Corpsman.com » Veterans

VA unsure of extent of contamination

Da-Chief — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:53:22 +0000

Updated: Friday, 27 Mar 2009, 8:19 AM EDT

* By BILL POOVEY, Associated Press Writer

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – Thousands of military veterans across the South are waiting to find out if they were exposed to infectious diseases by government clinics that performed colonoscopies and other procedures with equipment that wasn’t properly sterilized.

Veterans Affairs spokeswoman Katie Roberts said officials are working to determine if mistakes that may have exposed patients to infections at medical centers in Tennessee and Florida and a clinic in Georgia could have also happened at other VA facilities.

“We don’t know for certain,” Roberts said.

The VA recently warned some veterans who had colonoscopies as far back as five years ago at its hospitals in Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Miami that they may have been exposed to the body fluids of other patients and should undergo tests to make sure they haven’t contracted serious illnesses.

“What if you had to worry about giving your wife AIDS?” said Wayne Craig, a 52-year-old U.S. Navy veteran who lives in Elora and had a colonoscopy at the VA’s Alvin C. York Medical Center in Murfreesboro, near Nashville, about five years ago. “Why haven’t I been notified within five years?”

After the VA declined to answer repeated requests from The Associated Press during the past week about the results of what the department described as a nationwide procedure and training review that was to end March 14, Roberts said Thursday that the evaluation of the review was continuing.

Roberts said the mistake in Miami was discovered during the review.

Roberts also said she was confident that any other mistakes in operating endoscopic equipment at other VA facilities were corrected during the review. The VA has attributed the mistakes to human error.

The review of all VA medical centers and outpatient clinics followed reports in February that the department discovered “improperly reprocessed” endoscopic equipment used for colonoscopies in Murfreesboro and ear, nose and throat exams in Augusta, Ga.

Just this week, the VA acknowledged problems at a facility in Miami, too.

Veteran Gary Simpson, 57, of Spring City had a colonoscopy at the Murfreesboro clinic in 2007. He said his blood has tested negative for HIV and hepatitis, but he’s still worried because a nurse told him some diseases don’t show up for seven years.

“He talks about it every day,” said his wife, Janice. “It has really messed with him a lot. It is just too disturbing.”

Nashville lawyer Mike Sheppard said his firm is preparing to file claims on behalf of up to 15 colonoscopy patients, including several who have since tested positive for hepatitis B. He said an elderly man who had cancer when he had a colonoscopy died shortly afterward.

“We are investigating the death,” Sheppard said.

According to a VA e-mail, only about half of the Murfreesboro and Augusta patients notified by letter of a mistake that exposed them to “potentially infectious fluids” have requested appointments for follow-up blood tests offered by the department.

In February, the VA said it sent letters offering the tests to about 6,400 patients who had colonoscopies between April 23, 2003, and Dec. 1, 2008, at Murfreesboro and to about 1,800 patients treated over 11 months last year at Augusta.

The VA has now sent letters advising 3,260 patients who had colonoscopies between May 2004 and March 12 at the Miami Veterans Affairs Healthcare System that they also should get tests for HIV, hepatitis and other infectious diseases.

That revelation prompted two Florida lawmakers to demand an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General.

Dr. Mark Rupp, president of the Society of Health Care Epidemiology of America, said the risk of infection following routine endoscopic procedures is 1 in every 1 million to 2 million procedures.

Rupp, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said that “tracking is very difficult” and that hospitals are not required to report mistakes that expose patients to infectious diseases.

“The people in the hospitals are encouraged to report,” Rupp said. “If there is any kind of outbreak usually the Public Health Service is notified.”

Roberts said the VA notified patients based on the installation date of equipment that was improperly operated.

Janice Simpson said an employee in U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp’s office in Chattanooga told her that the blood test notices sent to colonoscopy patients of the Murfreesboro clinic were timed to the date of a procedure on a patient with AIDS. A spokeswoman for Wamp said Simpson was mistaken.

The VA did say in an March 19 e-mail to AP that at the VA’s Murfreesboro colonoscopy facility “one of the tubes used for irrigation during the procedure had an incorrect valve.” The statement also said “tubing attached to the scope was processed at the end of each day instead of between each patient as required by the manufacturer’s instructions.”

The VA letter to Craig said he “could have been exposed to body fluids from a previous patient.” Craig said his follow-up test did not

show any infection.

He said he thinks the VA was saving money by not cleaning the tubing between its use on each patient.

“What if this was a public hospital?” said Craig, who has six grandchildren. “There’s no reason in the world a veteran can’t file a suit against a veteran hospital the same as a public hospital. This is veterans you are talking about.”

“SHIFT COLORS” The Newsletter for Navy Retiree’s.. (Good info for Vets as well!)

Da-Chief — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:39:38 +0000

“I AM DELETING THE POSTS IN THE COMMENTS SECTION THAT HAVE CHANGE OF ADDRESS’S, We do not publish this Magazine. Please read the .pdf file it lists where to make address changes we have also listed it below.

Need to change your address for Shift Colors?
If you are receiving retirement pay or benefits
from the Navy, you need only contact the Defense
Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) at
1-800-321-1080.

Ask DFAS to update your correspondence
address. The change will automatically update the
Shift Colors database.

If you are a “gray area” retiree (a retired
Reservist not yet receiving retirement pay) call Navy
Personnel Command’s (NPC) Customer Service
Center at 1-866-U-ASKNPC (1-866-827-5672).

Surviving spouses who wish to continue receiving
Shift Colors upon their spouse’s passing should
call the NPC Customer Service Center or write to
Shift Colors at:

Department of the Navy
Shift Colors (PERS 00R)
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055

Be sure to include the
following information:
• Your full name
• Your current address
• Your full Social Security Number
• Your spouse’s full name
• Your spouse’s full SSN

————————————

Shipmates,

I get this mag every quarter and they post it online as well.

I have uploaded it to our server and will continue to do so when I receive them. There is a lot of good info in here for retiree’s as well as Vet’s..

Take a look

“SHIFT COLORS MAGAZINE”

Da-Chief

GIBILL2008.org brought to you by our Friends @ IAVA.ORG !!

Da-Chief — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 21:53:57 +0000

Folks, Just got info from “IAVA.org” about a new site they created to help get information out about the new GI BILL. Here is the email. Go to this site.. it is a real “EYE OPENER”!!
I will have my tuition paid in full + 1000.00 in Books, PLUS $10,710.00 Living Expense Paid to me!!
Now hopefully they will get this thing to work prior to 2009. Anyways, it is coming!! Read Below!!

Dear Darrell,

We fought for a new GI Bill, and because of you, we won. Now it’s time to take the next step.

This morning, I had the honor of addressing the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Convention in Orlando, Florida. The VFW was one of our major allies in the fight for the new GI Bill, and we wouldn’t have succeeded without their support. As part of my remarks, I announced IAVA’s relaunch of www.GIBill2008.org. The website, which served as a critical hub of online activism during our fight for the new GI Bill, is now a resource center for members of the military to learn about their hard-earned education benefits.

Starting this week, www.GIBill2008.org will provide America’s newest generation of veterans with the tools they need to access the new GI Bill. It includes an interactive benefits calculator based on your zip code, answers to Frequently Asked Questions, and the latest news and information about the new GI Bill as it goes into effect.

IAVA is committed to helping eligible veterans access their new benefit, and we’ve begun community outreach with ads in newspapers across the country, urging veterans to visit www.GIBill2008.org. The original GI Bill made education affordable for millions of veterans during the 20^th century. Thanks to your help in fighting for the new GI Bill, millions more will have the same opportunity in the 21^st century. None of this would be possible without your continued support.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran

Executive Director

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Please visit both sites. We are a member of the IAVA here at Corpsman.com. We would not have the new GI bill if not for them.

Support those who support you.

Thanks!
Da-Chief

New Retirement System Proposal From Quad Review.. My Head Hurts…

Da-Chief — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 18:17:23 +0000

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

No. 660-08
August 05, 2008

Second Volume of Tenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation Released

The Department of Defense released today the second volume of the report of the Tenth Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation (QRMC), which assesses the effectiveness of military pay and benefits in recruiting and retaining a high-quality force.

Every four years, DoD commissions a complete review of compensation principles and concepts for members of the armed forces. The 10^th QRMC began in 2006.

DoD will study the recommendations for potential implementation and send selected proposals to Congress as proposed legislation.

The second part of the QRMC reviewed non-cash and deferred compensation, focusing on the following four topics: retirement, Tricare, recruiting and retention incentives for health care professionals, and quality of life. Significant recommendations for each area follow.

Retirement. The commission recommended the department conduct a multi-year test of a new retirement system, to increase the services’ force management flexibility. This new retirement system would provide automatic contributions to service members’ TSP accounts, vesting, payments for reaching service milestones and separation pay. The commission maintains the new retirement system will provide greater equity, flexibility and efficiency, and may result in larger individual monetary outcomes.

Tricare. To ensure retiree fees for Tricare are fair to all retiree populations, the commission recommended under-65 retirees using Prime pay 40 percent of the Medicare Part B premium, and under-65 retirees selecting Standard/Extra pay 15 percent of the Part B premium. Family premiums would be set at twice the individual premium regardless of family size. Premium increases would be phased in over a four-year period. Over the years, the share under-65 retirees paid of their health care costs has declined, while over-65 retirees are paying a significantly higher portion of their health care costs. The commission’s recommendations will return a sense of parity between the two retiree populations, while ensuring the health system remains economically viable.

Medical Personnel. The commission examined options to increase the recruiting and retention of medical, dental and nurse corps personnel. The commission’s recommendations included increasing benefits for the Health Professions Scholarship, improving active duty nurse recruiting by expanding the market and adding educational opportunities, recruiting non-citizens with U.S. health degrees and leveraging inter-service transfer bonuses.

Quality of Life. The commission provided several recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of quality of life programs, including the adoption of health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts, creation of education vouchers, formation of military charter schools and changes to the child care system. The committee further suggested the department change the way it develops the overseas cost of living allowance rate, to be consistent with the methodology used in the continental United States.

This is the second volume of the study, covering non-cash and deferred compensation. The first volume was released in March, and focused on the following cash compensation areas: pay comparability, special and incentive pays, pay for performance and housing. Full recommendations, in greater detail, can be viewed on the Web at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/QRMCreport.pdf .

A hero of heroes

Da-Chief — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:00:09 +0000

A hero of heroes

Army medic saved troops’ lives during two defining battles of WWII

By Sarah Roberts

RRSTAR.COM

Posted May 18, 2008 @ 08:23 PM

CAPRON —

“Sky full of airplanes. Hear enemy guns roar. Just pulverized entire field.” — July 25, 1944

Looking back at that diary entry, Gene Kleindl admits he had no idea what he was getting into when he walked into Rockford’s Camp Grant with his older brother, Cliff, and volunteered for the military in the middle of World War II. This was in 1942, when he was 20 years old.

“Everybody wanted to be in the service at that time,” Kleindl, now 85 and living in rural Capron, said. “There was excitement about the war, a sense of not being sure what was going on.”

Kleindl’s journey as an Army medic took him from Camp Grant to training in Texas and New Jersey and eventually to Normandy, France, where he landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, and then Bastogne, Belgium, for the Battle of the Bulge.

On May 26, Kleindl will serve as the honorary marshal of the Winnebago County Veterans Memorial Day parade. Kleindl has been marching in local parades since the 1950s. This year, he’ll also be representing “all the medics who served during wars,” parade Chairman Jeffrey Schroeder said.

Kleindl was in Europe for 17 months and saw 311 days of combat, by his count. He was a litter bearer with the 90th Infantry Division, nicknamed the “Tough ’Ombres,” primarily responsible for evacuating wounded soldiers and carrying them to medical stations.

Often, that included search missions under the cover of night or after fighting had ceased, looking for wounded who had been hidden by fellow soldiers making a hasty retreat. Other times, Kleindl performed routine medical checkups or dental work on soldiers if doctors were preoccupied.

In World War II, each Army company was assigned its own litter bearers, aid men, doctors, jeeps and other medical equipment. Aid men were in the thick of battles, tending to wounded soldiers immediately. The peril was so great that Kleindl often didn’t have a chance to learn an aid man’s name before someone else replaced him.

“I almost got asked to be an aid man once,” Kleindl said. “I thought that would be the end of me, but replacements came at the last minute.”

German troops generally respected the Red Cross patch that medics wore on their left sleeve and wouldn’t fire at them, Kleindl said. Some medics carried weapons, but not very often, Kleindl said.

Kleindl discovered an abandoned pistol at some point and carried it with him through the end of the war, though he never shot it. Years later, he took the gun out in his backyard for target practice, only to find it wouldn’t fire.

“I felt so brave carrying that pistol around, and it didn’t even work,” Kleindl said.

Kleindl was never gravely wounded but still had his share of close calls and saw the brutal effects of war: soldiers paralyzed by fear, unable or unwilling to move on the battlefield, and men shooting themselves in the foot to get a few days reprieve from combat.

“As a medic, all you’re trying to figure out is, ‘Is that one ours or theirs?’ and try not to get hit,” Kleindl said. “I did think sometimes, ‘Is this ever going to end? Am I ever going to get out of this place?’ ”

The memories are sharp and clear and come easily to Kleindl, at least the early years, before the “slow, hardening process of war” prompted his mind to gloss over some of the later, more horrific details. The relics of Kleindl’s service are confined mostly to his basement, which is lined wall to wall with uniforms, helmets, guns and photographs.

Kleindl collected a good portion of the souvenirs during his service, often when he searched or treated prisoners. He also kept a diary from the time he arrived in England to his discharge in fall 1945, the contents of which he transcribed and arranged in a three-ring binder, along with articles and photographs depicting other aspects of the war.

The entries chronicle everything from a day he spent playing the guitar and writing letters to his mother to the day he “kissed a nice gal on her cheek” while passing through a German village to the day in April 1945 when he saw his first concentration camp in Czechoslovakia.

Included among the accounts is an October 1945 Rockford Morning Star article heralding the Kleindl brothers’ return to Rockford. Kleindl found a job at JL Clark Corp., where he worked for 35 years, and ran a small printing business out of his home. He married the friend of his high school girlfriend and together they raised four children.

In retirement, Kleindl has kept busy with gardening and reconnecting with fellow World War II veterans, including those who remain from the 90th.

“When people talk about patriotism today and dying for the flag, that’s not really it,” Kleindl said. “You’re dying for your buddies that you bonded with back in basic training. Whatever you’re doing, you’re doing for them.”

Kleindl is scheduled to ride in a jeep for the parade on May 26, but if he has his way, he’ll be marching, joined by two of his grandchildren. Either way, he will be shedding light on an overlooked but crucial occupation, organizers say.

“Medics played a vital role, and the farther back you go, they played an even more vital role,” Schroeder said. “Many of them lost their lives, too. They’re very much unsung heroes.”

Kleindl doesn’t quite see it that way.

“I don’t feel qualified (to be parade marshal),” he said. “The dead people should be honored more than the living. I haven’t done anything in my opinion to be called a hero or get a special honor. I do appreciate it, though, when people seem to be interested in what I did.”

Staff writer Sarah Roberts can be reached at 815-987-1354 or smrobert@rrstar.com.

About Gene Kleindl
Age: 85

Hometown: Rockford. Moved to Capron in 1987

Education: Graduated East High School in 1942

Military service: Joined the Army in October 1942 and was discharged in 1945

Family: Wife, Joanne, four children and eight grandchildren

Hobbies: Gardening

Groups/organizations: Daniel Post 864, has marched in local Memorial Day parades since the 1950s

If you go
What: Winnebago County Veterans Memorial Day Parade and Memoriam Service.

Where: Downtown Rockford. Parade starts at Seventh Street and Third Avenue and ends at Beattie Park. The memorial service will be held on the banks of the Rock River behind the Rockford Public Library immediately after the parade ends.

When: 9 a.m. Monday, May 26

Cost: Free

Info: No rain date is scheduled. For more information, contact Jeffrey Schroeder at 815-963-6003.

Overcoming Obstacles is Key to Veterans’ Success Stories

Da-Chief — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:04:56 +0000

“The American Veteran” Highlights Helpful Programs

WASHINGTON – Military members are trained to overcome obstacles, as part of a team, to achieve their mission. Returning to civilian life, especially after a combat tour, poses new challenges for many service members, requiring new tools and new forms of support.

Programs to help these veterans, available from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and partnering organizations, are the focus of the April edition of “The American Veteran,” VA’s monthly half-hour news magazine.

“We are committed to outreaching to veterans and military personnel about the VA programs available to help these warriors recover from their physical and mental injuries,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “These stories showcase the courage and determination of the veterans, as well as the commitment of those willing to help – many of whom are veterans themselves.”

The lead story looks at veteran suicide, examining the programs VA has put in place to ensure that everyone from front line clerks to mental health providers are prepared to recognize the early warning signs of suicide and know how to respond.

A second feature looks at a unique rehabilitation program in Florida, “Shake A Leg,” designed to help disabled veterans cope with physical and mental difficulties by teaching them how to sail.

In another story, VA partners with city leaders in Fargo, N.D., to support Project HART, a program created to help homeless veterans get off the street and stay off the street with a unique four-step program.

The series is designed to inform active duty members, veterans, their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned and to recognize and honor them. VA’s Office of Public Affairs and the VA Learning University/ Employee Education System (VALU/EES) produce the program and broadcast it to VA facilities around the world on The Pentagon Channel and to community cable outlets.

Aimed at veterans of all eras, VA also tells stories of heroism and sacrifice, and relives moments in history with those who were there, reminding veterans of the bond of service they all share.

The VA Office of Public Affairs offers the program to local broadcasters and cable outlets and makes it available for viewing on the VA Web site, www.va.gov. Just click on “Public Affairs” and then “Featured Items.”

“The American Veteran” schedule on The Pentagon Channel is available at * http://www.pentagonchannel.mil *. The Pentagon Channel has more than 1 million military viewers and is delivered domestically via DISH, EchoStar, T-Warner and Cox cable systems. (Check for service in your area.)

Additional stories on the April edition of “The American Veteran” include:

VA’s Newest Liver Transplant Center — A look at VA’s third and newest Liver Transplant Center at the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center in Houston where Michael Abshire became the first patient to go through their liver transplant program.

* VA dedicates a new national cemetery in South Florida.

* A new Travel Nurse Corps is designed to address the nursing shortage.

* New GI Bill rules provide an increase in educational benefits.

* A VA research project searching for a vaccine against Salmonella bacterium is carried aboard a NASA space shuttle to the International space station.

* James H. Parke Youth Volunteer Award Winner — Meet Megan Smith a high school junior from Miami. Megan is this year’s winner of VA’s James H. Parke $20,000.00 Youth Volunteer Award Scholarship.

For information about “The American Veteran” program and how to obtain it for local programming, contact VA at 202-461-7502.

* Indicates a link to a non-VA Web site.

People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs Distribution List.

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