 11:32 p.m. CT) broadcast, "The 100 new employees are to start on March 1st," while KWTX-TV Waco, TX (2/18, 6:05 p.m. CT) broadcast that "new VA employees will also be added nationwide." KWKT-TV Waco, TX (2/18, 9:01 p.m. CT) and WOAI-TV San Antonio, TX (2/18, 6:11 p.m. CT) also aired reports on this story.
Eighty Temporary Jobs To Become Permanent. The KXXV-TV Waco, TX(2/18, Talbert) website, which said Thursday's announcement "will likely mean the end of a giant" claims backlog, reported, "Secretary Shinseki said many of the 100 claims processors will be veterans themselves." KXXV added, "There were also 80 temporary jobs set to expire in September but Secretary Shinseki says those employees will stay hired on permanently."
3. Shinseki Meets With Vets In New Mexico. The Alamogordo (NM) Daily News (2/19, Österreich, 6K) reports Veterans Secretary Eric Shinseki "spent time in Alamogordo on Wednesday visiting with New Mexico veterans and listening to their concerns." In the "company of Congressman Harry Teague, Shinseki sat in the City Commission Chambers at City Hall and talked about where the VA is going and what it is hoping to achieve in the next few years. Teague invited Shinseki to visit Alamogordo because he thinks veterans deserve better treatment than they have had in the past and he wanted to share southern New Mexico's issues with the secretary."
4. Shinseki Tours Chillicothe VAMC Stimulus Projects. In continuing coverage, the Chillicothe (OH) Gazette (2/19, Ison, 12K) reports, "The Chillicothe Veterans Affairs Medical Center was the first stop Wednesday on a three-day tour" for US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. Wednesday's "brief tour of two projects being funded through more than $7.8 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funds (stimulus funds) was the first time" the Chillicothe VAMC "ever has been visited" by a US VA secretary. The Gazette adds, "Shinseki said he is pleased so far with how $1 billion is being used across the VA system," and "raised the fact about 80 percent of the VA stimulus-funded projects have gone to small businesses owned by veterans."
Veteran Pleased With Care Provided By Hospital. In a letter to the editor of the Chillicothe (OH) Gazette (2/19, 12K), Robert Daniel Grant, a veteran living in Circleville, Ohio, says he "received only the best care from a great bunch of dedicated doctors and nurses" while being treated at the Chillicothe VAMC. Grant adds, "If VA medical care is government-run health care, I say bring it on for everyone."
5. Campaign To Honor Nisei Veterans With Stamp Continues. Pacific Citizen (2/19, Ko), a newspaper in Los Angeles, California, reports, "Over 30,000 Japanese Americans...served in WWII," and the "Japanese American WWII Veterans Commemorative Stamp Campaign has been pushing for years to honor" them. Currently, "supporters are...focusing their efforts on changing" the US Postal Service's "informal policy against issuing stamps for individual units, branches or divisions." Gerald Yamada, "Nisei veterans stamp project liaison for the Japanese American Veterans Association (JAVA)," will next week ask the National Military Veterans Alliance to support that strategy, and if it does, Yamada says a letter indicating that support will be sent to the post master general, and "copied to the president, secretary of defense and secretary of veterans affairs."
6. Duckworth: Help From Civilians Needed In Fight Against Combat Stress. In its "Hampton Roads Recon" blog, the Newport News (VA) Daily Press (2/19, Lessig, 76K) reports, "The public must be enlisted in the fight against combat stress because veterans often don't know they suffer from problems, a top Veterans Affairs official said Thursday." Disabled Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth, an assistant secretary at the VA, made her comments while appearing as the "keynote speaker at the 2010 Virginia is for Heroes Conference in Richmond." The Daily Press notes that US military leaders "have spoken about changing a culture that rewards toughness while discouraging traumatized veterans from coming forward because mental problems are a sign of 'weakness.' In a later interview, Duckworth said the Defense Department is making strides in that regard, but she said many veterans simply may not know they are afflicted." The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (2/19, Slayton) also covers this story.
7. Improvements Lead VA To Keep GI Bill Hot Line Open Five Days A Week. In continuing coverage, the Army Times (2/19, Maze, 104K) reports, "The GI Bill telephone hot line is once again open five days a week, after improvements were made to reduce the number of calls that do not go through, Veterans Affairs Department officials have announced." Created "last year to handle an expected flood of questions about the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Muskogee, Okla., call center has been the target of complaints." The Times adds, "Making it even harder to get through was a decision to have the call center open only three days a week - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - so that education experts could" be "reassigned every Thursday and Friday to help process benefits claims," but as of Thursday, according to VA officials, that is no longer the case.
8. VA Wants To Hear From You. In his "What's Brewin'" blog for NextGov (2/18), Bob Brewin noted that the Veterans Affairs Department "has opened up a new Web portal to solicit ideas from the public and from department employees on how it can become more transparent, collaborative and all those other open government buzzwords." According to Brewin, the portal, which will be "open until March 29," has "some real gems of suggestions on how to improve transparency, including one from an employee who recommended, 'We should record (audio & video) and broadcast all the major budget meetings that take place at the SES level and above, specifically the one where the decisions that determine program funding are made.' I imagine that watching a bunch of SESers slice and dice even a small portion of the department's proposed $125 billion fiscal 2011 budget would not only enhance transparency but also induce sleep, saving VA money on sleeping pills."
9. Plan To Replace Vermont State Hospital Involves VA Campus. The AP (2/19) reports the Administration of Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas "wants to replace the aging Vermont State Hospital with a new, 15-bed unit in Waterbury and regional facilities in Rutland and White River Junction. The plan unveiled Thursday afternoon would create a total of 45 new mental health beds at the Rutland Regional Medical Center and on the campus" of the Veterans Affairs hospital in White River Junction. After noting that the "facility at the VA would be affiliated with the Dartmouth Medical School," the AP said the "proposal is already drawing fire from some lawmakers, who question its funding source," and "others who say the state should have relied more on the private Brattleboro Retreat psychiatric hospital in Brattleboro."
10. Five Counties In Running For Oregon Vets Home. The Roseburg (OR) News-Review (2/19, Sowell, 18K) reports, "Douglas County is one of five counties in the running for a 250-bed state veterans home." Douglas County Commissioner Joe Laurance, "a Vietnam era veteran who has spent the past three years working with other community leaders to draw up a proposal to have the $43 million home located on a portion of the Roseburg Veterans Affairs Medical Center grounds, said Wednesday he is confident of the local group's chances. 'I think we have a very good shot at getting this home, which would provide a great service to veterans,' Laurance said."
11. Official Says West Virginia Not Cutting Services For Veterans. The Beckley (WV) Register-Herald (2/18, Porterfield, 0) reported, "Fewer dollars are going into the program, but enough cash is in hand to maintain services for West Virginia's veterans, Military Affairs and Public Secretary Joe Thornton said Wednesday." On the "designated 'Veterans Day' at the Capitol this week, some groups insisted the Division of Veterans Affairs was being asked to take a 16.4 percent reduction. 'That's just not true,' Thornton said," adding, "We're not cutting services."
12. Alabama VA Completes Pell City Vets Home Design. The Montgomery (AL) Advertiser (2/19, Rowell, 40K) reports, "The Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs has completed the design for the state's fourth veterans home." The Pell City facility "will be...one of the first nationwide to implement the new neighborhood concept developed" by the US VA. The Advertiser adds, "A federal VA construction grant will help build the home."
13. Following Plane Crash Into Building, Iraq Vet Rescues Victims. ABC World News (2/18, lead story, 4:20, Sawyer, 8.2M) broadcast that on Thursday, after a "man in Austin, Texas," crashed a plane "into the second floor of an office building where 200" Internal Revenue Service employees worked, glass worker Robin DeHaven, an Army veteran, "used his ladder to rescue a half dozen victims."
On its website, CNN (2/18) noted that Dehaven "said his 6˝ years in the Army, with two tours in Iraq, helped him Thursday. 'I've had some experience in triage and battlefield, with ... gunfire,' he said," adding, "My first thought [was] maybe I can help, because I'm more used to dealing with traumatic situations like that."
14. VA Said To Have Encouraged Filipino WWII Vets To Apply For Payments. In continuing coverage, the Philippine Daily Inquirer (2/19, Balana) reports, "The US Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) had approved the applications of 12,846 eligible Filipino World War II veterans as the deadline for the filing of applications for one-time lump sum payments ended on Feb. 16." For "one week before the deadline, the USDVA held 22 outreach events in partnership with the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) around the Philippines to encourage veterans to file the claims. USDVA-Manila Director Jon Skelly and his staff were also interviewed on TV and radio many times to explain the benefits and the process, and to remind veterans of the application deadline."
15. Museum Exhibit In Russia Honors US WWII Vet. The AP (2/19, Titova) reports, "An exhibit opened in Russia on Thursday on the life of an American veteran believed to be one the few soldiers to fight for both" the US "and the Soviet Union in World War II. The Russian Museum exhibit, titled 'Joseph R. Beyrle - A Hero of Two Nations,' presents 260 artifacts from Beyrle's life and military career, including a collection of his medals, uniform and photographs." The AP notes that after Beyrle was captured by the Germans in WWII, he "escaped and joined a Soviet tank battalion before he was wounded near Berlin and sent home through Moscow."
16. Last Canadian WWI Vet Passes Away At Age Of 109. The Spokane (WA) Spokesman-Review (2/19) reports, "The last Canadian veteran of World War I died Thursday at the age of 109. John Henry Foster Babcock, who went by Jack, died Thursday at his home in Spokane, his family confirmed." Frank Woodruff Buckles, "109, of West Virginia, is the only surviving American World War I veteran."
17. Officials Announce Land Donation For New Vets Cemetery. The AP (2/19) reports, "A second West Virginia cemetery for military veterans has the green light, thanks to a land donation from Dow Chemical Co. and the likelihood of $13 million in federal dollars." On Thursday, West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and US Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) "announced...that the state has signed an agreement with Midland, Mich.-based Dow, which is donating 350 acres in Institute, an unincorporated area near Charleston. Rockefeller says final federal approval, which will come with a grant to build the cemetery, is likely a few months away."
This story is also covered by the Beckley (WV) Register-Herald (2/19, Porterfield, 0) and the WOWK-TV Charleston, WV (2/18, Kane) website, which noted that Rockefeller "said the grant from the Veterans Administration is the largest ever for a cemetery. He called it a fitting tribute to the state's veterans."
18. Montana VA Director Hopes To Spread Telehealth, Assist Homeless Vets. In continuing coverage, the KXLH-TV Helena, MT (2/18, Banks) website reported, "As work begins on a new mental health facility" at the Veterans Affairs "medical center at Fort Harrison in Helena," Robin Korogi, the new director of the VA Montana Health Care System, "has outlined some broad goals." Her "first goal as director is to improve access to care by spreading" telehealth to Montana clinics. Korogi "says her second goal is to help homeless vets find shelter, and wants to end homelessness among Montana veterans within five years."
19. VA Hospital Considering Wind Power. According to the St. Cloud (MN) Times (2/18, Sommerhauser), wind turbines "should start whirling soon after St. Cloud leaders voted in December to allow wind-power systems in certain areas." In fact, St. Cloud's Veterans Affairs hospital "may become the first VA medical facility in the country to be powered by wind. Leaders there are studying whether to build a 600-kilowatt, 213-foot-tall turbine on the northeast edge of their campus, a VA spokesman said Wednesday."
20. Vet Bloggers Storm America's Second Largest Agency. In an entry on the Huffington Post (2/19), Richard Allen Smith, an Afghanistan veteran and editor of VoteVets.org blog VetVoice, says that last month, he and another blogger, Iraq vet Kate Hoit, visited the Washington, DC, headquarters of the Department of Veterans Affairs, where they were warmly greeted and shown the agency's Office of New Media. Smith concludes, "The fact that an agency, which was once thought to be a malicious beast in a bureaucratic dungeon, is taking the lead amongst all executive departments by allowing bloggers such unprecedented access speaks volumes to the commitment the VA has" to veterans. He adds, "I take pride in the fact that the department that serves our community exclusively has become the standard bearer for interaction between citizens and government."
21. Jury Finds Man Guilty Of Threatening To Blow Up VA Hospital. The Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger (2/19, Joyner) reports 61-year-old Don Ray Saltou "faces up to 10 years in prison for threatening to blow up the G.V. 'Sonny' Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center." On Wednesday, a "federal jury found...Saltou guilty" of "making the threats during an Oct. 7 telephone call to the Jackson hospital during which he threatened to blow up the building with Semtex, a plastic explosive, according to federal officials." Assistant US Attorney Patrick Lemon "said he was not clear what set Saltou off, except that he was told over the phone the hospital could not guarantee he would be admitted."
22. VFW Post To Donate $10,000 To Canandaigua VAMC. The Canandaigua (NY) Daily Messenger (2/19, Sherwood) notes that on Friday, the Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center "will receive a $10,000 donation" from Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 6433 in Waterloo, New York. The "donation is to be used in three separate areas: $6,433 (the post number) is for the VA to use as needed. The remaining $3,567 is to be evenly split, shared by Disabled American Veterans, Chapter 4, in Canandaigua; and the VA's Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom program for newly returning veterans."
23. DAV Raising Funds To Send Vet To Winter Sports Clinic. The Dothan (AL) Eagle (2/18, Phillips, 32K) says the US Department of Veterans Affairs and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) "want to give injured veterans a chance to enjoy life again. The two organizations are co-sponsoring the 23rd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic from March 29 through April 3 in Snowmass Village, Colo." The Eagle notes that the DAV is "raising funds to support" 59-year-old Mobile resident Dave Riley's "trip to the clinic, which will teach veterans everything from skiing to rock climbing and even self-defense."
24. Jack C. Montgomery VAMC To Host Free Military Family Dinner. The Muskogee (OK) Phoenix (2/18, 14K) noted that the local American Red Cross, "in partnership" with the Jack C. Montgomery Veterans Affairs Medical Center, "will host a free military family dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday in the second floor auditorium of the hospital." The event "will feature a catered dinner, child care and activities, live music provided by 'Oklahoma Glory Bound,' a southern gospel music group, and guest speaker Dick Faurot, KOTV meteorologist (retired Air Force)."
25. Fed Advisors Ask: Are HIT Systems Safe? Health Data Management (2/19, Goedert) reports, "A workgroup of the HIT Policy Committee, a federal advisory body, will hear testimony on the safety of health information technology during a public hearing on Feb. 25 in Washington." Representatives of numerous organizations, including the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), are "expected to testify at the workgroup hearing."
26. VA Raises Awareness For Veterans. The Sherwood (AR) Voice (2/19, Rayburn).
27. Vet Facing Eviction Finally Gets The Benefits She Was Promised. The WFAA-TV (2/18, Reaves) website.
28. Former Vets' Agent Brings Skills, Services Home To Plymouth. The Old Colony Memorial (2/19, Koch), a newspaper in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
29. Lincoln Park War Monument Refurbished. The Southgate (MI) News-Herald (2/19, Alley).
30. Honoring A Vietnam Veteran. The WNEP-TV Wilkes-Barre, PA (2/18, Leckey) website.
31. Decades Later, Vietnam War Dogs Are Remembered. The Los Angeles Wave (2/19, 89K) publishes a story that first appeared on the CNN (2/12, Ravitz) website.
32. Today in History:
- 197 – Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum, the bloodiest battle between Roman armies.
- 1674 – England and the Netherlands sign the Peace of Westminster, ending the Third Anglo-Dutch War. A provision of the agreement transfers the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam to England, and it is renamed New York.
- 1807 – In Alabama, Former Vice President of the United States Aaron Burr is arrested for treason and confined to Fort Stoddert.
- 1819 – British explorer William Smith discovers the South Shetland Islands, and claims them in the name of King George III.
- 1846 – In Austin, Texas the newly-formed Texas state government is officially installed. The Republic of Texas government officially transfers power to the State of Texas government following Texas' annexation by the United States.
- 1847 – The first group of rescuers reaches the Donner Party.
- 1859 – Daniel E. Sickles, NY congressman, was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity. This was the 1st time this defense was successfully used in the United States.
- 1878 – The phonograph is patented by Thomas Edison.
- 1937 – During a public ceremony at the Viceregal Palace (the former Imperial residence) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, two Eritrean nationalists attempt to kill viceroy Rodolfo Graziani with a number of grenades.
- 1942 – World War II: nearly 250 Japanese warplanes attack the northern Australian city of Darwin killing 243 people.
- 1942 – World War II: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the executive order 9066', allowing the United States military to relocate Japanese-Americans to Japanese internment camps.
- 1943 – World War II: Battle of the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia begins.
- 1945 – World War II: Battle of Iwo Jima – about 30,000 United States Marines land on Iwo Jima.
- 1953 – Censorship: Georgia approves the first literature censorship board in the United States.
- 1959 – The United Kingdom grants Cyprus its independence, which is then formally proclaimed on August 16, 1960.
- 1963 – The publication of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique launches the reawakening of the Feminist Movement in the United States as women's organizations and consciousness-raising groups spread.
- 1972 – The Asama-Sansō hostage standoff begins in Japan.
- 1976 – Executive Order 9066 was rescinded by President Gerald R. Ford's Proclamation 4417
- 1978 – Egyptian forces raid Larnaca International Airport, in an attempt to intervene in a hijacking situation, without authorisation from the Republic of Cyprus authorities. The Cypriot National Guard and Police forces kill 15 Egyptian commandos and destroy the Egyptian C-130 transport plane in open combat.
- 1985 – Artificial heart recipient William J. Schroeder becomes the first such patient to leave hospital.
- 1986 – Akkaraipattu massacre, massacre of 80 Tamil farm workers by the Sri Lankan Army in the eastern province of Sri Lanka.
- 1999 – President Bill Clinton issues a posthumous pardon for U.S. Army Lt. Henry Ossian Flipper.
- 2001 – An Oklahoma City bombing museum is dedicated at the Oklahoma City National Memorial.
- 2002 – NASA's Mars Odyssey space probe begins to map the surface of Mars using its thermal emission imaging system.
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NAUS News for period ending Friday, February 19, 2010. OK Folks, let's Join NAUS!! :-) :-)
February 19, 2010
"We love death. The U.S. loves life. That is the big difference between us." ~ Osama bin Laden, the world's foremost terrorist ~ WASHINGTON REPORT Flag and Country “You’ve probably seen the bumper sticker somewhere along the road. It depicts an American flag, accompanied by the words ‘These colors don’t run.’ I’m always glad to see this because it reminds me of an incident from my confinement in North Vietnam ... “Then a major in the U.S. Air Force, I had been captured and imprisoned from 1967 to 1973. Our treatment had been frequently brutal. After three years, however, the beatings and torture became less frequent. “During the last year, we were allowed outside most days for a couple of minutes to bathe. We showered by drawing water from a concrete tank with a homemade bucket. “One day, as we all stood by the tank, stripped of our clothes, a young naval pilot named Mike Christian found the remnants of a handkerchief in a gutter that ran under the prison wall. “Mike managed to sneak the grimy rag into our cell and began fashioning it into a flag ... He made red and blue from ground-up roof tiles and tiny amounts of ink and painted the colors onto the cloth with watery rice glue. Using thread from his own blanket and a homemade bamboo needle, he sewed on stars. “Early in the morning a few days later, when the guards were not alert, he whispered loudly from the back of our cell, ‘Hey gang, look here!’ He proudly held up this tattered piece of cloth, waving it, as if in a breeze... “When he raised that smudgy fabric, we automatically stood straight and saluted, our chests puffing out, and more than a few eyes had tears... “Now, whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of a nation. It was then, thousands of miles from home in a lonely prison cell that he showed us what it is to be truly free.” —Medal of Honor recipient, Leo K. Thorsness "To hold America in one's thoughts is like holding a love letter in one's hand -- it has so special a meaning.” —American Writer, E.B. White Congress in Recess With passage last week of H.Con.Res.235, the House remains adjourned until 2 p.m. on Monday, February 22, and the Senate stands in recess or adjournment until noon on Monday, February 22. When Congress returns next week the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees will begin hearings on the fiscal year 2011 Veterans Budget. Additionally the House and Senate Armed Services Committees will begin their hearings on the President’s recommendations for the FY 2011 Defense Budget. Congress Must Still Act to Preserve Medicare/TRICARE Access 23 years ago Congress legislated that the rates Medicare pays to doctors should fall each year, so as to contain costs and encourage medical efficiency. And because TRICARE’s rates are based on Medicare’s, cuts in that program trigger coresponding cuts with those provided by the military health benefit. Access to care is already a problem for many Medicare and TRICARE paitients and reductions in reimbursement for either program would only compond the problem. Unless timely action is taken, doctors will likely limit the number of Medicare and TRICARE patients they see or stop accepting them altogether. Congress blocked scheduled reductions several times since 2003—including the one taken last December. But the December decision only delayed a 21.2 percent cut for 60 days until March 1. Now time is running out and Congress needs to complete follow-up action on this important issue. March 1 is around the corner. Lawmakers need to make this issue their first priority when they return from their recess next week, and they need to hear from you. Let them know the importance of having your health care available when it is needed. Without a fix to preserve and protect TRICARE and Medicare access, the healthcare benefit you earned in military service to the country could become a hollow one. Send Congress a message. Use our NAUS CapWiz system. Time is short. Army Holds Officers Accountable for Failures to Prevent Ft. Hood Shootings A recent report indicates that the Army will punish at least six officers and maybe as many as eight for failing to properly supervise or take action against Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, in the years leading up to the attack. Senior Army officials reported that the move reflects investigators’ belief that the November attack at the base, in which 13 people were killed, could have been prevented if previous supervisors had reacted to the suspicious and erratic behavior of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Most of the officers facing punishment are stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., where Hasan worked for six years. The investigation found that military doctors at Walter Reed failed to adequately supervise Hasan or alert authorities when he began to express extremist religious views. Separate White House and Pentagon reviews of the shooting found breakdowns in communication between Hasan’s colleagues, military units and even outside law enforcement agencies about Hasan’s radical Islamic beliefs. Following the release of the report, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said investigators found the military isn’t prepared to prevent similar attacks in the future, because commanders are unsure how to intervene if they think someone within the ranks is a threat. Military leaders have been instructed to review policies and procedures to prevent future occurrences. This week NAUS President Matz sent letters to Senate and House Armed Services Committee Chairmen) and Ranking Members asking that sufficient measures be put into place to ensure that candidates to a military medical profession should be asked if there are conflicts of interest currently or that could happen in regards to an individuals political views, religion, ethnicity, place of birth or philosophy that might conflict with the capability to deploy in service. Additionally the letter called for additional updates to security clearances, which would revisit these same questions later on in the person’s career. Go to the NAUS website to read the entire letter. Push on Merchant Mariner Bill Several weeks ago we reported that S. 663, the Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II Act of 2009, has reached a milestone of 50 Senators cosponsors. Now is the time for you to renew your efforts in contacting your Senators, thank them if they cosponsored or ask them to sign on if they have not yet. Click on the NAUS CapWiz website to send an email to your Senators. The web site will automatically send the right letter, a thank you or a request for cosponsorship. HEALTH CARE NEWS Stopping Health Care Fraud Saves Everyone Money TMA Press Release- Fraud is one of the major factors in the skyrocketing cost of health care in the United States. Estimated to cost taxpayers billions of dollars each year, health care fraud really does affect everyone. To report pharmacy fraud or abuse, contact Express Scripts at (800) 332-5455 or Fraudtip @ Express Scripts. If you want to learn more about the TRICARE fraud watch program, click here. Regional Contractor Fraud and Abuse Reporting Numbers: NAUS Note: The National Association for Uniformed Services takes a hard stance on fraud and for good reason. The current level of healthcare fraud is astonishing, perhaps as high as $100 billion a year between Medicare and TRICARE alone. This type of deceit robs honest businesses, steals from the government and compromises the care of every American. In 2009 testimony before the Senate Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations, NAUS told Congress that America expects its government to move courageously and tackle the real issues like fraud in the TRICARE and Medicare systems. We urged increased funding for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, DoD’s Investigative arm, and for the TRICARE Program Integrity Office, responsible for anti-fraud activity in the military health system. In our opinion, the government should be directing and properly resourcing its investigative teams to root out criminal activity, rather than looking to make up avoidable losses by demanding military retirees foot the bill. With hard work and honest public service, we are confident Congress will have more than enough money to pay for earned benefits like TRICARE ACTIVE DUTY NEWS New Navy Ombudsman Resources For spouses already a Navy Ombudsman or for those who want to become one, there is now available a Ombudsman Program Command Leadership Toolkit on the Fleet and Family Support Program website. Information is also available on disc. The spouse ombudsman program is a liaison position that helps relay Command messages to other spouses regarding base activities and personnel deployments. Commanders can contact the local Fleet and Family Support Centers in order to have copies of the Leadership Toolkit on-hand. Navy Eliminating Paper Records The Navy is on track to eliminate the paper field service record (FSR) by Sept. 30, 2010. In the future, service record information will be generated and maintained electronically through a secure Internet connection to the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) Electronic Service Record (ESR). All active duty and drilling Reserve sailors can access their ESR by signing up for a self-service ESR account on the NSIPS webpage using a Common Access Card (CAC)-enabled computer. A much smaller version of personnel documents, such as the Record of Emergency Data, will still be required to be maintained by the command to support associated programs. VETERANS NEWS Petzel Sworn in to Head Veterans Health Care System Dr. Robert A. Petzel was sworn in this week as the VA Under Secretary for Health, stepping up to lead the nation's largest integrated healthcare system. "Dr. Petzel brings to this position a strong leadership background in caring for Veterans as a longtime health system manager in VA," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "His commitment to outstanding medical quality and access for veterans will be critical to leading VA in its 21st century transformation." Petzel had been Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health since May 2009. NAUS looks forward to working with Dr. Petzel to continue improvements in VA health care and its delivery to all veterans. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transition Support Workshops If you live in the Washington, D.C., area and want to attend one of the sessions you can register through the remainder of the year by calling the points of contacts listed above. Apartments available at Air Force Enlisted Village Air Force Enlisted Village officials are reaching out to people interested in moving to the retirement communities, Bob Hope Village and Teresa Village, by waiving certain fees. Located near Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, Florida, Air Force Enlisted Village was founded in 1967 to provide a safe, secure and dignified place for indigent surviving spouses of retired Airmen. The village’s primary goal and focus is to “Provide a Home.” Two-bedroom upstairs apartments are available at Teresa Village. Advance fees are being waived for new residents who sign a lease before April 15. Advance fees will also be waived for new residents of Bob Hope Village who sign a lease before April 15. For more information regarding Air Force Enlisted Village communities, contact the admissions office at (850) 651-9422 to discuss eligibility requirements, or visit the Air Force Enlisted Village website. NAUS NEWS Retiree Activity Days Your NAUS staff is looking forward to the approach of Retiree Activity Day (RAD) appearances. NAUS President MG Bill Matz is scheduled to be the keynote speaker at the Fresno, California Military Retiree Council RAD in Clovis, CA on March 20. Veterans Benefits Advisor Mike Plumer will be the keynote speaker at the Ft. Wainwright, Alaska RAD on March 27 and on 10 April Senior Legislative Assistant Morgan Brown and Chapter Director Jack Chiemelewski will be at the Dover, AFB RAD. We will pass more info on these and other upcoming RADs in future Weekly Updates. Start making plans now to attend a RAD near you. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From: VA Media Relations – (Kevin Secor) Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 11:09 AM Eastern Standard Time Subj VBA Winners of Innovation Competition Shinseki Announces Winners of Innovation Competition for Improving Claims Processing VA to Implement Employees’ Ideas to Transform Services WASHINGTON (Feb. 19, 2010) – The Department of Veterans Affairs selected 10 winners in a competition that solicited ideas from VA employees and co-located Veterans service organizations to improve claims processing and provide greater transparency to Veterans. “I commend the innovative employees who submitted these creative ideas,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “The men and women of VA and the veterans service organizations who understand the challenges in our claims processing systems have stepped up to deliver tangible results for our Nation’s Veterans.” The Innovation Initiative winners are the Milwaukee VA Regional Office, Philadelphia/Wilmington VA Regional Office, Atlanta VA Regional Office, Pittsburgh VA Regional Office and Togus (Maine) VA Regional Office. Development of plans for implementation of these proposals will begin immediately. Additional winners are the St. Louis Records Management Center, San Diego VA Regional Office (two winning entries), VA Central Office/St. Paul Pension Management Center, and Phoenix VA Regional Office. These ideas are identified for future implementation. More than 3,000 ideas from VA employees and co-located Veterans service organizations were submitted to the competition. The finalists were selected by Adm. Patrick W. Dunne, former VA Under Secretary for Benefits; Craig Newmark, the founder of craigslist and a well-known technology visionary; Dr. Peter Levin, Senior Advisor to the Secretary and Chief Technology Officer; and Garry Augustine, Deputy National Service Director for Disabled American Veterans. President Obama announced the innovation competition while speaking to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in August. “We’re going to fund the best ideas and put them into action, all with a simple mission: cut those backlogs, slash those wait times, deliver your benefits sooner,” said Obama. Veterans Benefits Administration Innovation Competition Winners * Milwaukee VA Regional Office: Streamline the administrative process for documenting actions to obtain evidence for disability claims. * Philadelphia/Wilmington VA Regional Office: Simplify the evaluation process for Veterans claiming pension benefits with aid and attendance. * Atlanta VA Regional Office: Establish an expedited claims process for Veterans who claim an increase in their service-connected disability based on worsening symptoms. * Pittsburgh VA Regional Office: Lessen the need for VA medical examinations by providing Veterans with standardized medical questionnaires to be completed by their treating physicians. * Togus (Maine) VA Regional Office: Align employee performance standards with Department of Veterans Affairs' goals. * St. Louis Records Management Center: Provide regional offices with digital images of claims-related records held in VA’s centralized storage facility in St. Louis. * San Diego VA Regional Office: Develop a computer application to calculate entitlement to additional benefits payable to Veterans with the most serious injuries. * San Diego VA Regional Office: Update VA’s computer systems to facilitate communication between VA employees and Veterans. * VA Central Office/St. Paul Pension Management Center: Implement rules-based processing for VA pension programs and other benefits. * Phoenix VA Regional Office: Make it easier for Veterans to establish service connection for specific medical conditions. ---------------------------------------------------------- From: VA Media Relations - Kevin Secor Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 4:16 PM Subj: “Innovation Initiative” Underway for Health Records Improvements “Innovation Initiative” Underway for Health Records Improvements Shinseki Asks VA Employees To Submit Creative Ideas WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki launched the “Veterans Health IT Innovation Initiative,” an employee-based Health Information Technology (HIT) competition to spur VA’s transformation into a 21st Century organization that is Veteran-centric, results-oriented, and forward-looking. “This competition is rooted in the simple belief that the people who work on the front lines of VA know best how to improve health care and quality, access, and transparency in service to our Nation’s Veterans,” said Secretary Shinseki. “At VA, we always want to look for new ways to improve the care we deliver.” From now until Feb. 28, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and Office of Information & Technology (OI&T) government and contract employees can submit their innovative ideas, comment on ideas, and vote on ideas. One hundred of the ideas will be selected and employees will be invited to submit full proposals. "We’re looking to bring innovation back to our Health IT systems," said Roger Baker, VA’s Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. “This initiative will tap into the incredible talent across VHA and OI&T.” The Innovation Initiative will allow employees to enter health information technology ideas in a variety of categories, such as engaging Veterans in their care, helping medical providers, increasing transparency, and improving workflow. A series of screening panels will review the suggestions. Assistant Secretary Baker and Dr. Gerald Cross, VA’s Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health, will select the top 25 ideas. "VA's health IT system has always been a collaboration among its community of health care users and a dedicated IT staff,” said Cross. “Many components of our electronic health records system originated in innovations from our health care workforce. This new competition offers employees the opportunity to make VA even more open and effective.” In September 2009, Shinseki announced a similar competition for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), encouraging employees to submit ideas on everything from speeding the processing times for disability claims to improving transparency. The winning ideas for the VBA innovation competition will be announced in February. The final selections will receive full funding for project development and execution at the Regional Offices submitting the idea. ----------------------------------------------------------- From: VA Media Relations Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 3:31 PM Subj: Petzel Sworn in to Head Veterans Health Care System Petzel Sworn in to Head Veterans Health Care System WASHINGTON – Dr. Robert A. Petzel has taken the oath of office as the Under Secretary for Health within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), stepping up to lead the nation's largest integrated health care system. "Dr. Petzel brings to this position a strong leadership background in caring for Veterans as a longtime health system manager in VA," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "His commitment to outstanding medical quality and access for Veterans will be critical to leading VA in its 21st century transformation." Petzel had been Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health since May 2009. Previously, he directed one of VA's 21 geographic health care networks covering eight medical centers and 42 community based outpatient clinics serving Veterans in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, western Illinois and western Wisconsin. During his decades of service to Veterans in VA, he has served on numerous advisory committees that guided development of new and improved health care programs. Board certified in internal medicine, Petzel also has served previously as chief of staff for the Minneapolis VA Medical Center. He graduated from Northwestern University Medical School in 1969 and has served on the faculty of the University of Minnesota Medical School. More than 8 million Veterans are enrolled in VA's health care system, which is growing in the wake of its eligibility expansion. This year, VA expects to treat nearly 6 million patients during 78 million outpatient visits and 906,000 inpatient admissions. The Veterans Health Administration, the 262,000-employee component of VA that Petzel now heads, is comprised of 153 hospitals nationwide, more than 800 geographically separate outpatient clinics or mobile clinics, and 232 readjustment counseling Vet Centers. VA offers a comprehensive spectrum of care for Veterans from preventive services and primary care to high-tech subspecialty medicine and hospice programs. Backed by a world-class electronic health records system, care is delivered in settings as diverse as telehealth monitoring of vital signs from a rural Veteran's home to a network of 134 VA community living centers for nursing home care for Veterans in their later years. Enhanced programs for today's generation of combat Veterans include "seamless transition" initiatives to ensure continuity of care from the battlefield to hometown, special screenings for traumatic brain injury, and an enhanced array of mental health services to meet Veterans' needs as they return to civilian life as well as special attention to the needs of women and rural Veterans. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Godspeed.................Wayne
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TRICARE protects its beneficiaries – and their wallets – by preventing, identifying and assisting in the prosecution of health care fraud. In 2009 the TRICARE Program Integrity Office recovered $40.9 million in judgments from fraud schemes. Program Integrity’s efforts assure beneficiaries they’re receiving care from trustworthy providers and taxpayer money is used appropriately.
In general, fraud involves intentionally billing TRICARE for medical services or supplies that are never provided to beneficiaries. Abuse is supplying services or supplies that are not medically necessary or do not meet professional standards.
TRICARE works with other government agencies and the TRICARE regional health care contractors to identify and investigate fraud and abuse, but beneficiaries also play a pivotal role. The explanation of benefits (EOB) received when a claim is processed can help uncover fraud and abuse. If the services or supplies received at a medical appointment are not correctly reflected in the EOB, it is cause for concern. Beneficiaries are encouraged to examine their EOBs and question anything that may have been fraudulently billed.
TRICARE also works with the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General to maintain a list of sanctioned medical providers who are barred from participating in TRICARE, Medicare and other federally-funded health care programs. These providers may be sanctioned because they have been convicted of fraud or patient abuse, or had licensing board actions. TRICARE will not pay for services or prescriptions provided by a suspended or excluded health provider. The sanctioned provider list is updated each month with reinstatements and exclusions and can be searched here.
To report medical fraud or abuse, contact the regional contractor’s fraud and abuse office, call the toll-free number provided on the EOB or send an e-mail to TRICARE's Fraud Line.
North Region
HealthNet Federal Services, LLC
(800) 977-6761
South Region
Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc.
(800) 333-1620
West Region
TriWest Healthcare Alliance
(888) 584-9378
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer is hosting monthly Transition Support Workshops for our transitioning service members, veterans, and their spouses in the National Capital Region.
2010 SCHEDULE
Time of Event: 10:00 am – 11:30 am
Location: Department of Homeland Security, 1201 New York Ave. N.W., Penthouse Floor, Washington, DC 20005
Dates:
March 10, April 14, May 12, June 9, July 14, August 11, September 8, October 13, November 10, and December 8.
Points of Contact:
Paul Plasencia, 202-357-8251, paul.m.plasencia@dhs.gov, Kimberly Burney202-357-8416, kimberly.burney@dhs.gov, Jayson Smith202-357-8398, jayson.smith@dhs.gov
Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stand in harm's way around the globe to defend our nation and our cherished liberties. NAUS asks you to please pray for their continued strength and protection—and pray as well for their families, who daily stand in support of their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters.
GODBLESSAMERICA
Wayne M. Gatewood, Jr., USMC (Ret)