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.