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Archive for September, 2009
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund was established in 2000 by Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. The mission of the not-for-profit organization is “to provide financial support for the dependents of military personnel lost in performance of their duty.”
In establishing the fund, the Fishers furthered their long-standing efforts to help veterans and their families. Although the Fishers made private donations for many years to assist veterans, the Fund began accepting donations from the public after 9/11.
During the early years of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, the Fund provided grants of $11,000 to spouses and $5,000 to dependent children. In 2005, federal legislation was passed providing similar support and the Fund refocused their efforts on building a rehabilitation center for veterans severely injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Center for the Intrepid is now operational at the Brooke Army Medical Center in Texas.
Recognizing a need for intensive research and treatment of traumatic brain injuries (the “signature injury” of the Iraq war), the Fallen Heroes Fund is now actively fundraising for the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. The Center is under construction near the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. An additional $3 million is needed to complete the goal of $60 million for the Center.
Learn more about the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and the new TBI center.
If you’re a veteran who has been injured while on active duty, contact LaVan & Neidenberg, a veterans disability law firm.
Tags: Center for the Intrepid, dependents of military personnel, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, veterans
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Nearly 300 people marched in Randolph, New Jersey, yesterday to show their support for their hometown heroes serving in the war and returning from active service. The march also served as a fundraising event for programs, including a 211 helpline, that offer assistance to veterans and military families.
The Front Line Fund, created by the United Way in Morris, will benefit from the donations raised by the “Morris March for Military Families.” The United Way is partnering with the Chamber of Commerce, social service agencies, county governments and the New Jersey National Guard to identify programs that can assist local veterans with the following:
- Food stamps
- Counseling
- Transportation
- Housing
- Substance Abuse
- Financing
The “centerpiece” of the United Way veterans program is a 2-1-1 help line.
If you’re a veteran who has been injured while on active duty, contact LaVan & Neidenberg, a veterans disability law firm.
Tags: Front Line Fund, Morris March for Military Families, veterans
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Following a public outcry in recent weeks over the delayed payment of GI Bill benefits, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced on Saturday that emergency benefit checks of up to $3000 will be issued starting Friday, October 2.
In a VA press release, Secretary Shinseki said, “Students should be focusing on their studies, not worrying about financial difficulties.”
To receive an emergency check, students must bring a photo ID and a course schedule to one of 57 VA regional benefit offices located across the country. VA representatives are also expected to travel to schools with a significant number of veteran-students to assist the students with processing their advance payment checks. Veteran Service Organizations are also expected to assist with transportation needs.
Contact a VA regional office (VARO) in your area for more information.
Tags: GI Bill benefits, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, veterans service organizations
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
A study conducted by a medical team at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Houston (and reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine) reveals problems in electronic medical record-keeping.
Using the VA’s electronic record-keeping system for the study, the director of the study, Dr. Hardeep Singh, tracked electronic alerts and follow-up care from November 2007 to June 2008. Specifically, the study focused on what took place after a VA doctor received an electronic alert that an imaging exam (e.g. CT scan, MRI, mammogram, sonogram, radiogram, etc.) was abnormal.
Approximately 123,638 imaging studies were completed during the study’s timeframe and 1,196 alerts were made. Of those alerts that appeared on VA doctor’s computers, 18.1% were unopened (i.e. not read) after two weeks. A follow-up within four weeks was of the alert was not completed in 7.7% of the alerts.
In his report summarizing his findings, Dr. Singh recommends a better tracking system that would encourage follow-up care as well as assignment of one doctor in a VA patient’s medical team who will coordinate such care after an alert is received.
If you are a veteran who has been injured while serving in the U.S. military, please contact veterans disability lawyers at LaVan & Neidenberg
Tags: VA, Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Posted in Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
A fundraiser dinner will take place on October 8, 2009, in Plant City, Florida, to raise money for a new memorial to veterans that is currently under construction. The Plant City Armed Forces Memorial Foundation is sponsoring the dinner which will feature recently retired Air Force Major General David J. Scott.
The veterans monument was designed by Duane Scott, an artist from Sarasota. According to Tampa Bay Online, it features an eagle with outstretched wings atop a pedestal and pays tribute to the five military branches.
Tickets for the dinner cost $100 and the reception will be held at 6p.m. at John R. Trinkle Community Center (2206 E. Cherry St.). For more information, call the Plant City Armed Forces Memorials Foundation at (813)752-4197.
If you are a veteran who has been injured while serving in the U.S. military, please contact the Florida veterans disability rights law firm of LaVan & Neidenberg.
Tags: Air Force, Armed Forces Memorials, veterans monument
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
The VA’s Office of the Inspector General (VAOIG) released a report yesterday on an audit conducted on the “Control of Veterans’ Claims Folders” from March to August of 2009.
During the audit, the VAOIG reviewed policies that are implemented to locate and track veterans disability claims folders. Using the VA’s COVERS database, inspectors attempted to determine the accuracy of the current tracking system, but found that 437,000 claims folders were misplaced or lost.
In several instances, lost folders caused processing delays of up to 270 days. As the VAOIG’s report indicates, lost and misplaced VA disability claims folders delay the processing of benefits that our nation’s veterans have earned and are entitled to receive.
If you need assistance with your veterans disability claim, contact the veterans disability rights law firm of LaVan & Neidenberg. Veterans disability rights lawyers can help you win your claim against the VA!
Tags: VA disability claims folders, VA's Office of Inspector General, VAOIG, veterans, veterans disabiltiy claims folders
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Derek McGinnis, an author and veteran of the Iraq War, will speak at the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs on Wednesday about his experience in the war and his recovery from his injuries.
McGinnis served as a corpsman in the Navy and was attached to the USMC 3rd LAR from 29 Palms. He was injured while riding in an ambulance during a battle in Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury in November 2004. According to his profile on the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund website, the ambulance was hit by a suicide bomber and the explosion left McGinnis with a TBI, injuries to his eye and severe injuries to his leg, necessitating amputation above the knee.
The veteran has written a book titled, “Exit Wounds: A Survival Guide to Pain Management for Returning Veterans and Their Families.” The book details McGinnis’s service in the war as well as his rehabilitation in the military and veterans affairs health care system.
Read more about McGinnis’s appearance this week at the Oregon VA.
If you’re a veteran who has been injured while on active duty, contact LaVan & Neidenberg, a veterans disability law firm.
Tags: Derek McGinnis, LaVan & Neidenberg, Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran of the Iraq War, veterans affairs health care system
Posted in Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
After first vetoing a bill honoring the state’s Vietnam veterans, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign identical legislation in a ceremony at MCACC Twentynine Palms today.
The legislation will establish every March 30 as “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.” Under the new measure, grade schools in California will be required to honor veterans via lesson plans that give recognition to servicemembers who fought in the war. State legislator, Paul Cook, a Vietnam veteran and retired USMC Colonel, sponsored the bill.
Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed identical legislation two weeks ago in an effort to send a political message to state legislators who have failed to pass measures aimed at rectifying the state’s energy and budget crises.
Tags: veterans, Vietnam veterans, Welcome Home Veterans Day
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-South Plainfield) has introduced legislation to help veterans access services and benefits in New Jersey.
If passed, Diegnan’s legislation would establish a veterans service office in each of the state’s 21 counties. The county veterans service offices would then coordinated with federal and state agencies, as well as other programs assisting veterans in neighboring counties. Specifically the offices would provide information central to veterans on issues such as:
- Employment
- Education
- Burial
- Counseling
- Housing
- Social/Medical Services
Although the bill was introduced by Assemblyman Diegnan in May and referred to a Military and Veterans’ Affairs Committee, no hearings have been scheduled to discuss the measure.
The goal of the bill is to utilize existing personnel and resources to achieve a more coordinated system of delivering services to veterans.
Tags: Patrick Diegnan, veterans service office, veterans' affairs committee
Posted in Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Friday, September 25th, 2009
The VA Palo Alto Health Care System is at the center of a battle between optometrists and ophthalmologists over the treatment of glaucoma.
The controversy between the optometrists and ophthalmologists results from a disagreement amongst eye care medical professionals regarding credentialing needed to treat glaucoma patients. Glaucoma is a serious eye disease that can lead to blindness if not diagnosed and managed properly. While the State of California may soon require certification for all optometrists treating glaucoma, a medical license is not yet mandatory.
According to an AP news report, veterans who were treated for the eye disease received substandard care at the hospital’s optometry clinic and at least three have filed lawsuits. One has settled with the VA for $87,000 as a result of the negligent care he received.
An investigation of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System revealed that at least eight veterans had vision loss attributed to the negligent treatment of their glaucoma.
If you are a veteran and have questions regarding a VA disability claim, contact the law offices of LaVan and Neidenberg – a disability rights law firm.
Tags: VA, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, veterans
Posted in Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
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