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Veterans Affairs
More Veterans Exposed to Infections at VA Facilities
By Mara Gay - AOL NewsMore veterans may have been exposed to serious infections such as HIV and hepatitis at VA facilities because of inadequately cleaned equipment. The Veterans Affairs Department has identified 12 more veterans who may have received colonoscopies with unsanitary equipment at a VA hospital in in Miami, officials said. In 2009, VA officials there notified 2,400 war veterans who could have been exposed while undergoing the routine procedure at the hospital since 2004, according to The Miami Herald, which first reported the additional exposures. VA spokeswoman Mary Kay Hollingsworth said in a ...
'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Foe Dan Choi Involuntarily Committed
By Steve Friess - AOL News(Dec. 15) -- A leading activist fighting to end the ban on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military was involuntarily committed to a Veterans Affairs psychological ward this weekend after a nervous breakdown, AOL News confirmed today. Lt. Dan Choi, who was arrested three times this year for chaining himself to the White House fence to urge the Obama administration to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, informed close friends via e-mail Tuesday night that he had been in the VA hospital since Friday in Brockton, Mass. Choi, reached by phone by AOL News at the facility, acknowledged ...
A Veterans Day Message From VA Secretary Shinseki
By not in system - AOL News
(Nov. 11) -- "No pen can describe the horrors of this battle ... it was a living hell from which escape seemed scarcely possible." * "You will want me to tell you of the battle. It was awful. Language will not convey the idea." ** "I never in my wildest dreams knew such terror could grip your very soul." *** "I will never forget the death and hell along that beach." **** Mark Wilson, Getty Images Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki wants to reinforce VA's message that PTS and PTSD are treatable. These glimpses of battle, taken from the letters and journals of four American soldiers ...
Opinion: Vets Suffer While Benefits Appeals Drag On
By not in system - AOL News(Nov. 11) -- As our nation's cacophony of controversial legal disputes -- stem cell research funding, gay marriage, "don't ask, don't tell" -- hold center stage in the media, a vitally important legal issue is overlooked entirely: whether it is constitutional for the Department of Veterans Affairs to take an average of 4 1/2 years to adjudicate hundreds of thousands of veterans disability benefits claims. Because of the severe psychological and physical trauma that service members endure, many veterans are unable to earn a living or support themselves. As a result, nearly 1 million veterans ...
Post-War Mental Health Woes: Gender a Key Factor
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Oct. 29) -- The "battle of the sexes" might prove to be more than just a tired cliche: According to a new study, a gendered distinction in the mental health problems that plague military servicemembers might help experts identify effective prevention and treatment strategies. Female veterans are more likely to be diagnosed with depression after serving in a war zone, while men appear more prone to post-traumatic stress disorder. The San Fransisco VA Medical Center study of 330,000 veterans, all of whom served between 2002 and 2008, found a clear divergence between male and female ...
Twin Study Finds PTSD Is as Real as It Gets
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Oct. 1) -- It's something thousands of veterans, not to mention Americans from all walks of life, will already tell you: Post-traumatic stress is a legitimate disorder, and trauma is the culprit. Now a new study on twins has reached the same conclusion, and researchers hope to close the door on debate over just how viable a PTSD diagnosis really is. "It's a nail in the coffin," lead researcher Dr. Roger Pitman told Reuters. "It's been argued by some that PTSD is not a bona fide disorder, that these people are just maladjusted and the trauma doesn't have anything to with it." Vietnam War ...
Marines Tackle Record-High Number of Suicides
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Sept. 10) -- The U.S Marines, like other branches of the American military, are facing unprecedented levels of both suicides and suicide attempts. Now, the corps is rolling out a comprehensive prevention program that aims to address mental health problems from inside their own ranks. A total of 52 Marines committed suicide last year, and another 154 made attempts. Both figures are the highest on record for the corps, and they even exceed those of other services, including the Army and the Air Force. Now, the Marine motto "leave no man behind" is going to be applied to suicide prevention. ...
Army Misdiagnosed Soldiers Suffering From PTSD
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(Aug. 16) -- Hundreds of troops suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a direct result of combat were subsequently fired from the Army for pre-existing medical conditions instead of being given Pentagon-funded treatment, veterans' advocates and reports say. Now, advocates are pushing the Pentagon to re-examine thousands of diagnoses and, if necessary, re-institute medical care and benefits that some troops had been denied. PTSD vs. Personality Disorder The key diagnostic distinction comes down to PTSD versus personality disorders. The latter are defined as "pre-existing" ...
Medical Marijuana Rules Eased for Veterans
By Christopher Weber - Politics DailyVeterans will not be punished for using medical marijuana in the 14 states where it is legal, according to new rules announced by the Department of Veteran Affairs. Under the revised policy, veterans who are prescribed and are using medical marijuana will no longer risk being prosecuted or lose government benefits, Reuters reported. Under the new rules, which expire in 2015, VA doctors cannot prescribe medical pot and it cannot be used at any VA facilities. Also, the VA will not pay for pot prescriptions. The department said medical conditions associated with the use of medical marijuana ...
VA Relaxes Rules on PTSD, With $5 Billion Price Tag
By Katie Drummond - AOL News(July 8) -- Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will soon have easier access to disability coverage, as the federal government rolls out new, more relaxed mental health regulations. The rules, which could come into effect as early as Monday, are one part of a larger effort to do right by troops suffering the consequences of a nine-year war. Estimates suggest that up to one-third of the 2 million troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are afflicted with PTSD, but Veterans Affairs has only approved compensation for 78,000. What are the new rules? Veterans will no ...
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