IAVA | August 14, 2020
IAVA Weekly SITREP
As the leading voice for the post-9/11 community, IAVA continues to create awareness on issues and topics impacting our community. Below are articles and news sources from the past week:
8/10
IAVA NEWS COVERAGE
Military.com: The COVID-19 Unemployment Crisis May Be Turning Around for Veterans
By Richard Sisk
The unemployment rate for all veterans fell to 7.9% in July from 8.6% in June. “We’re happy to see the numbers get lower, [but] the reality is that we have a health crisis, not so much an economic crisis,” said Thomas Porter, executive vice president of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “We’re not going to climb out of the economic hole we’re in” until the pandemic is brought under control.
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
The Washington Post: After hundreds of covid-19 deaths in state-run veterans homes, lawmakers press VA to adhere to science
Alexa Mikhail, Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff and Joel Jacobs
A congresswoman from Pennsylvania is among several lawmakers calling on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to adhere to science when providing recommendations on future coronavirus treatments or vaccines. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) sent a letter to the Veterans Health Administration, demanding more information about the use of anti-malarial drugs including hydroxychloroquine at veterans homes and whether VA was actively involved in the unproven treatment.
NBC Philadelphia: Army Veterans, Already Ill From Burn Pits, Now Fear COVID-19
By Jim O’Donnell, Rudy Chinchilla and Jim Rosenfield
For years, American soldiers serving their country abroad were exposed to toxins from so-called burn pits. Now, even as they celebrate a win following an approval by Congress for new health data transparency and accountability, some are concerned their illnesses make them more vulnerable to COVID-19.
The Hill: Most VA workers find racism ‘moderate to serious problem’ at facilities, survey finds
By Ellen Mitchell
A new union survey found that nearly 80 percent of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees thought racism was a problem at the VA, with more than half reporting that they have seen racial discrimination against veterans while working there.
*Also reported in The Washington Post
ConnectingVets.com: VA leader says sexual harassment is not ‘pervasive’ at VA. These veterans disagree.
By Abbie Bennett
Nearly three dozen veterans, most of them women and a third of whom are women of color, and more than a dozen VA employees, most of them also veterans, reached out to Connecting Vets to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault at VA.
By Daniel Dale
Trump, speaking at his golf club, had claimed again that he is the one who got the Veterans Choice program passed. In fact, former President Barack Obama signed the Choice program into law in 2014. What Trump signed was a 2018 law, the VA MISSION Act, that modified and expanded the eligibility criteria from the Choice program.
Clarkesville Online: Gary Peters, Marsha Blackburn Bipartisan Bill to Improve VA Caregiver Program Advances in Senate
By Staff
U.S. Senators Gary Peters’ (MI) and Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) bipartisan legislation to improve the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) caregiver program advanced in the Senate, passing in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
Salt Lake Tribune: Utah veterans home declared coronavirus-free after 13 deaths
By Nate Carlisle
The veterans home where 13 residents died of COVID-19 no longer has any cases of the virus.
The William E. Christoffersen Veterans Home in Salt Lake City was the site of one of the state’s deadliest outbreaks during the pandemic. Among the dead was the home’s namesake — Bill Christoffersen, a World War II Army soldier who went on to hold national posts with the American Legion and champion veterans.
MyChesCo: New Data Shows Veterans’ Increased Use of Online VA Health Care Tools During COVID-19 Pandemic
By Staff
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released new data today showing a significant increase in the use of My HealtheVet, a VA online tool designed to help Veterans make informed decisions about their health. From January to June 2020, Veterans and providers exchanged more than 11.6 million secure messages through My HealtheVet, a 24.1% increase compared to the same period in 2019.
Military.com: Remains of Missing Marines, Sailor Recovered from Sunken Amphibious Vehicle
By Andrew Dyer
The remains of seven Marines and a sailor lost when their amphibious vehicle sank near San Clemente Island have been recovered and will be transported to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for preparation for burial, the Marines said late Friday.
8/11
IAVA NEWS COVERAGE
Florida Daily: Michael Waltz, Deb Haaland Call on Defense Department to Close Child Care Gaps for Military Families
By Kevin Derby
Last week, U.S. Reps. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., led the charge on Capitol Hill in calling on the Pentagon to close child care gaps for military families. A host of groups including the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America have backed the proposal.
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Stars and Stripes: Trump signs bill to expand funding, eligibility for housing grants for disabled veterans
By Rose Thayer
President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Saturday to increase funding and access to a grant program that allows certain disabled veterans to modify their homes to meet their physical needs.
Military.com: Here Are the 2 Veteran-Supporting Bills President Trump Just Signed into Law
By Patricia Kime
President Donald Trump signed legislation Saturday that will broaden options for troubled veterans in the legal system and expand a home renovations grant program for disabled and blind veterans.
FierceHealthcare: VA, Cerner restart $16B EHR overhaul with planned October go-live
By Heather Landi
The Department of Veterans Affairs and Cerner are resuming a massive medical records project with a new go-live date in October. In early April, the VA hit pause on its $16 billion electronic health record overhaul due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Becker’s Health IT: Only 20% of VA facilities use VA Direct health information exchange: OIG report
By Jackie Drees
The OIG found that while all 140 VA facilities have access to VA Exchange and VA Direct, only 28 of the facilities have implemented VA Direct. The facilities that do not use VA Direct said it’s because they were not trained by DirectTrust, the VA’s secure exchange framework, or their community partners don’t use DirectTrust.
CBS News: Military veterans say racism in the ranks often isn’t camouflaged: “It hurt me dearly”
By Staff
“CBS This Morning” spoke with several former active-duty service members of different races and religions, about their experiences. Captain Mary Tobin, a 10-year Army veteran, said racism in the ranks often isn’t camouflaged. “As a Black woman, I had to wonder, ‘Okay, is this happening because I have ovaries, or because I have melanin?” she said.
NorthJersey.com: NJ congressmen demand CEO of Paramus veterans home resign after NorthJersey.com report
By Scott Fallon
Two congressmen called for the CEO of the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus to resign Monday after a NorthJersey.com story last week that showed how lax infection control and questionable decisions may have exacerbated the devastating toll COVID-19 has had at the facility.
Military.com: Service Chiefs to SecDef: Stop the Handover of Military Hospitals to Defense Health Agency
By Patricia Kime
The heads of the U.S. military branches are calling on the Defense Department to stop the transfer of all medical facilities to the Defense Health Agency, saying the novel coronavirus pandemic has shown that the plan to convey the services’ hospitals and clinics to the agency is “not viable.”
Military Times: Here’s the current US plan to build up Syrian proxies, including an oilfield guard force
By Kyle Rempfer
Operation Inherent Resolve officials want to double the size of some proxy forces in Syria and finish training a 2,200-man “oilfield guard” unit in the northeastern part of the country, according to an OIR inspector general report.
8/12
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
Stars and Stripes: Ex-VA official: Residents of veterans homes ‘left behind’ during pandemic
By Nikki Wentling
Under the direction of Vietnam Veterans of America, Linda Schwartz assembled a committee to investigate what had gone wrong. What they found was startling: a lack of transparency about the number of coronavirus deaths at veterans homes, and a VA leadership team that shirked responsibility for the facilities. The committee assembled its findings and recommendations into a 16-page report that will be shared with members of Congress.
Marine Times: US service member found dead in Bahrain after noncombat-related incident
By Phillip Athey
A U.S. service member was found dead in Bahrain on Tuesday in a noncombat-related incident, the Marine Corps announced. The service member, whose name is being withheld until 24 hours of next of kin notification, was assigned to the Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5 Marine Expeditionary Brigade, 1st Lt. John Coppola, a spokesman for the Marine Corps, said in a Tuesday press release.
Federal News Network: Military services call for halt in transition of hospitals to DHA
By Scott Maucione
The leaders of the military services are calling on the Defense Department to reverse an ongoing plan that transitions control of hospitals and clinics from the military branches to the centralized Defense Health Agency.
CBS Tuscon: VA sending nurses to Navajo Nation, hopes for early vaccine access
By Jasmine Ramirez
Wilkie said the VA opened its doors to patients who aren’t veterans and is also extending its care to Native American territories.”The largest percentage of veterans who serve are from Native American lands,” he said. “We have sent nurses and doctors particularly into the Navajo Nation.”
Military.com: Why Some Veterans Are Getting a $500 Stimulus Check This Week
By Robin Hartill
Veterans who receive government benefits like Social Security and SSI — who have dependents under age 17 found that their stimulus checks came up short. While most people received the $1,200 for themselves, many found their checks were missing the $500 child credit. Now many non-filers whose checks came up short won’t have to wait until next year — and the $500 payments have already started going out.
Military.com: Memorial Set in Houston for Slain Fort Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen
By AP
A memorial for a slain Texas soldier has been scheduled more than three months after she was killed by a fellow soldier at Fort Hood, an attorney for the family announced Tuesday.
CBS Charlotte: Second Lady Karen Pence highlights suicide prevention during visit to Charlotte
By Staff
On Tuesday, Second Lady Karen Pence visited Charlotte to raise awareness about mental health and veteran suicide prevention efforts underway in the community. Mrs. Pence also highlighted programs and resources that support entrepreneurship among the military spouse community.
Border Report: Census ramps up efforts to boost count among military families
By Julian Resendiz
The Census Bureau has enlisted the help of nonprofits and other partners to boost the response rate among soldiers and military families in Fort Bliss, Texas. The Army post in Northeast El Paso so far shows a much lower response rate than the county’s 61.9% average, according to census data and some local officials.
NJ.com: These service dogs save the lives of N.J. veterans, but coronavirus has hurt fundraising efforts
By Matt Gray
NJ Dogs of Honor are currently training fewer dogs than planned and aren’t even sure how they will pay for the training that is already taking place.
8/13
IAVA NEWS COVERAGE
The Hill: It’s time for VA to consider a new motto
By Rory E. Riley-Topping
The veteran’s group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America has made changing the VA’s motto one of its priorities, and earlier this month, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs passed a bill out of committee with bipartisan support that would replace VA’s motto with gender-neutral language.
New Haven Register: ‘We’ve lost so many:’ Veteran suicide grows; National Guard highest in active military
By Peggy McCarthy
In a survey taken last December and January of members of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, 44 percent reported suicide ideation since joining the military, and 62 percent said they know a veteran who has died by suicide, a 22 percent increase since 2014. Thomas Porter, an IAVA executive vice president, called that increase “really shocking” and “huge.”
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
CBS Arkansas: Sen. Boozman proposes new bill for veteran suicide prevention
By Staff
Senator John Boozman is calling on the House of Representatives to pass the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act. The bill would bring policy changes to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help prevent veteran suicides. The Senate recently passed landmark veteran mental health and suicide prevention legislation.
Becker’s Hospital Review: VA pushing ahead with 5G hospital: 4 project updates
By Jackie Drees
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the Department of Veterans Affairs to shift priorities for the deployment of its first 5G-enabled clinical care system at the VA Palo Alto (Calif.) Health Care System.
Cleveland.com: VA Secretary Robert Wilkie thanks staff, outlines plan to deal with COVID-19 pandemic
By Julie Washington
Wilkie praised the Cleveland VA as a vibrant medical center that handles about 2 million appointments annually. “That says a lot about the trust people have in that facility,” he said.
During an interview after his tour, Wilkie spoke about how the VA is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges that the agency hopes to address in the next few years.
Federal News Network: VA employees say they’ve faced racism on the job
By Eric White
Nearly 78% of bargaining unit employees say they’ve experienced racism while on the job at the Department of Veterans Affairs. A recent survey the American Federation of Government Employees conducted of its VA members finds nearly 1,000 employees say racism has made their jobs more difficult.
Military.com: Biden’s VP Pick Opposes Boosting Defense Spending, But Supports Helping Vets and Families
By Richard Sisk
Sen. Kamala Harris has staked out positions against increases in defense spending. But she has supported boosting the Department of Veterans Affairs’ budget, her record shows. The California Democrat has also called for increases in foreign aid, closer partnerships with allies on security issues, and an end to the military’s transgender ban.
Valley News: Feds seek dismissal of veteran’s suit
By Anna Merriman
The federal government is seeking to dismiss a $17.5 million medical malpractice lawsuit brought by veteran Wesley Black arguing the complaint was filed a year too late. Black disagreed, saying that he only recently learned that his doctors at the VA misdiagnosed his colon cancer, allowing the long-undiagnosed disease to become terminal. His IBS symptoms were actually early signs of cancer that developed as a result of Black’s exposure to burn pits while on tours with the National Guard.
Military.com: 1 Crew Member Hurt After Bullet Strikes Air Force Helicopter Over Virginia
By Gina Harkins
An Air Force helicopter made an emergency landing in Virginia this week after one of its crew members was injured when someone shot at the aircraft, government officials confirmed.
Military Times: Watchdog: Thousands of troops, families may not be getting the mental health care they need
By Karen Jowers
Thousands of troops and their family members may not be getting the mental health care they need because of a variety of issues with the Defense Department health care system, according to a new report from DoD auditors.
8/14
VETERAN NEWS COVERAGE
MyChesCo: VA Prepares to Welcome Volunteers Back to Health Care Facilities
By Staff
While volunteers are important to the operation of VA services and programs, most volunteer activities have been paused to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.“Just as our facilities are gradually reinstating services, volunteers are slowly reintegrating into them,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie.
MedicalXpress: In-person clinic visits at VA down by half early in pandemic
By Staff
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a 56 percent decline in in-person visits across Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) outpatient facilities, which is only partly offset by more than a twofold increase in the number of telephone and video visits, according to a research letter published online Aug. 10 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ripon Advance: Moran’s bipartisan bill to improve disabled veterans’ adaptive housing becomes law
By Staff
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) to improve the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) specially adaptive housing program became law last week with the president’s signature.
NBC New York: Senate passes bill to combat veteran suicide epidemic
By Jessi Turnure
In the midst of the COVID relief hubbub, the Senate quietly passed legislation lawmakers have been working on for years to improve mental health services at the VA and beyond. The legislation funds suicide prevention and emergency care through VA grants to nonprofits and community programs. Sen. John Boozman, R-AR, said the idea is patterned after successful programs in his home state.
Military.com: Federal Appeals Court: Male-Only Draft is Constitutional
By Kevin Mcgill
A federal appeals court in New Orleans upheld the constitutionality of the all-male military draft system Thursday, citing a 1981 U.S. Supreme Court decision.
Military Times: US says Iran briefly seizes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz
By Jon Gambrell
The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S., a U.S. military official said Thursday.
Business Insider: Trump has dealt seniors, who represent 23% of registered voters, 2 devastating blows in a matter of days
By Sarah Al-Arshani
ConnectingVets reported that 80% of the Department of Veterans Affairs prescriptions are fulfilled by mail. The outlet reported that almost 500,000 prescriptions are processed daily by the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy.
Aspen Daily News: Ex-marine runs over Aspen’s Independence Pass, through valley this week on cross-country journey to raise money for vets
By Erica Robbie
Fueled by gas station snacks, intermittent cat naps and bona fide benevolence, Russell Larkins is raising money for combat veterans by running across the U.S.“ Veterans were struggling way before COVID-19,” Larkins said, noting the veteran community’s alarming suicide rate.
