New Secretary Peake · Features FY 2009 Budget Proposal: $93.7 Billion 6 Seamless transition, compensation and pension initiatives top priorities Honoring Distinguished Service in

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outlook

January/February 2008

New Secretary PeakeAdapted Housing Grant Program

Five Years of My HealtheVet

VA and the New Deal

New Secretary PeakeAdapted Housing Grant Program

Five Years of My HealtheVet

VA and the New Deal

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FeaturesFY 2009 Budget Proposal: $93.7 Billion 6Seamless transition, compensation and pension initiatives top prioritiesHonoring Distinguished Service in the Pacific 7Coast Guard commandant visits Punchbowl to dedicate memorial‘Granting’ Independence 8Adapted housing program for seriously disabled veterans is growingIn Tribute to America’s National Shrines 11Author publishes book on VA national cemeteriesCelebrating Five Years of My HealtheVet 12More than 500,000 users are now registered on VA’s Web health portalOn the Cusp of a Breakthrough 14Dr. David Vesely’s cancer research is showing real promiseVA and the New Deal 16WPA helped construct Baltimore National CemeteryTaking the Reins 18An interview with new Secretary James B. Peake, M.D.The Dream Cutter 22L.A. barber donates services to lift the spirits of his fellow veteransHelping Veterans on the ‘Road to Recovery’ 23VA employees lend their expertise at Disney World event‘Wreaths Across America’ 24Veterans buried in national cemeteries remembered at the holidaysCelebrating the Holidays VA-Style 25Holiday happenings at facilities around the country

Departments3 Feedback 30 Medical Advances4 From the Secretary 31 Heroes5 Outlook 32 Have You Heard26 Around Headquarters 34 Honors29 Introducing 36 Holiday Wreaths

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VAnguardVA’s Employee MagazineJanuary/February 2008Vol. LIV, No. 1

Printed on 50% recycled paper

Editor: Lisa Respess GaeglerPhoto Editor: Robert TurtilPhotographer: Art GardinerStaff Writer: Amanda Hester

Published by the Office of Public Affairs (80D)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20420(202) 461-7427E-mail: [email protected]/opa/feature/vanguard

On the coverThe sixth Secretary of Veterans Affairs, JamesB. Peake, M.D., is the first physician and thefirst general to lead the department. Acombat veteran of the Vietnam War, Peake isa former Army surgeon general. He wassworn in by Vice President Cheney at VACentral Office on Dec. 20, with PresidentBush looking on. photo by Robert Turtil

www.va.gov/opa/feature/vanguard

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feedback

Have a comment on something you’ve seen inVAnguard? We invite reader feedback. Send yourcomments to [email protected]. You can also write tous at: VAnguard, Office of Public Affairs (80D), De-partment of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave.,N.W., Washington, D.C., 20420. Include yourname, title and VA facility. We won’t be able to pub-lish every letter, but we’ll use representative ones. Wemay need to edit your letter for length or clarity.

We Want to Hear from You

Attention artists, graphic designers and photographers.The Veterans Day National Committee is seeking submis-sions for the 2008 national Veterans Day poster.

The poster is distributed to more than 110,000schools nationwide, military installations around theworld, and to federal agencies in the nation’s capital. It alsograces the cover of the official program booklet for theVeterans Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery.The committee will convene in May to review all submis-sions and select a finalist.

The final poster must be 18x24” at 300 dots per inch,but please scale down submissions to 9x12” and submitelectronic versions as JPEG images or PDF files via e-mailto: [email protected]. Alternatively, send copies of artwork ora CD with artwork files to: Department of Veterans Affairs(002C), 810 Vermont Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.,20420. Please do not send originals.

The deadline for submissions is May 1. To view Veter-ans Day posters from previous years, please visitwww.va.gov/vetsday and click on “Poster Gallery.”

Submissions should include sufficient information todemonstrate that the image is the work of the artist and isnot copyrighted material (i.e., photos and concepts). Thecommittee may select a particular submission but ask theartist to make modifications to the original design. Addi-tional changes may be required prior to printing.

Where Are the Gloves?I always enjoy reading theVAnguard, but this time I dohave a comment about one ofyour photos. I am a safetyprofessional (in Research andDevelopment) and was dis-mayed to see the photo ofDavid Wofsy, M.D., on page35 of the November/Decem-ber issue, working in a bio-

logical safety cabinet. He waswearing a lab coat (yea) butnot gloves (boo).

One of the most difficultparts of a safety officer’s job inresearch is reminding folks toprotect themselves, and theirproducts, through use of ap-propriate personal protectiveequipment (gloves, gown,goggles, etc., when required). I

remember a poster that wassent from the VA Office ofResearch and Development inwhich a charming young ladywas pipetting radioactive ma-terial. She wore a lab coat andgoggles—no gloves again.

Corinne Gajdusek, Ph.D.R&D Safety Officer

VA Puget Sound HCSSeattle

Deputy Secretary Gordon H. Mansfield was named thefirst recipient of the Robert Dole National Award for Ser-vice on Jan. 28 during the annual conference of the Mili-tary Health System, which provides health care for theDepartment of Defense.

The award was established in Dole’s name to recog-nize veterans who continue to serve the nation throughpublic service. Mansfield described the former Kansassenator as “one of my personal heroes.”

“I cannot think of anyone, in my experience, who hasdone more [than Senator Dole] for the military and veter-ans health care systems,” Mansfield said. “As a patientand as a proponent in Congress, he did everything hecould to improve the care we provide for our active-dutypersonnel, our veterans and their families.”

Last year, Dole served as co-chair of the President’sCommission on Care for America’s Returning WoundedWarriors, a landmark look at ways to improve VA’s andthe Defense Department’s help for injured service-members returning to civilian life.

High Honors for Mansfield

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England presents the Rob-ert Dole National Award for Service to VA Deputy SecretaryGordon Mansfield as VA Secretary Dr. James Peake, left, andSen. Dole look on.

Veterans Day 2008 Poster Contest

Correction

In our article on page 29 ofthe November/December issueabout the special editionCheerios box featuring 12gold medal winners from the2007 National VeteransWheelchair Games, the nameof one of the athletes, WayneField, was misspelled.

EMERSON SANDERS

www.va.gov/vetsday

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therapies and the spectrum oftraumatic brain injury impair-ment—vital issues for ournewest generation of veterans.

Access to care is a domi-nant issue for veterans.Whether our veterans live incities or rural areas, we needto ensure their access to carewith compassion, timelinessand without hassles. Ourcommunity-based outpatientclinic program will grow, newmedical centers will open, andolder facilities will be modern-ized and expanded. We will le-verage technology and servemore veterans through tele-

medicine and monitor theirhealth through the Internet.

As I look at history, Icannot think of a recent timewith more focus on our veter-ans or more in-depth looks atveterans’ programs. This pro-vides us the opportunity tochart a course forward to servethe needs of the new genera-tion of veterans returningfrom Iraq and Afghanistanwhile honoring our nation’scommitment to the genera-tions of World War II, KoreanWar and Vietnam War veter-ans. It is an opportunity wemust pursue.

I have hit the groundrunning thanks to the envi-ronment of compassion, ac-tion and success you have cre-ated. We have a special mis-sion, and I am delighted to bepart of the VA team. I’ll seeyou on the high ground!

Charting a Course Forward to Serve Our VeteransJames B. Peake, M.D.Secretary of Veterans Affairs

As I look at history, I cannot think of a recent time withmore focus on our veterans or more in-depth looks atveterans’ programs.

Though VA Central Office isonly a block from the WhiteHouse, it is a rare event for aPresident to pay a personalvisit. I can’t tell you howproud I was to be introducedas Secretary of Veterans Affairsby President Bush and swornin by Vice President Cheneyright here in Central Officeon Dec. 20.

The President’s visit hon-ored all of us working in VA.His remarks underscored hisbelief in the importance ofyour work and the priority ofthe VA mission.

“Our nation has nohigher calling than to providefor those who have borne thecost of battle,” he said. “I amconfident in the future of thisdepartment because I haveseen firsthand the dedicationof the men and women whowork here.”

I can only echo thosewords. I am privileged to joina great team deeply commit-ted to veterans and to a mis-sion that I, too, deeply believein.

I join VA at a critical pe-riod in the history of this de-partment. Our nation is atwar and many new veteransare leaving the battlefield andentering our system. The carewe provide is the best, but ac-cess and administrative issuessometimes get in the way.

The transition from ac-tive duty servicemember toveteran for this newest genera-tion of combat veterans is animportant challenge. It is achallenge we must meet withrenewed energy and newideas.

In my short time at VA,

I have had the opportunity towitness firsthand the compas-sion of federal, state and localpartnership displayed at theWashington, D.C., VA Medi-cal Center’s WinterhavenStand Down for homelessveterans. I also had the op-portunity to visit with ourstaff at the D.C. VAMC,where our clinicians demon-strated the power and prom-ise of our electronic healthrecords.

During my first visit toour Richmond polytraumacenter, I was able to see first-hand the progress of a patient

injured in Iraq who came tous several months ago as aquadriplegic, and is now us-ing his upper body, breathingon his own, and looking for-ward to joining us at the up-coming Winter Sports Clinic.

I have visited our staff atWalter Reed Army MedicalCenter and Bethesda NavalMedical Center and was im-pressed with their hard workon behalf of our returningservicemembers. I recentlyspoke at the Military HealthSystem annual conference,where our own Deputy Secre-tary Mansfield was honored.With more than 3,000 healthcare professionals in atten-dance, the event demon-strated for me there is anunprecendented opportunityfor collaboration with ourcolleagues in the Defense De-partment as we work to build

the continuum of care ournation’s veterans deserve.

The Dole-Shalala reportthe President commissionedgives us a powerful blueprintto move forward in partner-ship with DoD and other fed-eral agencies. I intend tostrengthen our current rela-tionships and joint ventureswith Defense and forge newones that work for service-members and veterans alike.As I told Secretary of DefenseGates on Dec. 20, I don’twant “seamless” to be abuzzword—I want it to be theway we do business.

I will closely follow workon developing a joint DoD/VA disability rating systemthat will reduce time, paper-work and confusion for appli-cants. We must address thetime required to provide ben-efits through reproducible,thorough and accurate ratings.

VA is in the midst of amajor expansion of its mentalhealth treatment resources. Anational suicide preventionhotline with coordinators andcounselors at our medical cen-ters is providing direct help toveterans and their families ev-ery day. PTSD and TBIscreening of all OIF/OEF vet-erans seeking VA care is iden-tifying the sometimes subtlesymptoms that lead to diagno-sis and treatment. Our grow-ing treatment capabilities andresearch will increase our un-derstanding of effective PTSD

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tionwide, in both VA and pri-vate sector facilities, a renewedfocus on improving volunteerrecruitment and retention iscritical.

We are excited aboutthese initiatives, and look for-ward to collaborating with ourvolunteers and partner organi-zations to advance VAVS to ahigher level of excellence.

Volunteers sponsor spe-cial events throughout theyear, like the National Saluteto Hospitalized Veterans eachFebruary, which focuses com-munity attention on the vet-erans we care for and on thevital role volunteers play inthat care. This year, up-and-coming young movie actorMike Vogel serves as our Na-tional Salute chairperson.

We will honor our vol-unteers during National Vol-unteer Week April 27-May 3,

recognizing them all, youngand old, for the hours theygive to VA and our veterans,but a smile or a sincere thankyou from a VA staff memberis reward enough for mostvolunteers—something to re-member the next time youare working alongside one.

We appreciate the diver-sity and strength of our volun-teer workforce, and hope youwill join us in extending yourappreciation to our volunteersfor their tireless efforts, andfor the great service they giveto America’s veterans and theirfamilies every day.

In VA Voluntary Service, the Focus is on VeteransLaura B. BalunDirector, Voluntary Service Office

Without volunteers, the quality of programs and servicesdesigned to enhance patient care would be compro-mised.

My greatest privilege and re-sponsibility as director of theVoluntary Service Office is toadvocate for our 86,000 vol-unteers who selflessly give ofthemselves to serve veteransand their families. Have youever wondered what VAwould look like without vol-unteers? Most would agreethat we would be much lessable to offer so many servicesthat put the “care” into VAhealth care.

Volunteers are essential toVA and have a positive impacton VA health care. They helplower costs and increase pa-tient services. Excellent pa-tient service is just as essentialas excellent clinical care.Without volunteers, the qual-ity of programs and servicesdesigned to enhance patientcare would be compromised.We thank VA volunteers fortheir caring and devotion.

The VA Voluntary Ser-vice (VAVS) program hasgiven outstanding service toAmerica’s veterans since 1946.Our volunteers have donated689 million hours of serviceover the past 62 years. Volun-teers and their organizationsannually contribute $59 mil-lion in gifts and donations,providing vital programs andresources to veterans that oth-erwise would not be available.

VAVS establishes chal-lenging goals to ensure we re-main focused on improvingour services. Looking backover the past year, we workedto accomplish a number ofpriorities. Together, our staffand volunteers:■ supported Echo TapsWorldwide by organizing

more than 3,000 volunteerswho participated in a cascad-ing musical performance oftaps on Armed Forces Day2007 to honor and rememberAmerica’s veterans;■ promoted volunteer sup-port for Advanced Clinic Ac-cess by implementing newvolunteer assignments and ini-tiatives that improve qualityand service to veterans;■ improved volunteer recruit-ment and retention by de-creasing the volunteer turn-over rate to less than 25 per-cent;■ supported the VolunteerCaregiver Support Networkby developing recruitmentand training materials thatwill prepare well-trained vol-unteers to provide compas-sionate services to the primarycaregivers who give care toveterans in their homes;

■ provided support to Opera-tion Iraqi Freedom and Op-eration Enduring Freedom(OIF/OEF) veterans and theirfamilies by coordinating Wel-come Home celebrations andusing donations to providelodging and other services;■ supported the professionaldevelopment of VAVS staff byconducting a national trainingconference for program man-agers to develop and sharenew ideas, resources and bestpractices in volunteer manage-ment.

These initiatives are just afew examples of how VAVS

supports the VA mission, andcontinually strives to providethe best possible service to vet-erans and their families.

As we reflect on our pastaccomplishments, we also lookforward to reaching new mile-stones in 2008. We have es-tablished four major initiativesthat will strengthen the VAVSprogram and improve the ser-vices we provide veterans:■ enhancing the VoluntaryService Timekeeping System(VSS), which will improveVAVS recordkeeping, data col-lection and overall programmanagement. Plans includedeveloping a tracking modulein VSS for volunteer trainingand security requirements, andautomating the Healthcare In-tegrity and Protection DataBank (HIPDB) comparisonwith Health and Human Ser-vices;

■ supporting Welcome Homecelebrations, which will helpimprove the lives of OIF/OEFveterans and their families,and enhance the services weprovide them;■ developing resources for pa-tient feeding volunteer pro-grams, which will support thegrowing need to recruit andtrain volunteers to assist withpatient feeding programs inVA health care facilities na-tionwide;■ improving volunteer re-cruitment and retention. At atime when health carevolunteerism is declining na-

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Seamless transition and com-pensation and pension initia-tives top the list of priorities in

the President’s 2009 budget proposalfor VA. New VA Secretary Dr. JamesB. Peake testified before CongressFeb. 4 to give an overview of the re-quest, which totals nearly $93.7 bil-lion—$46.4 billion for entitlementprograms and $47.2 billion for discre-tionary programs.

The total request is $3.4 billionabove the funding levelfor 2008. Secretary Peaketold Congress that thisproposed budget is 17 per-cent higher than in 2007and is more than doublethe funding level in effectwhen the President tookoffice seven years ago.

Peake stated that oneof VA’s highest priorities isto ensure that veterans re-turning from service inOperation Iraqi Freedomand Operation EnduringFreedom receive every-thing they need to maketheir transition back to ci-vilian life as smooth andsimple as possible. Hepledged to take all mea-sures necessary to providethem with timely benefits and ser-vices, to give them complete informa-tion about benefits they have earnedthrough their service, and to imple-ment streamlined processes free ofbureaucratic red tape.

Additionally, he stressed VA’spriority of improving delivery of com-pensation and pension benefits to allveterans in the coming year with thehiring of an additional 3,100 newstaff and by working more closely

with the Department of Defensethrough the Compensation and Pen-sion Records Interchange project thatgrants VA greater online access toDoD medical information as morecategories of DoD’s electronic recordsare made available.

The President’s request for 2009will allow VA to achieve performancegoals in four areas critical to theachievement of its mission:■ provide timely, accessible, and

high-quality health care to the high-est priority patients—veterans return-ing from service in Operation IraqiFreedom and Operation EnduringFreedom, veterans with service-con-nected disabilities, those with lowerincomes, and veterans with specialhealth care needs;■ advance collaborative efforts withthe Department of Defense to ensurethe continued provision of world-classhealth care and benefits to VA and

DoD beneficiaries, including the de-velopment of secure, interoperableelectronic medical record systems;■ improve the timeliness and accu-racy of claims processing; and■ ensure the burial needs of veteransand their eligible family members aremet and maintain veterans’ cemeter-ies as national shrines.

Highlights of the request include:■ medical care: $41.2 billion, an in-crease of $2.3 billion over 2008.

■ OIF/OEF veteranshealth care: $1.3 billion,21 percent higher than in2008.■ mental health services:$3.9 billion, a 9 percentincrease over 2008.■ non-institutional long-term care: $762 million, anincrease of 28 percent over2008.■ prosthetics and sensoryaids: $1.5 billion, an in-crease of 10 percent over2008.■ CHAMPVA: $1 billion,an increase of 17 percentover 2008.■ facility activations: $83million, a 19 percent in-crease over 2008.■ medical and prosthetic

research: $442 million, to fund 2,000projects.■ general operating expenses: $1.7billion, $1.4 billion for VBA.■ VBA improve performance initia-tives: $10.8 million.■ NCA operations and maintenance:$181 million.■ IT: $2.4 billion, an increase of 19percent over 2008.

FY 2009 Budget Proposal: $93.7 BillionSeamless transition, compensation and pension initiatives top the list ofpriorities in President’s request.

VA officials participate in a media briefing on the FY 2009 budget pro-posal in VA Central Office on Feb. 4. Left to right: Principal Deputy Assis-tant Secretary for Management Rita Reed; Under Secretary for Health Dr.Michael Kussman; Under Secretary for Benefits Daniel Cooper; UnderSecretary for Memorial Affairs William Tuerk; and Assistant Secretary forInformation and Technology Robert Howard.

ROBERT TURTIL

By Jose Llamas

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Commandant of the CoastGuard Adm. Thad Allenjoined other federal, state

and local officials at the NationalMemorial Cemetery of the Pacific inHonolulu Jan. 18 to dedicate the U.S.Coast Guard Pacific Veterans Memo-rial.

More than a thousand former andactive duty members of the CoastGuard, their families and other guestswere on hand to witness the unveil-ing of a memorial plaque honoringtheir distinguished service in the Pa-cific.

Cemetery director Gene E.Castagnetti was master of ceremoniesfor the program, welcoming thecrowd and introducing Allen as theevent’s keynote speaker.

During his remarks, Allen praisedthe men and women of the CoastGuard for their service, sacrifices anddedication to duty. He traced theCoast Guard’s wartime record fromPearl Harbor, only 10 miles from thesite of the new memorial, throughcurrent deployments and maritime in-terdiction missions in the MiddleEast. Allen highlighted the service’svital role in World War II duringlandings throughout the Pacific.

“It was in the ships and landingcraft of the amphibious landing forceswhere the Coast Guard played one ofits most important roles in the Alliedvictory, bringing the assault troops tothe beaches and providing reinforce-ments and support,” said Allen.

One of the first places the CoastGuard distinguished itself in WorldWar II was at Guadalcanal. The ser-vice landed Marines on the island inthe Solomon chain in August 1942,the beginning of a six-month cam-paign. Signalman 1st Class Douglas

Munro, the Coast Guard’s only Medalof Honor recipient, died there rescu-ing a group of Marines. A stone fromGuadalcanal is the centerpiece of thenew memorial.

The crowd also heard remarksfrom Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle, Sen.Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), HonoluluMayor Mufi Hannemann, and RearAdm. Sally Brice-O’Hara, the com-mander of the Coast Guard’s Four-teenth District, which covers the Pa-cific region. Retired Coast GuardCmdr. Douglas Sheehan, Munro’snephew, was in attendance as well.

The ceremony included a na-tional anthem performance by JimNabors (TV’s Gomer Pyle), wreath-layings, a three-volley rifle salute, theplaying of taps, an HH-65 rescue heli-copter flyover and music by the Ma-rine Forces Pacific Band.

The driving force behind the me-morial was Coast Guard Capt. BarryCompagnoni, commander of USCGSector Hawaii.

“For more than 217 years, theUnited States Coast Guard has servedour nation with distinction andhonor, yet no single memorial at theNational Memorial Cemetery of thePacific marked the significant role ofour service in the Pacific,” he said.“On a visit to the cemetery in thespring of 2007, my father-in-law, whois a Coast Guard veteran, recognizedthis oversight and I pledged to himthat we would correct it.” The cap-tain put together a team of more than40 volunteers to recognize and vali-date the service and sacrifice of theCoast Guard veterans.

Honoring Distinguished Service in the PacificCoast Guard commandant visits the National Memorial Cemetery of thePacific to dedicate the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Veterans Memorial.

Rear Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara, Coast Guard Fourteenth District commander, and Adm. ThadAllen, commandant of the Coast Guard, help Kahu Kordell Kekoa conduct a traditional Ha-waiian blessing of the memorial plaque.

JAMES MESSNER

By Jim Rich

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Pots and pans clank together asJeanne Neff retrieves them fromtheir storage drawer to prepare

dinner. “Bzzzz.” She turns and headsto the laundry room to move a load ofwhites from the washer to the dryer.On her way back to the kitchen, shecalls to her daughter, Julie, asking herto take a break from her homeworkand music to set the table.

It’s a scene played out countlesstimes across the country every day. Itoccurs so often it is taken for granted.

That’s not the case in the Neffhousehold, though. Neff smiles to her-self with appreciation and satisfactionat the ease with which those simpledaily activities have been accom-plished from the seat of her wheel-chair—her silent partner in her fightagainst the debilitating effects ofamyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Neff, a 14-year veteran of the AirForce Reserve and West Virginia AirNational Guard who was called to ac-tive duty in support of OperationIraqi Freedom, received a SpeciallyAdapted Housing (SAH) grant fromVA to build a home that accommo-dates her needs.

“It makes me independent,” shesaid. “You have no idea what thatmeans. If you have never been whereyou have to depend on somebody else… it is not a good feeling. But here, Ican function and I can function well.Because of this house and the help Igot from the VA, life at home is really,really good.”

Veterans with service-connecteddisabilities who are entitled to com-pensation for a “permanent and total

disability” are eligible for the benefit.A grant may be used to build a newhome with appropriate adaptations orto modify an existing one to meet theveteran’s needs.

In fact, VA has three types ofadapted housing grants available toqualified veterans. The SpeciallyAdapted Housing (SAH) grant, cur-rently limited to $50,000, is generallyused to create a wheelchair-accessiblehome for those who may require suchassistance for activities of daily living,as it did for Jeanne Neff.

A second type is the SpecialHousing Adaptation (SHA) grant.Limited to $10,000, it is generallyused to assist veterans with mobilitythroughout their homes due to blind-ness in both eyes, or the anatomicalloss or loss of use of both hands.

A third type, the TemporaryResidence Adaptation (TRA) grant,

was recently established by a new lawand is available to eligible veteranswho are temporarily living in or in-tend to temporarily live in a homeowned by a family member. Thischange allows veterans who may notyet own homes to have access to theadapted housing grant program.

VA has averaged about 1,000adapted housing grant applications ayear over the past 10 years. Since theprogram began in 1948, it has pro-vided more than $650 million ingrants to about 34,000 seriously dis-abled veterans.

“The goal of all three grant pro-grams is to provide a barrier-free liv-ing environment that offers thecountry’s most severely injured veter-ans or servicemembers a level of inde-pendent living,” said Secretary of Vet-erans Affairs Dr. James Peake.

The increased independence is

VA’s Specially Adapted Housing grant program allows seriously disabledveterans to design, construct and modify homes to meet their needs.

A grant may be used to build a new home with appropriate adaptations or to modify an exist-ing one to meet the veteran’s individual needs.

‘Granting’ Independence

RAND BARNES

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not limited to the veteran. Jeanne’steenage daughter Julie also benefitsfrom knowing her mother is in a safeenvironment.

“Whenever I decide to go some-where, I know that she can take careof herself and I am not worried abouther tripping, because everything isflat,” Julie explained.

“When you’re handicapped, yourchild has to do a lot of things thatother kids do not have to do,” admitsJeanne. “The VA has made it possiblefor me to be as independent as I canbe and that means she can just be anormal kid.”

Getting these adaptations is acomplex process involving paperworkand numerous details most of us don’thave to think about, but Neff said theend result is well worth it.

This is where VA’s expertise paysbig dividends. VA works closely withveterans, contractors and architectsthroughout the entire process to de-sign, construct and modify homes toensure the individual veteran’s orservicemember’s needs are met andgrant money is spent properly.

Neff encourages those who maybe overwhelmed by the prospect ofthe challenge to get help. “You cando it and life is so much easier. You’vejust got to work through it.”

People who design or build theirown homes know the challenges andmyriad decisions that must be madeabout every detail of the home’s con-struction. To make those same deci-sions while considering the needs ofsomeone who may have one or morephysical limitations takes an experi-enced eye and a caring heart.

“It’s the little things that nobodyelse thinks about, like drawers in thekitchen instead of cabinets that youhave to open and climb under to getinto them,” Neff said.

Neff, who designed the househerself, remembers her surprise andinitial resistance to advice she re-ceived to “build it big.” Looking back,she now advises others to “make widedoorways, big showers and big rooms.

You need room to move around, toturn around. The grant makes thatpossible.”

VA pays special attention to thebathroom to ensure ease of functionfor the veteran no matter what thechallenges.

“I would have built differently,”Neff admits, “if [VA] had not been in-volved and I’m glad they were, be-cause things like the sink, you need tobe able to pull up to it so you can get[the wheelchair] under it. I wouldnever have done that, because in myhead I’m not handicapped. But theyknew that I would need that and Ido.”

After making hundreds of draw-ings and numerous changes, her joyand satisfaction are evidenced by herready smile and enthusiasm for life.

“I got to watch my dream comealive,” Neff said. “They built what Idrew and it was wonderful. It was along, hard process, but it was exactlywhat I drew on paper. I’ve been able

to raise my daughter in a home wecan enjoy and I can function in.”

Neff is equally enthusiastic aboutthe help she received from her VAcontact through the whole process,Hugh Alley at the Huntington VARegional Office in West Virginia.

“I think that was their wholegoal, to make me as independent andcomfortable and normal as I can beand they’ve done that,” said Neff.“They’ve taken care of every needand made life easy.”

The same holds true for HarryCurrie, a Vietnam-era veteran whowas stationed in Korea. Currie hasbeen paralyzed for more than 20years, but waited to use the grant un-til he was certain where he wanted tosettle. He chose Phoenix.

“I thought it would be a long, dif-ficult process, but after I met with thecase worker here in Phoenix, SallyDriscoll, it went rather smoothly,”said Currie. “I applaud her for theproject. She was there when I picked

Home adaptations like a wheelchair-accessible shower allow seriously disabled veterans tolive as independently as possible; inset: Jeanne Neff says similar adaptations in her homemake it possible for her to raise her teenage daughter, Julie, “in a home we can enjoy and Ican function in.”

METRO TELEPRODUCTIONS INC.DONALD NUNNALLY

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out the lot until the closing.”Currie not only made use of the

$50,000 SAH grant to make thehome wheelchair-friendly and suitedto his needs, he also used a second,Home Improvement and StructuralAlteration (HISA) grant from VHAto add a walkway that gives him asmooth path to the garage on theother side of the home.

In addition to making the insideof the home user-friendly for the vet-eran, regardless of the disability, VAspecifications also ensure the veterancan easily and safely exit the home incase of an emergency. However, notall emergencies require leaving thehome.

One veteran, Harold Ettin, whodepends on respirator equipment andan electrically-powered bed, usedSAH grant money to add a back-upgenerator to his home’s electrical sys-tem. When a storm knocked outpower to his neighborhood, his gen-erator kicked in within 10 seconds,providing the needed power to keepthe equipment operating.

Ettin was the beneficiary of an-other change in the recent law thatbrought the TRA into being. Beforethe change, eligible veterans andservicemembers could receive spe-cially adapted housing grants fromVA only once. Now they may use thebenefit up to three times, so long asthe total grants stay within specifiedlimits. Ettin purchased the generatorwith a subsequent grant from theSAH program.

“This change ensures that everyeligible veteran and servicememberhas the chance to use the maximumamount afforded to them,” said LoanGuaranty Service Director JudyCaden. “To ensure all previous recipi-ents are aware of this opportunity, VAmailed more than 16,000 letters toeligible veterans.” The letters areaimed at those who used only a por-tion of their grant or who decided notto use the grant after initially qualify-ing.

The response over the past yearhas been dramatic, with more than4,600 applications received so far. Of

these, approximately 3,900 veteranshave been determined eligible underthe new law, and more than 200grants have already been awarded.

Martin Burrell is another vet-eran who was recently approved for asecond SAH grant. At age 19, whileserving as a member of the ArmyCombat Engineers during WorldWar II, Burrell lost both legs in atank attack on a German battlefield.

He returned home determined tolive a full life. He used his GI Billbenefits to earn degrees in math-ematics and physics and enjoyed along and rewarding career in teach-ing and at Lockheed and NASA. Hemarried and raised two sons and adaughter with his wife, Jennie.

Burrell used his first $10,000SAH grant to build an adaptedhome in Macon, Ga. The second$40,000 grant will be used for adap-tations to his current home inHiawassee, Ga.

Specially adapted housing meansjust that—houses modified to meetthe needs of the individual veteran.Whether it’s extra grab bars aroundthe house and a sit-down shower forSquire Turner, who retired from theArmy in 1965 after 20 years of serviceand suffers from blindness and the ef-fects of a stroke, or an elevator forJames Latham, an Army veteran ofthe war in Iraq whose injuries lefthim paralyzed, to reach the secondlevel of his home, VA grants areavailable to help seriously injured vet-erans live as safely and independentlyas possible within their own homes.

It’s not just the money thatmakes these modifications possible.It’s the people—VA’s team of caringand committed staff who ensure theselife-enhancing adaptations are doneproperly and meet the needs of theveterans for whom they are designed.

It’s like the television ad. Spe-cially Adapted Housing grant:$50,000; A veteran’s renewed sense ofindependence: priceless.

There are three types of grants available through the Specially Adapted Housinggrant program.■ The Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grant is generally used to create awheelchair-accessible home. This grant, currently limited to $50,000, is availableto both veterans and active duty servicemembers.■ The Special Home Adaptations (SHA) grant is generally used to assist inadapting homes for those who are blind or lost use of both hands. This grant iscurrently limited to $10,000 and can be used on a home owned by a family mem-ber. It is available to both veterans and active duty servicemembers.■ A Temporary Residence Adaptation (TRA) grant is now available to eligibleveterans temporarily residing in a home owned by a family member. Veteranseligible for an SAH grant would be permitted to use up to $14,000 and veteranseligible for an SHA grant would be permitted to use up to $2,000 of the maximumgrant amounts. Currently, active duty servicemembers are not allowed by law touse the TRA grant.

These grants can be used to help construct, purchase or adapt a home tomeet the individual’s needs. Other VA adaptive housing benefits are currentlyavailable through Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Service’s “Inde-pendent Living” program, the Insurance Service’s Veterans Mortgage Life In-surance program, and the Veterans Health Administration’s Home Improve-ment and Structural Alterations grant program. More information about grantsand other adaptive housing programs is available by calling 1-800-827-1000.

What Types of Grants Are Available?

By Jim Benson

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“Coffee table books” have beenaround for decades. Topics haveincluded nature, art, sports, and

nearly anything else visually appeal-ing. The TV show “Seinfeld” even of-fered up the idea of a coffee tablebook about coffee tables.

Now you can add VA’s nationalcemeteries to the list of subjects cov-ered by such a book.

In November, author Tom Ruckreleased his book Sacred Ground: ATribute to America’s Veterans, whichfeatures 189 extra-large glossy pagesand about 200 full-color photographsof some of America’s and VA’s moststrikingly beautiful national shrines.

The idea to publish the bookgrew out of Ruck’s fondness forJefferson Barracks National Cemetery,where his father, a Navy veteran ofWorld War II, was buried when Ruckwas in seventh grade. In the yearsthat followed, Ruck made frequentvisits to Jefferson Barracks NationalCemetery. His mother later remar-ried, to another World War II Navyvet Ruck calls his “second father.” Hismother and both fathers are now in-terred at the St. Louis cemetery.

The book was really a “way toshow appreciation to the part the vet-eran has played in upholding Ameri-can values, with the cemeteries as avehicle to say ‘thank you,’” said Ruck.“I wanted the citizens of this countryto realize what beauty and serenity liewithin VA’s national cemeteries.Americans need to know how welltheir veterans are being cared for inthese national shrines.”

In the summer of 2006, Ruck, asales and marketing executive, ap-proached the National Cemetery Ad-ministration with a proposal for abook that would be a tribute to

America’s veterans, raise awareness ofVA’s national cemeteries and educatefuture generations about the serviceand sacrifices made by our militarymembers. Although many such ideasnever make it past the idea stage,NCA granted permission and recom-mended dozens of cemeteries to bephotographed.

The author recruited volunteerphotographers from around the coun-try to photograph VA’s national cem-eteries through the change of seasons,to include Memorial Day ceremoniesand traditions in May 2007.

manager of comedian and militarysupporter Bob Hope. Unfortunately,Grant passed away last January, butnot before putting Ruck in touchwith several notable figures who wereenthusiastic about the project.

Former Sen. Bob Dole provided aforeword. Essays on honor and sacri-fice were provided by prominent citi-zens like astronaut Buzz Aldrin. Im-portant speeches and quotes, such asPresident Lincoln’s Gettysburg Ad-dress, are scattered throughout thebook to remind readers of the sacri-fices of America’s men and women inuniform.

Deputy Secretary Gordon H.Mansfield presented Ruck with aCommendation Award in a small cer-emony at VA Central Office Nov. 6.Ruck also signed copies of the book atVACO’s canteen during his Washing-ton visit.

All royalties from the book arebeing donated to the Freedom Alli-ance Scholarship Fund, which pro-vides educational scholarships to thechildren of Americans in the armedforces who have been killed orwounded. Since its founding, the fundhas raised more than $600,000.

The author is quick to sharecredit for the book.

“My name may be on the book,”Ruck said, “but it was very much ateam effort—NCA, all of the cem-eteries, and everyone who wanted torecognize vets, help kids, and increaseawareness of our national cemeteries.It is obvious from my visits to thesecemeteries that the people who main-tain them truly understand and re-spect the jobs they have—keepinghallowed grounds.”

In Tribute to America’s National ShrinesAuthor Tom Ruck publishes a book on national cemeteries, with theproceeds going to scholarships for veterans’ children.

Tom Ruck with his book onnational cemeteries.

In all, 36 photographers partici-pated. In some towns, several photog-raphers came forward, including fourin his hometown of St. Louis.

The hard part, said Ruck, wasgetting a publishing house interestedin the idea. “Some said it wasn’t‘high-volume’ enough. Others wantedto know what celebrities I had linedup to provide commentary.”

After some recommendationsfrom other publishers, Ruck foundWashington, D.C.-based RegneryPublishing to support his vision. InNovember 2006, Ruck was intro-duced to Ward Grant, the longtime By Jim Rich

JURITA BARBER

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Pioneering. Innovative. Ambi-tious. Award-winning. Allwords used to describe VA’s

personal health record, MyHealtheVet, a Web health portallaunched nationwide on VeteransDay 2003. Celebrating its fifth anni-versary this year, My HealtheVet willexpand a number of features to en-hance patient-provider relationshipsand continue integrating into VHA’smuch-lauded electronic health record.

More than access to onlinehealth information and a gateway toonline benefits and services, MyHealtheVet enhances veterans’ com-munication with their primary healthcare team and allows them to becomeactive partners in their health care.With more than 500,000 users nowregistered at www.myhealth.va.gov, itis clear that the integration of featureslike online VA prescription refills—which tops searches on www.va.gov—

access to health measurements and aone-stop shop for VA benefits, any-where, anytime Internet access to VAhealth care improves patient satisfac-tion and enhances quality healthcare.

My HealtheVet currently con-tains data entered by health care con-sumers, both veterans and employees,who have harnessed the power ofonline access to health care informa-tion. As VA celebrates five years ofonline access, veterans can look for-ward to accessing key portions of theelectronic health record, extractedand integrated securely into thepatient’s personal health record. Inthe near future, patients will be ableto delegate access to one or all partsof the record to another person (suchas a health care provider, family mem-ber or advocate).

“With the 2008 enhancements toMy HealtheVet, America’s veterans,

their caretakers and caregivers willsoon have access to personal, secure,convenient and informed personalhealth information not only to im-prove their health but to becomepartners in their health care as well,”said VA Secretary Dr. James B. Peake.

My HealtheVet has begun testing“secure messaging,” providing almostanywhere, anytime Internet access toVA health care staff, at VA medicalcenters in Boston, Bay Pines, Fla.,Portland, Ore., and Washington, D.C.This new online tool will allow regis-tered My HealtheVet users who havegone through the in-person authenti-cation process (IPA) at a local VA fa-cility to correspond directly with theirprimary health care provider teams.

With secure messaging, registeredpatients with an IPA, or upgraded MyHealtheVet account, will not onlycommunicate non-urgent and non-emergent issues with their health care

More than 500,000 users arenow registered on the Webhealth portal, where they canget anywhere, anytime access tohealth care information.

Vietnam veteran and volunteer MelvinMarks is a champion of My HealtheVet atthe Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Centerin Charleston, S.C.

Celebrating Five Years of My HealtheVetCHRIS BAROODY

www.myhealth.va.gov

www.va.gov

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provider teams, their online conversa-tions have the potential to integrateinto their existing electronic healthrecord, which health care providerssee as part of VA’s Computerized Pa-tient Record System (CPRS). “Ourgoal is to increase the number of vet-erans with an IPA VHA-wide thisyear so they can get the full benefit oftheir online personal health record,”said VA Undersecretary for HealthDr. Michael J. Kussman.

Secure messaging is expected tobe released nationally during the yearwith a strategic, integrated and incre-mental approach, according to MyHealtheVet Program Director TheresaHancock, with VHA’s Office of Infor-mation. “That’s why we encourage allveterans, their caregivers and careproviders to register by completing

■ Web site visitors may access patient health education content through thesite’s evidence-based health information libraries without registering or loggingin.■ My HealtheVet registration is required before users can access additionalprogram features. Initial registration is accomplished using a Web-based formon the site, and complex passwords are required to safeguard user information.Once registered, users have access to self-entered information features such ashealth journals and health e-logs.■ To enable the inclusion of personally identifiable health information from theelectronic health record, “heavy proofing” is required through in-person authen-tication (IPA). To accomplishthis level of authentication,veterans must present at aVA facility or VA-designatedlocation and display a photoID or a new Veterans Identifi-cation Card (VIC). Valid photoID may include a driver’s li-cense, passport or other gov-ernment ID.

My HealtheVet registra-tion then initiates a transac-tional process to match the user’s information with the VA Master Patient Index(MPI), using the Social Security number as a key identifier. This matching is criti-cal to connect the patient to functions like prescription refill (which is availablenow) and health information extracts (which will be available later this year). VAmedical centers that have satellite clinics are encouraged to ensure that staffmembers are available to perform IPA at the clinic.

the in-person authentication processat their local VA medical center oroutpatient clinic, and watch for addi-tional announcements of this excitingnew feature,” said Hancock.

But don’t take her word for it.Veterans like Melvin Marks knowfirsthand that My HealtheVet is “…about living my life.” As a dedicatedvolunteer at the Ralph H. JohnsonVA Medical Center in Charleston,S.C., the Navy veteran supports MyHealtheVet by helping to spread theword as he processes ID cards for fel-low veterans. Marks assists in process-ing approximately 30 to 40 in-personauthentication registrations permonth.

A Vietnam veteran, he acknowl-edges that World War II veteranshave some trouble getting started

Some Reminders

with the username and password setup, but after that, they are self-suffi-cient. His generation and youngerveterans are more comfortable withcomputers and have an easier start atthe registration process.

“The IPA registration is key to allthe features My HealtheVet can pro-vide,” said Marks. “With IPA registra-tion, you get full access to health cal-endars, your own information, andsoon lab information and even mes-saging with your health care team.”

Marks personally uses MyHealtheVet to order his medicationseach month, which helps him in-struct other veterans. He also uses thegraphing functions for his high bloodpressure, pain and diabetes.

He printed out the diabetes chartto take to his doctor, who adjusted hismedication to eliminate the peaksand valleys in the blood sugar read-ings. Now, Marks’ blood sugar re-mains fairly normal.

Marks has even become part ofthe local My HealtheVet “road show.”Susan Haidary, the My HealtheVetpoint of contact at the facility, takeshim along to new employee and pa-tient orientations, as well as service-level briefings on My HealtheVet.

Marks recently prepared a presen-tation for nurses using MyHealtheVet’s online library of healthinformation. “Melvin is definitely akey champion at Charleston and theSavannah CBOC, and he also helpstrain physicians on My HealtheVet,”said Haidary.

From veterans and volunteers tothe network of My HealtheVet pointsof contact throughout VHA, the por-tal owes its success to innovation,communication and collaboration.

“I’ve been a user of the MyHealtheVet ‘pilot’ for quite sometime,” said Geoffrey S. Parker, ofDunkirk, Md. “I am still impressedwith the access it provides to myhealth records and other informa-tion.”

By Stacie M. Rivera

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peptide hormones in his research).The peptides have been used to

help reverse congestive heart failurein humans. They also have proved tohelp ameliorate renal failure in ani-mals, with the tubules in the kidneyregenerating after six days of treat-ment.

His shift from heart and gland re-search to cancer research came about

When Dr. David Vesely’s wife, Clo, died of breast cancer in 2002, it led theheart and gland physician and re-searcher at the James A. Haley Veter-ans’ Hospital in Tampa to expandpart of his research to include cancer.

After successfully focusing his re-search on congestive heart failure andkidney failure, Vesely may be on the

cusp of a major breakthrough in thebattle against cancer. He recentlycompleted laboratory tests showingthat certain heart hormones are suc-cessful in combating human cancer-ous growths in mice.

Vesely’s early research led to thediscovery of three peptide heart hor-mones in 1987. (Since his originaldiscovery, he now uses three other

The loss of his wife spurred Dr. David Vesely to expand hisresearch from heart disease to cancer. And now that research is

showing real promise in the fight against cancer.

On the Cuspof a Breakthrough

SAM KITTNER

Dr. Vesely in his lab. The Tampa VA re-searcher is on the trail of a possiblegroundbreaking treatment for cancer.

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after his wife’s death, when his sonBrian, then a high school studentwho had been working in his dad’s labto earn credit for graduation, sug-gested he expand some of his labora-tory research to include cancer.

“I wanted a way to help Briandeal with his grief,” Vesely said. “I wasintrigued by the fact that these hor-mones prevented heart cells fromgrowing too big. If they could regulatenormal cell growth, I found myselfwondering whether they could altercancer cell growth.”

Working in his lab with Brian,the two made cultures of human can-cer cells and mixed in the heart hor-mones. Brian was to observe them un-der a microscope and make note ofany changes. Brian’s first observationwas that the cancer cells lookedblown apart after they had beenmixed with the hormones, but he didnot realize how different that was un-til he compared those cancer cells tountreated ones.

To their amazement, Vesely andhis son observed about a 97 percentobliteration of cancer cells within 24hours. And even more amazing—thedestruction of human cancer cells wastaking place in all cancers!

After receiving VA funding andother seed money from the privatesector, Vesely expanded his research.He hired additional scientists, and hemoved from testing the hormones onhuman cancer growth in test tubes totesting them on mice that had beeninjected with cancer cells.

They conducted test after test us-ing the heart hormones on variousforms of cancers the mice had beeninjected with—including the deadlypancreatic cancer. One breakthroughafter another occurred.

“The results were incredible,”Vesely said. “The mice that had beeninjected with cancers lived to a ripeold age, and they did so without anyreturn of the cancer or any side ef-fects.”

The heart hormones work insidecancer cells by preventing DNA syn-

thesis to keep the cancer cells frommultiplying and spreading. The hearthormones also work to destroy thecancer cells.

His initial laboratory test resultsover the past five years on cancerouscells in test tubes showed that up to97 percent of human pancreatic, pros-tate, breast, colon, ovarian and kid-ney adenocarcinomas were eliminatedwithin a 24-hour period.

Vesely published his most recentresearch results in the May/June 2007issue of the medical journal In Vivo.The title of the article is “Eliminationof Up to 80 Percent of Human Pan-creatic Adenocarcinomas in AthymicMice by Cardiac Hormones.” The keyfinding published showed that deadlyhuman pancreatic cancer tumors im-planted in mice were completelyeliminated in up to 80 percent of themice, and in all treated mice the tu-mors were reduced in size to less than10 percent of the size of the tumors inuntreated mice.

In recognition of his work, Veselyrecently was awarded the Service toAmerica (“Sammie”) Career

Achievement Medal medical researchaward given annually to a federal em-ployee by the Partnership for PublicService, becoming the first VA em-ployee to win the honor.

A Nebraska native, Vesely oncedreamed of playing shortstop for theSt. Louis Cardinals. He was goodenough for the Cardinals to offer hima big-league contract. But his fatherwas a dentist and his parents wantedhim to go to dental school. Afterthree years in dental school, heswitched to medical school.

He began his VA career in 1985at the Little Rock, Ark., VA MedicalCenter; he’s been at the Tampa VAsince 1989.

“I first went to VA because of its

merit review research program, whichhelps physician-scientists more thanany other funding source to investi-gate programs directly related to aperson’s health, and because of thesacrifice of our veterans—one of myclose friends was killed in Vietnam,”Vesely said.

Vesely is now the Tampa VA’schief of endocrinology, diabetes andmetabolism. He also serves as a pro-fessor of medicine, molecular pharma-cology and physiology at the Univer-sity of South Florida.

“The VA has been very support-ive of my research, providing me withresearch funding for more than 20years in the form of peer-reviewedmerit review awards,” Vesely said.“Without the support of VA for thisresearch, it would not have been pos-sible.”

One newspaper article noted thathis accomplishments “are equated topicking a winning lottery number—twice. First, he found new pathwaysfor treatment of heart and kidney dis-ease, then he found pathways fortreatment of cancer.”

The next steps for his researchwill be to have clinical trials on hu-mans, which he hopes could beginwithin a year as soon funding is ob-tained from a biotechnology firm towhich the cardiac hormones havebeen licensed.

“We’re excited about movingahead with these clinical tests,”Vesely said. “There are millions ofpeople with cancer we may be able tohelp if these tests prove successful.”

Finding a successful treatment forcancer is a long way from playingshortstop for the Cardinals. Veselymay be on the verge of winning theWorld Series of Cancer Research.

“There are millions of people with cancer wemay be able to help if these tests provesuccessful.”

By William Outlaw

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In the 1930s, the United Stateswas in the midst of the Great De-pression. To stimulate the econ-

omy and fight the high unemploy-ment rate, which surged past 25 per-cent at times, President FranklinRoosevelt established a series of pro-grams collectively known as the NewDeal.

The Works Progress Administra-tion (WPA) was one of the largestand most comprehensive of thesework-relief programs. Established inJanuary 1935, the WPA employedmore than 3 million men and womenbefore it ended in 1943. The War De-partment collaborated with the WPAfor improvement projects in many na-tional cemeteries, including the con-struction of new outbuildings, the re-habilitation of cemetery lodges, andthe cleaning, raising and realignmentof headstones.

During this period, the War De-partment was under increased pres-sure to create more burial space forveterans. On April 15, 1920, Con-gress enacted Public Law 66-175,which extended the right to burial ina national cemetery to the veterans of

all wars. As a result, approximately 5million new veterans were eligible forinterment in a national cemetery,many of whom served during WorldWar I.

In response, the War Departmentbegan a systematic expansion of thenational cemetery system. From 1933to 1941, seven new national cemeter-ies were established near large cities,including New York, Minneapolis andSan Francisco. WPA laborers contrib-uted to the development of many ofthese new national cemeteries. In par-ticular, WPA laborers played a largeand unique role in the developmentof Baltimore National Cemetery.

The property that became Balti-more National Cemetery was histori-cally known as “Cloud Capped.” Im-mediately following the AmericanRevolution, the property was ownedby Charles Carroll, a signer of theDeclaration of Independence. Carrollsold the property in 1810, and aroundthis time the original Federal-stylehouse at Cloud Capped was con-structed, with two stories, four rooms,and an attic.

Located on the highest elevation

of the rolling estate, legend has it thatin 1814 the invading British fleet sail-ing into Baltimore Harbor was firstspotted from the house. A messengerwas sent into Baltimore to warn thepopulace of the invading Britishforces. Subsequently, the bombard-ment of Fort McHenry during theBattle of Baltimore inspired FrancisScott Key to pen “The Star-SpangledBanner.”

During the 19th century, CloudCapped was sold multiple times untilBlanchard Randall purchased it in1890. A prominent Baltimore lawyer,Randall used the estate as his countryresidence while maintaining a housein downtown Baltimore. Over theyears, multiple additions to the house,including an Italinate tower and aBeaux-Arts wing, transformed it intoa sprawling, eclectic mansion.

By the 1930s, it became apparentthat more space was needed in theBaltimore area for the interment ofveterans. At the time, the only na-tional cemetery in the Baltimore areawas Loudon Park National Cemetery,which totaled 5.2 acres in size andwas running out of burial space. Local

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the New Deal, the comprehensive social and economic programs instituted by PresidentFranklin Roosevelt immediately following his election in the wake of the Great Depression, to the early years of World War II.New Deal programs, including the Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Federal WritersProgram (FWP) and many others put millions of unemployed citizens, mostly men, to work during one of this nation’s darkesttimes.

Many know about the great work done constructing parks, stocking fish in rivers, and funding arts projects. Few realize thatthe WPA also had a direct effect on the Veterans Bureau, predecessor to the Veterans Administration and the Department ofVeterans Affairs, which oversees what are now historic medical campuses. Many national cemeteries—at the time run by theArmy, and transferred in 1973 to what is now the National Cemetery Administration—also saw improvements thanks to WPA la-bor.

Veterans Health Administration and National Cemetery Administration historians are actively researching the role the WPAplayed in VA’s past. From renovating buildings and grounds at the Augusta, Ga., hospital, to landscaping at the Salt Lake City hos-pital, to raising and realigning headstones at Los Angeles National Cemetery, to commissioning unique artwork for the Albuquer-que, N.M., hospital, the New Deal legacy lives on at VA.

This article provides details on one rare WPA project—the construction of VA’s Baltimore National Cemetery.- Kathleen Schamel, VA Historic Preservation Officer

VA and the New Deal

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veterans organizations recognized thegravity of the situation, but noprogress was made until the Baltimorechapter of the American Legion be-gan lobbying Sen. Millard E. Tydings(D-Md.) to create additional cem-etery facilities in Baltimore.

Initially, the War Departmentplanned to expand Loudon Park Na-tional Cemetery, but no suitable adja-cent parcel of land was available. In1936, after conducting a thoroughevaluation of sites in the area, theWar Department purchased the 72-acre Cloud Capped estate, located

two miles west of Loudon Park Na-tional Cemetery along Frederick Av-enue. A local newspaper reporter en-visioned the new facility to beMaryland’s “Little Arlington.”

The War Department sponsoredthe WPA to develop Baltimore Na-tional Cemetery. Under this arrange-ment, the War Department appliedfor project funds from the state WPAadministrator. Once the WPA ac-cepted the project, the War Depart-ment generated plans for the land-scape design and construction. TheWPA provided the labor for buildingthese projects from work-relief rollsbeginning in February 1937, starting

by grading and developing the siteunder supervision from War Depart-ment staff.

The War Department consideredthe hilltop mansion too large tomaintain as the cemeterysuperintendent’s residence. The WPAdemolished it in the summer of 1937,salvaging building materials from theoldest wing, the original brick Fed-eral-style house. The WPA used thesalvaged materials in the constructionof the original two-story, five-bayhouse with a full front porch. Thenew lodge was placed close to the

Frederick Avenue en-trance to the cemetery,marked by formal gran-ite and iron gates com-pleted in 1938.

From 1938 to 1940, the WPAcontinued to develop the cemeteryinfrastructure, including the rehabili-tation of two large Tudor Revival-style outbuildings. A large stable wasrehabilitated and remodeled into amaintenance-utility building contain-ing a garage, shops, chapel andmorgue. Salvaged materials from themansion were used in this effort. Thecottage, which served as a residencefor domestic help, was rehabilitated

into a lodge for the “assistant superin-tendent,” a position not found inother national cemeteries. It was un-usual for the War Department to re-use older buildings on a site pur-chased for a cemetery and more so, asTudor Revival buildings are rarewithin the national cemetery system.

Over the years Baltimore Na-tional Cemetery has evolved, but it ishistorically significant because theWPA played a larger role in its devel-opment than in any other nationalcemetery, and because of its uniquehistoric buildings. In a larger context,

it is significant as one of seven na-tional cemeteries to be established inmetropolitan locales between the twoWorld Wars, during the largest expan-sion of the national cemetery systemsince the Civil War.

The NCA History Program iscurrently in the process of developinga National Register of Historic Placesnomination for Baltimore, with otherintra-war cemeteries to follow.

Clockwise from above: Modern view of the lodge at the Baltimore Na-tional Cemetery; Works Progress Administration laborers dismantling theCloud Capped Mansion in 1937; WPA laborers raising the flagpole at Bal-timore National Cemetery.

COURTESY OF NCA HISTORY PROGRAM OFFICE

COURTESY OF NCA HISTORY PROGRAM OFFICE

By Alec Bennett, NCA Historian

COURTESY OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND LIBRARIES

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Q: At your swearing-in ceremony, President Bush said,“Doctor Peake takes office at a critical moment in thehistory of this department.” Why is this a critical mo-ment for VA?A: It’s been awhile since we have had a war where wehave significant numbers of soldiers in harm’s way, manyreturning to the United States with significant injuries. Itis this population that we are going to be dealing with inthe VA for years to come. And so it is important that weget their care and services right, now.

Q: You’ve referred to the Dole-Shalala commission (thePresident’s Commission on Care for America’sWounded Warriors) recommendations as your blueprint

for action. What is being done to implement them inVA?A: We’ve been working on those recommendations forsome time. Many of the recommendations don’t requirelegislation and I am pleased that VA has already mademuch progress in accomplishing many of them.

We’re hiring the federal recovery coordinators recom-mended by the commission. They are actually in trainingthis week (Jan. 14-18) and that program is really movingforward. The idea of providing better care by reaching out

Soon after being sworn in by Vice President Cheney at VA headquarters as the nation’ssixth Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Dr. James B. Peake sat down for a wide-ranging interviewcovering his background, leadership style, and goals and priorities for the department. The

former Army surgeon general becomes the first physician and first general to lead VA.Peake, who retired from the Army in 2004 as a three-star general, is a board-certified thoracic sur-

geon. A native of St. Louis and graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, the new Secre-tary attended medical school after serving in Vietnam, where he earned the Silver Star and thePurple Heart.

Above: President Bush traveled the short distance between the WhiteHouse and VA headquarters for Peake’s swearing in on Dec. 20.Peake’s wife, Janice, and daughter, Kimberly, joined him for the cer-emony. “We had a long ride over here, Jim,” the President joked.

ROBERT TURTILTaking the ReinsTaking the Reins

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PAULA BERGER

and embracing the families of these wounded men andwomen is happening right now, as I saw during my visit tothe Richmond VA Medical Center polytrauma unit thisweek. I’ve seen it with our own people at Walter ReedArmy Medical Center as they interface with the familiesof soldiers there, so I know that this commission recom-mendation is already moving along.

I think the opportunity for simplifying and improvingthe veterans disability system looks very promising nowwith all the different commissions that have looked at thisissue coming together as we move into a new era. The op-portunity to take these studies and those done here at VAand bring them together creates momentum behind theDole-Shalala commission work and its recommendations.

Q: What are the key elements necessary to create atruly seamless transition for today’s military men andwomen as they leave the service for civilian life?A: This is a complex issue. Ithas to do with the incentivesand the perceptions—thecultural issues that the sol-dier and his family face inthe new environment theyfind themselves in. I’ve metwith soldiers and their fami-lies at Walter Reed, and I’vemet with Walter Reed staffand our VHA and VBA staffthat work there. The VA-military staff interplay thereis really important and be-gins to break down culturalbarriers as trust is built be-tween VA, the military and,most importantly, with theveteran.

It’s an important thing for a wounded soldier to seeVA staff there working in a military setting. We wantthem to know we’re going to be there for the long run,even if they return to military service. Many of our ser-vicemen with serious wounds are actually going back intothe service, but someday they’ll come to us and we wantto make sure they know we are there for them.

Q: Mental health conditions, including post-traumaticstress disorder and traumatic brain injury, are major is-sues in the treatment of OIF/OEF veterans. What areyour goals for VA mental health treatment?A: There are a number. First, I want access for those whoneed counseling because we know these conditions aretreatable. The earlier you get people engaged in treatmentand they actually accept their condition and deal with it,the less likely long-term consequences are.

We don’t know all we need to about PTSD and TBIand where they might overlap. We want to break downthe stigma around both of these issues. We want to becareful of labeling people for the rest of their lives withsomething that may not really be an issue for them as theymove forward. I want to make sure we are at the forefrontof understanding that and doing the right thing by ourveterans.

Q: That’s a difficult challenge, to educate everybodywho’s concerned.A: Sure, and there are employers out there that worryabout it too. We don’t want unnecessary barriers for ourveterans who really are perfectly able to go back to workcreated by some artificial label that may not even bemeaningful when it comes to what they’re able to do.

Q: During your confirmation hearing you cited fourcharacteristics VA healthcare should possess: com-passion, quality, timelinessand freedom from hassle.VA has been praised forthe quality and compassionof its health care, but hasbeen criticized for its time-liness and red tape. Howcan these issues be re-solved?A: I’m impressed by thecompassion that I’ve seen.I’m impressed with the qual-ity. But we’re a big organiza-tion and we always have tobe on the lookout for im-proving our quality—moni-toring it, measuring it and

making corrections in a large system operated by a quarterof a million people. We can’t just rest on our laurels.

Timeliness is related to the hassle-free goal and it af-fects the veteran’s family as well. We need to work on thisin all areas; it’s not just a benefit claims issue. However, Iwant us to really understand the various pieces of theclaims process and know where to put the resources tomake a difference. We must move the claims process intothe modern era of automation. We’re already hiring newpeople to work in VBA and I think initiatives like theBenefits Delivery at Discharge program and the work ofUnder Secretary for Benefits Daniel Cooper to centralizecertain claims functions will allow things to move morequickly.

All of these changes are important, and now we arelooking at the disability system, itself. How do we simplifyit? Everybody who’s looked at it says we’ve got to make it

ROBERT TURTIL

Secretary Peake talks with former Sen. Bob Dole at his Sen-ate confirmation hearing; moving forward with the recom-mendations of the Dole-Shalala commission is a top priority,the Secretary says.

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simpler and easier for the veteran and theadjudicator. When it takes three years totrain somebody to adjudicate a claim, thatsuggests to me that there’s an issue weneed to deal with. This is something weneed to work on with all of our stakehold-ers—with Congress, with our committees,the veterans service organizations.

Q: We’ve talked about issues and initia-tives driven largely by OIF/OEF veter-ans. Yet VA is charged with caring for allour veterans.A: Yes, I was a soldier once and young, andI say that because different groups havedifferent needs. I believe we have a tri-modal patient population in terms ofneeds. We have great heroes of the Great-est Generation—World War II and Ko-rea—approaching the twilight of theiryears. We want to make sure that geriatriccare is there for them, that we can provideall the things to allow them to enjoy theirold age, and that we give them the appropriate tribute totheir years in service.

We have the Vietnam veterans, my generation, nowapproaching retirement and starting to discover health is-sues they didn’t deal with or things related to their servicethey want to bring forth that they have not dealt with be-fore. We need to be able to deal with that because they’reentering a different period of their lives.

And our youngest veterans—I’ve seen them comingback to us at Walter Reed and VA polytrauma centers andI’ve had the privilege of knowing them and training thosekids on active duty. They want to get back into society.They want to come back and take care of their families.They want to get into the driver’s seat of their own lives.They’ve got their lives ahead of them, so they’ve got a dif-ferent set of needs and expectations that demand a differ-ent environment of care. That’s part of our challenge andit’s part of the great opportunity that we have to really bea world-class system that spans all ages.

We must do our best for all of them. Someday theseyoung kids, even though they’re invincible now and don’tbelieve it, they’re going to look like me, and we will bethere for them when they do.

Q: You are the first physician and the first general tohold the position of Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Howwill your past medical and military leadership help youlead VA?A: I understand today’s military. I’ve done a lot of work inthe joint military environment. Health care has broughtgreat pieces of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines to-

gether. I have a lot of contacts there that I have tremen-dous respect for and collegial relations with. So I think Ican work across the organizational lines and help VA towork as a member of a great federal team.

I guess having spent 38-and-a-half years in the Army,I bring a passion—I care deeply about these kids. Theseare America’s finest. They are our soldiers, men andwomen we’ve put in harm’s way, and it is a blessing for meto continue to be a part of their care.

From a physician’s perspective, I would say that whenit comes down to touching the individual, a big chunk ofwhat we do really relates to health care. That’s why wehave Mike Kussman, an absolutely superb leader, as VAUnder Secretary for Health. When he comes to me withissues, I understand them. We’ve been on the same teambefore and we share an understanding of the health issuesof soldiers. As a heart surgeon, I’ve dealt with an olderpopulation as well. So I think that will help inform mysupport of VA health care too. I think it’s a good combi-nation.

Q: And you’re no stranger to VA.A: True. For about 10 years I had the privilege of being amember of the VA Special Medical Advisory Group. I washere when Ken Kizer was doing the great work of re-struc-turing VHA and really putting us on this road to excel-lence continued now under Dr. Kussman’s leadership.

Q: You come from a medical family, but started yourmilitary career as an infantry officer. Was your interestin medicine there from the start, or did it come later?

WRAMC

Secretary Peake stops tospeak with Marine Cpl.Kenny Lyon during his tourof the Military AdvancedTraining Center at WalterReed Army Medical Centeron Jan. 14.

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A: Actually, I was on my way to Vietnam and had acouple of weeks of leave during which I interviewed witha number of medical schools. I was accepted into medicalschool while in Vietnam, but I got shot and made my finaldecision while I was a patient at the 8th Army Field Hos-pital.

Q: So medicine was always your career goal?A: Well, my dad was a Medical Service Corps officer, mymom an Army nurse. I tell people I’m a genetic defect, soI had no choice.

Q: Your Army career took you to the top of Armymedicine, where you served four years as Army surgeongeneral before retiring. Later you served as executivevice president and chief operating officer for ProjectHope. What leadership lessons did you learn from thatunique position?A: I think running a big organization across the board of-fers common lessons, and Project Hope was an interna-tional organization—I worked in 24 countries in 22months with them, including six trips to Iraq. The lesson Ilearned there is you’ve got to get out and see the troops—get out on the ground and talk to people. Understandwhat’s really going on at the grass roots level and then beable to step back from that and understand strategicallywhere to direct the organization to solve problems locallybut from the larger perspective.

I’ve been so pleased to see some of the leadership de-velopment programs at VA, some going back to MaxCleland, who I had the privilege of meeting when he wasthe VA administrator. They are very important because

it’s the leaders below the Secretary that are so crucial in abig organization.

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?Who’s inspired you as a leader?A: I’ve had the great privilege of working for a lot of ex-cellent leaders, from company commanders in Vietnam tosurgeons general of the Army, and I’ve had a lot of seniornoncommissioned officers that have mentored me alongthe way—great leaders. Leadership isn’t necessarily posi-tion-dependent.

You asked about my style. I believe in people—that’swhat makes this organization run. In VA, it’s 250,000 ofthem out there doing good work every day, and I believeyou need to engage them. I talked before about leader de-velopment because it’s the leaders that wind up reallymaking things happen. What you want are leaders at alllevels synched with what you’re trying to do from the stra-tegic perspective. I believe my style amounts to a combi-nation of engagement and trying to provide quality direc-tion and example.

Q: During your confirmation hearing, a few of the com-mittee members made no bones about saying you’ve gota limited amount of time to get things done at VA.What gives you confidence about meeting those expec-tations?A: I share their sense of urgency, but what gives me confi-dence is the people I’ve met—the leaders we have inplace and their desire to move forward—so I’m comfort-able that we can make progress.

Q: What is your message to VA employees asyou take the reins of the department?A: This is what I said at my confirmation withthe President beside me: I believe in them and Icare about them and I know that together wecan do the right thing by our veterans. I justabsolutely believe that.

Q: And to our veterans?A: As one of them, I absolutely appreciate theirservice. I see it and feel it every place I go. Atthe Richmond VA Medical Center the otherday, I stopped and talked to a gentleman in awheelchair wearing a baseball cap that saidWorld War II and Korea and Vietnam. And wehad a chance to chat a little bit about wherehe’d been in each of those conflicts. That’s so-bering. And when I went later to Walter Reed,I talked to a young woman who showed me herprosthetic arm. That’s sobering. These are thebest of America. I appreciate them and I amsworn to take care of them.

Secretary Peake talks with inpatient Timothy Hailey,a post-Vietnam era Army veteran, during his visit tothe Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center on Jan. 3.

ROBERT TURTIL

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The going rate for a haircut atTony Bravo’s California hairsalon is $50 to $200.

When you walk into his mobilehair salon at the VA Greater Los An-geles Healthcare System, it’s a flatfee—no charge.

The 62-year-old master stylist hasbeen cutting veterans’ hair for free forthe past 10 years. He keeps his red,white and blue trailer parked in theparking lot of the West Los AngelesVA Medical Center. Once a month,Bravo shows up with his son andother stylists from his hair salon fortwo or three days to offer free haircutsto some 100 veterans. He pays hisstylists $100 a day to help him.

“I think the veterans really lookforward to it,” he said.

The veterans—both male and fe-male—line up to get their hair doneduring Bravo’s monthly visits. He saidthe most popular cuts requested bythe male veterans are a businessman’shaircut, a short military haircut, and ahigh and tight fade. For women, themost popular cut is a low mainte-nance, high reliability haircut thatcan be washed and blown dry easily.

Bravo started the program after anumber of veterans wandered into hishair salon—Bravo Haircutters—lo-cated on San Vicente Boulevard justtwo blocks from the West LA VAMedical Center.

“Usually they can’t afford the up-scale prices,” he said. “I just thoughtthere was a definite need to go takecare of them.”

He contacted Marianne Davis,chief of Voluntary Service for VA

Greater Los Angeles, and offered tocome to the hospital to offer free hair-cuts. Davis said she took him up onhis offer since her facility could nolonger afford contract barber servicesat $35,000 a year.

“Not only has Tony saved the VAthis annual expense, but he has pro-vided solace, comfort and compan-ionship in his unique, vet-friendly en-vironment,” Davis said. “Tony is on amission to help his fellow vets, andwe are so lucky that he chose our siteto carry it out.”

Bravo is a veteran of the ArmyReserve, having served from 1966 to1967. Today he earns a living throughhis hair salon and real estate invest-

L.A. barber Tony Bravo donates his styling services tolift the spirits of his fellow veterans.

The Dream CutterThe Dream Cutter

Master stylist Tony Bravo, right, at work with his son, Tony Jr., in their mobile hair salonparked on the grounds of the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center. Bravo and his staff pro-vide free haircuts once a month to some 100 veterans seeking treatment at the facility, includ-ing Andre Theus, seated, and Hank Bin, waiting his turn in the background.

PAULA BERGER

ments.“I can afford to do this,” he said.

“I know how it is when you have yourhair done and someone pampers you.I saw that this was more than just ahaircut. It was bringing something totheir lives. It was bringing their spiritsup.”

Bravo is the son of NativeAmericans from the Yaqui andApache tribes. His Native Americanname is “Dreamer.”

“I call myself the Dream Cutter,”he said. “Your dream can come trueand I’m here to help you not lose thatdream.”

By Renee McElveen

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patient advocates, federal recoverycoordinators, vet centers, dependentand survivor benefits, general com-pensation, adaptive housing and fam-ily readjustment.

Along with staffing multiplebreakout sessions, a team of vet cen-ter counselors were on hand to pro-vide one-on-one counseling sessionsto conference participants.

Orlando Vet Center team leaderBill Sautner coordinated Readjust-

ment Counseling ServiceRegion 3A’s participationat the event. A total of sixcounselors were on siteproviding a total of 57scheduled counseling ses-sions to veteran partici-pants and their families.Additionally, several after-hours emergency counsel-ing sessions and informalsessions were provided tomeet the emotional needsof the participants.

During the sessions,veterans could speakabout any of their familyproblems or challenges ac-cessing VA benefits. Thecounselor provided them apoint of contact at their

local vet center, scheduling them anappointment with that counselor forwhen they returned home. Now,these veterans can receive ongoingsupport for the VA services in theirlocal communities.

“This generation is resilient,” saidSautner. “The earlier we can inter-vene and help our new veterans, thebetter the outcome … and that’s whatwe did here this week in Orlando.”

KAREN

JOHNSTON

In December, Mickey Mousehosted some special guests at “thehappiest place on earth.” Ap-

proximately 150 severely woundedOperation Iraqi Freedom and Opera-tion Enduring Freedom veterans,along with their families, participatedin the 4th Annual Road to RecoveryConference and Tribute held at theWalt Disney World Dolphin Resort atDisney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando,Fla. The event is sponsored by theCoalition to SaluteAmerica’s Heroes(CSAH), a nonprofit or-ganization.

Participants weretreated to an all-expensepaid trip to Disney Worldwith their caregiver orspouse and their familymembers. In addition tothe vacation, thesewounded servicemembersattended informationaland breakout sessions ontheir rehabilitation, VAbenefits and career goals.

For the first time,Deputy Secretary GordonH. Mansfield spoke at theannual conference to theaudience of recently in-jured veterans, who had an array ofdisabilities and represented allbranches of service, with ages rangingfrom 20 to 50.

Mansfield gave an emotionallycharged speech that reached the audi-ence on a personal level. He tookquestions from the group and receiveda standing ovation at the conclusionof his remarks.

VA employees provided a sub-stantial amount of the conference’sprogramming. An army of employees

from national, regional and local of-fices in VHA and VBA sacrificedtheir weekend to lend their expertiseto the five-day event.

“The Road to Recovery Confer-ence and Tribute owes so much of itssuccess to VA, a loyal partner in plan-ning the annual event since 2004,”says Tom Palma, general manager forthe Coalition. “The VA sends its topofficials and experts to deliver keyprogramming and educational courses

we offer there. Plus, the conference isthe only place where these familiesare under the same roof with so manyVA officials at the same time. Year af-ter year, we always hear back from theattendees that they are grateful forthe opportunity to ask VA staff ques-tions, address issues and learn aboutresources.”

VA employees held breakout ses-sions on topics that included voca-tional rehabilitation and employmentbenefits, adaptive sports, transition

Helping Veterans on the ‘Road to Recovery’VA employees lend their expertise to assist severely wounded OIF/OEFveterans and their families.

By Richard Olague

Veterans and their families weretreated to a Disney World vacationas well as information on benefitsand services available to them.

MYCHAL WATTS

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Holiday wreaths were placedat national cemeteries acrossthe nation on Dec. 15.

“This generous and heartfelt ges-ture of remembering and honoringour veterans during the holiday sea-son is proof that Americans cherishthe service and sacrifices of these he-roes,” said VA Deputy Secretary Gor-don H. Mansfield.

This is the second year theWorcester Wreath Company ofHarrington, Maine, has sent holidaywreaths to VA national cemeteriesand state veterans cemeteries to dis-play in a nationwide tribute to veter-

‘Wreaths Across America’For the second year, veterans buried in VA national cemeteries and state

veterans cemeteries were remembered with holiday wreaths.ans called “Wreaths Across America.”It is the 16th year the company hassent holiday wreaths to ArlingtonNational Cemetery.

Again this year, the Civil Air Pa-trol organized the wreath-laying cer-emonies with assistance from localveterans organizations. All 125 VAnational cemeteries received sevenwreaths, one for each service branch,one for prisoners and missing in war,and one for merchant mariners. Manyveterans cemeteries received addi-tional wreaths for gravesite displayfrom local public donations.

Twenty-five cemeteries receivedmore than 100wreaths. More

than 1,000 wreaths were laid at GreatLakes National Cemetery in Michi-gan and more than 2,000 were pre-sented to Togus National Cemetery inMaine and Quantico National Cem-etery in Virginia.

A total of 15,236 wreaths weredonated to VA national cemeteries.The event at Georgia National Cem-etery attracted Sen. Johnny Isakson(R-Ga.), while Kentucky Gov. SteveBeshear attended the ceremony atCamp Nelson.

Six members of Congress at-tended events nationwide along withmany other dignitaries at the stateand local level. It received coveragein major newspapers like the Los An-

geles Times, the Ari-zona Republic and theHouston Chronicleand was covered by48 television stationsaround the country.

The wreaths aremade and decoratedby Worcester WreathCompany employees.Company PresidentMorrill Worcestersaid he wanted torecognize veterans,active duty militaryand their families,and—through theseceremonies—remindthe public to honorveterans for their ser-vice and teach chil-dren the value offreedom.

JAMES MESSNER

Left: A volunteer helps placewreaths on graves at Bath NationalCemetery in New York; below: Cem-etery Director Gene E. Castagnettiwelcomes visitors to the WreathsAcross America ceremony at the Na-tional Memorial Cemetery of the Pa-cific in Honolulu.

By Jim Rich

KENNETH STEPHENS

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Top: Nurses on the spinal cord injury unit at the West Roxbury divi-sion of the VA Boston Healthcare System found a unique way tobring cheer to a patient on bedrest during the holiday season.Gloved and gowned, they made time in their schedules each day tosing Christmas carols at the bedside of George E. Gordon as he ac-companied them on keyboard; above: Army veteran Scott Gillis, hiswife, Melissa, and their three young daughters visit with Deputy Sec-retary Gordon Mansfield in his office. After the meeting withMansfield, Gillis and his family were special guests at the VACO Of-fice of Construction & Facilities Management’s holiday party, wherethey were presented with gifts and a cash donation from the officestaff. They learned about Gillis, who was injured while serving asan Army medic in Iraq, through Social Work Service at the Washing-ton, D.C., VA Medical Center, and wanted to brighten the holidayseason for him and his family; below: NBA star Shaquille O’Nealand some of his Miami Heat teammates visited OIF/OEF veterans atthe Miami VA Medical Center during a mid-December rehab session.

Celebrating the Holidays VA-Style

WALT CODYLARRY GILSTAD

ONEIL J. LEBLANC

MICHAEL L. MOORE

VA BOSTON HCS

PETER MITCHELL

Above: Korean War veteran Anthony R. “Tony” Turco with the 2007World Series Trophy at the Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial VeteransHospital in Bedford, Mass. The Boston Red Sox lent the trophy to thefacility for a holiday program in the nursing home care unit on Dec.20. Volunteers from Raytheon Corporation helped arrange thetrophy’s visit; below: Actor Danny DeVito, joined by “Santa’s Helper”Lisa Peace, spread holiday cheer at the VA Greater Los AngelesHealthcare System’s annual holiday visitation/gift distribution eventon Dec. 21; bottom: Actress and 1940s “pin-up girl” Jane Russell, 86,visited veterans, including Bill Powell, at the Bob Stump VA MedicalCenter’s Extended Care and Rehabilitation Center in Prescott, Ariz.,on Dec. 26. She answered questions about her life and Hollywoodcareer, signed autographs and posed for photos. Her son-in-law, whoworked at the Prescott VA for more than 30 years, arranged the visit.

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2007 brought a turnover ofleadership in the U.S. Houseand Senate and an extraordi-nary amount of VA activity onCapitol Hill, according toDeputy Assistant Secretary forCongressional & LegislativeAffairs Christine Hill. She saidthe Office of Congressionaland Legislative Affairs(OCLA) handled a record to-tal of 199 congressional brief-ings and 145 veteran-relatedhearings in 2007.

Despite the brisk pace ofVA briefings and hearings be-fore the department’s autho-rizing and other committees,when the gavel closed the firstsession of the 110th Congressin December, only a few legis-lative measures had crossed

the finish line to become law.But Hill said OCLA expectsearly 2008 to bring a largepackage of veteran and“Wounded Warrior” legisla-tion to the President for signa-ture.

In late December, Con-gress enacted VA’s regularfunding for fiscal year 2008,providing $43.1 billion, ex-cluding pension and compen-sation programs; $37.2 billionof that is slated for VHA. Asoccurs every year, Congressalso passed, and the Presidentsigned, a measure to provide acost-of-living increase in dis-ability compensation andother benefits programs.

Laws were enacted in2007 to require a VA veteransuicide prevention program,improve disability benefits forcertain visually-impaired veter-ans, expand certain cemeterybenefits and programs, autho-rize more than $20 million tomodernize inpatient facilitiesat the VA medical center inAtlanta, and name numerousVA medical facilities.

Among the national cem-etery provisions: authorization

for VA to provide a medallionor other device, signifying adeceased person as a veteran,to be attached to a privately-furnished headstone ormarker; a measure permittingVA to award operations andmaintenance grants to statecemeteries; and permanentand retroactive authority toprovide headstones or markersfor previously marked gravesat private cemeteries.

A large number of veter-ans’ provisions are in the billthat sets U.S. defense policyevery year, the National De-fense Authorization Act. Thatbill, H.R. 1585, has beenpassed by both houses of Con-gress, but was rejected by theAdministration because of anon-veteran related provision.OCLA expects the bill toeventually become law.

H.R. 1585 contains anextension from two to fiveyears of “automatic” healthcare eligibility for certain com-bat veterans and extends theperiod of eligibility after dis-charge for dental care.

The measure also has nu-merous provisions concerned

2008 Expected to be Another Active Year on the Legislative Front

VA’s national cemetery systemagain received the highest rat-ing in customer satisfactionfor any federal agency or pri-vate corporation surveyed, ac-cording to a prestigious, inde-pendent survey of customersatisfaction.

More than 200 compa-nies and most of the federalsector take part in the Ameri-can Customer Satisfaction In-dex (ACSI) survey, conductedby the University of MichiganBusiness School every threeyears.

“VA serves as an excellent

National Cemetery System Leads Nation in Satisfaction Survey

with the treatment of trau-matic brain injury and mea-sures aimed at providing a“seamless transition” frommilitary service to veteran sta-tus. These include VA-Depart-ment of Defense joint initia-tives for interoperable healthrecords, and a requirement fora comprehensive policy reviewby DoD and VA on mattersconcerning seriously injuredservicemembers.

The House and Senate in2007 separately advanced leg-islation on issues across thespectrum of VA programs, butas of January these bills havenot gelled into packages thatcan be made into a single billto pass both houses of Con-gress. Those bills are still inplay for 2008; different ap-proaches to health care andbenefits will be keenly de-bated.

“Legislators will seek toadvance these existing bills, aswell as introduce and movenew ones, promising that VAwill have another very busyyear working with Congress toadvance the interests of veter-ans,” Hill said.

example of how governmentshould provide services to itscitizens,” said John Cioffi, se-nior consultant with CFIGroup USA, one of the cus-tomer satisfaction survey’ssponsors.

This year’s survey is thethird consecutive one in whichVA’s cemetery system receivedthe top rating in the nation.For 2007, VA’s cemetery sys-tem earned a customer satis-faction rating of 95 out of apossible 100 points. The na-tional cemeteries also rankednumber one in customer satis-

faction both in 2001 and2004.

The ACSI survey pollednext of kin or other peoplewho had arranged for the in-terment of a loved one in aVA national cemetery withinthe past six months to oneyear. Three thousand peoplereceived the survey and nearly600 responded, which is ahigh response rate for a mailsurvey.

ACSI’s index for “usertrust” produced a rating of 96out of a possible 100 pointsfor the VA-run cemetery sys-

tem, which indicates that re-spondents are exceptionallywilling to say positive thingsabout VA’s national cemeter-ies.

Since 1994, ACSI hasbeen a national indicator ofcustomer evaluations of thequality of goods and servicesavailable to U.S. residents. Itis the only uniform measureof customer satisfaction forgovernment and industry.ACSI allows benchmarkingbetween the public and pri-vate sectors and between oneyear’s results and the next.

ROBERT TURTIL

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Deputy Secretary Gordon H.Mansfield hosted theSecretary’s 17th Annual EqualEmployment OpportunityAwards ceremony on Nov. 15.These awards are the highestrecognition given to VA em-ployees who have excelled inpromoting or have made sig-nificant contributions to thedepartment’s EEO program.Awards were given in five cat-egories; each recipient got acash award and a plaque.

The winner in CategoryA, non-supervisory employees,was Tammie R. Kierstead,EEO assistant at the VA medi-cal center in Oklahoma City.As the liaison to the EEO Ad-visory Committee, she chal-lenges committee members(and others) to stay finelytuned to the needs and goalsof the entire workforce. Herenthusiasm and creativity insupport of the medical center’sextensive EEO initiatives helpEEO representatives “thinkoutside the box.”

Sandra Simmons, EEO

manager at the VA medicalcenter in Coatesville, Pa., wasthe winner in Category B, su-pervisors and managersthrough GS-14 (or equiva-lent). Through her visionaryleadership, Simmons helpeddesign the VISN alternativedispute resolution/mediationprogram.

The winner in CategoryC, managers and executivesGS-15 and above, was SandeJones, Veterans Service Centermanager at the VA regionaloffice in Waco, Texas. Joneshas developed a unified teamspirit in the Veterans ServiceCenter, where her vision offairness, respect, appreciationand valuing of individual dif-ferences is thoroughly com-municated and shared.

Pamela McKinney, EEOprogram manager for theOklahoma City VAMC, wasthe winner in Category D,EEO program representatives.She has been an effective fa-cilitator of dispute resolutionand is a key ingredient in the

Secretary’s 17th Annual EEO Awards Presented in Five Categories

successful alternative disputeresolution/mediation programin place at the medical center.

The winner in CategoryE, employees promoting pro-grams for disabled veteransand people with disabilities,was Tristen V. Wendland, vo-cational rehabilitation counse-lor at the VA regional office in

Denver. She recently acceptedthe responsibility of coordinat-ing and managing the Com-ing Home to Work program.This initiative provides earlyoutreach and job experience toseverely wounded OIF/OEFservicemembers awaitingmedical discharge from themilitary.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity Management & Equal Em-ployment Opportunity Susan McHugh, far left, with the Secretary’sEEO Awards recipients (left to right): Tammie R. Kierstead, SandraSimmons, Sande Jones, Pamela McKinney and Tristen Wendland.

As employees ponder candi-dates during the election sea-son, they should realize thereare limits placed on their in-volvement in certain politicalactivities.

The VA Office of GeneralCounsel reminds employeesthat the federal Hatch Act (5U.S.C. 7321-7326) delineateswhat federal employees, in-cluding those working for VA,may or may not do in the po-litical realm.

For example, federal em-ployees may attend politicalevents like meetings and ral-lies. Most federal employeesmay also be active in andspeak before political gather-

ings or serve as officers of po-litical parties or partisangroups; career SES employeesmay not. Most may also man-age political campaigns, dis-tribute literature (except atwork), write political articles,or serve as spokespersons forpolitical parties or candidates.Again, career SES employeesare more restricted.

Federal employees maycampaign for office in non-partisan elections. Partisan po-litical activity is defined as ac-tivity directed toward the suc-cess or failure of a politicalparty or candidate for a parti-san political office or partisanpolitical group.

Other basic rules apply tofederal employees. VA em-ployees may not use their VApositions in government to in-fluence or interfere with elec-tions. Except for Senate-con-firmed Presidential appointees,federal employees may neverengage in political activity onthe job, in a government ve-hicle, or while wearing an offi-cial uniform.

For example, federal em-ployees may not distributepartisan political literature atwork. This also applies to par-tisan political e-mail messages.

VA employees are encour-aged to exercise their right tovote and participate in the

democratic process. But theyshould know there are rules inplace that govern the extent oftheir involvement in partisanpolitical activities.

For more information,contact an ethics counselor atyour local Office of RegionalCounsel or VA’s Office ofGeneral Counsel. Employeesmay also review informationon the VA OCG EthicsIntranet site at vaww.client.gc.va.gov/law/employment/ethicsand search “Hatch Act” under“Specific Issues” or visit theOffice of Special Counsel Website at www.osc.gov.

Federal Employees Need to Be Aware of Hatch Act Restrictions

More Information: www.osc.gov

MICHAEL L. MOORE

www.osc.gov

www.osc.gov

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involved in supporting veter-ans after his cousin’s husbandwas killed last year while onmilitary duty in Iraq. Both ofhis grandfathers fought inWorld War II. One was a tankcommander and veteran of theBattle of the Bulge, the othera Seabee in the Navy.

Throughout National Sa-lute Week, VA medical facili-ties invite the public to visithospitalized veterans, honortheir service and consider thevolunteer opportunities VA of-fers citizens of all ages.

Two VA researchers—Sterling C. Johnson, Ph.D., and Dr.William S. Yancy Jr.—were among 60 scientists from 11 fed-eral agencies honored recently with the Presidential Early Ca-reer Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

The annual awards, established in 1996 by the NationalScience and Technology Council, recognize top young scien-tists and engineers for their “innovative research at the fron-tiers of science and technology” and for their scientific leader-ship and community outreach.

Johnson is a clinical psychologist and neuroscience re-searcher at the William S. Middleton Memorial VeteransHospital in Madison, Wis., and an assistant professor at theUniversity of Wisconsin School of Medicine and PublicHealth.

He uses brain imaging and neuropsychological measure-ment to study disorders that affect memory and self-aware-ness. One of his current VA-funded studies involves combatveterans with traumatic brain injury.

Yancy is a physician at the Durham VA Medical Centerin North Carolina, an investigator at that site’s Center forHealth Services Research in Primary Care, and an assistantprofessor at Duke University Medical Center.

He studies the effects of diet and exercise on obesity andits complications. A study by his group made headlines in2004 when it showed that people on a low-carbohydrate,high-protein diet lost more weight over six months thanpeople on a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-calorie diet. Thestudy was the first randomized, controlled trial of an Atkins-style approach to eating.

As part of their Presidential Early Career Awards,Johnson and Yancy will each receive $125,000 over five yearsfrom VA’s Office of Research and Development in support oftheir research.

Two Top Young VA Researchers Honored by the White House

Popular young film and tele-vision actor Mike Vogel ischairman of VA’s 2008 Na-tional Salute to HospitalizedVeterans.

He will lead thedepartment’s annual patientrecognition program that in-vites the public to visit andhonor veterans treated in VAhospitals and clinics duringNational Salute Week, Feb.10-16. He will also serve asnational spokesman for nearly90,000 volunteers of all agesserving veterans in VA facili-

Young Actor Mike Vogel is the 2008 National Salute Chairman

Sterling C. Johnson, Ph.D., top, and Dr. William S. Yancy Jr., receivedPresidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers.

ties across the nation.The youngest celebrity to

lead the National Salute,Vogel brings youthful energyto the program at a time whenthe number of young combatveterans under VA care isgrowing and VA is looking toyounger generations of Ameri-cans to replenish an aging vol-unteer force.

Currently, Vogel has astarring role in the feature film“Cloverfield,” released inJanuary.

Vogel became personallyMike Vogel

JEFFREY ROOT

DUKE UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER

VAnguard


introducing

the service.”Although he has not

played live taps for any funeralservices at Fayetteville Na-tional Cemetery, Monk wascalled upon to play it at theprivate funeral of one of hisVSO honor guards by thefamily.

“I sure wouldn’t advertisemyself as a bugler,” he said.“I’m not quitting my day job.”

Monk said he is lookingforward to his lessons withRader.

“I keep trying to perfectthose 24 notes because I madea commitment to my brothernot only as a brother but as aveteran,” he said. “That iswhat we do at the NationalCemetery Administration. It isall about honoring a commit-ment to those that serve.”

quality recorded version of it.The resonating tones insidethe bugle create a realistichorn quality.

Monk has performedthese honors himself at about50 inurnments at FayettevilleNational Cemetery. He ex-plained that many crematedremains are mailed or deliv-ered to the cemetery andoftentimes, family membersare unable to attend theinurnments because they canno longer travel or they livetoo far away.

“I’m not going to buryany veteran without somekind of honors,” Monk said.

He gathers his small staffand they stop in place, removetheir hats and place theirhands over their hearts as herenders taps on the ceremonialbugle.

Monk has absolutely nomusical background or train-ing. He did not play an in-strument in the marchingband when he attended highschool in White Hall, Ark. Hehas been trying to teach him-self to play taps by listening torecordings of the song andthen attempting to mimic thenotes on his secondhandbugle.

“I learned really quickthat this was going to be veryhard,” he said.

Monk generally uses hisbackyard as his open-air re-hearsal hall.

“When the neighbor dogsbegin to howl, it is time tostop,” he joked. “That’s whenI know it’s time to quit.”

In 2006, Monk playedlive taps at Fayetteville Na-tional Cemetery with threeother buglers when he partici-

Tommy Monk

Tommy Monk is a man whokeeps his promises.

Twenty years ago, hepromised his older brotherJimmie, a Vietnam veteran,that he would either dance orplay taps at his funeral. Withhis brother’s health declining,Monk has spent the past yearteaching himself to play tapson a secondhand bugle hebought for $25 at a thriftstore.

“I’m very, very proud ofmy brother,” Monk said. “Al-though I dread the call whenit comes, I don’t know agreater honor that I can ren-der to him as a brother and asa veteran than playing taps athis funeral.”

Monk, 55, is director ofthe Fayetteville National Cem-etery in Arkansas. He overseesthe entire operation of thecemetery, including burials,grounds upkeep, budget ad-ministration, supervision ofpersonnel, and public aware-ness and outreach.

“Live buglers are hard tofind,” Monk said. “We arevery fortunate to have veteransservice organization honorsquads present honors here atthe cemetery. About one inten has a live bugler.”

If the honor squad doesnot have a live bugler to playtaps at a military funeral, the

squad uses a ceremonial bugle.The ceremonial bugle was in-troduced so that a veteran’sfamily can still have that sol-emn visual image of a buglerplaying taps at the end of theirloved one’s funeral ceremony.An electronic insert in thebugle enables any individualto “symbolically” play tapsthrough the use of a high-

pated in Bugles AcrossAmerica. The organizationwas founded in 2000 to re-cruit volunteer buglersthroughout the United Statesand overseas to play taps atveterans’ funerals. Monk mettrumpet player David Rader,whom he describes as “one ofthe most technical taps playersthat I have heard,” throughthe organization. Rader hasagreed to give him some les-sons so he can perfect what hehas taught himself so far.

As a cemetery director,Monk realizes just how impor-tant it is to families to havetaps be a part of funeral ser-vices for veterans.

“It is very important thathonors are presented,” he said.“I think from an emotionalstandpoint, family memberscomment on taps more thanany other activity related to

Tommy Monk, right, practices taps on his buglewith David Rader, a trumpet player who agreedto give Monk some lessons to help him perfectwhat he has already taught himself.

“I’m not going to bury any veteranwithout some kind of honors.”

By Renee McElveen

MORGAN LINDSEY

VAnguardmedical advances


with daily living activities.Although the wheelchair

offers a means of efficienttransportation over unob-structed level surfaces, indi-viduals with SCI and otherparalyzing conditions needother options for negotiatingarchitectural barriers, complet-ing daily bed, shower or toilettransfers, and gaining access tohigh cabinets that are difficultor impossible to reach from aseated position. Braces, stand-ing wheelchairs and even ad-vanced transportation systemsaddress some of these issuesbut have minimal impact onthe individual’s physical andpsychological deteriorationdue to prolonged immobility.

If the nerves below thelevel of the SCI remain intact,they can be excited by smallamounts of electrical currentdelivered by an implantedpulse generator via electrodeson or near the nerve, muchlike a cardiac pacemaker. Thiscauses the paralyzed muscleinnervated by the nerve tocontract. By coordinating theactions of a number ofmuscles, functional move-ments can be produced by theotherwise paralyzed limbs.Lower extremity neuro-prostheses that employ electri-cal stimulation in this way canhelp individuals with SCI tostand and step under thepower of their own stimulatedmuscles, which can improvetheir overall health and inde-pendence.

The NIH grant is de-signed to optimize the loca-tion of contacts within anelectrode that encircle the tar-get nerve, called a nerve cuffelectrode. This is being donethrough a combination ofquantitative studies of theanatomy of human peripheralnerves, computer modelingand simulation, and clinicaltesting in a handful of volun-teers.

Blood Pressure Harderto Control in WinterResearchers say high bloodpressure can be more difficultto control in the winter. At aNov. 5 meeting of the Ameri-can Heart Association, re-searchers told attendees thatveterans treated in the winterwere less likely to see theirblood pressure come down toa healthy level than thosetreated in the summer.

The five-year study fo-cused on blood pressure read-ings for 443,632 veterans withhypertension in 15 cities, in-cluding Anchorage, Alaska,and San Juan, Puerto Rico.Regardless of race or sex, fewerof these veterans returned tonormal levels of blood pres-sure while treated in wintermonths compared to summermonths.

“We are seeing seasonalvariation in all of the cities,”said Dr. Ross Fletcher, re-searcher and chief of staff atthe VA medical center inWashington, D.C. Eight per-cent fewer patients returned toa normal blood pressure read-ing during treatment in thewinter than in the summer,according to Fletcher, who ledthe study.

About 60 percent of thepatients had a marked changein blood pressure control inthe winter. Fletcher said theresearchers have not figuredout just what is causing this,but it did not seem to bechanges in temperature ordaylight that occur in the win-ter or the latitude of the city.Instead, the trend may be at-tributed to the veterans’weight gain, different eatinghabits and getting less exerciseduring the winter. Fletchersaid the data showed the vet-erans gained weight duringthe winter.

Veterans should be awareof the possibility their bloodpressure may be more difficult

to control in the winter andshould be more vigilant dur-ing this time, Fletcher noted.

State of the Art DentalTechnology at Buffalo VADentists at the VA WesternNew York Healthcare Systemat Buffalo are using computer-aided design/computer-aidedmanufacturing technology(CAD/CAM) to take care oftheir dental patients’ needs.The CAD/CAM software andmilling units allow VA dentiststo prepare, fit and perma-nently cement a dental crownfor a patient in a single sitting.

The technology usesscanning videography and la-

sers to take pictures of theteeth and digitizes the imagesusing a three-dimensionalsoftware program. The soft-ware, under the direction ofthe dentist, constructs the res-toration on the digitizedmodel and sends the informa-tion to a milling device thatcarves out the final crown forinsertion. This process can becompleted during a two-houroffice visit, saving up to twoto six weeks of wait time anddelays using the conventionaldentistry techniques.

Dr. Guy DiTursi, directorof post-graduate studies ingeneral practice dentistry, said

the new technology “hasgreatly impacted the way weperform dentistry.” He notedthat in addition to reducingthe number of office visits re-quired for the patients seekingtreatment, the technologysaves time and expense “giventhe fact that all of the fabrica-tion of the restorations can bedone on site in the dentalclinic.”

$3 Million Awarded forDesigning Electrodes forStanding, Balance andSteppingThe National Institutes ofHealth (NIH) awarded a $3million grant to Dr. Ronald J.

Triolo and his colleagues atthe Louis Stokes ClevelandVA Medical Center and CaseWestern Reserve University tooptimize the design of stimu-lating electrodes to selectivelyactivate the nerves that controlthe muscles for standing, bal-ance and stepping.

The activity is part of acontinuing effort to enhancethe mobility and indepen-dence of individuals paralyzedby spinal cord injuries (SCI)through the application ofsurgically implanted stimu-lated systems, or neuro-prostheses. Some 200,000Americans with SCI struggle

Water shoots on the porcelain of a dental crown being carved with amilling device for a patient at the Buffalo VA.

EVANGELINE CONLEY

VAnguard


heroes

Joanne Compagna, a vocational rehabilitation specialistin the Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) program at theVA medical center in Bedford, Mass., was anxiously an-ticipating her own journey home during one of thisseason’s intense New England snowstorms when sheheard that the center’s CWT van driver was strandedmiles from the pick-up site of four veterans. She immedi-ately jumped behind the wheel of a VA minivan to re-trieve them. It took her more than an hour to crawl out ofBedford, only to hit gridlock on the highway. Knowing theveterans at the worksite would be distressed, she per-suaded a state snowplow crew to escort her through thebreakdown lane past a snarling accident. Nearing therendezvous point, abandoned vehicles blocked furtherpassage. Compagna parked and trudged a quarter-milethrough snow piled six inches deep to the waiting veter-ans. She led them back to the van and made the returntrip. Her day ended only when she was sure the veteranshad a bed for the night.

Saving snow-stranded veterans

On Nov. 27, Samuel Robinson, a police officer at theMichael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, con-tacted the VA police dispatcher and requested ER per-sonnel respond to an unresponsive veteran on the medi-cal center’s main drive. Sgt. Mark McGarry and officersFrancis Shannon, Marlon Harmon and JacquelynRencher responded to the scene. Harmon and Rencherprovided traffic and crowd control while McGarry as-sessed the veteran in the back seat of his daughter’s ve-hicle. The veteran had no detectable vital signs whenMcGarry and Shannon removed him from the vehicle andinitiated CPR. Robinson quickly retrieved an automatedexternal defribillator (AED) and McGarry attached the de-vice to the patient. CPR and AED monitoring continuedwhile the veteran was transported to the ER. The veteranregained a pulse and began breathing independently afteradvanced medical intervention. This was the first time po-lice at the Houston medical center had used an AED.

Palo Alto, Calif., VAMedical Center seamless tran-sition coordinator RomeoHorvath knew the veteranand his wife he was escortingto the San Jose airport weren’tgoing to make their planewhen he saw the long lines atthe ticket counter and securitycheckpoint. But he wasn’t go-ing to let them miss theirChristmas visit home. Theformer Transportation Secu-rity Administration (TSA)employee told the couple to“hang on” while he called aformer co-worker, the TSA

A veteran’s life saved with AED

(Left to right): VA police officers Francis Shannon, MarkMcGarry, Samuel Robinson, Marlon Harmon and JacquelynRencher.

FRAN BURKE

morning shift screening man-ager, and told him a fellowveteran needed help. And helpcame almost immediately. Thecouple were front-loaded andescorted from the securitycheckpoint to their departinggate. They made their flight,and a Merry Christmas washad by all.

On the morning of Oct.2, a vanpool carrying employ-ees of the Atlanta VA MedicalCenter and Regional Officecame upon the scene of afour-car collision leaving nu-merous victims with serious

injuries. Shakira Bethea, aprogram support assistant atthe VARO, asked veterans ser-vice representative Mary RoseWynn to pull over to help.Karen Tillman, a secretary atthe medical center, and Bethearan over to one man lying onthe ground. Bethea assessedthe victim, minimizing move-ment to avoid further injury,

while Tillman checked thecondition of others in the ve-hicle, staying alert to the pos-sibility of leaking gas or otherflammable liquids. JaniceMiles, R.N., and clinical so-cial worker Alice Joneschecked and treated other vic-tims until police arrived. Afterbriefing the paramedics, theemployees went to work.

JoanneCompagna cameto the rescue ofsome veteransstranded in a NewEngland snow-storm.

DEBORAH E. OUTING

VAnguardhave you heard


Studies show that VA families prefer to care for their loved oneswith Parkinson’s disease in their homes. With that in mind, theSan Francisco VA Medical Center’s Parkinson’s Disease Re-search, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) recentlysponsored a unique and innovative event conducted totally viavideo teleconference.

Designed to support those who are interested in learninghow to better care for their family members or friends with thischallenging diagnosis, the event was attended by more than 350individuals including representatives from all VISN 21 medicalcenters (including multiple Hawaiian Islands), and it reachedacross the country to include Minneapolis, Ann Arbor, Mich.,and Baltimore. Support for family and caregivers of veteranswith Parkinson’s was explored through presentations on Identi-fying and Managing Psychological Changes in Parkinson’s dis-ease, Identifying and Managing Depression, and IdentifyingSleep Disorders.

MOH headstone for Murphy

On Nov. 27, a Medal of Honor headstone ceremony washeld for Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. Murphy of Patchogue,N.Y. Murphy, 29, is the first recipient of the MOH interredat Calverton National Cemetery in New York and is thefirst Navy SEAL sincethe Vietnam War toreceive the Medal ofHonor, awarded post-humously during aWhite House cer-emony last October.Killed during afirefight with Talibaninsurgents in Af-ghanistan on June 28,2005, he is also one ofjust three servicemenawarded the MOHsince the September2001 terror attacks.The 42-inch-tall gravemarker bears a like-ness of the nation’shighest militaryhonor—a gold, inverted, five-pointed star that graces themarkers of all MOH recipients. Cemetery director MichaelPicerno said Murphy’s original headstone—which like allothers at the cemetery has crisp, ebony lettering—will beburied there as a sign of respect.

The VA medical center in Lebanon, Pa., got more than itbargained for when it came up with an idea to honor vet-erans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While plan-ning the facility’s first OEF/OIF Welcome Home Event heldon Nov. 3, the committee requested that letters of grati-tude be sent to the medical center to be displayed for thereturning veterans. The request, publicized through let-ters to community groups, local newspapers, radio sta-tions and television stations, resulted in an outpouring ofcards and letters from schools, churches and other com-munity groups. The center decided to tape the cards andletters to giant pieces of paper that extended 35 feetdown the hallway. After the event, the paper was rolledup to be reused for the next OEF/OIF celebration. To date,more than 600 cards and letters have poured into thecenter since the original request.

More than 200 current, former and retired employees celebratedthe 40th anniversary of the Malcom Randall VA Medical Cen-ter in Gainesville, Fla., on Nov. 14. The first director of the fa-cility, Randall, was on hand as the honorary guest. Randall,whose federal career spans 59 years, has received two of thehighest awards given by VA—the Meritorious Service Awardand the Exceptional Service Award. Besides holding the rank ofcaptain in the Naval Reserve, his military career includes servingon PT boats and battleships in the South Pacific during WorldWar II, being wounded in action, and serving as Air Staff Com-mander of the Naval Air Reserve Unit at Jacksonville, Fla.

Although in operation since Oct. 22, 1967, as theGainesville VAMC, the facility was officially renamed theMalcom Randall VAMC in February 1999. Currently, it is theonly VAMC named after an employee.

On Sept. 11, the Alaska VA Healthcare System and Regional

40th anniversary celebration in Florida

Teaming up to help Alaska’s returning veterans

Leon Luzzi, coordinator of the Lebanon VAMC’s Veterans ActivityCenter, looks at one of the more than 600 cards and letters toOIF/OEF veterans that have poured in from the community.

Support for Parkinson’s disease caregivers

Cards and letters pouring in

The Medal of Honor headstone for Lt.Michael P. Murphy is installed at hisCalverton National Cemetery gravesite.

NANETTE FURIO

LESLIE KLOPP

VAnguard have you heard


Recognition for a furry companion

‘Sacking’ homelessness in Ohio

Employees of the Cleveland VA Regional Office helped“sack” homelessness during the city’s first Veterans StandDown by donating nearly 200 backpacks to homeless veter-ans. In an event coordinated with the city, VA representa-tives provided benefits counseling and distributed the back-packs filled with socks, clothing, food, bus passes and per-sonal hygiene products.

The drive, known as “Pack a Sack,” was the first orga-nized effort of the VARO’s new Outreach Committee. Com-prised of Veterans Service Center employees, the groupaims to meet the needs of local veterans. “Two vans wereso filled with these backpacks that when opened, they liter-ally began falling out,” said Assistant Veterans Service Cen-ter Manager Todd Weber. “Representatives of other agen-cies came up to compliment our efforts. And the veteranscarried our backpacks with a sense of deep appreciationand even joy.” More than 400 homeless veterans attended,receiving food, haircuts and blankets.

Skeeter, a six-year-old Pomeranian pet therapy dog at theVA medical center in Lexington, Ky., recently received tophonors when he won the Kentucky Veterinary MedicalAssociation (KVMA) Animal Hall of Fame Hero’s Award.Skeeter came to the facility in November 2006 after hisowner could nolonger live aloneand properly carefor him. He worksin the nursinghome and hospiceunits and was rec-ognized for his in-credible talentsand commitment toquality patientcare. Skeeter givespatients his total,unconditional love.In addition, saysPaula Bayer, R.N.,nurse manager onthe nursing homecare unit, “Hisability to providecomfort to an end-stage patient is re-markable. Asdeath becomes imminent, he is always there.” Each year,the KVMA honors animals that exemplify the strength andvalue of the bond between animals and people and thecontributions they make to enrich human lives.

The National Chaplain Center and Bay Pines VA HealthcareSystem hosted a national VA Chaplain Retreat and Workshoplast fall in Indian Rocks, Fla. Called “Caring for the CombatChaplain,” the retreat was the first of its kind, providing an op-portunity for VA chaplains who have served as military reserveor National Guard chaplains in Operation Enduring Freedomor Operation Iraqi Freedom to come together and share experi-ences.

This group of VA chaplains has all served at least one de-ployment to the Middle East as chaplains providing ministry toservicemembers on the front lines, while back home at VA, theycontinue to minister to all veterans. Chaplain Michael L.McCoy, associate director of the National Chaplain Center, ledthe group throughout the retreat. In the future, the center hopesto provide a support network for deployed VA chaplains to con-tinue communication while they are serving.

Office and the State of Alaska Department of Military and Vet-erans Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding as acommitment to join together to provide outreach to Alaska Na-tional Guard and Reserve troops. Specific goals of the MOU areto: ensure seamless delivery of health care services to rural veter-ans; enhance home station reunion and reintegration workshopsfor returning Global War on Terrorism veterans to include post-deployment health reassessments; create multidisciplinary mo-bile outreach teams; and commit to meet regularly to address is-sues.

Due to the growing number of veterans returning to ruralAlaska from mobilizations in support of the GWOT, VA staffwill join National Guard staff in specific outreach to the Na-tional Guard armories as well as facilitate a monthly communitynetwork meeting to ensure a coordinated effort.

Cleveland VA Regional Office employees with the nearly 200 back-packs stuffed with goodies that they donated to homeless veteransduring the city’s first Stand Down.

Building a support network for deployed chaplains

Skeeter the pet therapy dog “is a legiti-mate ambassador of goodwill,” says EdRoberts, Army veteran and nursinghome resident.

JENNIFER BARTEK

DESTIE STIMES

VAnguardhonors


Geriatrics excellence awards

Martinsburg’s gold medal athlete

Honors for Financial Services Center staff

Helping returning servicemembers reintegrate

The 2007 Marsha Goodwin-Beck Interdisciplinary Awardsfor Excellence in Geriatrics were presented at the VHANational Leadership Board meeting on Oct. 16. ByronBair, M.D., associate director for clinical programs withthe Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center(GRECC) at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, re-ceived the Excellence in Geriatric Clinical Care DeliveryAward. Bair has developed creative and innovative modelcare delivery systems to improve the delivery of healthcare to aging veterans. He is the medical director of thehome-based primary care program at VA Salt Lake,which provides all-inclusive care for high-riskhomebound patients.

Theodore J. Hahn, M.D., co-director of the GRECC atthe West Los Angeles VA Medical Center, received theExcellence in Geriatric Leadership Award. Due to hisleadership, there has been major growth in the availabil-ity of quality geriatric care to older veterans VISN-widethrough the opening of needed geriatric and extendedcare programs. His effective leadership skills were alsoevidenced by his successful campaign to win state andfederal approval for a unique new state veterans home tobe constructed on the West LA campus.

A VA employee brought home a gold medal from the 2007Special Olympics World Summer Games. John Ware, amachine operator at the VA medical center inMartinsburg, W.V., traveled to the People’s Republic ofChina to compete in the games. He brought home thegold in the long jump. The 34-year-old also finished fourthin the 100-meter dash and fifth on the 100-meter relayteam. Ware, who won gold at the National Games in Iowaand has been named Berkeley County Special OlympicsAthlete of the Year, has participated in track and field,basketball and volleyball during his 13 years as a memberof Special Olympics.

Dr. Byron Bair meets with veteran Marlin C. Galbraith at the VASalt Lake City Health Care System.

VA’s Financial Services Center (FSC) in Austin, Texas, receivedspecial recognition for its work to centralize all VHA paymentsfor common services such as utilities and contractual services—also known as “certified payments.” This four-year initiative wassuccessfully completed in fiscal year 2007, and now 98 percentof VHA’s certified payments are processed by the FSC. At theconclusion of this project, the FSC was able to accurately andefficiently process more than 900,000 invoices valued at morethan $6.5 billion in a timely manner; this is four times the vol-

ume processed in fiscal year 2003.This initiative furthers VA’s goal to improve financial per-

formance, and because of their success, Ed Murray, deputy assis-tant secretary for finance in VA Central Office, presented anaward to FSC staff. FSC Director Ron Woods and FSC Assis-tant Director Teri Riffel were present for the awards ceremony.

Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, the Kansas Adjutant General, pre-sented an award of appreciation to staff at the VA Eastern Kan-sas Health Care System for their work helping Kansas NationalGuard servicemembers reintegrate into their communities afterreturning from overseas deployments. The award was presentedon Oct. 23. On hand to receive the award were Rick Selig,OIF/OEF program manager; Kathy Zima, OIF/OEF case man-ager; Dr. Peter Almenoff, director of VISN 15 (Kansas City);Marie Weldon, director of VA Eastern Kansas; and WarrenHill, associate director of VA Eastern Kansas.

In an effort to reach out to these returning servicemembers,a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed with theKansas National Guard and VISN 15. VA Eastern Kansas ex-panded the MOU to provide pre-deployment counseling to thesoldiers and their family members, meet the returning soldiers

John Ware, right, with his Special Olympics gold medal.

SID CRANDALL

COURTESY OF JOHN WARE

VAnguard honors


Mona Baggett, deputy chief information officer (CIO) for theVA Health Administration Center in Denver, received the pres-tigious College of Healthcare Information Management Execu-tives’ John Glaser Scholarship Sept. 12. She competed with ap-plicants from 600 other health care-related facilities worldwide,both governmental and corporate. The two annual winners ofthe award are selected on the basis of CIO potential and dedica-tion to professional development within the health care CIOfield. Baggett plans to use the scholarship to pursue a graduatedegree in information technology management. “It is a hugehonor to receive this award and it will enable me to fulfill alongtime desire to continue my graduate education,” she said.

Native American outreach

‘Caring for America’s Heroes’

IT management scholarship for deputy CIO

After attending a Native American conference in Albuquer-que, N.M., a Waco VA Regional Office employee returnedto Texas with the impression that there was a lack of infor-mation and access to veterans benefits for many NativeAmericans. He wondered what could be done to addressthis situation. Through conversations with fellow employ-ees and management staff, a plan was developed to ap-proach a local Native American tribe to determine theproper protocols to gain access to Native American veter-ans on their reservations.

After meeting with leaders of the Ysleta del SurPueblo (Tigua) Tribe, approval was obtained to conductoutreach on the Tigua Reservation near El Paso. It was dis-covered that there were 91 veterans who were membersof the Tigua Tribe and only two were receiving VA benefitsat that time. Today, there are more than 60 Tigua veteransreceiving VA benefits. In recognition of the initiative taken,the National Congress of American Indians presented theWaco VARO with a Native American Warrior Certificate ofRecognition on Nov. 21 in El Paso.

Andrew Thurston, a fourth-year medical student at BaylorCollege of Medicine, won the 5th Annual Major C.W.Offutt “Caring for America’s Heroes” Essay Contest, spon-sored by the OklahomaCity VA Medical Center.Open to all third- andfourth-year medical stu-dents, the award is de-signed to promote car-ing, humanism and un-derstanding of veteransreceiving medical careat VA health care facili-ties. It is presented onthe basis of papers writ-ten about what medicalstudents derived fromcaring for America’s he-roes. With career plansto enter the internal medicine field, and ultimately geriat-rics, Thurston wrote about his experience getting to knowa veteran being treated for cancer at the Michael E.DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. He wrote abouthow much “Mr. C” liked to talk: “About the weather,about the war—about anything and everything as if histhoughts were packaged on a conveyer from his mind,and he had to hand off each parcel to someone—any-one—or else they’d fall from his mouth and shatter. So Idid what any second-year medical student new to thewards would do: I sat in silence, and listened.”

Dave Mojica, right, OIF/OEF coordinator for the Waco VA Re-gional Office, participates in a Native American flag blessingceremony in El Paso with Simon Sims, left, and Jesse Padilla,tribal councilman.

at the demobilization sites, which, in some cases, were in Missis-sippi, Texas or Wisconsin, and conduct post-deployment out-reach and counseling at the reintegration training sites aroundthe state.

Jonathan Myers, Ph.D., received the Michael L. Pollock Estab-lished Investigator Award on Oct. 19 during the 2007 annualmeeting of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pul-monary Rehabilitation (AACVPR). His selection was in recogni-tion of his many outstanding contributions to cardiovascular andpulmonary rehabilitation as a career investigator with the VAPalo Alto Health Care System.

Each year, this award is presented to an individual whoseideas, committee work and leadership have benefited theAACVPR organization in a significant way and who has earnednational prominence in his or her field with contributions span-ning many years. Myers delivered a lecture to attendees at theannual meeting during the general session as part of the awardrecognition program.

Professional honors for Palo Alto investigator Myers

Andrew Thurston

JUAN SOLIS

‘Wreaths Across America’Lisa Fountain and her daughter Kayleigh, of Michigan, wereamong the Civil Air Patrol volunteers who placed holidaywreaths on graves at Arlington National Cemetery. It was the16th year the Worcester Wreath Company of Maine sent thewreaths to the cemetery. For the second year, the companyalso sent wreaths to VA national cemeteries and state veter-ans cemeteries to display in a nationwide tribute to veteranscalled “Wreaths Across America.”

ROBERT TURTIL

Documents

New Secretary Peake · Features FY 2009 Budget Proposal: $93.7 Billion 6 Seamless transition, compensation and pension initiatives top priorities Honoring Distinguished Service in