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WEDNESDAY -- 17 MARCH 2010 -- HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY -- BE SAFE

CON MAN USES PTSD VETERANS TO STEAL DONATIONS -- Bilked donors out of $94,130 which he claimed would be used to help veterans suffering from PTSD.

SENATOR PRESSES VA ON HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WRONGLY DENIED CLAIMS -- Sen. Chuck Grassley: This "shows me that there are serious, systemic problems with the process for approving veterans' claims."

LEJEUNE VETERAN GETS FULL COMP ON CONTAMINATED WATER CLAIM -- "Service connection for Multiple Myeloma with prior symptoms (acute renal failure, anemia, and infections) has been established as directly related to military service."

VAOIG: VA'S PUERTO RICO FACILITIES NOT DISINFECTING REUSABLE EQUIPMENT -- Just one of many problems: Endovaginal transducers were not submitted to disinfection as required after each patient procedure for approximately 2 years. Management knew and did nothing.

TUESDAY -- 16 MARCH 2010

VAOIG: VHA BOTCHES 70% OF STIMULUS FUNDS MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS -- During VHA's initial implementation of the Recovery Act, contracting officers did not properly publicize and prepare non-recurring maintenance contract solicitations and awards in accordance with Recovery Act requirements.

MORE PROBLEMS FOUND AT RHODE ISLAND VETERANS HOME -- Problems included poor attention to the medical needs of two residents and an insufficient level of activities for others.

CONGRESS WANTS TO GIVE FEDERAL WHISTLE-BLOWERS MORE PROTECTION -- The current whistle-blower protection law " ... really wasn't intended to help if you blow the whistle on senior executives."

VA'S NEW ORLEANS BUILDING COULD END UP IN LEGAL DISPUTE -- A group of investors who wanted to turn the old Pan American Life Insurance building into housing and retail space plans to fight the state in court for more money.

VETS' COMMITTEES SCHEDULES FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 15, 2010 -- The House Committee on Veterans' Affairs has two hearings this week and there is one joint House-Senate hearing.

AT LOMA LINDA VA, PTSD PATIENTS MORE THAN DOUBLE IN FIVE YEARS -- The VA wants to reach people before the war experience explodes across the returning veteran's life.

VETERANS Q&A with JIM STRICKLAND, #17 for 2010 -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers.

VA GIVES BLACK VETERANS FEWER HEART-PROTECTING DRUGS, HEART SURGERIES -- The published findings are based on VA records for 117,071 African-American and 357,494 white patients, mostly men.

PHONY MARINE GETS A YEAR PROBATION AND MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING -- "The defendant chose the rank of ... gunnery sergeant because it is a well-respected rank within the USMC." court documents state.

IS THERE A FUTURE FOR ATTORNEYS WHO PRACTICE VETERANS' LAW? -- "For what possible reason in 2010 is it necessary for the federal government ... to protect veterans FROM attorneys??? My God man, how can these people face themselves ... ?"

MONDAY -- 15 MARCH 2010

VA TO START CONSTRUCTION ON NEW ORLEANS HOSPITAL COMPLEX -- "We expect that this, along with the University medical center, will be a cornerstone for health care for the future of New Orleans."

VERMONT'S VETERANS WANT A PIECE OF THE LOTTERY PIE -- "Not that we have anything against veterans, but it is an alternative use to the Education Fund that is going to mean more property taxes."

COPS GET COMMENDATIONS FOR USING RESTRAINT WITH ARMED VETERAN -- "There's a vet alive today I hope will recover and live a long and fruitful life because of the actions of these two police officers."

IWO JIMA SURVIVOR SAYS HE'S NO HERO -- "Nobody that got off of that island is a hero," he said. "The heroes are still over there."

GETTING IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME by VETERANS' ADVOCATE JIM STRICKLAND -- "The DAV has finally come around to my point of view. It's taken years for me to shout out this information but if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, the love that DAV has for my message is overwhelming."

WEEKEND -- 13 & 14 MARCH 2010

VA PUBLISHES DETERMINATIONS ON DEPLETED URANIUM PRESUMPTIVES -- Based on the 2008 Institute of Medicine report, VA says there are no presumptive conditions related to DU exposure.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW from VA WATCHDOG DOT ORG -- A complete, one-page look at VA and veterans' news for the week ending March 13, 2010.

VETERAN WHO THREATENED TO KILL VA WORKER GETS PSYCH EVALUATION -- Britten Walker, 32, threatened to kill a VA worker, and threatened to bomb a Buffalo television station and cars on the New York State Thruway.

NEWSPAPER OBTAINS VA DOCUMENT CONFIRMING DATA BREACH AT ATLANTA -- The VA document said there are reportedly two sets of patient information involved, one that includes more than 18 years of data, and another that includes up to three years of data.

THE GREAT PRETENDER: 80-YEAR-OLD VETERAN CAUGHT IN WEB OF LIES -- Lafayette Keaton claims to be a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. All wrong! (with videos)

VA ISSUES GULF WAR VETS ILLNESS TASK FORCE BACKGROUND BRIEF -- The Task Force developed action plans to deliver new and improved tools for VA personnel based on seven core themes.

FRIDAY -- 12 MARCH 2010

STATE OF TENNESSEE GOES AFTER VETERANS "CHARITY" -- About Veterans Support Organization: "It's a concern when they misrepresent the fact that there's going to be a homeless shelter that's going to be built with the money they're raising." (with video)

A HERO: HE BUILDS FREE HOMES FOR WOUNDED VETERANS -- "It was like someone hit me upside the head with a 2X4 ... I just felt like this is what God wants me to do." (with video)

FISHER HOUSE GETS LARGEST SHARE OF OBAMA'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE MONEY -- The biggest donation, $250,000, will go to Fisher House, a non-profit group that provides housing for families of veterans getting care at VA medical centers.

WEST L.A. VA LOCKS OUT VETERANS ON APPRECIATION DAY -- "It didn't take long to sink in that this was the VA we're dealing with and this is a deliberate attempt to mess up this event."

SOLDIER'S HOMECOMING MARRED BY LIES ABOUT RANK, INJURY -- An Army specialist is apologizing for lying about being injured in Afghanistan, lying about his rank and wearing military honors that he hadn't earned.

SHINSEKI SEEKS NEW LAYER OF BUREAUCRACY AT VA'S CENTRAL OFFICE -- The VA Secretary wants one new Assistant Secretary and eight new Deputy Assistant Secretaries. Claims this will "streamline" the VA.

THURSDAY -- 11 MARCH 2010

VA CLAIMS HOMELESS VETERAN POPULATION DOWN 18 PERCENT -- But, with the VA dealing with a shortage of mental health and substance abuse counselors, can we believe the numbers they provide?

VETERAN CITES LACK OF FULL-TIME PSYCHIATRISTS AT EL PASO VA -- "That one-on-one with the individual, I can't build that trust in them. Basically, those temporary doctors only refill prescriptions."

BACK FROM THE WAR, COPS STRUGGLE TO READJUST -- "I can't absolve myself of Iraq. How deeply it affected me, I don't know ... I'm not the same person who left."

GAO REPORT: VA HAS PROBLEMS WITH SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER SERVICES -- VA lacks trained staff and beds for veterans seeking treatment, and does not effectively track treatment outcomes.

VET WHO LIED ABOUT SERVICE BOTCHES PROBATION, MAY GO TO JAIL -- Vet pleaded guilty to three misdemeanor charges of falsely claiming a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star with valor and creating a fake military ID card.

IMAGING IDENTIFIES THREE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GULF WAR ILLNESS -- From the imaging, "we can tell the ill veterans from the well veterans. And we can distinguish syndromes one, two and three from each other."

WEDNESDAY -- 10 MARCH 2010 

VA INVESTIGATING BREACH OF VETERANS' MEDICAL DATA -- The VA's Inspector General has launched a criminal investigation into a physician assistant's alleged downloading of veterans' clinical data at its Atlanta medical center.

COMMENTARY: STOLEN VALOR IS OFFENSIVE, BUT IS IT A CRIME? -- Jonathan Turley: " ... In the end, true valor cannot be stolen. It can only be earned. What is left are pathetic pretenders ... "

VA COP BUSTED FOR MISUSING GOVERNMENT CREDIT CARD -- VA removed cop's arrest authority and gun, and he now is at a desk job, with his status "pending administrative action."

KAISER SPOKESPERSON SETTLES DEBATE OVER WHO HAS ACCESS TO RECORDS -- "The comments made by Drs. Mattison and Liederman are both accurate, depending on the area of patient health information being accessed."

VETERANS STAGE PROTEST AT SAVANNAH VA CLINIC -- "The latest saying is, 'We leave no veteran behind,' but I can tell you, we are being left behind all the time."

VA'S "FAST TRACK" PROGRAM FOR NEW AGENT ORANGE CLAIMS COULD TAKE A YEAR -- "To Vietnam veterans, whose Agent Orange illnesses are becoming more debilitating, developing a computer program that could take a year is not the 'fast track' ... It is a death sentence!"