2.      VA Official Notes Federal Support For Veterans Courts. In continuing coverage, the Tulsa (OK) World (8/10, Graham) says a "regional veterans justice outreach training conference" that began in Tulsa on Monday was "put together after Tulsa's Veterans Treatment Court was named...one of four national mentor programs by the National Drug Court Institute. The designation means the court can get grants from the institute and put on training sessions, such as this one, which continues through Tuesday." Paul Hutter, the "chief officer of legislative, regulatory and intergovernmental affairs for the federal Department of Veterans Affairs," attended the conference on Monday and "said veterans court programs have federal support, noting that they have increased from 12 in April 2009 to the present 42." The KRMG-AM Tulsa, OK (8/9, Crockett) also took note of the conference.

 

3.      VA Official: Healthcare Becoming More Methodical In Preparing For Bad Events. During a segment on man-made disasters, the NPR (8/9) program, "Talk Of The Nation," spoke to James Bagian, a "former NASA astronaut" who currently directs the Veteran Administration's National Center for Patient Safety. Bagian told NPR that his "observation" is that in fields "more heavily...rooted" in engineering --- "so, space flight, aviation -- there tends to be a more methodical approach to what can go wrong, anticipation of that, and then to try to put robust systems in place to account for that and reduce the probability of a bad event." Bagian went on to say that in healthcare "over the last 10 years or so, there's starting to be an awakening of how to do the same things, rather than concentrate on asking people to be more careful, try harder, don't make mistakes and be perfect."

  

4.      Parents Connecting Agent Orange Exposure To Medical Problems Afflicting Their Children. According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (8/10, Smith), a "growing number of parents" are "connecting exposure to Agent Orange with...ailments affecting their children. Dioxin exposure will be a key topic at a national leadership conference" being held in Florida this week by the Vietnam Veterans of America, which will also "host town hall meetings on Agent Orange, starting in California, in October." The Tribune-Review adds, "C. Bernie Good," chief "of the section on general internal medicine at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, said there is little credible research on a link between birth defects and dioxin exposure in men."

 

5.      Stimulus Money To Fund Veterans Wellness Treatment Program. KOAT-TV Albuquerque, NM (8/9, 10:31 p.m. MT) broadcast, "New Mexico's veterans are getting" $350,000 in Federal "stimulus money to help cope" with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After noting that the money "will create the first ever veterans wellness treatment program," KOAT added, "According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 25 percent of vets nationwide have signs of PTSD."

 

6.      Three Charged With Stealing Donations From Disabled Vet. The Norwich (CT) Bulletin (8/10, Smith) notes that on Saturday, police in Colchester, Connecticut, "arrested three men in connection with the brazen midday theft of a donation box from wheelchair-bound disabled veteran raising money in front of the Stop & Shop in Colchester." Walt Pallman, a "member of the American Legion Post 54 in Colchester who is familiar" with the victim, "said the Vietnam veteran was raising money to participate in the annual National Golden Age Games, a sporting event for senior veterans receiving medical care through the Department of Veterans Affairs."

 

7.      No New Leads Reported In Mojave Cross Theft Case. The Victorville (CA) Daily Press (8/9, Lindstrom) reported, "Three months since the Mojave Cross was stolen from its site at Sunrise Rock, a legal battle is ensuing over when" the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) "can erect a new one, and investigators haven't reported any leads into who swiped the national memorial." In 1934, the VFW "first placed a wooden cross on Sunrise Rock, about 10 miles south of Interstate 15 off Cima Road, to honor those killed in World War I." After noting that the cross "came under legal fire...by a former park service employee on grounds that it violated the constitutional separation of church and state," the Daily Press pointed out that in April, the US Supreme Court "said the cross should remain," after which time it was stolen by an "unknown vandal."

 

8.      Stimulus Funds Paying For VA Hospital Improvements. The Durham (NC) Herald-Sun (8/10, Offen) reports, "Eight million dollars in federal stimulus payments has funded significant improvements" to the Veterans Affairs hospital in Durham. Among "those upgrades has been an expanded physical therapy space for veterans in the Community Living Center that cost $541,000."

 

9.      Petition Calls For Another VA Clinic In West Virginia. On its website, WVNS-TV Bluefield, WV (8/9) reported, "Leaders with the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce are lending their support to bring" a Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic to "nature's air-conditioned city." After noting that a petition "has been circulating to gauge support for a clinic in Bluefield, thanks to the Chamber," WVNS added, "That petition will be presented" to US Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) "on Aug. 20, 2010." News "came last week" from the VA hospital in Beckley, West Virginia, that two new VA outpatient clinics will be opening in Greenbrier County and Wytheville.

 

10.    VA Reps To Be On Hand At Veterans Information Day. The WXVT-TV Greenwood, MS (8/9) website said veterans are "urged to come out for the third annual Veterans Information Day," which will be held "at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Washington County Convention Center." Representatives from the US Department of Veterans Affairs "office in Jackson, and from the VA branch clinic in Greenville, will be on hand."

 

11.    VA Hospital Worker Setting Up Project To Assist Unemployed. The Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram (8/10, Nishimura) says 62-year-old George Tengowski, an "engineering technician" for the Veterans Affairs hospital in Dallas, Texas, "hopes an unusual idea, turning a compact car into a two-seat cargo hauler, can help to retrain unemployed people for jobs." After noting that Tengowski has already "converted three Hyundai Accent hatchbacks," which are on "consignment at Manuel Hyundai in west Fort Worth," the Star-Telegram adds, "Tengowski says that if they sell, he'll use the money to help seed a foundation he formed several years ago. And assuming that there is demand for the vehicles, which get more than 30 miles to the gallon, he wants to take on unemployed people as temporary employees to do the conversions," the proceeds from which, according to the Star-Telegram, "would go to his Christian Interfaith Foundation, which would help retrain workers."

 

12.    WPost: Arlington National Cemetery Appears To Be Improving But More Must Be Done. In an editorial, the Washington Post (8/10) says that since a report on "numerous discrepancies in accounting and recordkeeping" at Arlington National Cemetery "emerged, change has been underway" and the facility "seems to be on the path to improvement," although "continued monitoring will be necessary to hold it accountable." The Post also emphasizes, however, that the US Army, which oversees Arlington, "must hold accountable those who were responsible for squandering the public's trust -- and millions of dollars on noncompetitive, improperly documented contracts for an information technology system that never materialized."

  

13.    Children And Young Adults Often Go Unscreened For Heart Disease Risk. The Chicago Tribune (8/10, Schiewe) says a "study published in the July-August issue" of the Annals of Family Medicine found that fewer than 50% of young adults were getting screened for LDL cholesterol." The Tribune quotes "Dr. John Gaziano, a preventive cardiologist" at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, who said available guidelines related to the do not give "you a clear understanding of how often you should be screening patients."

 

14.    Doctors In Demand: Shift Toward Hospitalists. The North Dakota-based Forum Of Fargo-Moorhead (8/9, Nowatzki) said Dr. Muhammed Shaikh "director of the hospitalist program" at Innovis Health, "represents a shift in patient care that...shows no signs of cooling off. The days of patients seeing the same doctor in the clinic and hospital are disappearing, rapidly being replaced by a team concept that keeps primary care physicians busy with outpatients while hospitalists treat the sicker," admitted patients. The Forum said that according to Peggy Wheelden, public affairs director for the Veterans Affairs hospital in Fargo, her facility has six hospitalists on staff.

 

15.    Funds From The American Recovery And Reinvestment Act Fund 57 New Jobs With The VA. The WEWS-TV Cleveland, OH (8/10, Chatterjee) website.

 

16.    VA Clinic Headed For Westport. The Plattsburgh (NY) Press Republican (8/10, McKinstry).

 

17.    VA Plans Enrollment, Health Fair. The Huntington (WV) Herald-Dispatch (8/10).

 

18.    Oregon Veterans Gather Signatures Against Roseburg VA Cuts. The KMTR-TV Eugene, OR (8/9, McKee) website.

 

19.    DC District No. 2 Protests VA Ambulance Decision. The Roseburg (OR) News-Review (8/9, Morse).

 

20.    Vets Invited To Attend Tulsa Drillers Game. The Muskogee (OK) Phoenix (8/10).

 

21.    Community To Meet Over Cancer Clusters. The WBAL-TV Baltimore, MD (8/9, Ng) website.

 

22.    Man On Trial In Father's Death And Burial. The San Bernardino (CA) Sun (8/10, Cruz).

 

23.    US Troops Killed In Afghanistan And Africa. The AP (8/10).

 

24.    Purple Heart Monument Dedicated In Sacramento. The AP (8/9).

 

25.    Pa. Medal Of Honor Recipient Dolby Dies In Idaho. The AP (8/10).

 

26.    65 Years Later, Iwo Jima Still Fresh In Survivors' Minds. The Hartford (CT) Courant (8/10, Drury).

 

27.    Nagasaki Marks 65th Anniversary Of Atomic Bomb Attack. The AP (8/9, Yuasa).

 

28.    On the Hill for August 10, 2010:

 

The Senate is adjourned until Monday, Sept. 13.

The House is adjourned until Monday, Aug. 9, when it will convene at 7 p.m. in a pro forma session. No votes are expected.

Senate:  Not in session.

House:  Not in session.

 

29.    VA Hearings as of August 10, 2010:

 

Hearing on September 15.  HVAC will hold a hearing entitled, “Personality Disorders Discharges: Impact on Veterans’ Benefits.” 

 

Hearing on September 16.  The Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity will hold a hearing to receive an update on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. 

 

Hearing on September 16.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold a hearing on “VBA Claims Processing Training Requirements.” 

 

Hearing on September 22.  The American Legion will give its annual briefing on its legislative agenda before a joint hearing of SVAC and HVAC.

 

Hearing on September 23.  SVAC Oversight Hearing:  “VA Disability Compensation:  Presumptive Disability Decision-Making.” 

 

Hearing on September 23.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Health, will conduct a hearing on “VHA Contracting and Procurement Practices.” 

 

Hearing on September 29.  HVAC, Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on pending legislation.