A MESSAGE FROM THE OFFICE OF PUBLIC AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
VA Stories of Note: June 11 – June 17
WVTM (NBC-13, Video) (Birmingham, Ala.), June 16: Second Gentleman, U.S. Veterans Affairs secretary to visit Alabama during COVID-19 vaccine tour
The Second Gentleman of the United States Douglas Emhoff and U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will be visiting Alabama on Thursday. As part of the National Month of Action initiative to get more Americans vaccinated by the July 4 holiday, Emhoff and McDonough will stop in Birmingham to "highlight the ease of getting vaccinated, and mobilize grassroots vaccine education and outreach efforts."
The Recorder (Greenfield, Mass.), June 16: Initiative to expand health care choices for veterans
An open house on Monday will mark the start of a new collaborative initiative designed to provide veterans with more access to Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and telehealth capabilities. The initiative was announced this week by the Upper Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Services District and VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System. The new service allows VA health care enrollees the option to use a dedicated, private telehealth access location…
Opelika Observer (Opelika, Ala.), June 16: Opelika Resident Awarded Prestigious Professional Designation
Dr. Roslyn D. Burton was awarded one of the highest designations available in the Physical Therapy profession: Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Geriatric Physical Therapy. […] Burton is employed with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: Central Alabama Veterans Health Care System where she provides care to our nation’s veterans.
Prairie Public (NPR, Audio) (Fargo, N.D.)June 16: Veterans' Writing Project ~ "Minot: 10 Years After the Flood"
The Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County and Fargo Veterans Affairs are collaborating on a series of public events featuring the art of local veterans in trauma recovery. One aspect of the project is a series of veterans’ writing workshops.
The Augusta Chronicle (Augusta, Ga.), June 15: From stairs to curbs, new power chair expands capabilities for Augusta VA and veterans
With its advanced processors, gyroscopes, lithium ion battery and the ability to climb stairs or hop curbs, the iBOT chair is not really a wheelchair. "It's a robot that you happen to sit in," said Lucas Merrow, CEO of Mobius Mobility, which makes the chair. He was on hand Monday at the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta to donate one to local veteran Michael Bishop and one to the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the Augusta VA.
Federal News Network, June 14: Scanning military records now will improve disability claims process later, VBA says
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched an effort to digitally scan all paper-based military personnel files, an initiative the agency said should help resolve its current backlog and better prepare VA for future challenges that may disrupt disability claims processing. The initiative is part of a partnership VA has with the National Archives and Records Administration to proactively scan millions of military personnel records, which…
WABE (NPR-90.1, Audio) (Atlanta, Ga.), June 14: U.S. Secretary Of Veterans Affairs Discusses Push To Vaccinate Veterans, Combat Vaccine Hesitancy
Denis Richard McDonough, U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs, says an estimated 19 million veterans live in the United States, and the Department of Veterans Affairs has administered vaccines to roughly 3 million veterans so far.
Government Matters (Video), June 13: Department of Veterans Affairs has seen dramatic increase in trust scores
New data from the Veterans Experience Office at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says 79% of veterans trust the agency. Trust of the VA from veterans is up 24% from 2016. John Boerstler, chief veterans experience officer at the VA, said the VSignals Survey, which the department has been issuing since 2016, shows a dramatic increase trust from respondents.
KSNW (NBC-3, Video) (Wichita, Kan.), June 12: VA aims to treat addiction with alternative therapies
When our nation’s heroes return from serving, they deal with pain many of us will never understand. Dr. Alisha Coulson, a psychiatrist at the Robert J. Dole VA Center, says the Department of Veterans Affairs has programs to help people battle addiction, including opioid addiction.
Audacy (Connecting Vets), June 11: VA, VSOs team up to expedite claims process
Through a collaborative effort with veterans services organizations and others, the Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a pilot program for accredited representatives to request an expeditious review and determination of disability claims decisions. The Claim Accuracy Request or CAR pilot program replaces a previous 48-hour review process and allows an expedited higher-level review for obvious errors in fact or law. “This program provides VA accredited agents, attorneys, and VSO representatives the opportunity to quickly address an obvious error that impacts payment and provides VA the opportunity to take corrective action,” VA spokesperson Gina Jackson told Connecting Vets.
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