Friends take to sky to bid farewell
By: Sebastian Robertson
YNN
08/13/2012
Friends held a memorial service for Lt. Col. Ed Miller, thousands of feet in the air.
After losing a long battle with cancer, Miller passed away. Friends of the Vietnam vet honored him with a ceremonial skydive in Fentress, just outside of San Marcos Sunday.
“We will remember Ed in this way," one friend said.
Miller served in Vietnam and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Friends and fellow Marines did not do the jump alone; they were escorted by three Air Force members flying an American flag.
”Everybody was pretty solemn about it. They knew what it was for and everybody wanted to do their best. We had a really nice sky dive," Friend Welson Herchek said. "He is up there grinning right now."
read more here
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Stars Earn Stripes 'Trivializing War'
New Reality Show Stars Earn Stripes Slammed By Veteran Group For 'Trivializing War'
Posted on Aug 12, 2012
NBC
By Debbie Emery
Radar Reporter
Reality television has long been accused of pushing moral boundaries, and a new show from NBC that sends celebrities into mock military missions has caused outraged among veteran groups who know the grim reality of real-life combat.
"I was speechless when I first saw this. People have to realize that war is not a game," Amy N. Fairweather, Director of Policy for Swords to Plowshares, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview, when asked about the controversial show.
"The real warriors who go out there and come home from war don’t win a reality prize.
They live with the consequences of being exposed to the dangerous elements they survived."
read more here
Posted on Aug 12, 2012
NBC
By Debbie Emery
Radar Reporter
Reality television has long been accused of pushing moral boundaries, and a new show from NBC that sends celebrities into mock military missions has caused outraged among veteran groups who know the grim reality of real-life combat.
"I was speechless when I first saw this. People have to realize that war is not a game," Amy N. Fairweather, Director of Policy for Swords to Plowshares, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview, when asked about the controversial show.
"The real warriors who go out there and come home from war don’t win a reality prize.
They live with the consequences of being exposed to the dangerous elements they survived."
read more here
Vietnam Veterans of America calls for legislative fix to VA contracting rule
Veterans group calls for legislative fix to VA contracting rule
Federal News Radio
Monday - 8/13/2012
By Ruben Gomez
Vietnam Veterans of America has thrown support behind a congressional effort to loosen a rule that governs service-disabled veteran-owned businesses working for the Veterans Affairs Department.
"Congress may need to move to synchronize the standards of control between VA and [the Small Business Administration]," said Rick Weidman, VVA's executive director for policy and government affairs, in an interview with Federal News Radio.
Weidman criticized a VA rule requiring that service-disabled veterans competing for SDVOSB contracts unconditionally control decision-making within their companies. He said SBA regulations allow more flexibility.
"Literally every day I get emails on both sides of this issue," he said. "And the two sides being people begging for help to throw the frauds out because they're stealing the business, and letters from veterans who are saying, 'look, you know me Rick. You know my business. And [VA is] saying that I'm not qualified.'"
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), chairman of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is crafting legislation to force VA to loosen its rule. Johnson said he favors SBA's process, although he did not say exactly how the bill would change the steps VA uses to verify SDVOSB program eligibility.
read more here
Federal News Radio
Monday - 8/13/2012
By Ruben Gomez
Vietnam Veterans of America has thrown support behind a congressional effort to loosen a rule that governs service-disabled veteran-owned businesses working for the Veterans Affairs Department.
"Congress may need to move to synchronize the standards of control between VA and [the Small Business Administration]," said Rick Weidman, VVA's executive director for policy and government affairs, in an interview with Federal News Radio.
Weidman criticized a VA rule requiring that service-disabled veterans competing for SDVOSB contracts unconditionally control decision-making within their companies. He said SBA regulations allow more flexibility.
"Literally every day I get emails on both sides of this issue," he said. "And the two sides being people begging for help to throw the frauds out because they're stealing the business, and letters from veterans who are saying, 'look, you know me Rick. You know my business. And [VA is] saying that I'm not qualified.'"
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), chairman of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is crafting legislation to force VA to loosen its rule. Johnson said he favors SBA's process, although he did not say exactly how the bill would change the steps VA uses to verify SDVOSB program eligibility.
read more here
Illinois Veterans Charities get grants from lottery
Nonprofits receive grants from lottery-ticket sales
By NORTHWEST HERALD
Created: Monday, August 13, 2012
SPRINGFIELD – Two McHenry County groups were among seven nonprofit organizations that received grants from Veterans Cash scratch-off lottery tickets sales.
Family Alliance of Woodstock received a $2,000 grant and TLS Veterans of McHenry received $43,787, according to a Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs news release.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs announced $330,185 in grants to help nonprofits that deliver specialized programs and services to the Illinois veteran community.
read more here
By NORTHWEST HERALD
Created: Monday, August 13, 2012
SPRINGFIELD – Two McHenry County groups were among seven nonprofit organizations that received grants from Veterans Cash scratch-off lottery tickets sales.
Family Alliance of Woodstock received a $2,000 grant and TLS Veterans of McHenry received $43,787, according to a Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs news release.
The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs announced $330,185 in grants to help nonprofits that deliver specialized programs and services to the Illinois veteran community.
read more here
VA reviewing medications at Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic
Healthcare Inspection
Review of a Patient’s Medication Management
Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic Lincoln, Nebraska
August 10, 2012
Executive Summary
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a review of the medication management provided for a patient who received health care and prescriptions at the Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Healthcare System. The patient died unexpectedly, and a medical examiner determined the patient’s cause of death was accidental multidrug toxicity. The purpose of this review was to determine if the patient received appropriate medication management.
The patient had a complex medical and mental health history, which included acute and chronic pain. He was well known to CBOC staff; from 2004 through February 2012, he received MH, primary care, and/or pharmacy services at least every 30 days at the CBOC.
A psychiatrist treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his mental health needs. A physician assistant treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his other acute and chronic conditions. CBOC providers prescribed a number of medications that had the potential for adverse interactions. The patient’s medication regimen remained essentially the same for several years prior to his death. Providers performed medication reconciliations, (reviews of active VA and non-VA medications), and monitored the patient’s compliance with his medication regimen.
Providers, pharmacists, and pharmacy software identified potential adverse medication interactions (low blood pressure, elevated potassium, and electrocardiogram abnormalities). Providers monitored these potential adverse medication interactions by annual blood chemistries, drug levels, and electrocardiograms. Mental Health providers conducted assessments at an appropriate frequency, referred the patient to pain management clinic services, and monitored his prescribed opioid use closely. CBOC providers managed the patient’s medication management appropriately. We made no recommendations. read report here
Review of a Patient’s Medication Management
Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic Lincoln, Nebraska
August 10, 2012
Executive Summary
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a review of the medication management provided for a patient who received health care and prescriptions at the Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Healthcare System. The patient died unexpectedly, and a medical examiner determined the patient’s cause of death was accidental multidrug toxicity. The purpose of this review was to determine if the patient received appropriate medication management.
The patient had a complex medical and mental health history, which included acute and chronic pain. He was well known to CBOC staff; from 2004 through February 2012, he received MH, primary care, and/or pharmacy services at least every 30 days at the CBOC.
A psychiatrist treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his mental health needs. A physician assistant treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his other acute and chronic conditions. CBOC providers prescribed a number of medications that had the potential for adverse interactions. The patient’s medication regimen remained essentially the same for several years prior to his death. Providers performed medication reconciliations, (reviews of active VA and non-VA medications), and monitored the patient’s compliance with his medication regimen.
Providers, pharmacists, and pharmacy software identified potential adverse medication interactions (low blood pressure, elevated potassium, and electrocardiogram abnormalities). Providers monitored these potential adverse medication interactions by annual blood chemistries, drug levels, and electrocardiograms. Mental Health providers conducted assessments at an appropriate frequency, referred the patient to pain management clinic services, and monitored his prescribed opioid use closely. CBOC providers managed the patient’s medication management appropriately. We made no recommendations. read report here
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