Construction issues cause delays for VA Medical Center
Facility slated to open in late 2013
ORLANDO, Fla.
WESH news
Construction delays and design changes have veterans in central Florida waiting on a much-anticipated new Orlando Veterans Administration Medical Center.
The VA has promised more scrutiny of the hospital's contractor, but the contractor said it's the VA's design changes that are delaying completion of the project.
Supporters of the project say it is greatly needed because of the growing veteran population in central Florida. When completed, the 300-bed facility and support services will provide care for nearly 500,000 vets who live in central Florida.
The microscope was on contractor Brasfield and Gorrie on Monday.
A U.S. House Subcommittee on Veterans’ Affairs talked to representatives of Brasfield and Gorrie about the future of the new Orlando VA Medical Center in Medical City near Lake Nona. The 65-acre campus was set to open in October, but it could be the end of 2013 before construction is completed.
"They are either going to terminate us, or they're going to work with us," said Jim Gorrie, president and CEO of Brasfield and Gorrie. "You can't just continue down the path we're going."
If construction is completed by the end of 2013, it will be early 2014 before patients needing dialysis or clinic services are seen. Surgeries and overnight stays will be much later, officials said.
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Tuesday, August 14, 2012
TNT Major Crime was against veterans with PTSD
TNT Major Crime was against veterans with PTSD
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
August 14, 2012
'Major Crimes' focus could be a major mistake on USA had the right title but not the right mistake.
The criminals on this opener were, you guessed it, veterans with PTSD!
Reloaded "criminals" this time were from different branches of service and the team had to figure out where they all came together. First it was a gun range, then a game and finally they figured out that they must have all met in treatment. Yes, treatment. The only "thug" to survive was a veteran plus the son of a veteran, coming from a long line of other veterans. The veteran cop/Dad said his son was "doing better" and Provenza started to think "better than what" so he asked the Dad about his son. That's when they figured out the son was not only the mastermind but got the rest of the group killed and when one of them survived, he pulled the trigger on the survivor.
Why is it that James Duff couldn't think of a better way to introduce this spin off? Did he figure he could just take the easy way out and pull some obscure news reports about some veterans with PTSD going bad? He sure didn't put much thought into what it was really like for veterans coming home from endless tours of duty with Combat PTSD more likely to kill themselves than harm anyone else. He didn't think about the fact that while over 2 million have served in the two wars over the last 11 years, there are very few veterans committing "major crimes" against anyone.
In the Closer there were three innocent Army Rangers gunned down coming out of a club.
THE CLOSER “War Zone” Review It started with Brenda going up against the US Army, the FBI, and Pope in order to try to solve the murders of three soldiers just returned from Afghanistan. It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity between twin brothers. How does one brother join the army while the other ends up in a gang? I guess they both “joined up” in their own way, albeit in very different organizations.
This was good because it showed respect and care for the service members but most shows have to tie veterans to crimes they commit, not crimes committed against them.
I loved the Closer, just as I love Criminal Minds. The problem is when they decide to make veterans with PTSD the topic of their shows and end up feeding into the image of a crazed veteran committing crimes and blowing people away.
If you read Wounded Times with any regularity, you know that few commit crimes and if you watch the TV shows with a veteran as the topic, you know how reprehensible it is to know a writer decided they needed a criminal and right away thought of a veteran using PTSD as an excuse. They know about veterans about as much as I know how to fix my car.
Let's put it this way. My check engine light came on and it ended up costing me $90 for diagnostics just because I didn't close the gas cap tight enough!
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
August 14, 2012
'Major Crimes' focus could be a major mistake on USA had the right title but not the right mistake.
The criminals on this opener were, you guessed it, veterans with PTSD!
Reloaded "criminals" this time were from different branches of service and the team had to figure out where they all came together. First it was a gun range, then a game and finally they figured out that they must have all met in treatment. Yes, treatment. The only "thug" to survive was a veteran plus the son of a veteran, coming from a long line of other veterans. The veteran cop/Dad said his son was "doing better" and Provenza started to think "better than what" so he asked the Dad about his son. That's when they figured out the son was not only the mastermind but got the rest of the group killed and when one of them survived, he pulled the trigger on the survivor.
Why is it that James Duff couldn't think of a better way to introduce this spin off? Did he figure he could just take the easy way out and pull some obscure news reports about some veterans with PTSD going bad? He sure didn't put much thought into what it was really like for veterans coming home from endless tours of duty with Combat PTSD more likely to kill themselves than harm anyone else. He didn't think about the fact that while over 2 million have served in the two wars over the last 11 years, there are very few veterans committing "major crimes" against anyone.
In the Closer there were three innocent Army Rangers gunned down coming out of a club.
THE CLOSER “War Zone” Review It started with Brenda going up against the US Army, the FBI, and Pope in order to try to solve the murders of three soldiers just returned from Afghanistan. It turned out to be a case of mistaken identity between twin brothers. How does one brother join the army while the other ends up in a gang? I guess they both “joined up” in their own way, albeit in very different organizations.
This was good because it showed respect and care for the service members but most shows have to tie veterans to crimes they commit, not crimes committed against them.
I loved the Closer, just as I love Criminal Minds. The problem is when they decide to make veterans with PTSD the topic of their shows and end up feeding into the image of a crazed veteran committing crimes and blowing people away.
If you read Wounded Times with any regularity, you know that few commit crimes and if you watch the TV shows with a veteran as the topic, you know how reprehensible it is to know a writer decided they needed a criminal and right away thought of a veteran using PTSD as an excuse. They know about veterans about as much as I know how to fix my car.
Let's put it this way. My check engine light came on and it ended up costing me $90 for diagnostics just because I didn't close the gas cap tight enough!
Orlando 2012 Independence Expo
2012 Independence Expo
United Spinal Association is looking for volunteers to assist at our upcoming Independence Expo – Orlando
Friday, August 24th & Saturday, August 25th
Marriott World Center
World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821
August 24, 2012
2:30pm-3:30pm
Veterans and Employment
The men and women who have served in our country’s Armed Forces have been taught to be prepared for any situation. However, the task of finding employment post-active duty can be at times both taunting and overwhelming. During this workshop session, veterans will learn about the importance of Vocational Rehabilitation, the various employment service opportunities in the Central Florida area and where to apply for them, plus the Workers Opportunity Tax Credit.
Presenter: Annie Artis, Disabled Veteran’s Outreach Program Representative (DVOP); Workforce Central Florida; Ms. Artis is also a Veteran who served in the United States Army where she was mobilized during the Persian Gulf War
United Spinal Association is looking for volunteers to assist at our upcoming Independence Expo – Orlando
Friday, August 24th & Saturday, August 25th
Marriott World Center
World Center Drive, Orlando, FL 32821
Monday, August 13, 2012
Debt threatens security clearance for troops
How big debt is threatening security clearances for thousands of troops
By Bill Briggs
NBC News contributor
Nearly 36,000 active-military members who hold security clearances have recently sought urgent financial advice or aid because heavy debts and delinquent bills threatened to void their classified status, according to a nonprofit that helps troops and veterans solve money problems.
“You can lose that security clearance if you have credit or debt issues,” said John E. Pickens III, executive director of VeteransPlus. “If you lose that clearance, you can become un-promotable or you can be taken from your assignment. And, ultimately, you can even receive a bad-conduct discharge.
“If you’re going to be entrusted with national security,” he added, “the military figures you’ve got to at least be able to pay your bills on time.”
By Bill Briggs
NBC News contributor
Nearly 36,000 active-military members who hold security clearances have recently sought urgent financial advice or aid because heavy debts and delinquent bills threatened to void their classified status, according to a nonprofit that helps troops and veterans solve money problems.
“You can lose that security clearance if you have credit or debt issues,” said John E. Pickens III, executive director of VeteransPlus. “If you lose that clearance, you can become un-promotable or you can be taken from your assignment. And, ultimately, you can even receive a bad-conduct discharge.
“If you’re going to be entrusted with national security,” he added, “the military figures you’ve got to at least be able to pay your bills on time.”
Approximately half of America's 2.4 million active duty, National Guard and reserve troops hold some level of security clearance, said Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. James Gregory. Most of those 1.19 million service members possess the second-highest security rating - "secret" - while the next largest portion hold a higher status: TS/SCI, (Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information), he added. The sensitive nature of certain military jobs typically dictate the security classifications.
read more here
Mentally ill at Chesapeake jail face space problem
With this happening and special courts for veterans starting up all over the country has anyone looked into how many combat veterans were already sitting in jail instead of being helped to heal from what combat did to them?
Each state has been cutting back on mental healthcare funding leaving many veterans with no help at all, especially when they cannot get help from the VA. How many did we fail by sending them to jail instead of sending them for help?
Mentally ill at Chesapeake jail face space problem
By Veronica Gonzalez
The Virginian-Pilot
© August 13, 2012
CHESAPEAKE
Holding nearly 300 inmates with mental health problems presents a daily challenge at the already-overcrowded Chesapeake Correctional Center.
Of that group, about 50 belong in a mental health facility, jail officials say.
The most pressing challenge for this population comes down to space - or lack thereof.
With declining resources to treat the mentally ill and a shift away from institutionalization, the correctional center here - like many Virginia jails - has become a mental health facility by default. And that trend shows no signs of subsiding.
Calls in Chesapeake involving mentally ill subjects have remained steady the past 2-1/2 years. There were 866 in 2010; 853 in 2011; and 535 in the first half of this year.
"Are deputies mental health professionals? Absolutely not," said Col. Jim O'Sullivan, the undersheriff. "We do our best to get these individuals balanced and better acclimated."
But in a facility that consistently hovers at more than twice its capacity, there aren't enough cells to house those with mental health problems.
read more here
Each state has been cutting back on mental healthcare funding leaving many veterans with no help at all, especially when they cannot get help from the VA. How many did we fail by sending them to jail instead of sending them for help?
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