Veterans Getting Random Acts of Flowers

Petal Power: Recycled flowers bring smiles to veterans' faces in Florida

Connecting Vets
JULIA LEDOUX
AUGUST 21, 2019

Random Acts of Flowers began because of a near-fatal accident suffered by its founder, Larsen Jay, who fell off a ladder two stories tall and broke every bone in his body in 2007. “He got overwhelming support,” said Donoghue. “His whole hospital room was full of flowers.”

We’ve all heard of recycling plastic, glass and paper.

But what about recycling flowers for veterans?

That’s exactly what Random Acts of Flowers does.

The non-profit recycles and repurposes day-old flowers and delivers them to patients at the Bay Pines Veterans Hospital and other hospitals, hospices and nursing facilities throughout the greater Tampa Bay, Fla. area.

The volunteers who deliver the flowers to the VA medical center are all veterans themselves, said Janette Donoghue, executive director of Random Acts of Flowers Tampa Bay.

“It’s near and dear to their hearts,” she said. “That’s something they want to do, it’s a veteran giving to a veteran.”
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Fayetteville VA failed vets at high risk of suicide

Report says Fayetteville VA failed vets at high risk of suicide
Fayetteville Observer
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
Feb 02, 2013

A recent government audit of the Fayetteville Veterans Affairs Medical Center shows that the VA failed to properly check on veterans considered high suicide risks after releasing them from the hospital.

The audit precedes a report released Friday that says the vast majority of veterans seeking help from the VA who attempt suicide do so within a month of a hospital visit.

The report, billed as the first comprehensive review of veteran suicides, found that an average of 22 veterans a day committed suicide in 2010.

The audit of the Fayetteville VA was prepared by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and released Dec. 10.

It found the VA noncompliant in two areas dealing with mental health - workers failed to property follow up with patients in accordance with Veterans Health Administration policy and did not document attempts to contact patients who failed to appear for scheduled appointments.

According to the audit, nine of 10 patients who were on the high risk for suicide list did not receive sufficient follow-ups.

The VA is required to check on such patients weekly for the first month following their release, according to the review, but Fayetteville officials failed to check on the patients for the last two weeks of that period. The report released Friday by the Department of Veterans Affairs revealed that 80 percent of all suicide attempts among VA patients occur within that one-month span.
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Minneapolis VA faulted after Vietnam vet's suicide

Minneapolis VA faulted after Vietnam vet's suicide
Tuesday, August 28, 2012


MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center was "deficient" in its handling of a suicidal Vietnam War veteran who killed himself while under the agency's care, according to a recent report by the national Veterans Administration office.

The one-time Marine had survived a recent suicide attempt, and mental health staff warned that he might attempt suicide again. But the hospital failed to follow up, according to the report from the VA Inspector General's office.

"While we cannot say whether implementation of (recommended) measures would have changed the outcome of this case, the facility nonetheless did not adhere to (VA) guidelines on managing this patient at high risk of suicide," the report said.

Ralph Heussner, a spokesman for the Minneapolis VA, said the hospital has since improved communication between departments about high-risk patients and updated its suicide-prevention training and policies.

"Every veteran's suicide is a tragedy and we appreciate the review of this incident," Heussner said. "We will use this information to improve our system of flagging potential risks."
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Homeless man upset with VA broke into TV station and stabbed 2 workers

Man upset with Veterans Affairs breaks into Kansas television station, stabs 2 workers
By Associated Press
Published: May 23

TOPEKA, Kan. — A man wielding a knife broke into a Kansas television station Wednesday morning and stabbed two sales employees.

WIBW-TV in Topeka (http://bit.ly/MnNXEV) reported the man eventually was tackled and held down by several employees until police arrived. While restrained, the man threatened to kill the staff and bit at least one worker.

The suspect and two people who were stabbed were taken to a hospital for treatment. None of their injuries were considered serious.

Topeka police Capt. Brian Desch said in a news release that the 48-year-old homeless man was booked into jail on suspicion of six counts, including aggravated battery and burglary.
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Miami VA names new chief for 57,000 veterans

Veterans Affairs names new Miami VA chief

 Paul M. Russo is coming from North Carolina to replace Mary Berrocal, who retired in November.

BY CAROL ROSENBERG

Paul M. Russo, a three-decade veteran of health work at the Veterans Health Administration, has been chosen to take over as the new director of Miami’s regional VA health care network, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Friday.

 As director of the Miami VA Health Care System, Russo will oversee delivery of health care to more than 57,000 veterans living in South Florida and an operating budget of $478 million. read more here

Veteran used pistol in his clothing bag to fatally wound himself at VA

Police report says veteran used pistol in his clothing bag to fatally wound himself
Published: Saturday, October 15, 2011
By Dominique Fong, The Oregonian

A 67-year-old veteran used a pistol in his clothing bag to shoot and kill himself Thursday while he was a patient at the Portland VA Medical Center, according to a Portland police report.

On Thursday, nursing staff alerted the hospital’s security officers that the man had shot himself in a first-floor room. Portland police then arrived.

According to the report, hospital security officers said the man brought a pistol from home and brought it with him in a clothing bag to the medical center.
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Hayworth Rallies Support for Bill to Save VA Hospitals from Developers

Hayworth Rallies Support for Bill to Save VA Hospitals from Developers
Buchanan press conference draws more than 100; H.R. 2642 would prevent Montrose, Castle Point campuses from being sold or leased
By Bryan Byrne

"Do you know why we have freedom? There are five reasons: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard!" Karl Rohde

Rep. Nan Hayworth rallied support Friday, Aug. 5, from a Buchanan audience of more than 100 veterans and others for H.R. 2642, a bill she has introduced to protect hundreds of Veterans Administration acres along the Hudson River from being turned over to developers looking to use the land to build high-end condominiums.

"Decades ago a commision was was developed - with the best of intentions - to see how some of the VA campuses across the country might be repurposed," Hayworth told the gathering on the front lawn of Village Hall.

"A proposal, called an enhanced use lease, would lease 172 of the 184 acres of the Montrose VA campus for development. Our veterans have been very concerned about this plan and I can understand why."

H.R.2642 would prohibit the disposal of land or buildings by any means at the Montrose or Castle Point campuses of the Hudson Valley Health Care System. Both are in Hayworth's 19th District.

The congresswoman stressed the importance of the Montrose campus's capabilities for treating patients from the ongoing war on terror for such conditions as post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Hayworth Rallies Support for Bill to Save VA Hospitals from Developers

Army vet donates $1.5m to VA hospital

Army vet donates $1.5m to VA hospital

By David Mercer - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 6, 2009 20:33:50 EDT

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — After serving in the Korean War, John Wright apparently lived a quiet life in Danville, where he volunteered at the local Veterans Administration hospital but otherwise kept to himself.

As it turns out, Wright was also building a fortune in real estate and other investments worth $1.56 million, all of which he left to the eastern Illinois town’s VA hospital when he died.

The staff and other volunteers he got to know in his 40 years volunteering at the hospital’s recreation therapy section were the closest thing Wright had to family, said Douglas Shouse, a hospital spokesman.

“They were his family,” Shouse said. “On holidays he would go to [meet] the recreation staff for meals.”

His colleagues at the hospital did not know much more about Wright’s life outside the hospital or his military record.

“John was pretty subdued and didn’t really talk about his military service,” Shouse said.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_army_va_hospital_will_100609/

New Jersey Acute Psychiatric Unit nurse spreads laughter

You have to learn to laugh when you can.

My husband has a hat with this on it.

I have a patch,,,,,,


This nurse is giving the best medicine.

The Best Medicine

N.j. Nurse Helps Patients Laugh — As A Way To Heal The Body And The Soul



Everyone knows her. Patients always ask for her and are disappointed when they hear about her day off. There are many reasons — her kindness and caring, knowledge and skill — but there is something more. Ask most patients, and they will say, "She makes me smile and laugh."

Humor all around


Cathy Parochniack, RN, BSN, MA, CLL, has worked in psychiatric settings for more than 20 years, using humor as a way to help patients. Currently, she is a staff nurse on the Acute Psychiatric Unit at the Veterans' Administration Hospital, Lyons, New Jersey campus.

"It has to be the right kind of humor," says Parochniack. "Gentle and positive humor is more healing, as we look for the absurdities of life and try to point them out. Think Erma Bombeck rather than Don Rickles. Humor changes your perspective on problems, and that can be very helpful."

This kind of therapy doesn't depend on the patient having a sense of humor, adds Parochniack. Even if the individual doesn't understand or focus on the jokes, laughter can help. The very act of simulating laughter produces the benefits of genuine laughter. In her groups, there may be some humor in reminiscing and some opportunity for the members to tell stories from their own experiences. "At the Veterans' Nursing Home group, everyone gets into the spotlight to tell a story that is often amusing," says Parochniack. Some groups also focus on specific exercises that simulate laughter.

Because laughter reduces stress and releases endorphins, many stress-related problems such as hypertension and cardiac problems may be affected, as well as problems like chronic pain.
go here for more
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJUL08/nf071508-1.htm

DOD 75,000 casualties, VA 300,000 new patients confirmed

PRESS RELEASE


Contact: Paul Sullivan, Executive Director, Veterans for Common Sense, Paul@VeteransForCommonSense.org

Iraq and Afghanistan War Casualties Escalate

DoD Confirms 75,000 Battlefield Casualties; VA Confirms 300,000 New Patients

April 15, 2005, Washington, DC – Veterans for Common Sense thanks CBS News for reporting two important – yet relatively unknown – facts about the impact of Iraq and Afghanistan wars on our military and on our veterans:

The Department of Defense confirms there are 75,000 U.S. service members battlefield casualties.

The Department of Veterans Affairs confirms there are 300,000 new unexpected veteran patients at VA hospitals and clinics.

Read the CBS article here:
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/9826

VCS believes Americans should know the full extent of the impact caused by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – the 75,000 service member battlefield casualties, plus the 300,000 veteran patients here at home. VCS wants our service members to receive the best physical and mental healthcare available while in the military. And we want our VA hospitals to quickly increase staffing and cut red tape so VA is ready, willing, and able to take care of all of their current patients, plus the tidal wave of new war veteran patients flooding into the system.

Never again should a suicidal veteran be turned away from VA. Read about the suicide of Iraq War veteran Jonathan Schulze here:
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/articleid/7320

Veterans for Common Sense provided prior versions of the same documents to Columbia University Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard University Professor Linda Bilmes as an essential component for their new book, “The Three Trillion Dollar War,” where they estimated the consequences of the two wars may cause as many as 700,000 disabled veterans requiring VA healthcare and disability benefits costing U.S. taxpayers up to $700 billion over 40 years. VCS obtained the casualty reports from Department of Defense and the healthcare use reports from Department of Veterans Affairs using the Freedom of Information Act.

Paul Sullivan
Executive Director
Veterans for Common Sense
Post Office Box 15514
Washington, DC 20003
(202) 558-4553
Paul@VeteransForCommonSense.org
www.VeteransForCommonSense.org

New Orleans hospital issue stirs veterans

New Orleans hospital issue stirs veterans
Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

The issue of relocating the Veterans Administration Hospital in New Orleans is a touchy one for Link Savoie, a member of the committee on veterans affairs on Gov. Bobby Jindal's transition team.

Savoie sees medical students from LSU and Tulane getting more consideration than veterans.


"When Katrina hit New Orleans, that area of the city flooded," Savoie said. "All the good equipment at the VA was on the first and second floors, so it was ruined. Now, they're talking about rebuilding the hospital near the same location."

The VA has stated it wants that similar location, instead of a move to Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans or elsewhere, as a convenience to the medical students. That has incensed veterans like Savoie, who sees veterans being demoted in importance.
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Orlando Area finally getting a VA Hospital

Veterans hospital comes to Lake Nona
An agreement brings the $553 million facility to Orlando's new medical campus.
Harry Wessel Sentinel Staff Writer
December 19, 2007
The two-decadelong dream of a VA hospital in Central Florida took a big step toward reality Tuesday when the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Tavistock Group signed an agreement to bring the long-awaited facility to a planned "medical city" in the southeast corner of Orlando.

"Finally, the largest metropolitan area not serviced by a VA medical center will now have a facility at Lake Nona," said U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Oviedo, who said he would push for full funding of the VA hospital in the federal government's fiscal 2008 budget.

Congress has previously authorized money for the Orlando VA hospital, including $35 million to purchase the property. Terms of the agreement Tuesday were not disclosed, though Feeney's office noted the authorization amount had not changed and that the total amount for the VA hospital "will be over $377 million."


It should be well over that. The total bill for the VA-hospital project will be an estimated $553 million, according to a letter sent Tuesday from U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez to Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James Peake.

In a separate press release, Martinez pledged to work for full funding of the VA hospital now that "all major aspects of the negotiation have been agreed upon."
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Up until then Orlando has the VA Clinic

About Orlando VAMC
The Orlando VA Medical Center includes the Orlando VA Medical Center, Nursing Home Care Unit, the Domiciliary and Rehabilitation Program, Viera OPC, Daytona OPC, and the 3 Community Based Outpatient Clinics which are located in Leesburg, Kissimmee, and Sanford. Learn more about Orlando VAMC.

About this Facility
The Orlando VA Medical Center, serving an area of more than 90,000 veteran patients in East Central Florida, is one of seven members of the VISN 8 Healthcare System. The Orlando VA Medical Center includes the Orlando VA Medical Center, Nursing Home Care Unit, the Domiciliary and Rehabilitation Program, Viera OPC, Daytona OPC, and the 3 Community Based Outpatient Clinics which are located in Leesburg, Kissimmee, and Sanford.

The East Central Florida veteran population is slated for a new hospital to be built in 2012 to serve nearly 400,000 veterans. This much needed facility will make it easier for east central Florida veterans to access VA’s world-class medical center and relieve the burden of traveling long distances for their inpatient care.

In addition to our main facility in Orlando, we offer services in several outpatient clinics in our 6 county patient service area. These clinics are located in —
Daytona Beach
Kissimmee
Leesburg
Sanford
Viera




Suicide Prevention Awareness
Together, Vet Centers and VA Medical Centers stand ready to reach out and help veterans at risk for suicide. Seek professional help. Learn more about Suicide Prevention.

Not that the news has paid much attention to what is going on with Orlando area veterans.

Raising GIs' mental health care discussed

Raising GIs' mental health care discussed


Web Posted: 08/25/2007 09:53 PM CDT

Abe Levy
Express-News

Fueled by growing public support for better resources for soldiers wounded in Iraq, a local partnership of military and civilian mental health agencies has formed to expand the fight against post-traumatic stress disorder — not only for military personnel, but their spouses and children.

And federal lawmakers appear supportive, proposing billions in new funding toward the cause and vowing to beef up mental health care services at military hospitals and clean up subpar standards at Veterans Affairs hospitals.

They're also supporting a plan to fund civilian contracts for health care services that includes help for military families, a move many say recognizes the link between post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and depression, spousal and child abuse, and suicide.

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