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VA will treat civilians in pinch
"If that's the closest hospital and it's a
life-and-death event," the VA secretary says.
TAMPA - Critically ill non-veterans can be taken
to any Department of Veterans Affairs emergency
room in the nation if it's the closest medical
facility, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said
Monday.
"If that's the closest hospital and it's a
life-and-death event, they should be brought
immediately to the VA's emergency facility,"
Nicholson told the St. Petersburg Times. "As
long as it's a life-threatening emergency.
Absolutely. If there's confusion about that, I'm
going to clarify that myself." |
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Fort Lauderdale
combat Veterans find assistance in Stone of Hope
Project
WEST PARK - Gerald Hardy served six tours of
duty in the Gulf War and in Iraq and would have
re-enlisted and done another if the U.S. Army
had not discharged him last December.
Hardy is among about 40 former military
personnel seeking help from the Veterans Stone
of Hope Project, which helps veterans who served
in every war since World War II. The group meets
Tuesdays... |
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Four new laws
benefit military
TALLAHASSEE -- Surrounded by members of the
armed forces and military veterans, Gov. Charlie
Crist paid tribute to the military services
today with the ceremonial signing of four new
laws passed in the 2007 legislative session.
"We are eternally thankful for the commitment of
those in uniform who protect and defend our
freedom at home and abroad," Crist said... |
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Veterans up in
arms over VA's contracting
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs
is about to give private HMOs and other health
networks access to a multibillion-dollar market
for veterans' care that the companies hope, and
veterans fear, could open a new era of
outsourcing.
The nation's major veterans organizations have
fought a fierce but behind-the-scenes battle
since a pilot program called Project HERO began
to take shape in a hotel meeting room... |
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Florida Officials Fume as
Veteran's Home Plans Sit Idle
TALLAHASSEE - At one time, the idea of a 120-bed
veteran’s nursing home in St. Johns County
seemed like a slam dunk.
Gov. Jeb Bush first pitched $15.6 million for it
in January 2006. The Legislature upped it to
$17.9 million a few months later. State
officials pulled off a coup by winning federal
funds for 65 percent of the project through the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, meaning
only $6 million was needed from state... |
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Free Art Prints
from the National Guard
The National Guard is offering art prints from
three different series at no charge to the
general public. The artwork depicts National
Guard members in military action, Presidents who
served in the National Guard, and the National
Guard providing assistance to communities during
times of... |
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Thousands of
troops who fought in Iraq and Afghanistan may be
living in shelters
After Kevin returned from Iraq, he spent most
nights lying awake in his Army barracks in
Hawaii, clutching a 9mm handgun under his
pillow, bracing for an attack that never came.
His fits of sleep brought nightmares of the
wounded and dying troops whom Kevin, a combat
medic, had treated over 16 months of suicide
attacks and roadside bombings. He kept thinking
about an attack that killed 13 of his comrades.
He hated himself for having survived. Soon he
was drinking so heavily that the Army discharged
him. He moved back in with his parents in
Narragansett, R.I., and drank even more, until
they asked him to leave. Less than two years
after he returned, Kevin became one of a growing
number of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars who are... |
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Committee Holds
Symposium on Traumatic Brain Injury
Members of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
met recently discuss ways to provide treatment
for traumatic brain injury (TBI), which is
considered by many to be the signature injury of
the war in Iraq. Among veterans and service
members from Iraq and Afghanistan treated at
Walter Reed for injuries of any type,
approximately 65 percent... |
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Studies
Link Stress Disorder and Pain
A recent issue (Volume 44, No. 2) of the Journal
of Rehabilitation Research and Development lists
several new findings related to the long-term
management of pain in veterans. One researcher
found a possible link between Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) and chronic pain... |
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Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Overview
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder can occur
following a life-threatening event like military
combat, natural disasters, terrorist incidents,
serious accidents, or violent personal
assaults... |
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Volunteer
Landscapers Help Spruce up Arlington National
Cemetery
WASHINGTON - Tim Price said hauling fertilizer
up the hills of Arlington National Cemetery on a
humid 90-degree morning isn’t such a bad way to
spend a day off from work. “When we were in Iraq
(in 2005), one day off we took a photo of the
thermometer that said 154 degrees,” said Price,
a 19-year National Guardsman from Tennessee.
“And we ended up having to go out anyway that
day for a security detail. So, this is OK.”... |
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What is the Veterans Multi-Purpose Center’s Equine Assisted
Therapy Program?
Equine Assisted Psychotherapy is an emerging
form of therapeutic intervention in which horses
are used as tools for clients to gain
self-understanding and emotional growth. Equine
Assisted Psychotherapy is a type of animal
assisted therapy, a field of mental health that
recognizes the bond between animals and humans
and the potential for emotional healing that can
occur when a relationship is formed between the
two species.
Our Equine Assisted Therapy Program involves
equine activities set up and facilitated by a
licensed mental health professional and a horse
professional. These activities are most often
performed... |
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