Combat Vet, Singer-Songwriter Ready for Next Challenge: Business

By Caroline Newman

Newswise, May 20, 2017 — Bingley “Barker” Squire (Class of 2017) first realized he could sing in public when his middle school choir director persuaded him to play the Beast in the school’s stage version of the Disney classic, “Beauty and the Beast.”

“I knew I could sing at an early age, but I had not sung in front of anyone else until then,” Squire said. “I enjoyed it, and it gave me more confidence.”

In the decades since that first performance, Squire, who will graduate from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business in May, has tested his abilities on several different stages. He has served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and completed a tour of duty in Afghanistan, earned multiple scholarships to finance his education at Darden and proposed to his fiancé, fellow Darden Second Year Molly Duncan.

He also hasn’t let his musical talent go to waste; he is a published singer-songwriter and the president of Darden’s a cappella group, the Cold Call Chorus. His self-titled album, published in 2014, includes original country and jazz tracks inspired by the places he has been and the people he has met.

Finance professor Marc Lipson, one of Squire’s mentors who also plays alongside him in a faculty-student band, said that Squire’s creativity helps him to stand out even among a class of extraordinary achievers.

“Creativity is more than anything an outgrowth of cooperative thinking. You have to want to work with other musicians, respect each other and put the group ahead of your own performance, and Barker brings that quality to any group,” Lipson said. “He is more than a magnificent student. He has the ability to bring people together to do things that are meaningful in a way I have never seen other students be able to do.”

Squire, who grew up in Emporia, Virginia, earned his undergraduate degree from the Virginia Military Institute, where he graduated as the second-highest-ranking cadet militarily and highest-ranking cadet academically. He subsequently served four years in the Marine Corps, including a 2012–13 stint in Afghanistan, where he commanded a 100-person outpost and supervised 300 combat missions.

“I had an interest in the military from an early age, and I think some of that came from my grandfather, who served in World War II,” Squire said. “I was interested in leading and helping other people, and looking for opportunities where I really could lead, make an impact and be a part of something bigger than myself.”

In Afghanistan, Squire worked with fellow Marines, the Afghan army and police force and local tribal elders to promote peace in the region. He challenged himself not only to master the logistics of running a base nearly 30 miles from the nearest military outpost, but also to learn a bit of the local language, Pashtu, and bridge the cultural divide between the American Marines and the Afghan citizens.

“I learned how to negotiate and work through all kinds of problems in a Third World country,” he said. “On the whole, the Afghan people were very nice. They just wanted to keep their families safe and make a living, and unfortunately they are in a part of the world where that is really hard to do.”

Squire also discovered that he truly enjoyed, and had a talent for, building organizations. After four years in the military, he was eager to test that talent in civilian life, and business school seemed like a natural next step.

“I had a tremendous experience in the military, learned so much about myself, about leadership and working with other people,” he said. “I also have a creative side and love building organizations, and my ability to do that in the military was somewhat restricted. I wanted a bit more autonomy.”

At Darden, Squire, who studied history at VMI, focused on mastering finance and other quantitative skills and exploring entrepreneurship. He also continued his interest in history, taking courses like “Post-Watergate U.S. Presidents,” taught by Dean Emeritus Robert Bruner.

“We have been working through the memoirs of post-Watergate presidents, starting with Ford and concluding with our current president,” Squire said. “I love reading about the situations that heads of state found themselves in and seeing how they worked through those situations.”

To hone his general management skills, Squire spent last summer working for a subsidiary of Danaher Corp., helping the manufacturing firm launch a new customer platform. After graduation, he plans to purchase and manage a company in Charlotte, North Carolina, where his fiancé has accepted a position with consulting firm McKinsey & Co.

“Longer-term, I would love to start my own business, but right now I am hoping to buy an existing business,” he said, noting that the scholarships he received, including the Colonel James L. Fowler USMC Scholarship and the Frank E. Genovese Second Year Fellowship, have made it possible for him to take on that challenge. “Those scholarships have helped me limit my debt and feel more comfortable about the large risk that I am about to take on.”

Whatever comes next, he is confident that his time at Darden has prepared him well.

“I am much more equipped now,” Squire said. “I have always had the passion and the desire to build great things, but I have such a great foundation now to actually do that and do it successfully.”

This story originally appeared on UVAToday.com.

Drug & Alcohol Problems Linked to Increased Veteran Suicide Risk, Especially in Women, Long-Term Study Finds

Findings point to the need for more suicide prevention efforts among veterans with substance use disorders, especially those who also have mental health conditions...Rates of suicide for veterans, calculated by a University of Michigan/VA team based on data from 4.4 million veterans over 6 years.

Newswise, March 20, 2017 —– Veterans who have drug or alcohol problems are more than twice as likely to die by suicide as their comrades, a new study finds. And women veterans with substance use disorders have an even higher rate of suicide -- more than five times that of their peers, the research shows.

The risk of suicide differs depending on the type of substance the veteran has problems with, according to the study.

The highest suicide risks are among those who misuse prescription sedative medicines, such as tranquilizers. Women veterans who misuse opioid drugs also have an especially high risk of suicide, the study finds.

The research, published in the journal Addiction by a team from the University of Michigan and Department of Veterans Affairs, finds that much of the difference in suicide risks might be explained by veterans who have both mental health conditions and substance use issues.

But they say the new findings point to a need to focus more veteran suicide-prevention efforts on those who have substance use disorders, especially if they also have depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety.

The new findings come from one of the largest-ever examinations of substance use disorders and suicide, involving more than 4.4 million veterans.

“We hope these findings will help clinicians and health systems care for people with substance use disorders, with mental health conditions, and with both -- and focus suicide prevention efforts accordingly,” says Kipling Bohnert, Ph.D., lead author of the study and researcher with the VA Center for Clinical Management Research who is also an assistant professor of psychiatry at the U-M Medical School. “Substance use disorders may be important markers for suicide risk.”

Twenty veterans die by suicide each day – a much higher rate than in the general population.

Because two-thirds of the suicides in the study involved firearms, the researchers also note that firearm safety is important in efforts to reduce the toll of suicide on those who have served the nation.

In addition, one-quarter of suicides among veterans with substance use disorders were by intentional poisoning, highlighting the need for strategies to prevent that form of suicide in this group.

The researchers say their work may have implications for the civilian population as well, but that it’s harder to study individuals outside the VA in the same way because records aren’t centralized like they are at the VA.

About the study

Bohnert and his colleagues from the Department of Veterans Affairs, U-M Addiction Center and U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation looked at VA records from a large group of veterans who saw a VA provider in 2004 and 2005. They then tracked suicides among this group over the next six years.

In all, 8.3 percent of men and 3.4 percent of women in the cohort had a substance use disorder recorded in their list of diagnoses in 2004-2005. And 9,087 of the veterans in the study group died by suicide during the follow-up years.

Using statistical techniques, the team calculated suicide rates per 100,000 person-years, and then calculated those rates for veterans with substance use issues overall, and for specific substance use disorders.

In all, the suicide rate was 75.6 for veterans with any substance use disorder, compared with 34.7 for veterans overall. A previous study led by Mark Ilgen, Ph.D., co-author on the new study, found similarly higher rates in veterans who were tracked from 1999 to 2006.

But the new study lets the researchers drill down to the specific substance that veterans had problems with, including alcohol, opioids, marijuana, and cocaine.

The study found the suicide risk was highest for veterans of both genders who misused sedatives – 171.4 per 100,000 person-years – and markedly higher for women who misused opioids, at 98.6 per 100,000 person-years.

The researchers couldn’t distinguish between misuse of prescription opioids and problems with other non-prescription opioids, such as heroin.

Men who misused amphetamines also had a suicide rate of 95 per 100,000 person-years. The study couldn’t tell whether they were misusing prescription amphetamines, such as those used for attention deficit disorder, or using illicit drugs such as methamphetamine.

The researchers then took into account veterans’ age and the overall severity of their medical conditions, and calculated the risk of suicide by type of substance use disorder.

This reduced the size of the difference in suicide risks somewhat but most of the original relationships remained.

When the researchers factored in mental health diagnoses, the picture changed. Among women, only alcohol and opioid disorders remained associated with higher suicide risk, independent of mental and physical health. Differences between men and women diminished as well.

But both genders with substance use disorders had a higher rate of suicide even after differences in physical and mental health were factored in.

In all, says Bohnert, “Assessment and treatment of co-existing psychiatric conditions, in addition to substance use, may be important in lowering the risk of suicide among individuals who have substance use disorders.”

In addition to Bohnert and Ilgen, the study was conducted by Samantha Louzon and John F. McCarthy, Ph.D., of the VA Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource and Education Center, and Ira R. Katz of the VA Office of Mental Health Services.

The study was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Reference: Addiction, Early View, doi:10.1111/add.13774 Veterans in crisis should call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 (press 1), or text 838255.

Resident Thankful for Support Received to Finish WIU's Annual Fallen Soldiers 5K

With the support of her friends — Michelle Terry (second from left), academic advisor, WIU College of Business and Technology, Paula Rhodes (far right), a former WIU employee, and Macomb resident Andrea Ratterman — Debbie Carter (far left) completed the Western Illinois University Fallen Soldiers 5K this year. Carter has had 11 surgeries on her knee over the past few years and has only been able to put weight on it since April of this year. 

Newswise, Macomb, December 26, 2016— Western Illinois University's annual Fallen Soldiers 5K Run/Walk is one of the many ways the University gives thanks to the men and women who have served our country. Every year since the event was established in 2012, the proceeds raised by the race—which drew close to 550 participants this year—are put toward Western's Fallen Soldiers Scholarship, which honors WIU alumni Capt. Derek Dobogai and Lt. Col. Robert Baldwin, both killed in the line of duty.

Dobogai, who graduated from Western in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in law enforcement and justice administration, was among the 14 U.S. soldiers aboard a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed Aug. 22, 2007, in northern Iraq.

Baldwin, who earned a bachelor's degree in industrial technology from WIU in 1993, was killed Sept. 21, 2010, when his Blackhawk UH-60 helicopter carrying international troops crashed during combat operations in the Zabul province of Afghanistan.


This year, Western's Fallen Soldiers 5K (held October 22), too, provided a way for one local participant, Debbie Carter of Macomb, to show her thanks to her friends and to her doctors, who all helped make it possible for her to take part and even finish the 5K in under two hours.

"I have had 11 surgeries, and I was in a wheelchair for three years because of my bad knee. I didn't even have a knee for a while. In October 2015, I had my knee put back in for the third time, and even after that, I still couldn't do any full weight bearing on it for a couple of months.

“Finally, in mid-December, when I went to the doctor at Mayo Clinic, he gave me the okay to put some weight on it and walk. Unfortunately, the next morning, I fell and fractured my ankle and my knee again. I was non-weight bearing again until April of this year," Carter explained.

But with the support of her friends Michelle Terry, academic advisor, WIU College of Business and Technology, Paula Rhodes, a former WIU employee, and Macomb resident Andrea Ratterman, Carter planned to walk the 5K this year. They started walking regularly in July to get Carter ready for the course, which winds around and through WIU's hilly campus.

"My friends are the only ones who knew I was planning to do this," Carter said. "I didn't even tell my husband, John, or my son, Zachary."

Carter noted that she is proud of herself for completing the race, and she is especially thankful to her friends, as well as a few individuals, including Campus Recreation graduate assistants, members of Western's softball team and students from The Crossing Fuel group (in Macomb), who took the time to walk with her and her friends during the event.

Terry noted that not only did the members of the softball team join them while they walked the course, but several individuals, also from the WIU and Macomb community, cheered her on as she completed the course, which she did in one hour and 57 minutes and 26 seconds.

When talking to Terry about Carter's accomplishment, she couldn't help from getting emotional.

"It was amazing! Students seemed to come out of nowhere and asked, 'Can we join you?' I just think it's an example of what being a Leatherneck is all about," Terry said.

Vian Neally, assistant director of marketing at WIU Campus Recreation and one of the individuals at Western who helps organize the Fallen Soldiers 5K, described Carter as a "finisher" and said the support she witnessed the community provided Debbie gave her "goosebumps."

"While Debbie was still walking the course, I was with members of Western's All Volunteer Effort (WAVE) to take down the U.S. flags that line the course.

“But, as we turned the corner by Waggoner Hall to start down Western Avenue to take down the flags, we saw Debbie and all her supporters.

“One of the softball players escorting her ran up to us and asked if we could leave the flags up until Debbie passed by. Harv Draughan, from the Bushnell Patriot Flag Crew, and I asked all the volunteers to hold off taking down the flags until Debbie had passed.

“We cheered her on until she turned the corner onto University Drive, near the last part of the course. I radioed the Spencer Student Recreation Center and asked them to find people to go cheer her on as she crossed the finish line," Neally explained. "What a huge success story!"

Because of her successful completion of the 2016 Fallen Soldiers 5K, Carter said she and her family are planning to take part in the event together next year.

The 2016 race raised more than $17,115, topping last year's total. More than 530 individuals registered to participate. Since inception of WIU's Fallen Soldiers 5K in 2012, more than $92,000 has been raised for the Fallen Soldier Scholarship in honor of Dobogai and Baldwin.

Fish Oil May Help Improve Mood in Veterans

Newswise, October 9, 2016 — Low concentration of fish oil in the blood and lack of physical activity may contribute to the high levels of depressed mood among soldiers returning from combat, according to researchers, including a Texas A&M University professor and his former doctoral student.

In a study titled “Fatty Acid Blood Levels, Vitamin D Status, Physical Performance, Activity and Resiliency: A Novel Potential Screening Tool for Depressed Mood in Active Duty Soldiers,” researchers worked with 100 soldiers at Fort Hood to identify which factors affected moods in returning soldiers.

The research was conducted by Major Nicholas Barringer when he was a Texas A&M doctoral student under the direction of Health & Kinesiology Professor and Department Head Richard Kreider, in collaboration with several current and former members of the U.S. Army, and colleagues at Texas A&M.

“We looked at how physical activity levels and performance measures were related to mood state and resiliency,” Kreider says. “What we found was the decrease in physical activity and the concentration of fish oil and Omega-3s in the blood were all associated with resiliency and mood.”

Kreider says fish oil contains Omega-3 fatty acids that help to boost brain function. He says studies also show that fish oil acts as an anti-inflammatory within the body — helping athletes and soldiers manage intense training better. Fish oil content is especially important for soldiers due to the consistent training and physical regiments performed in and out of combat and risk to traumatic brain injury.

The study originated from research conducted by Colonel Mike Lewis, M.D. who examined Omega-3 fatty acid levels of soldiers who committed suicide compared to non-suicide control and found lower Omega-3 levels in the blood were associated with increased risk of being in the suicide group.

Barringer says he believes these findings to be significant toward addressing some of the issues many soldiers face.

“The mental health of our service members is a serious concern and it is exciting to consider that appropriate diet and exercise might have a direct impact on improving resiliency,” Barringer notes

.

In order to properly measure soldiers physically, Kreider and Barringer developed a formula they say has the potential to assist in effectively screening soldiers with potential PTSD ahead of time. The formula measures a number of factors including: fitness and psychometric assessments, physical activity, and additional analysis.

“By improving resiliency in service members, we can potentially decrease the risk of mental health issues,” Barringer says. “Early identification can potentially decrease the risk of negative outcomes for our active service members as well as our separated and retired military veterans.”

“The military is using some of our exercise, nutrition, and performance-related work and the findings may help identify soldiers at risk for depression when they return from combat tours,” Kreider notes. He says that by working to identify such high-risk issues faced by soldiers, it can set a precedent that will benefit not only military leadership, but also the general public.

“The public must realize that our soldiers need support before, during, and after their service,” Kreider explains. “There needs to be a time for soldiers to transition, become re-engaged within a community, and stay engaged in that community.”

More information regarding fish oil and other exercise and nutrition-related research can be found at the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab’s website.

Press Briefing Denouncing Dangerous VA Policy Change to Replace Physician Anesthesiologists with Nurses in Surgery

Newswise, June 15, 2016 —Physician anesthesiologists and Veterans announce opposition to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) proposed policy that removes physician anesthesiologists from surgery and replaces them with nurses, and urge the public to protect safe VA care by telling the VA to reject this policy.

Without physician involvement in anesthesia care, the VA will lower the standard of care for Veterans and put their health and lives at risk.

The policy change is based on a shortage of some types of physicians in VA. However, there is no shortage of physician anesthesiologists and the change is not needed to improve access to anesthesia care in surgery. The policy would abandon a proven model of care where physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists work together as a team to provide Veterans high-quality and safe anesthesia.

Surgery and anesthesia are inherently dangerous, requiring physician involvement, especially for VA patients who often are sicker and have multiple medical conditions that put them at greater risk for complications. 

The VA’s own internal evaluation of the relevant studies regarding health outcomes of patients receiving care from nurse anesthetists practicing independently concluded that the evidence was biased and insufficient to support making a policy change. VA’s Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) could not discern “whether more complex surgeries can be safely managed by CRNAs, particularly in small or isolated VA hospitals where preoperative and postoperative health system factors may be less than optimal.”

The proposed policy change was posted to the Federal Register May 25 and is open for public comment for 60 days. The American Society of Anesthesiologists urges every American who cares about safe VA care and protecting the health and lives of the nation’s Veterans to visit safevacare.org and post a comment to stop VA from removing physician anesthesiologists from surgery.

More information about the proposed policy and physician anesthesiologists is available at safevacare.org.

Veterans More Likely to Delay Seeking Health Care—Possible Link to Long Wait Times for VA Care

Newswise, May 6, 2016--Military veterans are more likely to report delays in seeking necessary healthcare, compared to the US general population, reports a study in theJournal of Public Health Management and Practice. The journal is published byWolters Kluwer.

Such self-reported care delays may be related to having Veterans Administration (VA) health coverage—and to long waiting times in the VA system, according to the study by Doohee Lee, PhD, of Marshall University, South Charleston, W.V., and Charles Begley, PhD, of the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.

"Access problems within the VA system may be creating disparities in care for this vulnerable and deserving population that need to be mitigated," the researchers write.

Veterans Report More Delays in Healthcare

Drs. Lee and Begley performed a secondary analysis of data from a nationally representative survey, performed in 2010-11, to assess delays in seeking healthcare, in the US population overall and among military veterans in particular. About 11,000 Americans were asked if they had "put off or postponed getting medical care they thought they needed" anytime in the past year.

The results were compared for groups with different types of insurance coverage. Most respondents had private health insurance; just under two percent (1.72 percent) were covered by veterans' insurance.

"Those in veterans' care were more likely than the rest of the surveyed population to report care delay," the researchers write. Nearly 29 percent of veterans reported they had delayed seeking needed medical care, compared to the national rate of 17 percent.

Reasons for care delays differed between insurance groups. The veterans reported difficulties in making appointments by phone and in getting transportation to the doctor's office (as did Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries).

After controlling for personal factors and region of the country, veterans were 1.76 times more likely to delay needed medical care, compared to privately-insured individuals. "Such delays may have an effect on veterans' propensity to seek healthcare as well, which could be detrimental to their health," according to Drs. Lee and Begley.

The findings are consistent with recently reported problems accessing care within the VA system. Prompted by reports of lengthy wait times in veterans diagnosed with health problems, investigation found manipulation of waiting times and inappropriate scheduling practices at some VA medical centers.

Delays in seeking care are an important issue in the US healthcare system, working against efforts to improve high-quality, effective healthcare. Previous studies—mainly comparing patients with public (Medicare and Medicaid) with private insurance—have reported that type of health insurance coverage affects delays in receiving care.

The new study finds that delays in seeking health care are common in the US population, and that the problem is most pronounced for veterans. Nearly three out of ten veterans report delays in seeking care over the past year, and there may be a "causal link" with the VA access problems.

Drs. Lee and Begley believe their study has important implications for policies related to reducing care delays—especially among veterans. They conclude, "More studies are needed to expand our understanding on the magnitude and current status of care delay and offer specific steps to rectify related issues on delayed care if reported in military health care."

Click here to read "Delays in Seeking Health Care: Comparison of Veterans and the General Population."

Article: "Delays in Seeking Health Care: Comparison of Veterans and the General Population." (doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000000420)

Gleacher Gives $10 Million to Fund Scholarships for Veterans at Chicago Booth

Newswise, April 14, 2016 — University of Chicago Booth School of Business alumnus Eric Gleacher has made a $10 million gift to his alma mater to fund a groundbreaking scholarship program for U.S. veterans seeking a Chicago Booth MBA.

The Gleacher Veteran Scholars Fund will provide a permanent source of scholarship support to help veterans bridge the gap between the benefits they have earned from the government and the remaining costs associated with receiving their MBA degrees from Booth.

The number of veteran students in Booth’s programs has increased substantially over the past several years, and currently, there are 78 veterans enrolled.

“My experience in the Marine Corps gave me a boost in self-confidence, and my Booth education gave me direction, helping me decide which area of business I wanted to pursue,” Gleacher said.

“It was a winning combination, and I want to make it possible for those who have served our country to have the same opportunity.”

Booth has built a reputation for providing veteran support through participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a voluntary program that allows universities to enter into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the established thresholds under the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

The Gleacher Veteran Scholars Fund will serve as a permanent source of scholarship support, allowing Booth to sustain and expand its financial support for veterans.

“Military veterans bring a great deal to the Chicago Booth community in terms of their experience, commitment to service, and maturity. I’m delighted we have significantly increased the number of veterans in our programs,” said Sunil Kumar, Booth Dean and George Pratt Shultz Professor of Operations Management. 

“Eric’s gift will make pursuing an MBA at Booth significantly more affordable for many of these veterans, and thus will have a substantially positive impact on the Booth community as a whole.”

After completing his undergraduate work at Northwestern University in 1962, Gleacher served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years prior to earning his MBA at Booth in 1967.

Gleacher joined Lehman Brothers in 1968 in New York. He became a partner in 1973 and founded the firm's mergers and acquisitions business. He went on to head the mergers and acquisitions practice at Morgan Stanley, where he played a pivotal role in some of the highest-profile business deals of the 1980s: Revlon, Texaco, Union Carbide, and RJR Nabisco, among others. With others, Gleacher is credited with creating the business of merger advice.

In 1990, he founded Gleacher and Company, a successful mergers and acquisition boutique which he ran and developed until 2009 when he sold it and retired as CEO.

“The Marines taught me a great deal about leadership, which is crucial to the success of every business,” Gleacher said. 

“Most veterans have learned those same leadership skills, which can be successfully applied in a variety of business contexts. A Booth MBA can inspire veteran students as future business leaders, preparing them for successful careers as entrepreneurs and executives in major companies.”

In 1996, Gleacher gave $15 million to Booth to help finance its downtown Chicago riverfront Gleacher Center, which houses Booth’s evening and weekend programs, as well as its North American executive program.

A legacy for female Veterans since WWII

February 19, 2016--Back in September, we mentioned that the oldest living female WWII Veteran had turned 108. We noted that Corporal Alyce Dixon, affectionately known as “Queen Bee” by those who knew her and cared for her at the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center (VAMC), had quite a story and quite a personality. Rocking a tiara on top of her head for the occasion, she was queen for the day. Fellow Veterans, volunteers, staff and family members celebrated her life at a special ceremony held Sept. 11.

A few weeks ago, we received word that Ms. Dixon had passed away. Shortly thereafter, VA Secretary Bob McDonald honored her in a special Black History Month message.

We also couldn’t help but think of how she had pioneered the way for the many female Veterans of all races that the VA is now serving – a number that will reach 10 percent of all Veterans in just a few years.

 She joined the military in 1943 and was stationed in both England and France with the postal services. She was one of the first African-American women in the Army as part of the “Six Triple Eight” (6888^th Central Postal Directory Battalion) – the only unit of African-American women in the Women’s Army Corps to serve overseas during WWII.

They amazed one and all by beating the standards in the speed and thoroughness with which they kept the frontlines in touch with the home front. After the war, she continued serving America, working for the federal government as a civilian, retiring in 1973. Now 1973 to 2016 – that’s a long retirement to stay healthy and keep active, which Alyce Dixon did.

Alyce Dixon appreciated the care and goodwill she received as the Queen Bee of the VAMC. With the number of female Veterans using VA health services increasing dramatically, up 80 percent between 2003 and 2012 according to VHA, we recognize that there is much more to be done. In future blogs, we will talk about how VA is working toward accommodating the needs of today’s female Veterans. One resource to consider is the Center for Women Veterans (CWV).

This increase in female Veterans, of course, calls for an increase in female professionals throughout VA. So I’d like to invite you to take a look at all of the job opportunities available and Join VA. When you work here, you’ll have an excellent salary, outstanding benefits and great work-life balance, plus, like Alyce Dixon, an opportunity to serve beyond your days in uniform.

VA care at home, Veterans choose the medical foster home program instead of a nursing home

February 19, 2016--Elderly Veterans and Veterans who require around the clock care have numerous options available to them through VA. Annually, thousands of Veterans turn to VA for care, whether it in a community residential care center, adult family home, community living center or a community nursing home partner.

Most Veterans do not want to go in to an institution for their aging care, so VA has been working to expand its medical foster home program that allows caregivers to care for Veterans in their own home. 

It’s a win-win situation for both VA and the Veterans that chose the option, as they are able to receive personalized care in a home setting and it is less expensive than institutionalized care.

“Veterans love this program because it gives them an opportunity to be apart of a loving family,” said Beau Williams, one of the Medical Foster Home Program coordinators for the Tampa, Florida area.

Beau is charged with not only marketing the program and placing the Veterans in these loving homes, but also interviewing and approving the caregivers.

“I look for caregivers with not only the qualifications required, but most importantly that they have a good heart,” Williams said.

Many caregivers are already medically trained and VA provides classes and specialized training such as spinal cord injury care for their live-in patients. VA then sends home-based care specialists to the Veterans on a weekly basis for any additional assistance they require.

Caregiver Tammy Norton moved to Florida to care for her father through the VA Medical Foster Home Program. She also took in two additional Veterans, Clayton and Nat. Her father recently passed away, but she continues to care for her “new family,” as she put it.

The Veterans use their VA benefits to pay Tammy for the home based care, which includes everything from meals to bathing, but it’s so much more than that. The three go on outings together, attend church, even vacation together. They are a family.

Depending on the level of care required, some Veterans do miss the opportunities to socialize with others outside of their home that they may receive in a nursing home. VA organizes regular foster care socials where all foster home Veterans and their caregivers are invited to spend time together.

These ‘Vet-togethers’ are loved by not only the Veterans, but also the caregivers as it gives them a chance to learn from each other’s experience.

Make a Difference Day

Even though most of the Veterans in the foster home program are somewhat limited to their home, they are still involved with their community.

The Tampa VAMC Voluntary Services team saw the benefit of bringing community partners and the foster home Veterans together and organized the event in conjunction with Make a Difference Day.

Make a Difference Day is a national service day where volunteers look for opportunities to enrich the lives of others. 

The Hillsborough Bar Association has supplied and distributed the Veteran gift bags for the past four years.

“My father is Veteran so this is very near and dear to my heart. It’s amazing to see the love in those homes, so wonderful to give them a little bit a joy in their day,” said Kathy Gilbert of the Hillsborough Bar Association who has participated in this event for three years.

While many volunteers spend days gathering and creating the gift bags and strive to fulfill the Veteran’s wish lists, the most rewarding part are the home visits. The Veterans and foster care providers open their doors with wide eyes and giant smiles. They visit, laugh and enjoy the company of their new friends and visitors.

Clayton and Nat both showed off their rooms with pride, pointing to picture after picture. Nat has a picture of the iconic Mount Suribachi flag raising on Iwo Jima to honor his grandson who is in the U.S. Marine Corps. He also shared his experience flying over the island on his way to Japan.

“You’ll find the Veterans greatly appreciate the support. I’ve heard them say that it is their home; it gives them an opportunity to be apart of a loving family,” said Tampa’s Beau Williams. “They are very happy with that.”

To learn more about the VA’s Medical Foster Home Program 

visit http://www.va.gov/geriatrics/guide/longtermcare/medical_foster_homes.asp#

Why we honor Veterans of Pearl Harbor 74 years later

Posted in Honoring Vets  by James W. Killen

December 14, 2016--On December 7, 1941, a foreign force launched a surprise attack that killed 2,403 American Service members

America has hundreds of epic and hard fought battles in the history books, but battles like Belleau Wood, Arnhem, Inchon, Hue and the too many others to list are not widely known, despite having profound and significant impact on the United States military and the study of warfare.

So why, with so many significant battles, do we all know about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Ask any adult about the Battle of Inchon and you’re likely to get a blank stare, but ask any fourth grader about Pearl Harbor and you’re likely to get a history lesson about the attack that thrust America into World War II.

On December 7, 1941, a foreign force launched a surprise attack that killed 2,403 American Servicemembers. The event effectively etched into the American psyche because it was not only an attack on Pearl Harbor, it was an attack on the decency and on the soul of the American people.

Americans were stunned by the attack, and suddenly all opposition to our active involvement in World War II was ended. Americans resolved to avenge what the Tokyo Trials would eventually call a war crime.

Seventy-four years later we still remember the event with the moniker “We Will Never Forget.” 

Four generations after the attack, school children gather in remembrance, news outlets run feature stories on the survivors who are still with us, Sailors, Marines, Soldiers and Airmen don dress uniforms and attend ceremonies from Pearl Harbor to Washington D.C., and the world takes just a moment to commemorate “the date which will live in infamy.”

Following the attack, Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto feared it awakened a sleeping giant, referring to the resolve of the American people. We may have our differences, our conflicts with one another, and our opinions on the direction of the country, but when attacked by an outsider we pull together as one powerful and steadfast opponent.

We remember Pearl Harbor because it was an attack on our heart; it was an assault on our national soul.

We remember because to forget is to dishonor the memory of those who gave their lives that day and those who would eventually give their lives in the defense of liberty and freedom.

We remember because our unity stands as a staunch reminder to potential foes that an attack on the American people will be avenged. That our resolve is our strength.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, ASTRO and Washington University Combine Forces to Drive Better Care for Veterans with Cancer

Newswise, November 19, 2015 — Washington, District of Columbia, November 18, 2015—The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced a new Radiation Oncology Practice Assessment (ROPA) program to leverage recent advances in information technology to improve radiation therapy cancer care for our nation’s Veterans.

VA is working with the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and Washington University to provide radiation oncologists for the first time with continuous feedback on the progress of cancer therapy.

“We are pleased to be working with this country’s leading-class organizations on this innovative program, the first of its kind nationwide. Our Veterans deserve nothing less,” said Dr. Maureen McCarthy, VA acting assistant deputy undersecretary for health and patient care services.

Radiation is one of the three major treatments for cancer along with surgery and chemotherapy, with about 60% of cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. In recent years, there have been substantial clinical and technical advances in radiation oncology, resulting in new regimens with increased survival and improved quality of life.

Under ROPA, data will be abstracted from the VA’s highly-sophisticated electronic medical record (EMR) system and the treatment management systems used to control radiation therapy delivery. Feedback reports will be provided to VA radiation oncologists with a detailed analysis of each patient treatment compared against national standards.

Combined with the traditional cancer outcome measures of recurrence and patient survival, this assessment will provide the oncologist with a complete picture of the accuracy of each patient’s therapy and the patient’s response to therapy.

Washington University is excited to take the lead role in managing the program. “We have significant experience working with the National Cancer Institute to provide the platform we will use for these assessments. We are excited to bring that experience to bear on this landmark project on behalf of our nation’s Veterans,” said Jeff Michalski, MD, Washington University’s vice-chair of radiation oncology.

“We are also pleased to engage a local radiation oncology informatics company, Radialogica LLC, who will provide a platform and services for data security, extraction and management.”

In the first year of the project, ASTRO’s disease-site specific experts will review measures for prostate and lung cancers, identifying metrics from the EMR to assess each one.

“ASTRO is deeply committed to improving the quality of cancer care for our Veterans and all Americans. Our cancer experts are enthusiastic about this new opportunity to better measure and enhance radiation delivery with the goal of producing high quality patient outcomes,” said Bruce D. Minsky, MD, FASTRO, chair of ASTRO’s Board of Directors.

Once ROPA is fully implemented, VA radiation oncologists will receive continuously updated electronic peer reviews of each patient’s cancer evaluation, treatment and treatment outcome.

Currently, VA hospitals, similar to community hospitals, use traditional, sporadic peer-reviews in a process referred to as On-going Professional Peer Evaluation (OPPE). ROPA peer reviews go well beyond the traditional OPPE and practice accreditation to create comprehensive, patient-centered reports in a web-based environment. VA radiation oncologists will see how changes in their clinical practice impact the success of each Veteran’s cancer treatment. 

ABOUT ASTRO

ASTRO is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 11,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, the Society is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy. ASTRO publishes three medical journals, International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics (www.redjournal.org), Practical Radiation Oncology (www.practicalradonc.org) and Advances in Radiation Oncology (www.advancesradonc.org); developed and maintains an extensive patient website, RT Answers (www.rtanswers.org); and created the Radiation Oncology Institute (www.roinstitute.org), a nonprofit foundation to support research and education efforts around the world that enhance and confirm the critical role of radiation therapy in improving cancer treatment. To learn more about ASTRO, visit www.astro.org.

Caregivers of Veterans Benefit from Purple Heart Homes Aging In Place Program

November 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- November is National Caregivers month and Purple Heart Homes adaptations made to Veterans' homes helps make life easier for caregivers by creating safer barrier free environments both inside and out.

According to a March, 2014 Rand study entitled 'Hidden Heroes:  America's Military Caregivers', there are 5.5 million caregivers across the US.  Of that, 1.1 million care for Veterans that served in Afghanistan and Iraq.  

The remaining 4.4 million are caring for WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm or those that were injured during training missions.

Staff Sergeant Cory Collins, two-time Purple Heart Recipient, was the sole survivor of an IED explosion on November 2, 2005 that left him with 30 broken bones in his body.  His hip is held together with what his wife Paula calls two lag bolts.  He suffers from PTSD, TBI and had his left leg amputated above the knee. 

Paula Collins says getting Cory up each morning is her biggest challenge because he is on 10 different pain medications.

Purple Heart Homes adapted the Collins home making doorways wider, a bathroom handicap accessible, installed hardwood floors throughout the first floor, replaced all the round door knobs with lever handles and built a handicap ramp and deck.

"Before the home was handicap accessible Cory would watch TV. He would skin his knuckles in narrow doorways, and helping him get into a bathroom was a major issue," said Paula Collins.  "The adaptations made to our home has given me time so I can take an hour for myself to workout at a gym, because I know he can move safely throughout the house with ease," Collins added.

Vietnam Veteran Joe Recupero suffers from severe Parkinson's disease as a result of exposure to Agent Orange.  Recupero had to climb 12 steps from his driveway to get into his home.  His existing bathroom floor was rotting out.  Getting in and out of the tub shower with no grab bars was dangerous and difficult.

Debbie Fiori, Joe's caregiver and significant person in his life said, "when Purple Heart Homes moved the driveway and built a ramp to the front door it made it easier for both Joe and me." 

Purple Heart Homes built an addition on to Recupero's home so he could have a handicap accessible bathroom, higher toilet seat and grab bars. 

Debbie Fiori said, "I have been a nurse for 38 years and the adaptations made to Joe's home enables me to continue to work and have peace of mind that he can move about safely in the home. His Parkinson's has not advanced that he needs his wheelchair, but when he does he will have no problem going from room to room and using the bathroom, which eases my future caregiving responsibilities."

Caregivers of Veterans experience loss of employment, thus loss of needed income when care is given 24/7.  They suffer from emotional and physical stresses.  According to the Rand study, military caregivers consistently experience more serious health issues, have greater strains in family relationships and more workplace problems than non-caregivers, and post 9/11 military caregivers fare worst in these areas.

"We have expanded our Veterans Aging in Place program to be able to help more Veterans and their caregivers with the creation of chapters to do less costly projects that make a world of difference – like a simple ramp, wider doorways, grab bars, lever door handles and handicap accessible bathrooms," said John Gallina, Executive Director of Purple Heart Homes.  The majority of applications received for needed renovations come from Veteran Caregivers.

All needed adaptations for approved older Veterans are done at no cost to the Veteran or family thanks to generous support received from foundations, in-kind donations of materials and generous support from communities and individual donations.

Purple Heart Homes salutes all caregivers providing comfort, support and daily assistance to our Veterans.  They work quietly behind the scenes and deserve not only our support, but also our entire nation.

To learn more about Purple Heart Homes Aging in Place program, to submit an application, to form a chapter and to make a donation see: www.phhusa.org.

Physician Anesthesiologists Oppose Legislation Risking Veterans’ Lives

Doctors Should Not Be Replaced with Nurses for Anesthesia Care during Surgery

Newswise, November 16, 2015– To protect our nation’s Veterans, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) urges extreme caution when considering the “Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act,” S. 2279. 

As currently drafted, this legislation contains a misguided provision that removes physician anesthesiologists from surgery and replaces them with nurses.

Veterans will receive a lower standard of care, jeopardizing their safety and lives, if physician involvement is eliminated from anesthesia care in surgery.

Although the purpose of the legislation, introduced Nov. 10 in the U.S. Senate, is admirable, proposing to ease the transition of military health care providers to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); it also includes provisions abandoning the physician-nurse team-based model of care for all advanced practice registered nurses (APRN), including nurse anesthetists, in the VA.

Senators sponsoring the legislation note the act proposes “common-sense” changes in staffing policies to improve Veterans’ care at health care facilities by addressing the shortfall of medical staff. However, there is no shortage of physician anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists in the VA system.

Surgery and anesthesia care inherently contain risk, and this is true even more so for Veterans, who often have complex medical conditions that pose a heightened risk of complications during surgery. Physician involvement when performing surgery on our Veterans is much more critical than providing typical primary care or treating chronic health conditions.

The legislation would eliminate the existing and proven model of care where physician anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists work together as a team to ensure our Veterans receive the highest quality and safest anesthesia care.

“Taking physicians out of surgical care is not a common-sense solution for our VA patients who are often sicker, older and have multiple medical conditions that put them at greater risk for complications,” said ASA President Daniel J. Cole, M.D.

“The team-based model of care ensures all Veterans have access to a physician anesthesiologist should an emergency or complication occur. This legislation will place our Veterans at increased risk. There can be no compromise on the highest-quality, safest medical care for those who have served our country”

Similar dangerous proposals have been considered, and when it comes to the subject of substituting nurses for physicians in anesthesia care, the VA’s own experts on surgical anesthesia care, the Chiefs of Anesthesiology, have told VA leadership that a policy substituting nurses for physicians “would directly compromise patient safety and limit our ability to provide quality care to Veterans.” (Letter from VA Chiefs to Secretary Shinseki, Dr. Petzel, and Dr. Jesse - Oct 1, 2013.)

Physician anesthesiologists receive 12 to 14 years of education, including medical school, and 12,000 to 16,000 hours of clinical training to specialize in anesthesia care and pain control, with the necessary knowledge to understand and treat the entire human body. By comparison, nurse anesthetists have only about 1,650 hours of clinical training.

The Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act was introduced by Senators Merkley (Oregon) and Rounds (South Dakota). The bill has also been co-sponsored by Senators Tillis (North Carolina), Warner (Virginia), Shaheen (New Hampshire), Wyden (Oregon), Tester (Montana) and Brown (Ohio). ASA strongly urges reconsideration of the provisions that lower the standard of care for Veterans and puts their health and lives at risk in surgery.

More information about the proposed legislation and the importance of physician-led, anesthesia care is available at www.asahq.org.

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS®
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA®) is an educational, research and scientific society with more than 52,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology. ASA is committed to ensuring physician anesthesiologists evaluate and supervise the medical care of patients before, during and after surgery to provide the highest quality and safest care every patient deserves. 

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists online at asahq.org. To learn more about the role physician anesthesiologists play in ensuring patient safety, visit www.asahq.org/WhenSecondsCount