September 25, 2009

Secretary Shinseki Orders Emergency Checks to Students Awaiting Education Benefits

Thousands of Checks to Alleviate Student Financial Burden

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment.  The checks will be distributed to eligible students at VA regional benefits offices across the country starting Oct. 2, 2009.

“Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties,” Secretary Shinseki said.  “Education creates life-expanding opportunities for our Veterans.”

Starting Friday, Oct. 2, 2009, students can go to one of VA’s 57 regional benefit offices with a photo ID and a course schedule to request advance payment of their education benefits.  Because not all these offices are located near students, VA expects to send representatives to schools with large Veteran-student bodies and work with Veteran Service Organizations to help students with transportation needs.

A list of those VA regional offices is available at www.vba.va.gov/VBA/benefits/offices.asp.

“I’m asking our people to get out their road maps and determine how we can reach the largest number of college students who can’t reach us,” VA’s Under Secretary for Benefits Patrick Dunne said. “Not everyone has a car.  Not everyone can walk to a VA benefits office.”

Although VA does not know how many students will request emergency funds, it has approximately 25,000 claims pending that may result in payments to students.

The funds VA will give to students now are advance payments of the earned benefits for education.  This money will be deducted from future education payments.

VA officials said students should know that after this special payment, they can expect to receive education payments on the normal schedule — the beginning of the month following the period for which they are reimbursed.

“This is an extraordinary action we’re taking,” said Shinseki. “But it’s necessary because we recognize the hardships some of our Veterans face.”

More than 27,500 students have already received benefits for housing or books under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, or their schools received their tuition payments.

WASHINGTON (Aug. 24, 2009) – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K..
Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking
steps to assist Veterans seeking compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).

“The hidden wounds of war are being addressed vigorously and
comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its
transformation to the 21st century,” said Secretary Shinseki.

The VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register
to make it easier for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by
reducing the evidence needed if the stressor claimed by a Veteran is
related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity.  Comments on
the proposed rule will be accepted over the next 60 days.  A final
regulation will be published after consideration of all comments
received.

Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor
related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA
psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience
recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the
Veteran’s symptoms are related to the claimed stressor.

Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a
non-combat Veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile
military activity.  This rule would simplify the development that is
required for these cases.

PTSD is a recognized anxiety disorder that can follow seeing or
experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or
serious injury to which a person responds with intense fear,
helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon in war.

Feelings of fear, confusion or anger often subside, but if the feelings
don’t go away or get worse, a Veteran may have PTSD.

VA is bolstering its mental health capacity to serve combat Veterans,
adding thousands of new professionals to its rolls in the last four
years.  The Department also has established a suicide prevention
helpline (1-800-273-TALK) and Web site available for online chat in the
evenings at www.suicidepreventi onlifeline. org/Veterans
<http://www.suicidep reventionlifelin e.org/Veterans/> .

From Navytimes.com

A new study shows that 106,726 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans within the Veterans Affairs Department health care system have been diagnosed with mental health issues.

That’s 37 percent of the 289,328 veterans who have sought care. Of those, 62,979 — or 22 percent — have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

About 1.6 million troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

You can read the rest of the article here: Navytimes.com

Comment Below.

Corpsman.com

08 July 2009

Happy Wednesday, (Two days Closer to Friday then Monday!)

The Bibs are now up and current on hospitalcorpsman.org.

While we have had the bibs for sometime on our site corpsman.com, most folks look on hospitalcorpsman.org as it has traditionally had them.

CrazyCajun has been upgraded on his software suite, and is getting back into the saddle again.

I want to thank the following people for their kind donation to Corpsman.com, but also let everyone know we can still use your help.  If you would like to sponsor a netcast, have a question about donating, please email me @ admin1@corpsman.com , or you can click any of the donate buttons on all of our pages.

Thanks to the following Folks:

• Daniel Moffett
• John Brown
• Alan Friend
• Deborah McClintock
• Marcus Harris
• Mike “0311_Doc” Digaetano
• BenPsencik
• John Knibbs
• 3rdLot.com
• Bootcamp4me.com
• Herb Eschbach
• Fred Laurie
• Michael Walsh
• Cassie Brockett
  

Please think about donating today!! We are using the monies for our site to only make it better for you the users!

As most of you know, I took over Corpsman.com back in 2004.  We have grown from 2 users (Crazycajun and myself) to now at around 2,030 registered users in our forums.
The Front page of Corpsman.com, our news area, regularly gets about 5,000 unique hits (Visitors) per day. We have gone from a shared cheap hosting package for our services to a Virtual (Not so cheap) server to handle the load for the services we offer.

All of this has been free other then donations we have received from some users and the ad revenue we generate on our pages.  Free to all.

We used to solicit for donations quite regularly 2 years ago, but stopped because our ad revenue was more than handling the obligations, that was until this year.

Our revenue is off by about 75 % due to the downturn in the economy.  I am hoping that it picks up soon.

Until then though I have to come up with creative ways to generate revenue to keep the site going and upgrading.  We have software and machines we need to upgrade etc.  If you think I am the only one running this place your wrong, We have 4 folks who help me that I supply computers, and software to help out with the day to day operations.

Folks we need your help.  If you can make a small donation for our site, please just click the donate button on any of our pages on Corpsman.com.  You will be recognized unless asked not to in our quarterly Newsletters.

Another way to support us is to sponsor one of our Netcasts/Podcasts.   Last year we had a user (Andirrt) who sponsored us for 10 shows.  We have not asked for any recently, but if you’re interested please drop me a line @ admin1@corpsman.com.

In August we are hosting a Corpsman.com Auction.  Doc-Pardue as well as others have donated Artwork, signed works, and goods to support Corpsman.com.  More on that next week.

Thanks for becoming a part of our Corpsman.com Team.    Please think about donating to our cause.

Thanks,

Da-Chief
Corpsman.com

Darrell Crone
HMC(AW) USN (Ret)
Owner Corpsman.com

http://www.corpsman.com

Email: hmc.crone@corpsman.com
admin1@corpsman.com

Verizon Wireless

New York, NY – June 16, 2009 –

Verizon, InComm Retailers and the USO are launching an initiative to let Americans demonstrate their appreciation for armed forces personnel serving America worldwide, just in time for the July 4 holiday.

From June 22 to July 4, consumer purchases of Verizon Prepaid Long Distance Phone Cards at participating local retailers will be matched by Verizon, on a minute-for-minute basis, and donated to active duty personnel for international and domestic long-distance calling in the form of 100-minute prepaid calling cards.  The cards will be distributed by the USO to U.S. military men and women worldwide, with an emphasis on serving deployed troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and throughout Southwest Asia, as well as to wounded soldiers who are returning home.

Verizon will donate a minimum of 1 million minutes to the program.

“The prepaid calling cards continue to be a very useful way to keep our troops connected to their families, and we are excited to once again partner with Verizon and thank InComm retailers for providing their assistance,” said Sloan Gibson, USO president and CEO. “With this support, the USO will continue to make a difference in the lives of our service men and women.”

David Skogen, manager of Verizon’s Prepaid Business Unit, said: “We are honored once again to create a win-win-win program for everyone involved, particularly the heroic men and women serving our country.  By purchasing prepaid calling cards, consumers generate matching minutes for military men and women worldwide, which our friends at the USO deliver.  These matching minutes enable our troops to stay in close touch with their friends and families and share news and developments with them, which is a critically important, morale-building benefit.”

Participating InComm retailers include:

• Casey’s General Stores
• Holiday Station Stores
• Jackson Food Stores
• Kum and Go
• Oasis Stop N Go LLC
• Twin Stops

As a leading communications provider to the federal government, Verizon throughout the year makes technology and resources available to military personnel and their families around the world.

About the USO
The USO (United Service Organizations) lifts the spirits of America’s troops and their families.  The USO is a nonprofit, charitable organization, relying on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services.  The USO is supported by Worldwide Strategic Partners AT&T Inc., BAE Systems, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., Clear Channel Communications, The Coca-Cola Company, Gallery Furniture, S & K Sales Co. and TriWest Healthcare Alliance.  Other corporate donors, including the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-11381), have joined millions of individual donors to support the USO.  For more information, please visit our Web site at www.uso.org.

About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America’s most reliable wireless network, serving more than 86 million customers nationwide.  Verizon’s Wireline operations provide converged communications, information and entertainment services over the nation’s most advanced fiber-optic network.  Wireline also includes Verizon Business, which delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world.  A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 237,000 and last year generated consolidated operating revenues of more than $97 billion.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

About InComm
InComm is the industry leading marketer, distributor and technology innovator of stored-value gift and prepaid products using its state-of-the-art point-of-sale transaction technology and payment solutions to revolutionize retail product sales and customer experiences. With nearly $8 billion in retail sales transactions processed in 2007, InComm is the nation’s largest provider of gift cards, prepaid wireless products, reloadable debit cards, digital music downloads, content, games, software and bill payment solutions. InComm partners with consumer brand leaders around the world to provide more than 145,000 retail locations the products and services their customers demand. Since 1992, InComm’s patented technologies have made the buying process easier for consumers while streamlining the selling process for product and retail partners. To learn more about InComm, visit www.incomm.com or call 1.800.352.3084. InComm is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Oregon, Arkansas, Alabama, Minnesota and Mississippi.  For more information, visit www.incomm.com.

####

Media Contact:
Bob Elek, Verizon, 813-483-2541
Stefanie Scott, Verizon, 512-495-6730
Travis Burgin, The USO, 703-740-4982
Jenn Boutwell, InComm, 770-882-2240

WASHINGTON — The questionable medical practices were first found at a Veterans Affairs medical center in Tennessee, then at VA facilities in Georgia and Florida.

Now, Veterans Affairs officials will face fresh questions about patient safety at a House hearing Tuesday after an internal review found continued weaknesses with colonoscopies and other procedures at the agency’s medical centers.

The latest findings — that fewer than half of VA facilities selected for surprise inspections in May had proper training and guidelines in place — are contained in an inspector general’s report to be released at the hearing. The findings, obtained in advance by The Associated Press, suggest that errors in colonoscopies and other minimally invasive procedures may be more widespread than initially believed.

You can read the rest of the Associated press article here on: NAVYTIMES

In order to ensure the availability of quality and timely health care to veterans with service connected conditions, special authority based on military service, low income, and those with special health care needs, in January 2003 VA made the difficult decision to stop enrolling new Priority Group 8 (high income) veterans whose income exceeded VA income thresholds.

The new regulations take effect on June 15, 2009 and enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to relax income restrictions on enrollment for health benefits. While this new provision does not remove consideration of income, it does increase income thresholds. You may be eligible for enrollment under this new provision.

For more information go to PG 8 Enrollment Relaxation.

An Enrollment Calculator is available to help Veterans determine their potential eligibility for VA health care services under the proposed regulation. Check to see if you qualify under the new rules for VA health care:

Priority 8 Group Enrollment for VA Medical Calculator

You can also read more about it @ NAVYTIMES.COM

The veterans health care system, closed since 2003 to new enrollments for veterans whose medical conditions are not service-connected, reopened effective Monday with new income caps that will allow more people to get in.

Memorial Day

This is the hardest holiday for me to celebrate.

If you ask anyone they will tell you I become quiet and withdrawn.

If you’re a Doc and are able to look at our list on our Memorial Page, and don’t know anyone on our Iraq or Afganistan list, you’re lucky and have probably just joined.

Since last Memorial Day Weekend 2008, we have lost 4 Brothers in Arms, (Navy Doc’s).  All were lost in Afghanistan.

For the first time since 2003, we did not lose anyone in Iraq last year. This is a blessing, but things are ramping up in Afghanistan now.

I have lost shipmates in both areas.

HM3 Youngblood in Iraq, and HM2 Carbullido in Afghanistan.  These were people I knew and served with .   I have sent Students off to serve out of Corps School to see their name on a list a year later.

1 of which I actually put his name on the list to serve in harms way.  I selected him for the mission overseas.  It is one thing to know someone who was lost over there, it is another when you were the one who sent them.  I would lie if I said I don’t think about it each and every day of my life.  The mission had to be done. He did it to the end.

Please, while during the barbecue or while watching the game or the race today, please take  a moment to remember those who gave so much for us.  Who went willingly into harms way, who volunteered to serve their country.

Please also remember those who stood the watch before us as well, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, 1st Gulf War, and those who gave their all training for the nations call.

I have, and I hope you do to.

Post 9/11 GI Bill

Dedi–Dedi–Dedi-Dedication
Here you go, from the VA’s GI BILL Website:

Starting May 1, 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs will begin accepting applications for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The application form is available online.

The form requires that individuals currently eligible for another education benefit make an irrevocable election from their existing program to the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Typically individuals who are eligible for more than one benefit may use a combined total of 48 months of entitlement. Therefore, for those individuals eligible for the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) program, please be advised that if you have entitlement remaining under the MGIB, the number of months of Post-9/11 GI Bill entitlement you will be eligible for will be equal to the number of months remaining under MGIB. However, if you exhaust all of your MGIB entitlement, then you may be entitled to a maximum of 12 additional months of entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Starting May 1, 2009 VA will begin processing applications for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits and you will receive a letter explaining VA’s decision regarding your eligibility for the program. Payments for the Post-9/11 GI Bill will not be processed until August 1, 2009.

Click here to access the application form which includes instructions for submitting completed applications.

Now of course in full Governmental function, The link provided does not work.. FEHH!!!! MAJOR FAIL! Keep checking back as I am sure it will soon.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Below is the release from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) on the GI Bill, they were a major force in helping us get this legislation passed:

IAVA is pleased to see that the VA adopted many of our recommended changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill regulations. The recently published final regulations addressed over half of IAVA’s top concerns. These changes are worth thousands of dollars to veterans who will be using this new benefit, and specifically include:

• Ensuring that school health insurance programs are covered by the new GI Bill.
• Encouraging private universities and colleges to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program by increasing flexibility:
  • Allowing separate schools within a college to participate
  • Removing restrictive requirements on how schools fund the program
• Allowing spouses/dependents to benefit from a servicemember’s enlistment kickers.
• Clearly defining when a servicemember with readjustment issues can leave school and not be billed for courses not completed.

We were also grateful to see the VA include GI Bill eligibility for officers of the Public Health Service (PHS) and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and clarify that other forms of financial aid will not affect GI Bill benefits.

While a majority of these regulatory changes were pro-veteran, IAVA still has some concerns with the regulations that should be addressed immediately. For example:

• Unfair prohibition on transferring benefits to children between the ages of 18-26
• Denying enlistment kickers to part-time students and distance learners
• Denying the Montgomery GI Bill buy-in refunds to part-time students and distance learners

To learn more about the Post-9/11 GI Bill, click here.

Please use these resources to better help you negotiate these waters.

Nurses Make a Difference

WASHINGTON — To provide compassionate, highly-trained nurses to serve the health care needs of the nation’s Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is establishing new partnerships with five of the country’s finest nursing schools.  With these new partnerships, the VA Nursing Academy will expand the number of collaborations between the department and nursing schools from 10 to 15.

“The expanded role of the Department of Veterans Affairs in the education of nurses will ensure the department has the nurses needed to continue our world-class health care for Veterans,” said Dr. Linda D. Johnson, director of VA Nursing Academy. “The VA Nursing Academy expands the teaching faculty, improves recruitment and retention, and creates new educational and research opportunities.”

The VA Nursing Academy is a virtual five-year pilot program with central administration in Washington.  It expands learning opportunities for nursing students at VA facilities, funds faculty development of VA staff for additional faculty positions to competitively selected school partners. The five-year, $59 million program began in 2007.

Five nursing schools will form new partnerships with five VA medical centers and join the VA Nursing Academy this year.  They are:

• Carolina University, Asheville, N.C.
• University of Alabama, Birmingham, Ala.
• University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu
• Pace University, Manhattan and Brooklyn, N.Y.
• Waynesburg University, Pittsburgh.

VA Nursing Academy already includes 10 partnerships: the VA medical center in Gainesville, Fla., with the University of Florida; the VA medical center in San Diego with San Diego State University; the VA medical center in Salt Lake City with the University of Utah; the VA medical center in West Haven, Conn., with Fairfield University in Connecticut; the VA medical center in Charleston, S.C., with the Medical University of South Carolina; the Hines, Ill., VA medical center with Loyola University of Chicago; the VA Michigan Consortia (Detroit and Saginaw) with the University of Detroit Mercy and Saginaw Valley State University; the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences; the VA medical center in Providence, R.I., and Rhode Island College; and the VA medical center in Tampa, Fla., and the University of South Florida.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing has reported that in 2007 more than 36,000 qualified applicants were turned away from entry-level baccalaureate degree programs in nursing schools because of insufficient numbers of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and clinical mentors.  VA currently provides clinical education for approximately 100,000 health professional trainees annually, including students from more than 600 schools of nursing.
VA Nursing Academy enables competitively selected VA-nursing school partnerships to expand the number of nursing faculty, enhance the professional and scholarly development of nurses, increase student enrollment by about 1,000 students and promote innovations in nursing education.

Further information about the program can be obtained from VA’s Office of Academic Affiliations web site at www.va.gov/oaa.