by Jim Fausone

There is no way the VA is going to be able to help every veteran in every situation.  I think it is important that Veteran Service Organizations (VSO), veteran business owners and veteran centric groups step up and help out.  This requires a local effort of neighbors helping neighbors.   Stop worrying about VA getting it right and jump in and help.

VA recently denied a housing grant to assist a disabled veteran build a garage.  We belong to a group that handles these types of requests.  Our volunteers can go to the house and confirm the request and then work with people to get the job done and supply funding.  We have also found many times people were trying to scam the system.  If you live in Boston or are with a local Boston VSO maybe this is a relevant project to take on.  

Read about this vet and his need for a garage: 

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1296658

by Jim Fausone

Tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears, is a major health issue for soldiers returning from combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.  It is also a major and common disability for those from Vietnam combat. The condition was the most-claimed service-connected disability for veterans receiving compensation in fiscal year 2009-10, according to the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.  

The audiology clinic at the Phoenix veterans hospital has added staff and extended hours. The hospital will launch a national tinnitus program called Progressive Tinnitus Management to help veterans with the disorder.  Audiologists and mental-health professionals will work together to help veterans manage their reaction to tinnitus. The VA has been developing the program for five years using research literature, textbooks and clinical experience.  We can only hope that the results are sufficient to roll out the program nationally. 

Read more about this program at:  

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/2906270,CST-WS-ears19.article

by Jim Fausone

VSOs play an important role in the reintegration of troops into society and the delivery of veteran benefits information.  The reduction in members is of concern to the survival of VSOs.  These groups have to make themselves more relevant to today’s veterans. The groups are adopting the use of social media. 

The American Legion has about 20,000 Facebook members.   IAVA has 169,000 supporters on Facebook. VFW has 64,000 Facebook followers. Connecting by use of social media is just one step in remaining relevant. Others are discussed in the attached article.

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/11/army-vets-turn-to-social-media-111910w/

by Kristina Derro

Many individuals have previously filed claims for disabilities that have recently been added as presumptive diseases for Agent Orange exposure. As a result of Nehmer, these individuals can have their previous claims reinstated and adjudicated. The VA is doing just that—hundreds of thousands of previously denied cases have been reopened and are in the process of being adjudicated.

Word from VA is that the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims has instructed it to process these claims first, prior to adjudicating other claims. Therefore, we have been receiving word from local Regional Offices that the normal “slow” process at VA has been slowed even further because the VA has been focusing on these Nehmer claims and not working on the other claims.

Word of advice: prepare for a long wait at VA!

by Jim Fausone

The VA often funds research that is helpful in understanding complex medical conditions.  VA and Stanford University completed a large study that shows that among younger veterans enrolled in VA health care, those with a mental health condition—especially posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)—tend to have more physical ailments.  The results, published online Sept. 18 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, explain the link between emotional stress and physical illness. 

The researchers examined the records of more than 90,000 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who used VA outpatient care in fiscal year 2006–2007. The majority had received a diagnosis of at least one mental health condition. About 35 percent of men and 27 percent of women had PTSD. The link between PTSD and medical (non-mental) illness was stronger among women than among men. Women with PTSD had a median of 7 medical conditions, versus 4.5 for women with no mental health diagnosis. The most common physical ailments for women were lower-back problems, headaches and lower-extremity joint disorders. Men with PTSD had a median of 5 medical conditions, versus 4 for men with no mental health diagnosis. The most common complaints for men were similar to those of women—for example, back and knee problems—but also included hearing loss.

As you advance your disability claim and secondary or related claims, this research may be helpful. Read more at  http://www.research.va.gov/currents/oct10/oct10-3.cfm

by Jim Fausone

I am often asked about being married to a General.  Believe me it has its benefits but it is not always easy.  Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone has spent 32 years wearing the Air Force blue uniform with assignments all over the world.  Currently, she is the Assistant Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs in the State of Michigan.  

 Veterans Day 2010, she will travel the State and give a dozen speeches.  One good assignment is being the Officer of the Day at the Illinois v Michigan football game’s ceremony honoring veterans. The General gets field access with the ROTC and sky box access with the Regents. Not a bad job for the spouse who tags along.  She recently gave a presentation at the University of Michigan where she obtained her nursing degree. 

If you want to read about that speech click on:  http://www.nursing.umich.edu/about-our-school/news-portal/201011/1353

by Jim Fausone

The rash of suicides this year that involve members of the military has been getting plenty of attention.  Veterans face the same suicide problem brought on by the stress of war.  Military veterans with psychiatric illnesses are at increased risk for suicide, says a new study by the University of Michigan in conjunction with US Department of Veteran Affairs.

The researchers examined the psychiatric records of more than three million veterans who received any type of care at a VA facility in 1999. Over the next seven years, 7,684 of the veterans committed suicide. Slightly half of them had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. All of the psychiatric conditions included in the study — depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, substance abuse disorders, post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and other anxiety disorders — were associated with increased risk of suicide.

 To read more about the study:

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/645083.html

by Jim Fausone

VA announced  that on November 1st it has finally started making payments under the new AO rules. Providing initial payments – or increases to existing payments – to the 200,000 Veterans who now qualify for disability compensation is expected to take several months.  The three new presumptive diseases which have been in the press all year are:  B-cell (or hairy-cell) leukemia, Parkinson’s disease and ischemic heart disease. 

To read more about the VA’s efforts in this area read http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1991