IMPORTANT
NUMBERS
Nat’l. Hdqrs., DAV (877) 426-2838
NSO Office, Cleveland (216)
522-3507
NSO Office, Cincinnati (513)
684-2676
Washington Office, DAV (202)
554-3501
Cincinnati HSC,
Sheila Clements (513) 475-6443
Dayton HSC, (937)
268-6511
Ext. 2962
Wade Park HSC, (216)
791-3800
Walter Dryja Ext.
3395
Chillicothe HSC (740)
773-1141
James Keller Ext. 7916
Columbus Clinic, (614)
257-5487
Michael
Hackworth
Brecksville HSC, (440)
526-3030
Don Branford Ext. 7353
Warren Clinic (330)
392-0311
Youngstown Clinic (330)
70-9200
Ext.
105
Veterans Administration 1-800-827-1000
DATES TO REMEMBER
May 5-6, 2007 Forget-Me-Not,
Whitehall Chapter #142, Central Ohio area.
May 11-12, 2007 Forget-Me-Not,
Union County Chapter #55, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at various locations, Marysville.
May 24-27, 2007 Forget-Me-Not,
Hamilton-Fairfield Chapter #15, Bass Pro Shop, Fairfield, Ohio.
May 25, 2007 DAV
Day at the Ballpark, Cincinnati Reds, Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, Ohio
at 7 p.m.
June 7-10, 2007 DAV
Department Convention
The Midwest Hotel, Columbus
June 10, 2007 7th
Annual Knox County Veterans Picnic, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Riverside Park, Mt.
Vernon, Ohio.
June 19, 2007 DAV
Day at the Ballpark, Cleveland Indians, Jacobs Field, Cleveland, Ohio at 7 p.m.
August 3-4, 1007 Forget-Me-Not,
Darke County Chapter #57, Various locations in Darke County.
August 10-11, 2007 Forget-Me-Not,
Darke County Chapter #57, various locations in Greenville, Ohio
August 10-11-12, 2007 Forget-Me-Not,
Salem Chapter #122, various location in Salem, Ohio.
August 11-14, 2007 DAV
National Convention,
Hilton New Orleans Riverside,
New Orleans, LA
October 13, 2007 2nd District Meeting,
Additional Information as Date approaches.
October 19-21, 2007 Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza,
Dublin, Ohio
March 2-5, 2008 DAV Mid-Winter Conference, Crystal
Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA
June 5-8, 2008 DAV Department Convention, The
Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio
August 9-12, 2008 DAV National Convention,
Bally’s Hotel, Las Vegas.
October 10-12, 2008 DAV Department Fall Conference, The
Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
June 4-7, 2009 DAV Department Convention,
The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
October 9-11, 2009 DAV Department Fall Conference, The
Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
June 10-13, 2010 DAV Department Convention,
The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
October 8-10, 2010 DAV Department Fall Conference, The
Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.
FROM THE STATE ADJUTANT’S DESK
Frank Williams, State Adjutant
Intuition: The strange instinct that tells a woman she
is right, whether she is or not!
OHIO STATE FAIR: This year’s
Veterans Day is Sunday, August 5, 2007
So, on this day all Veterans will be granted Free Admission with
appropriate ID (Includes All Military ID Cards; DAV, VFW, AM Legion, AMVETS,
VVA, etc Cards; DD214; Photo of yourself in uniform; Dog Tags; Discharge Papers
such as Honorable Discharge Certificate; or simply wear your uniform, if you
can fit into it, of course). This
includes all branches of the service but DOES NOT include dependents.
A NEW PROGRAM THIS YEAR: All
Active Duty military personnel with appropriate ID as outlined above will be
admitted free for any and every day of their choosing for the entire duration
of the fair. Again, this program also
DOES NOT apply to dependents.
Efforts by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the VA to provide
smoother, seamless transition from active duty to veteran status took a “Huge
Step” forward on Monday, April 23, 2007. Medical Staff at all 154 Hospitals and over 800 Clinics run by the VA will now be able to access the
DOD medical records of servicemembers returning from Iraq & Afghanistan. The DOD’s electronic medical records include
emergency & outpatient treatments.
What is needed in the long-run is a fully integrated electronic medical
record that includes the servicemembers entire medical record.
VA ‘CLAIM FIXERS’: The VA is
receiving a large number of claims for VA benefits from veterans or survivors
who are being assisted by “Claim Fixers”. Most of the claims contain fraudulent
evidence that has been submitted by these “Fixers”. When the VA determines that “Claim Fixers” are involved in a
claim it is then referred for investigation resulting in long delay in processing
the claim. Additionally, if the
investigation determines that fraud has been committed, the Veteran’s right to
VA benefits is forfeited. This means
the Veteran and/or their dependents lose all rights to ever be considered for
VA Benefits for the rest of their lives.
If you are contacted by someone claiming to have an “in” with the VA,
notify your NSO or VA office immediately!
These “Claim Fixers” cannot help you “get a better deal” from the
VA. They can only jeopardize your claim
as well as cause loss of all entitlement to VA benefits.
I would like to take this opportunity to invite all DAV and DAVA
members to please get involved in helping fellow Disabled American Veterans by
coming to our June Convention being held on June 8th, 9th
and 10th at Midwest Hotel and Conference Center, 4900 Sinclair Rd,
Columbus, Ohio. We will cover a lot of
subjects of interest to Ohio DAV as well as have distinguished guests, winding
up with the election and installation of Department Officers to lead us in the
upcoming fiscal year 2007-2008. My best
regards to all of you and, I hope to see you at our Convention.
As always, pray for our troops who are in harms way. God bless America and may he continue to
bless the Disabled American Veterans. Never forget that……………………FREEDOM IS NOT
FREE…it is bought and paid for by our Veterans like YOU and ME!
CHAPLAIN’S
CORNER
James Keller,
Chaplain
The Fathers Hand
While through this changing
world below
I would not choose my path to
go;
It is Fathers Hand that leadeth
me,
Then O how safe his child must
be.
Sometimes we walk in sunshine
bright,
Sometimes in darkness of the
night;
Sometimes the way I cannot see,
But Father’s hand still leadeth
me.
Sometimes there seems no way to
take,
But Father’s hand a way doth
make.
Sometimes I hear him gently
say,
“Come: follow me, this is the
way”
Whey should I mind the way I
go?
His way is best for me, I know.
He is my strength, my truth, my
way,
He is my comfort, rod and stay.
So on we travel hand in hand,
Bound for the heavenly promised
land.
Always through all eternity,
I’ll praise his name for
leading me.
I would like to say to everyone,
that I love everyone of you, and pray for you every day, if there is any
sickness or distress, please let me know.
S/James E. Keller, Chaplain
MEDICAL BENEFITS
Leslie James, NSO
Ever since I became a National Service Officer
the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has always been an ever-changing
benefit. I know all of you have heard
the horror stories associated with VA Health care: prescribing the wrong
medication, performing the wrong surgery, lack of medical attention, etc. Recently however, the Department of Veterans
Affairs’ (VA) model system of electronic health records, developed with
extensive involvement of front-line health-care providers, has won the
prestigious “Innovations in American Government Award.” The annual
award sponsored by Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance
and Innovation at the Kennedy School of Government and administered in partnership
with the Council for Excellence in Government, honors excellence and creativity
in the public sector. While health-care costs in the United
States continue to soar, VA is reducing costs and errors while increasing
safety and efficiency. I believe one
the best things the VA health care system has done is to move away from
hospitalization to a more outpatient-based system. For example, outside of VA,
because patient records are not readily available, one out of seven Americans
ends up hospitalized when outpatient care is all that’s needed. For
the same reason, one out of five lab tests is needlessly repeated outside the
VA system. And while the costs of health care continue to soar for
most Americans, the VA is reducing costs, reducing errors, and becoming the
model for what modern health care management and delivery should look like.
Does this mean VA doctors, nurses, or other providers don’t make
mistakes? No. But having met and worked with many VA health care professionals
I can say the majority of them are very dedicated to ensuring the veteran
population receives the very best care available.
What type of care is available? VHA has a Medical Benefits Package (Standard
Benefits)
This medical benefits package provides the following health care
services to all enrolled veterans.
Preventive Care Services
- Immunizations
- Physical Examinations
- Health Care Assessments
- Screening Tests
- Health Education Programs
Ambulatory (Outpatient) Diagnostic and Treatment Services
- Emergency outpatient care in VA
facilities
- Medical
- Surgical (including
reconstructive/plastic surgery as a result of disease or trauma)
- Chiropractic Care
- Mental Health
- Bereavement Counseling
- Substance Abuse
Hospital (Inpatient) Diagnostic and Treatment
- Emergency inpatient care in VA facilities
- Medical
- Surgical (including
reconstructive/plastic surgery as a result of disease or trauma)
- Mental Health
- Substance Abuse
Medications and Supplies
- Prescription medications
- Over-the counter medications
- Medical
and surgical supplies
Will VA pay for medications written by a non-VA physician?
Generally only veterans with special eligibility, such as veterans
receiving Aid and Attendance or Housebound benefits, or who are approved by a
VA health care facility for Fee Basis are eligible to receive medications at VA
expense.
Once a
veteran becomes enrolled in the VA Health Care system each veteran is
assigned to a priority group. VA uses priority groups to balance demand for VA
health care enrollment with resources. Changes in available resources may reduce
the number of priority groups VA can enroll. If this occurs, VA will publicize
the changes and notify affected enrollees. A description of priority groups
follows:
Group 1: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 50
percent or more and/or veterans determined by VA to be unemployable due to
service-connected conditions.
Group 2: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 30 or
40 percent.
Group 3: Veterans with service-connected disabilities rated 10 and
20 percent, veterans who are former Prisoners of War (POW) or were awarded a
Purple Heart medal, veterans awarded special eligibility for disabilities
incurred in treatment or participation in a VA Vocational Rehabilitation
program, and veterans whose discharge was for a disability incurred or
aggravated in the line of duty.
Group 4: Veterans receiving aid and attendance or housebound
benefits and/or veterans determined by VA to be catastrophically disabled. Some
veterans in this group may be responsible for co-pays.
Group 5: Veterans receiving VA pension benefits or eligible for
Medicaid programs, and non service-connected veterans and non-compensable, zero
percent service-connected veterans whose gross annual household income and net
worth are below the established VA means test thresholds.
Group 6: Veterans of the Mexican border period or World War I;
veterans seeking care solely for certain conditions associated with exposure to
radiation or exposure to herbicides while serving in Vietnam; for any illness
associated with combat service in a war after the Gulf War or during a period
of hostility after Nov. 11, 1998; for any illness associated with participation
in tests conducted by the Department of Defense (DOD) as part of Project
112/Project SHAD; and veterans with zero percent service-connected disabilities
who are receiving disability compensation benefits.
Group 7: Non service-connected veterans and non-compensable, zero
percent service-connected veterans with gross annual household income above
VA’s national means test threshold and below VA’s geographic means test
threshold, or with gross annual household income below both the VA national
threshold and the VA geographically based threshold, but whose income plus net
worth exceeds VA’s ceiling (currently $80,000) who agree to pay co-pays.
Group 8: All other non service-connected veterans and zero
percent, non-compensable service-connected veterans who agree to pay co-pays.
(Note: Effective Jan. 17, 2003, VA no longer enrolls new veterans in priority
group 8).
Recently, veterans who served in combat locations during active
military service after Nov. 11, 1998, are eligible for free health care
services for conditions potentially related to combat service for two years
following separation from active duty. This allows veterans who do not qualify
under the basic eight priority categories to obtain free health for any
disability or disease they feel is related to their involvement in a combat
area. If you or anyone you know falls into this category I would encourage them
to call 1-877-222-VETS (8387) and get additional information.
Co-payments and Private Insurance Billing
Some veterans must make co-payments to receive VA health
care.
Inpatient Care: Veterans with income above the means test threshold and
below VA’s geographically based income threshold (Priority Group 7) are
responsible for paying 20 percent of the Medicare deductible for the first 90
days of inpatient hospital care during any 365-day period. For each additional
90 days, they are charged 10 percent of the Medicare deductible. In addition,
they are charged $2 a day for hospital care.
Non service-connected veterans and non-compensable, zero
percent service-connected veterans with gross annual household income above the
VA national and geographic income thresholds will be charged the full Medicare
deductible for the first 90 days of care during any 365-day period and $10 per
day. For each additional 90 days, they are charged one half of the Medicare
deductible and the per diem charge.
Extended Care: With certain exceptions, veterans must pay co-pays for
extended care. The co-pay amount is based on each veteran’s financial situation
and is determined upon application for extended care services.
Medication: Most veterans are currently charged $8 for each 30-day or
less supply of medication provided by VA for treatment of conditions that are
not service-connected.
Outpatient Care: A three-tiered co-pay system is used for all outpatient
services. The co-pay is $15 for a primary care visit and $50 for some
specialized care. Certain services are not charged a co-pay.
Outpatient Visits Not Requiring Co-pays
Co-pays do not apply to publicly announced VA health fairs or outpatient visits
solely for preventive screening and/or immunizations, such as immunizations for
influenza and pneumococcal, or screening for hypertension, hepatitis C,
tobacco, alcohol, hyperlipidemia, breast cancer, cervical cancer, colorectal
cancer by fecal occult blood testing, education about the risks and benefits of
prostate cancer screening, and smoking cessation counseling (individual and
group). Laboratory, flat film radiology, and electrocardiograms are also exempt
from co-pays.
Private Health Insurance Billing
VA is required to bill private health insurance providers for medical care,
supplies and prescriptions provided for treatment of veterans’ non
service-connected conditions. Generally, VA cannot bill Medicare, but can bill
Medicare supplemental health insurance for covered services.
All veterans applying for VA medical care are required to
provide information on their health insurance coverage, including coverage
provided under policies of their spouses. Veterans are not responsible for
paying any remaining balance of VA’s insurance claim not paid or covered by
their health insurance, and any payment received by VA may be used to offset
“dollar for dollar” a veteran’s VA co-pay responsibility.
Some Travel Costs to Receive VA Medical Care May be Reimbursed by
VA
Certain veterans may be reimbursed for travel costs to receive VA medical care.
Reimbursement is paid at $.11 per mile -- or $.17 per mile if called for a
repeat Compensation & Pension (C&P) exam -- and is subject to a
deductible of $3 for each one-way trip and an $18-per-month maximum payment.
Two exceptions to the deductible are travel for C&P exam and special modes
of transportation, such as an ambulance or a specially equipped van.
Eligibility: Payments may be made to the following:
1. Veterans whose
service-connected disabilities are rated 30 percent or more.
2. Veterans traveling for
treatment of a service connected condition.
3. Veterans who receive a VA
pension.
4. Veterans traveling for
scheduled compensation or pension examinations.
5. Veterans whose gross household
income does not exceed
the maximum annual VA pension.
6. Veterans whose medical
condition requires a special mode of transportation, if they are unable to
defray the costs and travel is pre-authorized. Advance authorization is not
required in an emergency if a delay would be hazardous to life or health.
Unauthorized Medical Expenses
This benefit is a safety net for
enrolled veterans who have no other means of paying a private facility
emergency bill. If another health insurance provider pays all or part of a
bill, VA cannot provide any reimbursement. To qualify you must meet all of
the following criteria:
·
You
were provided care in a hospital emergency department or similar facility
providing emergency care
·
You
are enrolled in the VA health care system
·
You
have been provided care by a VA health care provider within the last 24 months
·
You
are financially liable to the provider of the emergency treatment for that
treatment
·
You
have no other form of health care insurance
·
You
do not have coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, or a state program
·
You
do not have coverage under any other VA programs
·
You
have no other contractual or legal recourse against a third party that will pay
all or part of the bill
·
Department
of Veterans Affairs or other Federal facilities were not feasibly available at
time of the emergency
·
The
care must have been rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that a
prudent layperson would have reasonably expected that delay in seeking
immediate medical attention would have been hazardous to life or health
Nursing Home Care
·
VA
will provide nursing home care if you are a veteran:
- Who requires nursing home care for your
service-connected condition; or
- With a service-connected disability
rating of 70 percent or more; or
- Who is rated 60 percent SC and
unemployable
VA may provide nursing home care to other veterans if space
and resources are available. Veterans who have a service-connected disability
are given first priority for nursing home care.
Nonservice-connected and 0% noncompensable service-connected
veterans requiring nursing home care for any nonservice-connected disability
must complete an income and asset assessment, to determine whether they will
be billed for nursing home care.
As you can see the VA Health Care system is
complex and continues to undergo many changes.
I believe the primary reason for any cuts or discontinuances of medical
services are the result of the lack of funding Congress provides. For many years now the DAV has tried to
convince our Congressman and Senators to provide mandatory funding for VA
Health Care to alleviate this problem.
When your Department Officers and I attended Mid-Winter Conference we
met with Senator Voinovich and Senator Brown and received two very distinct and
different responses from them on mandatory funding. After Commander Morton expressed his views on mandatory funding,
Senator Voinovich told us very emphatically that unless we, the DAV, supported
a tax increase he would not support mandatory funding. On the other hand, Senator Brown
enthusiastically supported us on this funding.
Personally, I believe that veterans should never have to compete with
pork barrel spending to receive funding for health care and feel that mandatory
funding will not increase the amount of money spent on health care but simply
guarantee appropriate funding for the health care system.
Leslie A. James
National Service Officer
PENTAGON MAY BE
SHORTING TROOP BENEFITS
Associated Press – April 24, 2007
WASHINGTON
– An injured
Soldier’s disability should be determined by Veterans Affairs officials
– and not the Pentagon – because the Army might be shortchanging troops, a
presidential commission was told on Monday.
At
a public meeting, the nine-member commission on veterans care chaired by former
Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala delved into ways to cut down
on paperwork and problems in the disability ratings system.
Under
the current system, each of the armed services assigns ratings to service
members when they become injured. The
ratings determine whether the service member is discharged from active service
and if so, the amount of disability benefits to which he or she is
entitled. The VA operates a separate
system to determine benefits for retired veterans.
Critics say the Army rates its
injured Soldiers at a lower level of disability compared with the other armed
services and the VA so it can save on the costs of disability payments.
Veterans groups urged the commission to make a change so injured
Soldiers are not underpaid disability benefits.
Such
a proposal would be a major shift in how disability benefits are administered,
with both critics and supporters acknowledging it would likely add
significantly to costs since the VA takes into account all the disabilities a Soldier
has – not just one.
“We
want to add our voice to others deeply disturbed by concerns of lowballing in
Army disability ratings,” said Robert Norton, deputy director for the Military
Officers Association of America. “The
ratings gaps are unacceptable.”
In
recent weeks, a separate review group found consistently lower disability
ratings by the Army and suggested it might be because officials didn’t want to
pay benefits. The Army says it is
perplexed by the finding but would investigate.
Bradley
Mayes, director of compensation and pension service at the VA, told the
commission that shifting the ratings work to the VA could be done. But, he cautioned that the Pentagon would
still need to be involved in making judgements on whether an active service
member was fit for duty, as well as his level of military and severance pay for
service. As a result, changing the
current system could add to the level of bureaucracy.
“The
question is expenses,” Mayes added.
Dole
and Shalala expressed openness to the proposal, which was made by a 2003
presidential task force co-chaired by Gail Wilensky, now a member of the
Dole-Shalala commission. But, they also
cautioned against a rush to judgement.
At
lease nine congressional committees are currently investigating ways to improve
care following disclosures of shoddy treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center, and well-meaning lawmakers could intentionally add to the problem, they
said.
“Although
red tape in this country has a bad name, we often have legislation upon
legislation as people try to fix problems,” Shalala said. “This has led to complex systems that have
grown up over the years that often aren’t user-friendly,” “Simplify, simplify, simplify – keep those
words in mind,” she added. “While
detail is important, our purpose is clearly to foster a seamless system.”
Dole
wondered if shifting the disability system to the VA might actually create
additional bureaucratic hassles. He
noted that Pentagon officials have already begun to examine ways to overhaul
its disability system.
“If
it’s that easy to fix, I don’t know why it hasn’t been fixed,” he said. President Bush created the commission
last month to make recommendations following disclosures to shoddy
outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The panel plans about a dozen hearings and
site visits to military and VA facilities around the country and will issue a
report by late July. It’s next hearing,
in San Antonio on May 3-4, will focus on traumatic brain injury and rehabilitative
care.
For Immediate
Release:
25 April 2007
For information contact:
LTC Kevin V. Arat
U.S. Army Human Resources
Command
Public Affairs Office
(703) 325-9904 Kevin.Arata@conus.army.mil
(866) 281-3254 (CRSC)
New Claim Form Makes it Easier for Combat-Injured
Veterans to Claim Compensation
Washington,
DC—The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has listened to its veterans by making
it easier for them to apply for compensation for combat-related injuries. After
receiving feedback from all branches of service and many retired veterans,
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)—a benefit that provides dual
compensation for eligible military retirees—has significantly revised its claim
form, making it easier to understand who is eligible for CRSC, and what
information veterans should provide in to be eligible to receive their
compensation.
“Time
and again, we heard from retired veterans that the CRSC claim form was
difficult and time consuming to complete,” said COL John F. Sackett, Chief of
the U.S. Army CRSC Division under the U.S. Army Physical Disabilities Agency
(USAPDA). “Many have started the claim form and set it aside because it was too
overwhelming, they did not understand the supporting documentation
requirements, or it was just too hard to read.”
CRSC
helps 20-year military retirees by providing a monthly tax-free compensation
(full concurrent receipt option) that supplements Veterans Administration (VA)
disability and military retired payments. The retired veteran has to have a 10
percent or greater VA disability rating, and must be able to prove that the
disability is combat-related—i.e., training that simulates war, hazardous duty,
an instrumentality of war, or armed conflict.
The
claim form, which is available now, has several improvements. Simple changes
such as a larger font and text boxes make it easier to use. In addition, the
new form takes claimants through a sequence of eligibility questions and
prompts them for documentation every step of the way.
For example: under the “Preliminary Requirements”
section, the first question for Active Duty Retirees is “Did you serve at least
20 years on active duty?” and then asks them to attach a copy of their DD214(s)
proving 20 years of active duty service. Now, there is no question of the
supporting documentation needed for the CRSC claim. Everything a retired
veteran needs to know is on the form itself.
Even
with the improvements, veterans may still have questions. To address those
questions, the Army has created an enhanced CRSC website (www.crsc.army.mil). Once there, they can click on “Retired
Veterans” to obtain information on eligibility criteria, the claim process,
answers to frequently asked questions, claim resources, and download a claim
form. In addition, veterans can call
the CRSC Service Center at 1-866-281-3254 or reach it via e-mail at crsc.info@us.army.mil.
“Our
veterans have laid their lives on the line for our nation, and we owe it to
them to do whatever we can to help the retired veterans who are eligible for
CRSC get the compensation they deserve,” said COL Sackett. “The new claim form,
along with our enhanced website, is a significant step forward in achieving
that goal.”
Veterans who retired from a branch of service other than the Army can submit
their claim to that branch using the contact information below:
AIR FORCE
United States Air Force
Disability Division (CRSC)
550 C Street West Ste 6
Randolph AFB TX 78150-4708
Phone: 1-800-616-3775
Website:
www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/disability/CRSC/CRSCnew.htm
ARMY
Department of the Army
U.S. Army Physical Disabilities Agency/
Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC)
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, VA 22332
Phone: 1-866-281-3254
Email: crsc.info@us.army.mil
Website: www.CRSC.army.mil
COAST GUARD
Commander (adm-1-CRSC)
U.S. Coast Guard
Personnel Command
4200 Wilson Boulevard
Arlington, VA 22203-1804
1-800-772-8274
www.uscg.mil\hq\cgpc\adm\adm1.htm
NAVY and MARINE CORPS
Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
Attn: Combat-Related Special Compensation Branch
720 Kennon Street SE, Suite 309
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374
Website: www.hq.navy.mil/ncpb/CRSCB/combatrelated.htm
A BEACON OF SERVICE FOR VETERANS IN NEED
Arthur H. Wilson, National Adjutant
Recently, I had the distinct
pleasure of visiting the VA’s flagship polytrauma center in Tampa. For those of you who are unaware, these are
incredibly unique facilities where some of our most profoundly wounded veterans
and military members go for care and rehabilitation.
Polytrauma centers represent all
that is good and essential about the VA.
Men and women treated at the clinics often suffer form two or more
debilitating injuries. Many of the
patient’s suffered traumatic brain injuries from roadside bombs, known as IEDs,
rocket-propelled grenades, mortar blasts, or car accidents and other
devastating incidents.
At polytrauma centers, teams of as
many as 20 VA specialists carefully work together to help the injured reach
peak recover – mentally and physically.
It is the staff members who make these centers critically important for
veterans. No civilian care facility has
the ability in a time of war – which polytrauma centers can provide.
It’s impossible to visit a
polytrauma center and not be inspired.
You see our brave young men and women overcoming incredible odds. You see them rebound, and know that every
step they make is an improvement they can build upon.
What was disheartening about the
visit was the size of the rooms we visited at the Tampa facilities. Patients’ rooms often had less space than a
jail cell, without sinks and private bathrooms. One young man’s room was so small; his bed had to be rolled out
to the hall so he could get in and out of the room every day.
We’ve addressed these concerns with
the VA at the highest levels, and we will follow through to make sure they are
resolved as quickly as possible. We
have been assured by the VA that funding and plans are in place for the center.
Still, we walk away with an
important lesson – the funding of VA facilities for veterans of all wars is
critical. We must continue to serve as watch
dogs to monitor health care at government facilities, and continue our fight to
ensure adequate funding. We need to
reach out to our friends and neighbors and remind them of the needs of our
fellow disabled veterans.
Finally, we need to be relentless in
voicing our concerns on legislative issues with our representatives in
Congress.