VFW POST SURGEON REPORT



VFW POST SURGEON REPORT

8-2-11

VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic – Bemidji (218) 755-6360

• Audiologist is in the clinic on Wednesdays & Thursdays – appointments must be make through the Fargo VA

• Drop off hearing aids on Wednesdays or Thursdays for cleaning & repair

• The clinic is seeking an additional nurse practitioner or doctor

• The clinic will now be scheduling patients to see two doctors on Mondays & Tuesdays and sometimes on Thursdays & Fridays. The doctors will be coming from Grand Forks VA. When holidays are on Mondays then the appointments will be made for Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

VA

Benefits: 1-800-827-1000

Education:

Health Care: 1-877-222-VETS (8387)

VA Inspector General: 1-800-488-8244

Suicide Prev. Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Fargo VA: 1-800-410-9723 or 701-232-3241

For more information on veteran benefits, visit the Benefits Channel

Government Hiring of Veterans Increases

Week of July 04, 2011

Despite a decrease in overall hiring, the federal government hired more veterans in fiscal 2010 than in fiscal 2009, according to a report released recently by the Office of Personnel Management. The number of veterans hired rose by about 2,000 to 72,133 in fiscal 2010. The report is available on the Office of Personnel Management website.

For more news and tips on civilian careers, and comprehensive nationwide job listings, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

GI Bill Legislative Updates

Week of July 04, 2011

According to the VA, the system updates needed to implement the Post-9/11 GI Bill (known as GI Bill 2.0) are on track to hit the August and October deadlines. But this could be setback by Congress which is considering passing The Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 (H.R. 1383) and The Post 9/11 GI Bill Payment Restoration Act (HR 1451), which would change the GI Bill 2.0 before it goes into effect. HR 1383 would temporarily authorize the VA to cover the tuition and fees for veterans attending non-public education and training institutions that have tuition and fees which exceed $17,500 a year. HR 1451 would reinstate "interval pay," which is paid during scheduled school breaks.

Read the full Military Advantage Blog article to learn more about the pending changes and legislation.

Your GI Bill benefit may be worth over $51,300. In addition, many Military Friendly Schools may offer college credit for military service. Start using your benefits today. Find Military Friendly Schools.

Women Veterans Summit

Week of July 04, 2011

The National Training Summit on Women Veterans is July 15-17. The three day summit will focus on the role of women in the military. Summit attendees will have the chance to share their stories to help VA illustrate the vital role women serve in the military. For more information, visit the VA's Center for Women Veterans webpage. Registration for the Summit is currently closed. However, you can be placed on the wait list by signing up online.

For more on veterans benefits, visit the Benefits section.

Hearings on Arlington Continue

Week of July 04, 2011

The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs recently held an oversight hearing to obtain an update from Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) on the problems that have plagued the Cemetery. It was disclosed at the hearing that boxes of records from the Cemetery had recently been discovered at an off-site public storage facility on June 10, when a bill for the facility went unpaid. The Committee requested information regarding this incident immediately upon notification nearly two weeks ago. Information on the hearing, including a full transcript, is available on the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website.

Veteran Small Business Conference

Week of July 04, 2011

The National Veteran Small Business Conference will be held August 15-18, 2011 in New Orleans, LA. Read about the importance of the conference at VA's VAntage Point, and visit the conference home page.

Visit the Veteran Jobs Center for more news and listings on civilian jobs for transitioning veterans.

LA Homeless Vet Center Expansion Planned

Week of July 04, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (GLA) has posted the Master Plan for the West Los Angeles (WLA) campus, which includes plans to expand the homeless program by renovating buildings on the historic campus.  The plan calls for an expansion of GLA's homeless program through the renovation of Buildings 205, 208, and 209. This renovation will create additional opportunities for long-term therapeutic and supportive homeless programs at the WLA campus focusing on the most chronically homeless disabled Veterans. The Master Plan is available for public viewing at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System website at losangeles.. The Final Notice is available in pdf format. If you have questions or concerns, contact the VA GLA Public Affairs Office at (310) 268-3340. 

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

VA Mail-Order Pharmacy

Week of July 04, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA's) Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP) mails prescription medications and supplies directly to veteran patients.  Local VA medical center pharmacies almost always process and dispense the initial prescription order; after that, the vast majority of refills are handled via mail-order. The goal is delivery of medication or supplies to the patient within 10 days of request. VA typically gets the prescription delivered in less than five days. Every workday, 300,000 Veterans receive medication or supplies from VA. For more information, contact your local VA medical center.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

New Navy Red Cross Call Center

Week of July 04, 2011

The U.S. Navy and American Red Cross recently unveiled a new emergency call center at Red Cross's San Diego headquarters. The American Red Cross previously operated 18 different call centers across the United States to assist military members and dependents in case of emergency, but organization recently consolidated the call centers into one virtual call center with four locations. The other branches of the of the virtual call center are in Louisville, Ky., Fort Sill, Okla., and Springfield, Mass. The Red Cross is the only organization that has the authority for the validation and verification of emergencies within the armed forces.

For more on military health benefits, visit the Benefits section.

Religious Censorship at National Cemeteries?

Week of July 04, 2011

In response to news from earlier this week claiming religious speech invoking the word "God" had been banned at Houston's National Cemetery, VA Press Secretary Josh Taylro released this statement: "Invoking the name of God or Jesus is not only allowed, it is common at VA National Cemeteries across the country. However, VA's policy is that VA-sponsored honor guards should not make recitations at committal services unless requested to do so by the deceased’s survivor(s)." National Cemetery Administration policy documents state that "NCA will allow the reading of recitations at the committal services, but will do so only if such recitations are requested by the deceased's survivors." For more details, see this article.

VA Accepting Caregiver Applications

Week of July 04, 2011

The VA has assisted more than 625 veterans, servicemembers and their family caregivers in applying for services under the Caregivers act. Applications are still being at the VA Caregivers website. For more information, visit the VA Caregivers website or call the VA's Caregiver Support Line at (855) 260-3274.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

VA Boss: No Vet Homelessness by 2015

Week of July 04, 2011

VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki stressed his target of eliminating veteran homelessness by 2015 this week. Speaking at the 2011 Army Medical Command Training Symposium, Shinseki said he that two years ago an estimated 131,000 vets were on the street on any given night. By next June, he said, he hopes that number will be fewer than 60,000. For more details, read this news article.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

HIV Testing Encouraged

Week of July 04, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) testing to veterans at VA medical facilities across the nation. VA is the largest single provider of HIV care in the country. Federal experts recommend that HIV testing be part of routine medical care, and routine voluntary HIV testing is now official VA policy. Throughout the VA health care system, specialists at VA facilities are working toward making sure veterans are tested for HIV at least once in their lives and those at risk are tested at least every year.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

GI Bill Reform Won't Delay Payments

Week of July 11, 2011

Many feared that passing the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act would cause huge delays in GI Bill benefits payments this fall. The concern was that last minute changes would derail the VA's implementation of the pending GI Bill changes under the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act. However, the VA has softened their stance and are now saying that while they still see payment challenges ahead if the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act becomes law this year, they no longer fear a system wide impact.

Read more on the Military Advantage Blog.

Walgreens to Drop TRICARE?

Week of July 11, 2011

Walgreens pharmacy announced that it had broken off negotiations to renew a contract with TRICARE Retail Pharmacy's contractor, Express Scripts, Inc. Walgreens is the nation's largest retail drugstore chain, and the largest TRICARE network pharmacy. The Military Officers Association of America reported that Walgreens will continue to fill prescriptions for TRICARE patients at least until January 1, 2012. At that point, if both sides are unable to come to an agreement TRICARE Pharmacy benefits will no longer be available at Walgreens.

Read more on TRICARE news in the Military Advantage

Veterans Ask More About VA Loan Costs

Week of July 11, 2011

When VA-eligible borrowers apply for federally-backed home loans for military veterans, they often wonder what costs might be involved in the mortgage process. Often, VA borrowers are required to pay a VA funding fee. Certain disabled veterans and surviving spouses are exempt from the funding fee. Depending on the type of military service, and whether the borrower has used the VA-backed mortgage program before, the VA funding fee can vary from .5 to 3.3%. Get a full breakdown by category.

VA Contracts for Veteran-owned Businesses

Week of July 11, 2011

Fourteen major contracts to transform information technology in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been awarded for an estimated program ceiling of $12 billion. The Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology program, known as T4, will consist of 15 prime contracts, including seven awards reserved for service-disabled veteran small businesses and veteran-owned small businesses. The T4 program will be a single focal point for managing the multiple contracts; give the VA access to the best industry capabilities without the traditional long acquisition lead time; and help the department meet its veteran small-business goals.

For more news and tips on civilian careers, and comprehensive nationwide job listings, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

Improving Care for Vets in Rural Areas

Week of July 11, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Rural Health is working to improve the quality of care for veterans living in rural areas. If you're a rural veteran, learn the latest on VA's Office of Rural Health at VA's VAntage Point blog.

For more on veterans benefits, visit the Benefits section.

New Foundation Honors Military and Vets

Week of July 11, 2011

Actor Gary Sinese has unveiled plans for his new Gary Sinise Foundation, which is designed "to honor the nation's defenders, veterans, first responders, their families and those in need." Sinese played the resilient wounded warrior, Lt. Dan, in the Academy Award-winning movie Forrest Gump. For more information, visit the new Gary Sinise Foundation website at . 

For more resources and support for military servicemembers and families, visit the Military Spouse Network.

Fresh VA Medical Data Available

Week of July 11, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has expanded its ASPIRE for Productivity website by making additional data available to the public. VA announced last year its ASPIRE for Quality Initiative, aimed at making data and outcome information available to the public in such areas as acute care, ICU, outpatient, safety and annual process measures, and how each Medical Center measures up to quality goals. The new ASPIRE performance and productivity data can be accessed on the VA website.   

For more on veterans benefits, visit the Benefits section.

VA Electronic Health Records

Week of July 11, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun the implementation of an open source community based on its electronic health record (EHR), selecting The Informatics Applications Group (TIAG) to create the Custodial Agent that will serve as the community's central governing body. VA will contribute its current EHR, known as VistA (Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture), to seed the open source effort. VA expects the Custodial Agent to launch in August and to commence full operation in the Fall. For more information, see the June 30, 2011 entry on the VA's VAntage Point blog, and visit the Open Source EHR Custodial Agent website at .

For more on veterans benefits, visit the Benefits section.

VA Issuing Caregiver Payments

Week of July 11, 2011

Department of Veterans Affairs officials will send out more than $430,000 in stipend payments in July to nearly 200 family caregivers of veterans. These family caregivers were the first to complete their caregiver training under the new program of comprehensive assistance for family caregivers. Veterans may review the criteria for eligibility and download the family caregiver program application (VA CG 10-10) at caregiver.. Support for all caregivers is also available via the national caregiver support line at 1-855-260-3274. Caregivers of veterans from all eras are encouraged to use the website and support line to learn about more than two dozen supportive services VA officials offer to family caregivers.

For more on veterans benefits, visit the Benefits section.

Veterans Wanted for Green Jobs

Week of July 11, 2011

The Montana Conservation Corps is seeking veterans to participate in the Veterans Greens Corps, which helps veterans transition back to civilian life after returning home from service. Veterans coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan can work on fuel reduction projects. Veterans are currently being sought as candidates for the fall session. Training for the program begins in August and concludes in October. For more information, call 406-651-1311 or visit the Montana Conservation Corps website.

or more news and tips on civilian careers, and comprehensive nationwide job listings, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

Court Lifts Stay on DADT

Week of July 18, 2011

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals recently lifted the stay on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," which prevented the government ending the enforcement the law that prevents openly gay servicemembers from being in the military. The stay was put in place after 9th Circuit Judge Virginia Phillips ruled the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) law was unconstitutional. The Department of Defense (DoD) will comply and is informing commands worldwide of the court's order. The DoD and Justice Department lawyers are studying the ruling. Meanwhile, implementation of the DADT repeal voted by the Congress and signed into law by the president last December is proceeding smoothly.

Read the full article in the news section.

Fiscal Battle May Halt VA Payments

Week of July 18, 2011

The U.S. is about to hit the $14.3 trillion debt ceiling and it appears Congress and the President are no closer to a deal to raise the spending limit. The impact of hitting the debt ceiling is not fully known, but the Department of Treasury says that "If Congress fails to increase the debt limit, the government would have to stop, limit, or delay payments on a broad range of legal obligations, including Social Security and Medicare benefits, military salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, and many other commitments." This will most certainly includes Veterans benefits payments and military retirement pay.

Read the full article on the Military Advantage Blog.

Vet Jobs Act Introduced

Week of July 18, 2011

Rep. Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, recently introduced complementary legislation to the Veteran Opportunity to Work (VOW) Act of 2011 (H.R. 2433) to help curb rising veteran unemployment. The Tax Credit to Hire Veterans Act of 2011 (H.R. 2443) would provide a tax credit to be applied toward capital equipment purchases to small businesses that hire unemployed veterans. To learn more, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

Veteran v. VA Case Goes to Trial

Week of July 18, 2011

A trial has begun in Federal court in Miami, Florida on behalf of a U.S. Air Force veteran from Coral Gables who is claiming millions in damages by claiming he contracted life-threatening hepatitis C from a colonoscopy done with improperly cleaned equipment at the Veterans Administration. This is the first such case that has gone to trial after some 11,000 U.S. Military vets learned that the colonoscopies they had at VA hospitals in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga. might have been performed with improperly cleaned equipment. For more background, including a link to the related report by VA Office of Inspector General in 2009, visit the VA website.

For more military and veteran news, visit the Military News Center.

Monument to Be Added at Arlington

Week of July 18, 2011

On October 24, thanks to several years of persistent inter-faith advocacy and recent action in Congress, an empty space on a knoll in Arlington National Cemetery will be filled with a monument to Jewish chaplains. The Jewish Chaplains Monument will stand alongside memorials to fallen Catholic, Protestant and World War I chaplains. For more information on the monument, visit the American Legion website.

VA Facility Given Landmark Status

Week of July 18, 2011

The Mountain Home Veterans Administration Medical Center in Johnson City, Tennessee recently received the designation as one of 14 new national historic landmarks. Mountain Home, or "Mountain Branch" as it was originally known, is one of four national homes for disabled volunteer soldiers in 11 states and the District of Columbia that have played an integral role in the development of the country. For more information visit the National Park Service website or  nhl.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

VA Reaches Out to Women Veterans

Week of July 18, 2011

Representatives at Department of Veterans Affairs  (VA's) Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls to women veterans nationwide who have enrolled but have not begun using VA services, asking them to share their VA experiences and suggest potential enhancements. The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care. For information about VA programs and services for women veterans, visit the VA's Center for Women Veterans webpage and the Women's Health Care webpage.

To learn more about your state's veteran benefits, visit the State Veteran's Benefits Directory.

Space Camp Scholarships

Week of July 18, 2011

The Military Child Education Coalition created the space camp scholarship to remember Bernard Curtis Brown II, son of a Navy chief petty officer, who died in the 9/11 attack on the Pentagon. Fifteen U.S. military children throughout the world, from sixth to ninth grade, are chosen each year to attend NASA's space camp, free of charge through the Military Child Education Coalition. For online application forms and more information, visit the Military Child Education Coalition website.

To find more family resources visit the Military Spouse Network.

Senate Seeks $80B in Benefit Cuts

Week of July 25, 2011

The Senate deficit-cutting plan proposed by the so-called "Gang of Six" could mean a reduction in retiree COLA and demands that the armed services committees make $80 billion in cuts to military entitlements over the next decade.

To learn more about the so-called entitlements check out the Military Advantage Blog.

VA Offers More Details on GI Bill Changes

Week of July 25, 2011

The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 was recently signed into law. has the put together the changes to the GI Bill made by this law. Effective August 1, 2009, but not payable until October 1, 2011. Find out everything you need to know about GI Bill 2.0.

The Education Blog offers tons of information to assist you with your education needs and choices -- not just GI Bill information, but also study tactics, what its like to return to school as an adult and more. Terry Howell, our Education and Benefits expert, puts it all out there in plain English. Find Out More Now.

Senate Passes GI Bill Fairness

Week of July 25, 2011

The Senate passed Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 just as the next wave of GI Bill changes associated with The Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvement Act are about to go into effect. If signed by the President, H.R. 1383 will help vet currently attending non-public colleges and unversities, avoid out of pocket expenses. To meet Congress' pay as you go requirements, the cost of the bill will be covered by adjusting the VA's Loan Guaranty Fee for "certain subsequent loans."

Learn more about this bill at the Military Advantage Blog.

VOW to Help Unemployed Vets

Week of July 25, 2011

The Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Rep. Jeff Miller, recently discussed the importance of the urgent need to pass legislation to curb the rising rates of unemployment among America's veteran population. The Chairman also extended his appreciation to the Veterans Service Organizations (VSO) for providing testimony on the VOW Act at a recent committee hearing. The testimony and Statements for the Record from the hearing are available online. To learn more about the VOW Act and view the latest VOW Act video, visit U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website.

For more veteran job resources and news, as well as the largest veteran jobs board on the Web, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

VA Pilots Child Care Program

Week of July 25, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched free, drop-in childcare service centers at three VA medical centers: (1) Northport, NY: 30 child capacity, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years; (2) Tacoma, WA: Varying capacity, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 10 years; and (3) Buffalo, NY: 6 to 10 child capacity, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years. This pilot program will benefit both men and women Veterans. For more information about VA programs and services for women veterans, visit the VA's Center for Women Veterans webpage and the VA's Women Veterans Health Care webpage.

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

Companion Dogs for Veterans

Week of July 25, 2011

The Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) has announced a new pilot program that will emphasize dogs' therapeutic potential for veterans. Fourteen vets will interact with dogs while they receive residential treatment for PTSD and TBI. Read more at VA's VAntage Point blog.

For more news and resources on pets and the military, visit the Pet Corner.  

Plan Could Mean a Smaller COLA

Week of July 24, 2011

Due to the economic climate of the past two years military retirees and VA compensation and pension recipients have not seen a cost-of-living-adjustment to their pay. The 2011 inflation rate could result in a a significant COLA in 2012. However, in an effort to reduce government expenses, the Senate is now considering changing the rules for how COLA is determined. The proposed changes will likely result in reducing the VA Compensation and Pension COLAs in 2012 by up to .3 percent.

Read the Military Advantage Blog to learn more.

VA Outreach to Women Vets

Week of July 25, 2011

The Department of Veterans' Affairs has stepped up its outreach efforts to women veterans to increase their awareness of the comprehensive array of VA benefits and programs. Women veterans are entitled to the same benefits and medical care as their male counterparts. In addition, the VA also has a multitude of gender specific services and programs that respond to the unique needs of women Veterans, including pap smears, mammography, general reproductive health care, counseling for substance abuse, sexual trauma, depression, and evaluation and treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). For more information about the VA visit the website at and its Center for Women Veterans webpage at womenvet. 

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

Energy Employment for Vets

Week of July 25, 2011

With the unemployment rate high among post-9/11 Vets, the Department of Energy has instituted a new program called Troops to Energy. The program's goal is to provide Vets with career training and to enter the energy industry. Learn more at this article.

For more veteran job resources and news, as well as the largest veteran jobs board on the Web, visit the Veteran Jobs Center.

VA to Provide Housing

Week of July 25, 2011

U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs have announced that HUD will provide $46.2 million to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to supply permanent housing and case management for 6,790 homeless veterans in America. This funding, from HUD's Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program, is a coordinated effort by officials from HUD, VA, and local housing agencies to provide permanent housing for homeless veterans. The complete local breakdown of the rental vouchers is available online.

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

VA Study of Purple Heart Vets

Week of July 25, 2011

A study led by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers has found that aging veterans who earned the Purple Heart show decreased mortality compared with those who had not earned the medal. Additionally, those war-wounded veterans who survive into later life -- especially those who do not develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -- may provide valuable clues as to the factors that lead to resilience to combat stress. An abstract of the article in the July 12, 2011 edition of the journal Depression and Anxiety is available online.

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

VA ASPIRE Website

Week of July 25, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs expanded its performance and productivity website by making additional data available to the public. VA launched the ASPIRE for Quality initiative last year to make data and outcome information available to the public in such areas as acute care, ICU, outpatient, safety and annual process measures, and how each Medical Center measures up to quality goals. For more information, visit the VA's ASPIRE website.

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

Caregiver Hearing Held

Week of July 25, 2011

The Subcommittee on Health of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs recently held an oversight hearing entitled, "Implementation of Caregiver Assistance: Moving Forward," to track the progress of the implementation of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) only recently brought online after months of delay. The Subcommittee on Health will continue to monitor the implementation of the Caregivers program at VA, including ensuring eligibility requirements are fair and consistently applied, and that caregivers receive the appropriate benefits. A full transcript of the hearing is available on the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs website.

For more resources and guides to veterans benefits, visit the Benefits Center.

Respectively Submitted,

Bruce W. Skipton, Post Surgeon

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