Thursday, July 2, 2009

RAND Study Finds 3 out of 4 Vets Needing Mental Health Care receive Inadequate Care or No Care at All

Chair of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii) addressed the rising suicide rate among veterans last week.

“Suicide among Iraq and Afghanistan-era veterans is at an all-time high,” said Akaka. “The number of veterans found to have service-connected PTSD is not just rising, it is rising several times faster than service-connected disabilities overall…Veterans are committing suicide at a higher rate than their civilian counterparts. A recent RAND study found that nearly three out of four veterans in need of mental health care receive inadequate care or no care at all.”

Full Article:
Killed in action
By Adrienne LaFrance
Jul 1, 2009

Service Dogs Helping Veterans with PTSD

VA hospitals nationwide are integrating service dogs into treatment plans for disabled vets, said Will Baldwin, a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the VA in Denver. The program was formed after Freedom Service Dogs, a Denver-based nonprofit, recently partnered with the VA.

Training takes up to nine months and costs $23,000. Service Dogs doesn't charge its clients but relies on private donations and foundation grants.

"The population is growing exponentially down in Fort Carson with the Wounded Warriors program," said Freedom Service Dogs' Diane Vertovec, referring to the Army unit that prepares wounded soldiers for civilian life. "We feel like a dog can help a vet meet physical challenges but, more importantly, can really, really help them overcome a lot of the mental instability that they're feeling."

Full Article:
Dogs helping injured soldiers under gov't program

By ALYSIA PATTERSON

VA silent on compensating for endoscopic mistakes

An attorney for veterans potentially exposed to HIV and other infections by colonoscopies at three Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals said his clients are waiting to hear if they will be compensated for mistakes that led to congressional hearings and new VA spending on patient safety.

A spokeswoman for the VA declined to comment about prospects for compensation. Yet some those exposed have stated that VA sent them letters and in some cases contacted them by telephone: "stating they are sending them some documents and they will be considering some compensation.", according to Nashville lawyer Mike Sheppard who has about 50 of the VA's former endoscopic patients as clients. He said complaints about VA medical care must be filed under the federal torts claim law.

Full Article:
by Bill Poovey
VA silent on compensating for endoscopic mistakes