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On August 4, the Department of Veterans Affairs released the results of "The Joint Commission Special Focused Surveys" on VA health care facilities. VA invited The Joint Commission to conduct unannounced, focused surveys at 139 medical facilities and 47 community-based outpatient clinics across the country to measure progress on VA access to care, quality improvements, and diffusion of best practices across the system. The surveys also assessed barriers that may stand in the way of providing timely care to veterans. Results indicate VA has made significant progress since The Joint Commission began its surveys two years ago.

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The MyVA Advisory Committee (MVAC) met in Boston this month to tour two facilities and learn about the cutting edge research occurring throughout the enterprise, including a prosthetics lab and the Million Veterans Program research lab at Jamaica Plain campus.

During the two-day meeting, the committee heard from front line staff, Veterans, researchers and local/national leadership about the changes ongoing at VA.

Dr. Shulkin observes prothsetics demonstration at Jamaica Plain VAMC

The MVAC meets quarterly and is comprised of a variety of advocates and leaders in healthcare, business, education and the Veterans community. It’s through these meetings that Secretary Bob McDonald, Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, and Under Secretary for Heath Dr. David Shulkin introduce, promote and receive input on effective policy throughout VA.

“Before I walked up to the doorstep at the VA, I didn’t even know all of these programs were offered let alone there was a room full of people talking about how to make the experience even better,” said Lauren Harcarik, a Navy Veteran attending the meeting.

MyVA focuses on five objectives:

• Improving the Veteran experience
• Improving the employee experience
• Improving internal support services
• Establishing a culture of continuous improvement
• Enhancing strategic partnerships.

At the meeting, McDonald admitted that each of these objectives are currently lit with amber, rather than an ideal green status, but is excited about the progress MyVA has made to get closer to optimal performance.

Author: Timothy Lawson

Source Page: http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/29411/advisory-committee-discusses-success-future/

More than 70,000 veterans disability claims are currently backlogged in Veterans Affairs processing centers, seven months after department officials missed their public goal of getting the number down to zero.

VA Acting Under Secretary for Benefits Thomas Murphy said that figure includes a substantial number of claims left open longer than four months intentionally to ensure veterans are receiving all of the payouts they deserve. But he acknowledged his agency needs to drive that number down further.

“This is still a continuous improvement process for us,” he said. “We are not satisfied with the number now, and we won’t be satisfied until we are much closer to zero.”

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On July 7, the Veterans Health Administration released new data about veteran suicides, based upon the examination of over 55 million veteran records from 1979 to 2014, from every state in the nation and U.S. territories. While much of the buzz around veteran suicide has focused on veterans emerging out of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this new report showed that 65 percent of all veterans who died from suicide in 2014 were 50 years of age or older. In fact, 45 percent of veteran suicides in 2014 were aged 60 and older. These are deeply disturbing statistics, especially for those of us in the Vietnam cohort. As the executive director of the Veterans Health Council at Vietnam Veterans of America, veteran suicide is one of my professional and personal interests ever since losing a team member to suicide while on a mission together in northern I Corps, Vietnam.

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(Wash., D.C.)– On February 10, Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald told Members of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs that no legislation on Agent Orange or Toxic exposures is needed. This statement by the DVA Secretary is in line with testimony, delivered before Congress on three occasions in the last eight months, in which the VA claims no research legislation is needed as other Agencies of the Federal Government are doing all of the research studies needed.

John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) responded, “With all due respect to the Secretary, he could not be more wrong. Furthermore, we have yet to receive a list of these research studies referenced in VA testimony which purportedly pertain to veterans and their progeny.”

“The events in the past week highlight the shameless wall of ignorance erected by the VA bureaucrats. Case in point is the Secretary’s recent policy regarding the Blue Water Navy veterans of Vietnam. The policy states that a ‘bright line' can be drawn across the mouth of a flowing river, with those on the inland side of that imaginary line being ‘exposed,’ and those two feet away, on the harbor side of the line, ‘not exposed,’ ” said Rowan. “Those ‘exposed’ are eligible for presumptive service connection for certain conditions, and therefore medical care and compensation, while those who served two feet away are not. We are leaving our Navy veterans out in the cold, and sadly, many of them have died and their widows have been abandoned.”

“Also on Wednesday, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report on Gulf War illness, which I find troubling,” noted Rowan. “Psychiatrists/psychologists comprised half of a panel charged with evaluating medical conditions, most probably caused by exposure to toxic chemicals. It comes as no surprise that this recent report ignores the many toxins to which Gulf War veterans were exposed and reverts to the canard that unless ‘causality’ can be proved by a specific toxin, there can be no forward movement. One would hope the VA and DOD would be looking for an ‘association’ of exposure to one or more toxic substances and the presence of adverse medical conditions, rather than placing an emphasis on the ‘mind-body continuums.’ ”

“Yes, technically the VA is able to do what is needed without legislation,” said Rowan. “However, the VA has made its case repeatedly that, in the absence of legislation, there will be no justice accorded veterans with Toxic Wounds, nor for their innocent children and grandchildren. America’s veterans of every generation DO need early passage of S. 901 and H.R. 1769, the Toxic Exposures Research Act, and vigorous oversight after enactment to ensure that VA actually does what is mandated in law; we need immediate passage of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015, H.R. 969 and S.681; and we need to push for the extension and expansion of the Agent Orange Act of 1991, to include veterans of recent and future wars, so that a system is in place to systematically review battlefield exposures, and they won’t need to refight the battles we have.”

VA has developed a free, online, confidential tool kit to help you fight "brain overload," along with relaxation exercises, videos and stress management tools. By Dr. Carolyn Greene, VHA Mental Health Services

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

The New Year can be a time for changes. But changes in life, even good ones, can bring new challenges and stress. Many people use the New Year to start a new health and exercise program or quit smoking. They may also be worried about relationships or finances after money spent during the holidays. If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things you have to do, you are not alone. VA developed Moving Forward, a free, online resource to help you manage stress and transition. It teaches skills and tools to help you navigate challenging times, find creative solutions to problems and meet your goals. - See more at: http://www.va.gov/HEALTH/NewsFeatures/2016/January/Courses-to-Launch-Your-New-Year.asp

Senate lawmakers advanced plans for a $166 billion Veterans Affairs Department budget for fiscal 2016, a potential next step not only for veterans program funding but also a broader budget deal for all federal spending.

The military construction and VA spending measure is the first fiscal 2016 appropriations bill to make it through both chambers of Congress, although revisions from the $163 billion House plan mean it will have to go through further negotiations before it can head to the White House for President Obama's final signature.

How soon that might happen is unclear. While the Senate passed the measure by an overwhelming 93-0 vote, leaders in that chamber said they see the legislation as a potential vehicle for a larger omnibus budget deal, one that is still being negotiated in advance of the Dec. 11 deadline facing lawmakers.

In late October, White House and congressional leaders announced the framework for a two-year budget deal that lifted spending caps both for defense and nondefense spending.

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Veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service may be eligible for a variety of VA benefits, including disability compensation for diseases associated with exposure. Your dependents and survivors also may be eligible for benefits. VA offers health care benefits for Veterans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service. Veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, are eligible to enroll in VA health care.

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