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VA AND DoD CLAIM THEY ARE GETTING BETTER AT CARE
FOR TROOPS -- Say they are working to "improve
support
of wounded, ill, and injured service members'
recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration."
For more about reintegration, use the VA Watchdog
search engine...click here...
http://www.yourvabenefits.org/sessearch.php?q=REINTEGRATION&op=and
Story here...
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49675
Story below:
-------------------------
DoD, VA Leaders Chart Way Forward for Wounded
Care
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON – The Defense Department and the Department of Veterans
Affairs are diligently working together to solve problems for America’s
wounded warriors, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England told the Senate
Veterans Affairs Committee today.
The two departments are working to “improve support of wounded, ill, and
injured service members' recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration,”
England said.
England testified with Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Gordon Mansfield.
The two men chair a joint senior oversight committee designed to improve
cooperation between the two departments.
The effort and committee grew out of revelations last year that processes
for America’s wounded warriors were still operating under peacetime
conditions. Congressional panels, blue-ribbon commissions and in-house
investigations all said the two departments had to work more closely
together.
The two departments have significantly improved their cooperation, England
said, although more needs to be done.
“Specifically, we have endeavored to improve the
disability evaluation system, established a Center of Excellence for
Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, established the Federal
Recovery Coordination Program, improved data-sharing between the
departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, developed housing facility
inspection standards and improved delivery of pay and benefits,” he said
in prepared testimony for the committee.
DoD and VA are in the process of implementing more than 400
recommendations of five major studies, as well as implementing laws that
were part of the fiscal 2008 National Defense Authorization Act.
England spoke about the disability evaluation system pilot test at the
major military hospitals in and around Washington. “The pilot is a
servicemember-centric initiative designed to eliminate the often confusing
elements of the two current disability processes of our departments,” the
deputy secretary said. “Key features include both a single medical
examination and single disability rating for use by both departments.”
The goal is to halve the time required for servicemembers to receive
benefits.
No servicemembers have completely transitioned via the pilot program to
veteran status yet. England said he expects enough servicemembers will
have done so by June to enable officials to analyze the process.
The deputy secretary said that the two departments have made improvements
in addressing issues concerning psychological health and traumatic brain
injury.
“The focus of these efforts has been to create and ensure a comprehensive,
effective and individually focused program dedicated to prevention,
protection, identification, diagnosis, treatment, recovery and
rehabilitation for our service members, veterans, and families who deal
with these challenging health conditions,” he said.
DoD and VA have also partnered in the development of standard clinical
practice guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder, and they are
working to develop treatments for mild traumatic brain injury, he said.
“Collaboration between VA and DoD gained substantial momentum over the
past year, as we partnered to establish a seamless continuum to meet the
needs of U.S. wounded, ill and injured servicemembers and their families
in transition to continued military service or to veterans,” England said.
“Our dedicated, selfless servicemembers, veterans, and their families
deserve the very best, and we pledge to give our very best during their
recovery, rehabilitation, and return to the society they defend.”
-------------------------
posted by Larry
Scott
Founder and Editor
VA Watchdog dot Org
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