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UPDATE: COMPLETE DOLE-SHALALA COMMISSION

REPORT RELEASED -- 29-page report available

for viewing or download.

 

      Former Sen. Bob Dole          Former Sec. Donna Shalala

 

The final draft version of the Dole-Shalala Commission report is now available.  This is the report that was delivered to President Bush.

To view or download the full report... click here...

Original story on the Commission report and a synopsis is here...
http://vawatchdog.org/07/nf07/
nfJUL07/nf072607-4.htm

For more on the Dole-Shalala Commission, use the VA Watchdog search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch
.php?q=dole+shalala&op=and

(video here) and (video here) and (video here)

Below is part of the introduction to the report:

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To view or download the full report... click here...

 

In the past few months, the health care and disability systems for our service members and veterans have been under a media microscope and the subject of several reports cited earlier. Public concern arises because Americans recognize and respect the sacrifices of our young men and women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and the great debt we owe those injured and killed.8 Many of the concerns already are being addressed by Congress and in the two Departments.

The reports published earlier this year provided invaluable background information and analyses for our work. Because they are so recent, we did not need to reiterate their findings. Rather, we focused on ways to move forward. One other difference between our Commission and previous ones is that, while they addressed discrete pieces of the DoD and VA medical care and disability systems, President Bush charged us with looking at the whole continuum of care and programs for wounded service members, as well as what is needed to assure their successful return to military duty or civilian life.

We don’t recommend merely patching the system, as has been done in the past. Instead, the experiences of these young men and women have highlighted the need for fundamental changes in care management and the disability system. Our recommendations address these fundamental changes. We believe they will help military service members and veterans of today and of tomorrow, as well.

Making the significant improvements we recommend requires a sense of urgency and strong leadership. The tendency to make systems too complex and rule-bound must be countered by a new perspective, grounded in an understanding of the importance of patient-centeredness. From the time injured service members are evacuated from the battlefield to the time they go back to active duty or are discharged home to complete their education, go to work, and be active family and community members, their needs and aspirations should inform the medical care and disability systems.

 

To view or download the full report... click here...

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Larry Scott  --