Veterans
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"The study showed that home telehealth makes health care more effective because it improves patients' access to care and is easy to use," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.
"A real plus is that this approach to care can be sustained because it's so cost-effective and more veteran-centric. Patients in rural areas are increasingly finding that telehealth improves their access to health care and promotes their ongoing relationship with our health care system."
The study found a 25-percent reduction in the average number of days hospitalized and a 19-percent reduction in hospitalizations for patients using home telehealth. The data also show that for some patients the cost of telehealth services in their homes averaged $1,600 a year – much lower than in-home clinician care costs.
The authors of the study in the current issue of the journal Telemedicine and e-Health are VA national telehealth staff members. The study looked at health outcomes from 17,025 VA home telehealth patients.
VA's home telehealth program cares for 35,000 patients and is the largest of its kind in the world. Clinicians and managers in health care systems, as well as information technology professionals, have been awaiting the results of the telehealth study, said Dr. Adam Darkins, chief consultant in VA's care coordination program, who led the study.
"The results are not really about the technology, but about how using it helps coordinate the full scope of care our patients need," said Darkins. "It permits us to give the right care in the right place at the right time."
VA's Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Michael J. Kussman, said the key to the program's success is VA's computerized patient record system. "Data obtained from the home such as blood pressure and blood glucose, along with other patient information in the electronic system, allows our health care teams to anticipate and prevent avoidable problems," he said.
VA health care officials emphasize that home telehealth does not necessarily replace nursing home care or traditional care but can help veterans understand and manage chronic conditions such as diabetes,
hypertension and chronic heart failure. Patients' partnership with the medical team can delay the need for institutional care and maintain independence for an extended time.
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The event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Lakeport Senior Center.
The post meets at the senior center the second Monday of each month.
The Lakeport Senior Center is located at 527 Konocti Ave.
Visit the post online at www.vfwpost2015.com.
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"I am proud of this effort," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "VA knows the true quality of our men and women, and we should be a leader in employing them."
Peake said all severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be contacted by VA's Veterans Employment Coordination Service to determine their interest in – and qualifications for – VAjobs. So far, that office has identified 2,300 severely injured veterans of those wars, of whom 600 expressed interest in VA employment.
The coordination service was established a year ago to recruit veterans into VA, especially those seriously injured in the current wars. It has nine regional coordinators working with local facility human resources offices across the country not only to reach out to potential job candidates but to ensure that local managers know about special authorities available to hire veterans.
For example, qualified disabled veterans rated by the Defense Department or VA as having a 30 percent or more service-connected disability can be hired non-competitively.
"Our team is spreading the message that VA is hiring, and we want to hire disabled veterans," said Dennis O. May, director of VA's Veterans Employment Coordination Service.
VA coordinators participate in military career fairs and transition briefings, and partner with veterans organizations, the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service, as well as VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service, the Marine Corps' Wounded Warrior Regiment and the Army's Warrior Transition Units.
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"I am pleased to welcome the newest members of this committee to the important job of serving America's women veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Members of this committee work tirelessly on behalf of women veterans to improve outreach, ensure access to VA benefits and recommend ways in which VA can better meet their needs."
Established in 1983, the advisory committee makes recommendations for administrative and legislative changes. The committee members are appointed to one, two, or three-year terms. The new committee members are:
Davy Coke of Poway, Calif., a retired Navy second class petty officer who served in Vietnam. He currently is a trainer and mentor for new service members in the aerospace field.
Yanira Gomez of Germantown, Md., a former Army medical specialist who served in Iraq. She is currently serving as national outreach officer for the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Gloria Maser of Alexandria, Va., a colonel in the Army Reserves. She is a former deputy chief of staff for health affairs with the Multi-National Security Transition Command in Iraq. She currently works for a strategy and technology organization.
Barbara Ward of Sacramento, Calif., a former staff nurse in the Air Force. She currently serves as the deputy secretary for women and minority veterans affairs in the California Department of Veterans Affairs.
Women veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the veteran population. There are approximately 1.8 million women veterans. They constitute nearly 8 percent of the total veteran population and about 5 percent of all veterans who use VA health care.
VA estimates that by 2020 women veterans will make up 10 percent of the veteran population.
VA has women veterans program managers at VA medical centers and women veterans coordinators at VA regional offices to assist women veterans with health and benefits issues.
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A recently passed law allows VA to cut the amount it must withhold from their mileage reimbursement. The deductible amount will be $3 for each one-way trip and $6 for each round trip – with a calendar cap of $18, or six one-way trips or three round trips, whichever comes first.
The previous deductible was $7.77 for a one-way trip, and $15.54 for a round trip, with a calendar cap of $46.62.
"I'm pleased that we can help veterans living far from VA facilities to access the medical and counseling help they deserve, especially in the current economic climate," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Together with the increased mileage rate approved last month, we can further reduce the financial hardship some veterans undergo to use our superior health care."
In November, Peake announced VA's second increase in the mileage reimbursement rate during 2008, from 28.5 cents to 41.5 cents a mile.
Service-disabled and low-income veterans are eligible to be reimbursed by VA for the travel costs of receiving health care or counseling at VA facilities.
Veterans traveling for compensation and pension examinations also qualify for mileage reimbursement.
VA can waive deductibles if they cause financial hardship.
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Also documented were more than 73,000 who had been previously paid. VA officials are still tracking down eligible survivors.
"I am pleased that our task force working to correct this problem has been able to identify this first group this week," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "We understand the difference these funds can make for these surviving spouses, especially during the holiday season."
Payments will be released to these survivors on Dec. 29. The total value of the payments is about $24 million.
At issue is a 1996 federal law that makes a surviving spouse eligible to receive the veteran's VA compensation or pension benefit for the month of the veteran's death. VA failed to properly implement that law in all cases.
Most likely to have been affected by this problem are surviving spouses who never applied for VA survivors' benefits following the death of a veteran. Eligible for the payment are surviving spouses of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996. The Department doesn't have current addresses for many of them, which makes the process of contacting them difficult.
VA has established a special Survivor Call Center (1-800-749-8387) for spouses who believe they may be eligible for this retroactive benefit. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Central Standard Time.
Inquiries may also be submitted through the Internet at www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.
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During the nine weeks of basic combat training, the soldier received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons employment, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid skills, and Army history, core values and traditions. Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics, and experienced use of various weapons and weapons defenses available to the infantry crewman.
The Advanced Individual Training course is designed to train infantry soldiers to perform reconnaissance operations; employ, fire and recover anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; locate and neutralize land mines and operate target and sight equipment; operate and maintain communications equipment and radio networks; construct field firing aids for infantry weapons; and perform infantry combat exercises and dismounted battle drills, which includes survival procedures in a nuclear, biological or chemical contaminated area.
Gregory is the son of Kevin Gregory of Arlington, Texas, and grandson of Glenna Odbert of Nice.
He is a 2006 graduate of Sam Houston High School, Arlington, Texas.
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Under a law passed in 1996, the spouse of a deceased veteran is entitled to benefits for the month of the veteran's death, but instead the department has been demanding the last month’s payment back from the widows, or simply not sending a check at all.
“It’s outrageous that the spouses of the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country have been wrongfully denied this last month of payments,” said Congressman Mike Thompson. “I urge all survivors of veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996, to check with the VA to see if they were affected by this error and make sure the VA has their most current address. If folks encounter a problem they shouldn’t hesitate to contact my office and we’ll work on their behalf to make sure they receive all of the benefits their family member earned by serving our great nation.”
The VA has pledged to work quickly to fix the error, and is reviewing their payment records for veterans who died after Dec. 31, 1996, and who are survived by a spouse. The VA will begin issuing retroactive payments to eligible surviving spouses at the end of this month.
Bob Penny, Lake County's assistant veterans service officer, said the VA's computer glitch hasn't proved to be a big problem locally.
“We always go out of our way to make sure the widows get their benefits,” he said.
He added, “Because we're a small office we can identify those issues a lot quicker.”
Penny said the VA has formed a task force to address the issue.
Surviving spouses can contact the VA’s Survivors’ Call Center at 1-800-749-8387. The Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. central standard time. Inquiries can also be submitted on the Internet at http://www.vba.va.gov/survivorsbenefit.htm.
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Nearly all receive them, but theft and mail delays cause problems for some veterans, which can be
prevented by direct deposits.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is urging those veterans and family members now receiving paper checks to join nearly 3.1 million others whose VA payments are safely deposited electronically.
"VA is teaming up with the Treasury Department in a new campaign to protect government beneficiaries against the theft of funds and of their identities," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Veterans earned – and rely on – the financial support we send them every month. I urge them to help VA ensure they get those funds reliably and safely by signing up for direct deposit."
Peake cited several easy ways to sign up for direct deposit – calling VA toll-free at (800) 333-1795 or enrolling online at www.GoDirect.org.
Veterans, and family members who receive VA payments, also can sign up by contacting a VA regional benefits office or their financial institution. Information about direct deposits will be included in VA's
monthly compensation and pension envelopes throughout 2009.
The VA Secretary urged veterans to remember that direct deposits relieve worry about mail delivery being delayed by severe weather or natural disasters. The deposits also eliminate trips to banks or credit unions to deposit checks, while providing immediate access to money at the same time each month.
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