VAnguard

Inside: Nurse Awards, 6 ✩ Winter Sports Clinic, 8 ✩ Incarcerated Vets, 10

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

JUNE 2002

Ride to Remember page 2

2 VAnguard

INTRODUCINGMerriman “Mac” Barnes

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VAnguardVA’s Employee Magazine

June 2002Vol. XLVIII, No. 5

Printed on 50% recycled paper

Editor: Lisa RespessEditorial Assistant: Matt Bristol

Photo Editor: Robert Turtil

Published by theOffice of Public Affairs (80D)

Department of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20420

(202) 273-5746E-mail: vanguard@mail.va.govwww.va.gov/pubaff/vanguard/

index.htm

❏ Shared Service Center 4Topeka facility to remain open

❏ Bob Hope Honors 4L.A. National Cemetery chapel renamed

❏ Nurse Awards 6Six honored for excellence in D.C.

❏ Winter Sports Clinic 8Soldier injured in Afghanistan attends

❏ Worn-Out Flags 9Waco VARO helps conduct disposal

❏ Incarcerated Vets 10L.A. joint venture provides help

On the cover: Rolling Thunder’s annual“Ride to the Wall” on MemorialDay weekend drew more than100,000 riders from all over thecountry this year. That’s a recordnumber, and far exceeds the2,500 riders who participated inthe event when it began back in1988. Though the Vietnam War isalways the focus of this event,the current war on terrorism wasmuch on the minds of this year’sriders.

Far below the bustling streets ofdowntown Washington, D.C., deepin the basement of VA Central Office,lies a quiet place; the silence isbroken only by the low hum of aspindle sander or the intermittent cryof a miter saw.

Follow the sounds to an anony-mous gray door and you’ll find theoffice and workshop of exhibitsspecialist Merriman “Mac” Barnes,who for 24 years has quietly goneabout thework offabricatingfurniture,displaysand otheritems forVA officesandfacilities.He’sworked oneverythingfrom the 42-foot-long conferencetable in the OmarBradley Confer-ence Room to asix-inch woodcarving of aneagle’s headSecretary An-thony J. Principitook on his recentvisit to SouthKorea to presentto President Kim Dae Jung.

“VA is very lucky to have some-one like him,” acknowledged long-time colleague William Hester, “andthat’s the bottom line.” He said theDepartment once had a large wood-working team based out of Spring-field, Va. Today, there is only Barnes.

So when Terri Williams, directorof protocol, suggested a carvedeagle’s head as a gift SecretaryPrincipi could offer the South Koreanpresident, the job fell squarely on theshoulders of Barnes. The U.S. Armyveteran, who served from 1968-72,carved an intricate image of theAmerican bald eagle—a symbol of

strength, courage and freedom. Thecarving was such a hit that Barnes isnow making a second eagle’s headthat will be used as a mold forcasting bronze replicas the Secretarycan present to visiting dignitaries.

It turns out wood carving is morethan a job for Barnes—it’s also ahobby. He started carving decorativerifle stocks for friends and family inthe early 1980s using wood chiselsand small picks. When a friendconvinced him to try carving aminiature eagle as a gift for his

daughter, Barnestook his first stepinto the world ofbird carving. Bird carvinghas been aroundin North Americasince early hunt-ers used woodenducks as decoys.As the artevolved, carversmade their decoyslook more lifelike,attempting toreplicate nature’sintricate details.They formed clubsto display theirwork and heldcompetitions tojudge who had themost authenticreplica.

Enthusiasts from around theworld met in Ocean City, Md., thelast weekend in April for the premierbird carving event, the 32nd annualWard World Championship Wild-fowl Carving competition. Barnesjoined more than 1,000 carvers fromthe U.S., Canada, Japan and othercountries competing for cash prizesand awards. It was his third yearcompeting in the “Intermediate”category, and he took home a blueribbon for his carving of two lightbrown screech owls perched on atree trunk. ❏

By Matt Bristol

June 2002 3

ManagementLeo S. Mackay Jr., Ph.D.,Deputy Secretaryof Veterans Affairs

We’re Well on the Way toChanging the Face of VA

matters

(Editor’s Note: The Outlook column takes abreak in this issue so we can introduce a newmanagement column by VA’s chief operatingofficer. Outlook will return in the next issue.)

As the Department’s chief operating officer, I see

VA in action from the inside out ...

I’ve been onboard as theDeputy Secre-tary of VeteransAffairs for justover a year. AstheDepartment’schief operatingofficer, I see VA

in action from the inside out, lookingat how management decisions aremade and the process that leads froma problem or issue to a final decision.So far, I like what I see.

My tenure at VA has beenchallenging and very exciting.Challenging, because of the tremen-dous job we all face in VA, andexciting because of the new manage-ment processes now in place tosupport the Secretary in changing theway this Departmentconducts the businessnecessary to support-ing veterans.

VA has a newgovernance structureembodied in the VA StrategicManagement Council (SMC) and theVA Executive Board (VAEB). TheVAEB is a decision-making body.Composed of the Secretary and hisprincipal advisors (myself, theadministration under secretaries, andgeneral counsel), the executive boardadvises the Secretary on key opera-tional and policy decisions he mustmake in leading the Departmenttoward strategic goals.

The SMC, which I chair, works atthe operational level and deals withthe major cross-functional processesthat span the Department—legisla-tion, budget, human resources, andthe like. On the SMC, I work withVA’s principal deputies and assistantsecretaries in identifying, analyzingand wrestling with operationalissues. That work feeds directly intothe VA Executive Board where thekey decisions are made.

The SMC has introduced two

major innovations into the VAmanagement process. We are nowconducting monthly performancereviews. Once a month the adminis-tration and staff office heads reportto me and outline the general con-duct and specific performance oftheir organizations. They talk aboutadherence to budget, FTE, majorprojects, critical performance ele-ments; things like the benefits claimsbacklog in VBA or VHA’s appoint-ment waiting times. These are reallyaccountability sessions modeled onmy business experience where wehad a “monthly close.”

Each month we closed the booksand looked at our performance toplan. Were we on schedule to meetquarterly goals and to deliver thegood year we promised our share-holders at our annual meeting?

What we are doing is linkingperformance directly to our strategicplan on a month-by-month basis.And this month with the beginningof the fiscal year 2004 budget build-ing cycle we introduce performance-based budgeting to VA. We aretaking a completely different look atthe way we budget. As we determinehow to allocate our resources, wewill first look at two measures—results and execution. First, does aprogram produce the intended resultof the legislation that created it? Areobjective results produced forveterans that were the intent ofCongress and the American people?

Second, is the program executedwell? We can have good programswith worthy objectives, even produc-ing fairly good results that areexecuted poorly. We want to makesure we are not only doing thingsthat matter, but also doing themwell. Whether things matter and

whether they are performed well aregoing to have an impact on how theyare funded by this Department.

In addition to matching results,performance and resources, we arealso going to make sound businesspractice an integral part of ourmanagement infrastructure. TheVAEB and SMC will soon be joinedby the VA Business Oversight Board.

The new board will implementrecommendations of the VA Procure-ment Reform Task Force and provideoversight for other critical businessoperations like competitive sourcing,debt collection and billing, thenational acquisition center andvarious VA fund activities. Thiscross-departmental oversight bodywill concentrate on our core businesspractices and bring business sense towhat we do.

Our new manage-ment infrastructure isin place, our newmanagement team atwork. We’ve laid out abroad agenda that runs

wide and deep and we’ve accom-plished much: VA-DoD sharingagreements coming from the topdown rather than piecemeal from thebottom up; implementation of workprocess changes in VBA resulting insignificant reductions in the benefitsclaims backlog; and outstanding andinnovative resource management byVHA VISN directors during a verytight budget year.

I’m proud of what VA hasachieved. The management structurewe’ve developed is only the begin-ning. It has generated a momentumthat will keep us moving forward aswe execute plans and initiatives thatwill change the face of VA. Much hasbeen done, but we’re onlybeginning. ❏

4 VAnguard

Though born in England, he’s thisnation’s only “honorary veteran,”credited with bringing laughter anda little piece of home to generationsof American service members.

VA Shared Service Center to Remain OpenThe HR LINK$ project was

officially abandoned last fall, but theShared Service Center (SSC) inTopeka, Kan., will remain open andcontinue managing the EmployeeSelf Service program launched aspart of the project’s first phase.Employee Self Service allows VAemployees to make changes to theirbenefits, such as health or lifeinsurance and payroll deductions, bycalling a toll-free number or using adesktop computer application.

VA Secretary Anthony J. Principimade the decision keep the SSCopen. The center employs 245.

Other functions the SSC performsinclude transaction coding, whichinvolves coding promotions, payadjustments and payroll allotmentsinto the payroll system; staffing;retirement counseling; job classifica-tion; payroll advisory services; andcanteen allotment services. Several ofthese additional functions will eitherbe returned to field facilities orautomated later this year.

At the Secretary’s direction, theSSC is developing a new businessplan for approval by the StrategicManagement Council that willidentify work the staff can performnow and look at potential pilotprograms the SSC can take over inthe future.

Another change under consider-ation is a move from Employee SelfService to Employee Express, asimilar program used by the Officeof Personnel Management. AdoptingEmployee Express would mean lessredundancy in recording personneltransactions, and it would cost lessbecause of the program’s widespreaduse by federal agencies.

The HR LINK$ project began in1995 with the concept that an auto-mated human resources and payrollsystem would provide VA employ-ees a way to independently initiatetheir human resources and payrolltransactions. Rolling out EmployeeSelf Service and opening the SSCwere Phase 1 of the project. As theoperational component, the SSCprovides direct customer service toVA’s more than 200,000 employeesnationwide.

Other services that were slated tobe automated through HR LINK$technology included job classifica-

During 60 years of goodwill tours toU.S. forces around the world, oftensponsored by the USO, Bob Hopeentertained some 10 million troops.

Now, in honor of his contribu-

About 200 people gathered at the Los Angeles National Cemetery on May 29 to mark “GIBob’s” 99th birthday with the dedication of the cemetery’s chapel to the legendary entertainer.

Los Angeles National CemeteryChapel Dedicated to Bob Hope

tion, staffing/recruitment services,and a replacement for VA’s currentpayroll system, PAID-OLDE. Thecompletion date for the entire HRLINK$ project was originally set forfiscal year 1999. The date laterslipped to 2003, and then to 2006.

An Inspector General (IG) reporton an audit of the project last sum-mer cited numerous delays, costoverruns and dissatisfaction amongstakeholders. The estimated cost ofthe project jumped from $37 millionat its inception to about $469 millionby 2001.

Based on the IG report and otherfactors, the HR LINK$ SteeringCommittee recommended suspend-ing further attempts to automate andcentralize most personnel functions,and concentrating on updating theexisting PAID system. As a result,the HR LINK$ Project Office in VA

Central Office was disbanded.The project to update PAID will

automate payroll functions previ-ously initiated manually at VAfacilities nationwide. Updatingbegan in the first quarter of this yearand will continue into 2004.

Since a replacement for PAID wasto have been part of the HR LINK$project, changes to that system hadbeen suspended while HR LINK$was in development.

VA has long sought a replace-ment for PAID, but products cur-rently on the market do not offer thefunctionality needed to meet federalrequirements and handle the volumeof transactions PAID currentlyprocesses every pay period. Afunctional product that will allow theDepartment to replace PAID isexpected to be available in the nextfive to seven years. ❏

June 2002 5

Education Programs on Veterans’ Health Issues Available

tions to his adopted homeland, thechapel at the Los Angeles NationalCemetery bears Hope’s name. In aceremony marking his 99th birthdayon May 29, the historic chapel wasrededicated as the Bob Hope Veter-ans Chapel. Earlier that day, Presi-dent George W. Bush signed legisla-tion passed by the House and Senateauthorizing the renaming.

Hope was too frail to attend theceremony held in his honor, but

members of his family joined VASecretary Anthony J. Principi,military and veterans service organi-zation representatives, governmentofficials and Hollywood luminariesat the event. Principi pointed out thatHope’s globe-trotting tours throughcombat theaters from World War IIto the Gulf War were “often at theexpense of his own family life andsometimes at his peril. This is oneway that a grateful nation can say to

him, ‘Thanks for the Memories.’”Veterans Park Conservancy, Inc.,

a nonprofit group thathas spearheadedseveral cem-etery-enhance-ment projectssince 1997,sponsored theceremony andHope exhibit inthe chapel. VA, inpartnership withthe group, plans torenovate the chapel.Its distinctivearchitectural fea-tures will be re-

stored, and new heating, cooling,lighting and security systems will beinstalled. Built between 1940 and1941, the Spanish Revival-stylechapel houses the administrativeoffices of the Los Angeles cemetery,where 85,000 veterans are buried.

Bob Hope was born LeslieTownes Hope on May 29, 1903, inEltham, England. He became anaturalized U.S. citizen in 1920. In1997, an act of Congress made himan “honorary veteran.” He’s the onlyprivate citizen ever to receive thathonor. ❏

The Spanish Revival-style chapel houses the cemetery’s administrative offices; atright, Hope entertains the troops.

Ten education modules aimed athelping VA health care providersimprove the care they give veteranswith health problems related tomilitary service are now availableonline. They cover problems com-monly, and in some cases uniquely,found in the veteran community.

“Many of these are conditionsyou wouldn’t find in the averagecommunity hospital and are nottaught in medical schools,” ex-plained Dr. Susan Mather, VA’sPublic Health and EnvironmentalHazards Chief Officer.

Mather said the modules aredesigned to help fill a gap a lot of VAhealth care providers have in theirtraining or experience. Many didn’tserve in the military or receivespecialized training in the diagnosisand treatment of health problemscommon among veterans. With abetter understanding of how certainhealth problems are linked to mili-tary service and what the recom-mended evaluation and treatment

approaches are, she said, VA healthcare providers can improve the carethey give veterans.

The modules are offered throughthe Veterans Health Initiative, anational effort launched nearly threeyears ago to recognize the connectionbetween certain health problems andmilitary service, improve care, andestablish a database for furtherstudy. The following educationmodules are now available on theVeterans Health Initiative Web site atvaww.va.gov/VHI:

■ Agent Orange

■ Cold Injury■ Gulf War■ Hearing Impairment■ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder■ Prisoner of War■ Radiation■ Spinal Cord Injury■ Traumatic Amputation and

Prosthetics■ Visual ImpairmentContinuing Medical Education

credit for completing the modules isavailable. Print versions also areavailable in the library of every VAhospital. These modules are part ofthe Veterans Health Initiative’seducational component. There willalso be a military history componentand a database.

A comprehensive military historywill be coded in a registry and beavailable for education, outcomesanalysis, and research. Eventually, adatabase will be established to allowany veteran to register his or hermilitary history and automaticallyget relevant health information. ❏

6 VAnguard

“ I almost passed out,” gaspedPon Ninlawong, describing herreaction at being selected forthe 2002 Secretary’s Award for

Excellence in Nursing. But there shestood, before a crowded conferenceroom in VA Central Office (VACO)on May 7 as Secretary Anthony J.Principi presented her with theDepartment’s highest honor fornurses.

Though her initial reaction mayhave been disbelief, colleagues at theDayton, Ohio, VA Medical Center,where she serves as a licensedpractical nurse, say she deserves theaward. “She is nursing at VA,”explained Anna Jones, chief nurse

executive at the hospital. “Herdedication and devotion to veterans,to helping them recover from sur-gery or injury, is really what’simpressive. People respond to her.”

Ninlawong attended a school fornursing in her native Thailand andhas been a U.S. citizen for 26 years.She said she’s proud to be a VAnurse. “I came to this countrybecause I love freedom and theseveterans fought for our freedom … itmakes me feel good to help them.”

Before presenting the awards,Secretary Principi reflected on hislove affair with nursing, “and noticeI said nursing, not nurses,” he said,smiling. “It started when I married a

Navy nurse in1970 during theheight of theVietnam War andhas continued asI’ve grown toadmire andrespect the workof nurses.” Hereferred to nursesas the “footsoldiers” in VA’smission to diag-nose, treat andcomfort veterans.“And like footsoldiers on thebattlefield, VAnurses, in my

view, are all too often the unsungheroes in what happens day in andday out throughout the VA.”

Sandra Griffiths, R.N., is one ofthose unsung heroes. The 23-year VAnurse works in the Dialysis Unit ofthe VA Pittsburgh Healthcare Systemand was selected for the Secretary’sAward for Excellence in the regis-tered nurse category. She works as acharge nurse, assessing patients anddeveloping individual treatmentplans, and has also taken on the rolesof hemodialysis preceptor, renaltransplant coordinator, and precep-tor for the dialysis water treatmentsystem.

Her efforts have a direct impacton the quality of care provided todialysis patients at the Pittsburghhospital and have contributed to theunit’s success—the Dialysis Unit hasreceived the VA National Clinical

Program of Excellence designationfor three consecutive terms. “We’rereally on the cutting edge of researchand technology,” said Griffiths,while touring the office of UnderSecretary for Health Dr. RobertRoswell during her visit to VACO.“Our medical director (Dr. Paul M.Palevsky) is always looking for waysto improve the quality of care forpatients and we’re always workingtoward that goal.”

Homeless veterans surviving onthe streets of St. Louis appreciate thecare and attention they receive fromaward recipient Martha Adams-Watts, R.N., a psychiatric clinicalnurse specialist who works in theHealth Care for Homeless VeteransProgram at the St. Louis VA MedicalCenter. One of her primary goals isto reach at-risk veterans, a role inwhich she excels. “It’s been a child-hood dream of mine, to be a nurse,”she said. “I’ve always had thiscaring, nurturing nature … an urgeto share what I have with others.”

In 1995, she and her husband, aVietnam veteran, had the vision tocreate a nonprofit transitionalresidence for homeless veterans.They planned to call their shelter“The Eagle’s Nest.” Though herhusband passed away, she continuedto pursue their dream. She recentlyreceived a 17,000-square-foot facilityfrom the Department of Health andHuman Services and was awardedgrants totaling more than $350,000 torenovate and operate the facility. Sheexpects the transitional shelter toopen its doors in spring 2003. “This

VA Health Care’s ‘Foot Soldiers’ Honored

Martha Adams-Watts

Sandra Griffiths

Pon Ninlawong gets a congratulatory hug from Dr. Sam Adebonojo.

June 2002 7

is just my God-given role,” she said.Esterbina “Ester” Irizarry cares

for chronically mentally ill veteranson Ward 9 in the Northampton,Mass., VA Medical Center. In pre-senting her with the Secretary’sAward for Excellence in the nursingassistant category, Secretary Principisaid, “You face some of the mostchallenging and heart-wrenchingconditions in the VA system, but yousucceed daily in bringing light intodarkened lives, in calming themental storms that frustrate reason,and in soothing the agitated spirits ofyour patients. How wonderful a giftyou’ve been given, and more won-derful that you give it back soselflessly.” Irizarry joined theNorthampton VA hospital in 2000and previously cared for veterans atthe Brooklyn VA Medical Centersince 1988.

Nurse researcher Denise M.Hynes, Ph.D., director of the VAInformation Resource Center andassistant professor at Loyola Univer-sity, received an AchievementAward from Secretary Principi for

applyingthe resultsof a VACooperativeStudy onerythropoi-etin, aprotein-based drugused in thetreatment ofanemiaresultingfrom severedisease. Thedrug isexpensive

and is generally administered inlarge doses intravenously. The studyfound small doses administeredsubcutaneously, or under the skin,can have the same effect. Hynesapplied these findings to the Medi-care database, effectively providing ablueprint for how Medicare can saveup to $142 million per year.

This year, one of the awardrecipients was missing from theceremony. Michael Walton, who wasselected for the Secretary’s Awardfor the Advancement of NursingPrograms, passed away April 2 whileserving as director of the Chillicothe,Ohio, VA Medical Center. He hadpancreatic cancer.

Representing him at the cer-emony were his wife, Vi, and step-son, William Hobbs. Also attendingwere staff from the Chillicothe VAhospital, including Chief Nurse RuthYerardi, R.N., who nominatedWalton for the award. In her nomina-tion, she wrote that Walton plannedto retire in the next year. “Hisleadership and support of nursingwill be missed,” she wrote. Tragi-cally, that time came sooner thananyone could have imagined—

Denise Hynes

Michael Walton

Ester Irizarry

Walton died just two months afterhis diagnosis.

Walton became director of theChillicotheVA hospital in1994. Hepreviouslyserved asacting directorand associatedirector at theIndianapolisVA MedicalCenter from1987 to 1994.He heldassociatedirectorpositions atthe VA medical centers in Charles-ton, S.C., and Sheridan, Wyo., andserved in various administrativecapacities in other VA medicalcenters, as well as VA headquarters,during his 30 years of governmentservice. He valued nurses’ contribu-tions to patient care and advocatedprograms to foster their professionalgrowth and development. ❏

By Matt Bristol

Linda Ware, R.N., has been a VA nurse for nearly 30 years. Shecared for hospitalized veterans at the St. Cloud, Minn., and New OrleansVA Medical Centers before joining the staff of the Chillicothe, Ohio, VAMedical Center, where she now serves as nurse educator.

She wrote a poem to celebrate National Nurses Week, May 6-12,and to express her thoughts on being a VA nurse. Chief VA nurse CathyRick, R.N., read the poem during the 2002 Secretary’s Award forExcellence in Nursing ceremony, held May 7 in VA Central Office.Several attendees were visibly moved by the poem and commented thatthey felt the same pride in being a VA nurse. Here is Linda Ware’s odeto being a VA nurse.

Ode to the VA Nurse

Caring for America.Can there be a finer role?Lending care and comfortto the sick and weary soul.

Combating fear and loneliness,grief, isolation, too.

Partners with those who need us,it’s the daily work we do.

Celebrating lives restored,mourning when they’re lost.

Caring for one who has ‘borne thebattle...’

Who has paid freedom’s cost.

8 VAnguard

S kiing alongside the more than350 disabled veterans chal-lenging the great RockyMountains at this year’s

National Disabled Veterans WinterSports Clinic in Aspen, Colo., April7-12 was a young active-duty soldiercurrently stationed at Ft. Campbell,Ky. Injured only last December whileserving with the U.S. Army SpecialForces in Afghanistan, Sgt. 1st ClassMichael McElhiney, 31, was the mostrecent combat-injured participantthere.

Serving on a training mission inthe Middle East last Sept. 11,McElhiney was called to OperationEnduring Freedom shortly after theterrorist attacks in New York Cityand Washington, D.C. “We werehappy to go,” he said. “One of thethoughts that was foremost in ourminds was that we didn’t want to letthe American people down, or theveterans who served before us. That

helps you focuson your mission,and the fearseems to go awayso you can dowhat needs to bedone. We trainedall our [military]lives for this. Wegot in there, wedid our part andwe did it well.” McElhineyjoined the SpecialForces, he said,because hewanted to do“something thatmattered, some-thing that hadconsequences.When that timecame, sureenough therewere conse-quences, but I washappy to do it.” On Dec. 5,north ofKandahar,McElhiney’s unitwas building uptheir forces whenthey were hit byan errant bombthat landed on top

of them. Three Americans died thatday, along with five or six Afghanis,with an estimated 40 total casualties.McElhiney lost his right arm belowthe elbow. He also suffered a col-lapsed lung, a fractured humerus,shrapnel wounds and other injuries.

Conscious when he was firstinjured, he later lost consciousnessand awoke four days later in ahospital in Germany, where his wifeJudy had flown in to join him. “Thedoctors said her presence made myhealing process go a lot faster,” hesaid. “Without her, I don’t know ifmy attitude would have been thesame.”

Despite his injuries, McElhineysaid he’d “do it all again if I had to.”His only regret is “not being able toserve again with people of thatcaliber in a combat situation.”Describing himself as “very func-tional,” he plans to stay in the Armyafter completing his rehabilitation.

McElhiney found out about theWinter Sports Clinic from RudiGresham, senior advisor to VASecretary Anthony J. Principi andformer Special Forces advisor inVietnam, who came to see himduring his hospitalization at WalterReed Army Medical Center inWashington, D.C. Singer WayneNewton sponsored his trip to Aspen.

“I jumped at the opportunity,”said McElhiney. “There are lots ofveterans here who show you that lifegoes on. A disability is still hard, butwith all the advanced technologyand adaptive equipment available,you can still have fun and do a lot ofthings.”

A favorite aspect of the Clinic forMcElhiney, besides the opportunityto go skiing, was meeting the veter-ans participating in the event.“They’ve got a lot of great stories,”he said. “They served before us andthey didn’t let us down—and we’renot going to let them down. I’m veryproud to talk with them.”

A skier before his injury,McElhiney acknowledged skiingwith a disability took some adjust-ment, but he was pleased to find outhe could still do it. Like all the otherClinic participants learned, “Thishelps show you that you can doeverything that someone who is fullyintact can do—just in a differentway.”

Sponsored by VA and the Dis-abled American Veterans, the Clinicis hosted by the Grand Junction,Colo., VA Medical Center and theRocky Mountain Network atSnowmass Village in Aspen. It’sopen to all veterans with spinal-cordinjury or disease, certain neurologicalconditions, orthopedic amputations,visual impairments or other disabili-ties.

At the event, participants learnadaptive Alpine and Nordic skiingwith the assistance of ChallengeAspen, an adaptive ski program.They’re also introduced to a varietyof adaptive activities and sports,including rock climbing, scubadiving, snowshoeing and sledhockey, plus a self-defense classtaught by the U.S. Secret Service.More information about this annualevent is available at www.va.gov/vetski. ❏

Freedom Endured at the Winter Sports Clinic

Sgt. 1st Class Michael McElhiney was injured last December whileserving with the U.S. Army Special Forces in Afghanistan.

June 2002 9

Since Sept. 11, Americans haveexpressed their spirit of unitythrough prominent displays of theAmerican flag. But months later,exposure to the elements has leftmany of those flags faded, tattered,or torn.

The Waco, Texas, VA RegionalOffice recently teamed with commu-nity groups in central Texas to planand conduct a proper disposal ofmore than 300 American flags. “TheAmerican flag symbolizes thesacrifices made by our servicemembers and their families in

defending peace and liberty,”explained Director Carl Lowe. “Buthow many of us know the appropri-ate way to dispose of our nation’sflag when it is worn out?” According to federal law, “Theflag, when it is in such condition thatit is no longer a fitting emblem fordisplay, should be destroyed in adignified way, preferably by burn-ing.” The Waco VARO, along withthe Daughters of the AmericanRevolution, the Marine CorpsLeague, and other organizations,held a patriotic ceremony in front of

Waco VARO Helps Give Worn-Out Flags a Dignified Disposala large audience from the surround-ing communities at the CarleenBright Arboretum in Waco on April14.

In advance of the event, commu-nity members were invited to dropoff their worn-out flags at the WacoVARO and other locations. TheCentral Texas Veterans Health CareSystem contributed more than 80flags that had become worn afterflying for extended periods along theAvenues of Flags at its facilities.

The ceremony featured a 21-gunsalute, color guard, buglers, patrioticreadings and other tributes to theflag. Local Boy Scouts, Girl Scoutsand Young Marines participated.

Boy Scouts and other volunteersprepared the flags for burning bycutting out the blue fields and thered and white stripes separately.Lowe, scoutmaster of one of thetroops, supervised the scouts as theyparticipated in the ceremonialburning of the flags.

“Our men and women look uponthis flag as a symbol of nationalunity—the heritage of the free,” saidDuane Fish, U.S. Marine Corpswarrant officer, during the cer-emony. “But we must love libertymore than life itself, and treasure theprivileges bought with the blood ofour forefathers.

“As we keep the principles oftruth, justice and charity for allrooted in our hearts,” Fish added,“our flag will continue to be theenduring banner of the United Statesof America.” ❏

Henry Gonzales, center, a veterans service representative at the Waco, Texas, VA RegionalOffice, joins fellow members of the Marine Corps League and the Young Marines in a salute asworn-out American flags are burned.

VA, NASA Roll Out New Patient Safety Reporting SystemVA and the National Aeronautics

and Space Administration (NASA)have rolled out the new PatientSafety Reporting System (PSRS) atVA hospitals nationwide. Developedthrough a partnership with NASA,PSRS is an independent, externalreporting system that complementsVA’s internal systems.

Display holders filled withreporting forms and brochures arebeing posted throughout health carework areas. The guiding principles ofthe system are voluntary participa-tion, confidentiality of informationsubmitted, and non-punitive report-

ing, according to Dr. James Bagian,director of the VA National Centerfor Patient Safety.

“When individuals feel uncom-fortable reporting to the internalsystems, they have a safety valvethey can use—PSRS,” he said.

All an employee needs to do is fillout the pre-addressed and postage-paid reporting form and drop it inany mailbox. Reports submitted areconfidential and privileged qualityassurance documents protectedunder the provisions of 38 U.S.C.5705.

Currently, labor unions at 100 VA

facilities have endorsed the system.Non-union employees can partici-pate in the program at those facilitieswhose labor unions have not yetendorsed it.

The new program is designed toidentify system vulnerabilities, butnot to provide detailed solutions forlocal facility adverse events and closecalls.

For more information, contactyour facility patient safety manageror PSRS directly at NASA/PSRS,P.O. Box 4, Moffet Field, Calif.,94035-9958, or visit the PSRS Website at www.psrs.arc.nasa.gov. ❏

10 VAnguard

F or more than 21 years, RaulEspinosa has been a “wantedman,” wandering the halls ofthe Los Angeles County Jail in

search of incarcerated veteransneeding assistance. A Vietnam-eraveteran of the U.S. Navy, Espinosawas a deck sailor and drug counselorduring his three-year tour of duty.After his discharge, Espinosa went towork for VA and for decades hasbeen helping incarcerated andformerly incarcerated male andfemale veterans suffering frommental illness and homelessness.

Recently, Espinosa saw theculmination of his years of outreachto the jail and his ongoing relation-ship with the Los Angeles CountySheriff’s Department. In March, LosAngeles County Sheriff Leroy D.Baca, a Marine Corps veteran,officially dedicated the U.S. MilitaryVeteran’s Module located at theCentury Regional Detention Facilityin central Los Angeles. This veterans’dormitory in the L.A. County Jailexclusively houses honorablydischarged veterans either awaitingsentencing or imprisoned for up to ayear.

more like a college dormitory than ajail ward. Through the servicesoffered in the Veteran’s Module, 96veterans can now make use of theirtime in confinement to prepare fortheir eventual re-entry into society.Each inmate is encouraged to partici-pate in many classes and programsoffered, such as anger management,parenting skills, drug and alcoholawareness and computer training.

Once inmates are released, theyare instructed to report to the Veter-ans Community Re-Entry Programlocated at the downtown VA LosAngeles Ambulatory Care Center. Atthe Re-Entry Program, Espinosa andhis staff help many recently releasedveterans begin their transition backto normal life and not return tohomelessness.

The VA Greater Los AngelesHealthcare System provides medicaland psychiatric care. Veterans alsohave access to a range of transitionalhousing services provided under theVA Homeless Providers Grant andPer Diem Program. These includesubstance abuse and mental healthtreatment as well as job training andplacement.

The recent establishment of theveterans’ dormitory represents greatprogress in addressing the needs ofincarcerated veterans. Years ago, theincarcerated veterans program in Los

During processing, the inmate isasked whether he has ever served inthe armed forces. If he has, he isidentified on a form called a hospitalinquiry. On a daily basis, more than30 names are submitted by the jail tothe VA homeless eligibility sectionthat verifies the veteran’s eligibility.

Within 24 hours, a representativefrom VA issent to L.A.County Jail tointerview andenroll theveteran.Those whomeet eligibil-ity criteria areaccepted intoVA’s Com-munity Re-Entry Pro-gram and areimmediatelytransferred toL.A. County’sU.S. MilitaryVeteran’sModule.

TheModule looks

VA/L.A. Sheriff’s Department Joint VentureHelps Incarcerated Vets Re-Build Their Lives

Raul Espinosa interviews an inmate at the L.A. County Jail to determine his eligibility for VAassistance.

Inmates in L.A. County Jail’s Veteran’s Module can take advantage ofthe computer and other classes offered there.

June 2002 11

Angeles consisted only of Espinosa.He understood that recently releasedveteran inmates often end up home-less or back in jail.

With the help and support ofSteve Berman, director of Commu-nity Care for the VA Greater LosAngeles Healthcare System, andWilliam L. Daniels, director of theHomeless Center for the VA GreaterLos Angeles Healthcare System,Espinosa developed the CommunityRe-Entry Program. Today there arenine Re-Entry staff members whoassess veterans in jail and refer themto services upon their release.

The Community Re-EntryProgram is one of several outreachprojects offered by the VA GreaterLos Angeles Comprehensive Home-less Center (CHC). The mission ofthe CHC is to help homeless veteransabandon life on the streets and rejoinsociety as productive citizens.

The success of the CommunityRe-Entry Program has led to discus-sions about starting similar programsat other VA medical centers in VISN22 (Long Beach, Calif.). Last year, anIncarcerated Veterans Workgroupwas formed that included represen-tatives from VA medical centers inthe Greater Los Angeles area, LongBeach, Loma Linda, San Diego, and

Las Vegas. The current CommunityRe-entry Program’s success is due inlarge part to having an enthusiasticand effective community partner: theLos Angeles County Sheriff’s Depart-ment. Many of the Sheriff’s Depart-ment staff members involved withthe program are veterans themselvesand uniquely understand the specialneeds of the veteran.

How do the veteran inmatesthemselves feel about the newModule? Inmate Syrus C., a MarineCorps veteran and general contractorby profession who has been arrestednumerous times for driving underthe influence, said he felt the manyclasses offered by the facility wouldhelp him turn his life around.

Wayne D. served in the Armyfrom 1974 to 1983 and has been inand out of the criminal justice systemfor assault and domestic violence. Hetook advantage of classes on angermanagement, drug and alcoholeducation and computer classes,which he said would help him oncehe is released.

Like most other incarceratedveterans, Steven W., a Navy veteranand telecommunications construc-tion worker, took full advantage ofthe many classes offered. He de-scribed his experience with the

program as “outstanding. I wastreated with respect and compas-sion.”

There are those who claim that aveteran who has been incarcerateddoes not merit VA’s consideration.But by virtue of his or her honorableservice, the veteran has earned all thehelp and support VA can provide.

Perhaps Rep. Lane Evans, Rank-ing Member of the House VeteransAffairs Committee, said it best:“Veterans are veterans no matterwhat else transpired in their lives.These men and women served ournation. Providing them with theirrightful benefits can only remindthem of their commitment to society,promote their sense of self, andfurther their rehabilitation.”

For more information about thisprogram, or to find out how todonate books, writing material,stamps or magazine subscriptions tothe Los Angeles County U.S. MilitaryVeteran’s Module, contact RaulEspinosa at (213) 253-2677 x4787.Vouchers are also being acceptedfrom clothing stores (J.C. Penney,Sears) to aid newly releasedveterans. ❏

By D. Mark KatzVISN 22 (Long Beach, Calif.)

Secretary Makes Historic Visits to Philippines, KoreaVA Secretary An-

thony J. Principi paidhistoric visits to thePhilippines and Korea inApril. He met withPhilippine and Koreandignitaries, participatedin commemorativeceremonies, and visitedVA employees workingin the two countries. His two-day stop inthe Philippines markedthe first visit to theisland nation by aCabinet official in theadministration ofPresident George W.Bush, and the first-everofficial visit by a VASecretary there. His tripincluded a visit toCorregidor, where he noted that the60th anniversary of the infamousBataan Death March was recentlyobserved in both countries.

During a meeting with PresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo, hethanked her for the Philippinegovernment’s support in the global

war against terrorism.Principi laid a wreath atthe Manila AmericanCemetery and Memorial,and visited employees ofthe Manila VA RegionalOffice and OutpatientClinic, the Department’sonly overseas office. In Korea, the Secretarywas the keynote speakerfor the 50th anniversary ofthe Korean War VeteransAppreciation DayCommemoration eventon the Army base inYongsan near Seoul, andhe participated in awreath-laying ceremonyat National Cemetery. Principi also stoppedby VA’s Korea Benefits

Delivery at Discharge office on thebase. Opened in May 2001, it’s thefirst international VBA site in asovereign nation. ❏

Secretary Anthony J. Principi participates in a wreath-laying ceremony atNational Cemetery on the U.S. Army base in Yongsan, Korea.

12 VAnguard

Hundreds of runnerslaced up their jogging shoesin the early morning hoursof May 1 on a lone stretchof asphalt in Anacostia Parkin Washington, D.C., tocompete in the 2002 SGMACapital Challenge three-mile road race. Amongthose competing for the titleof Washington’s fastest feetwere teams led by membersof Congress, Cabinetappointees, military lead-ers, federal judges andmajor newspaper andtelevision journalists andeditors.

Representing VA in therace was a group of employees ledby Chairman of the Board of Veter-ans’ Appeals Elijah D. Clark andInspector General Richard Griffin.Competing with Clark on BVA’s“Fast Track” team were KarenOllivierre, a law clerk; Eric Leboff,

counsel; Laura Eskenazi, associatecounsel; and Dennis Chiappetta,associate counsel, who led the teamwith a time of 21 minutes and 55seconds.

Griffin’s team, “Hot (Line) Feet,”included a couple of marathon

Auto racing legend Richard Pettyvisited the Hunter Holmes McGuireVA Medical Center in Richmond lastmonth to launch his new partnershipwith the Veterans Canteen Service(VCS). Petty, winner of 200 NASCARWinston Cup races and the sport’sfirst million-dollar driver, willpromote VCS sales and servicesthroughout the summer.

He’ll visit VA medical facilitiesand canteens whenever his racingschedule permits. Petty has given VApermission to use his name andlikeness in VCS advertisements andpromotions.

He gives veterans the credit forpreserving the freedom that allowedhim to pursue excellence in the sportof auto racing, and views his partner-ship with VCS as a way of thankingthem. “I was never a veteran,”explained Petty. “I was doing mything, but the veterans are the onesthat allowed me to do my thing. Sothis [partnership] I think is a deal forme.”

Petty received the Medal ofFreedom, the highest award given bythe federal government to civilians,in 1992 for his contributions on and

also visited patients in the facility’sSpinal Cord Injury Center, signedautographs, and posed for photoswith patients, their families, and VAemployees. ❏

runners and speedsters whomade a strong showing.Vickie Lang, a programanalyst, was among thefastest woman runners—clocking in at 18:34. Hot onher heels was RichardThrasher, chief counsel forpolicy at the Board, whofinished the course in 18:59.Rounding out the team wasHideko “Heidi” Pirie, aprogram specialist, with atime of 21:10. According to Pirie,Secretary Anthony J. Principiachieved the fastest time fora VA executive—a recordthat still stands—when he

took part in the Capital Challengewhile serving as Deputy Secretaryand Acting Secretary. In 1991, he ranthe three-mile course in 22:58, andtrimmed his time to 22:03 in 1992.The annual race benefits the Districtof Columbia Special Olympics. ❏

D.C.’s Movers and Shakers Square Off in Annual Road Race

VA Central Office runners (from left) Laura Eskenazi, Hideko Pirieand Karen Ollivierre compete in the Capital Challenge Road Race.

NASCAR Legend Petty Partners with VA Canteen Service

off the track. He’s been associatedwith patriotic and veterans’ causesthroughout his career.

In Richmond, Petty toured thecanteen, one of the largest in VA. He

Richard Petty signs an autograph for Richmond VAMC Canteen Service’s Ingrid Lanevilleduring his visit there last month.

June 2002 13

MEDICALadvances

VA Looks at Long-Term Effects of TerrorismThe indirect consequences of a terrorist attack may be more

severe than the direct, long-term harm caused by a weapon ofmass destruction, researchers from VA and a British medicalschool have determined. “We feel more vulnerable to theseweapons because they can harm large numbers of ordinarycitizens in places generally considered safe, such as where wework and live,” said one of the study’s co-authors, Dr. KennethC. Hyams, VA’s chief consultant for occupational and environ-mental health.

Published in April in the Journal of Health Politics, Policyand Law, the report examines the multiple challenges of aterrorist attack using chemical, biological, nuclear or radiologicalmaterials. Besides casualties caused directly by an attack, “thenormal reaction to an unfamiliar and life-threatening event—fear, confusion and flight—could cause greater damage thanthe attack itself,” the report noted. Researchers concluded thatunexposed citizens could overwhelm hospitals becausesymptoms that often occur in an emergency situation—likeheadaches, shortness of breath and difficulty concentrating—are similar to the early effects of chemical and biologicalwarfare agents. In addition, stress, fear, worry and grief couldaggravate existing medical and psychological problems.

The report reviews longer-term consequences after theinitial attack, such as prolonged medical and psychologicaleffects. It also provides a prescription for reducing somenegative effects of terrorist attacks, such as the importance oflong-term health care, effective communication by the govern-ment, timely health risk assessment, research and economicsupport. Co-authors of the report are Dr. Frances M. Murphy,VA’s Deputy Under Secretary for Health, and Dr. SimonWessely of Guy’s, King’s and St. Thomas’s School of Medicineand Institute of Psychiatry in London.

VA Puget Sound Researchers StudyAppetite-Stimulating Hormone

Thousands of obese Americans know firsthand that gastricbypass surgery, or sewing shut a large portion of the stomach,can achieve long-term weight loss when dieting, exercise andmedications have failed. A new study shows the reason for theweight loss may not lie solely in eating less, but in suppressingan appetite-stimulating hormone, according to an article in theMay 23 New England Journal of Medicine.

A study led by a team from the VA Puget Sound HealthCare System and the University of Washington compared bloodsamples from dieters and gastric-bypass patients and founddramatic differences in the levels of “ghrelin,” a hormonesecreted by the stomach. The hormone was first identified byJapanese researchers in 1999, and was shown by Britishscientists last year to trigger appetite in humans—the firstknown hormone to do this.

The new findings may explain why keeping off excess

weight through dieting, exercise or even medication is often aconstant uphill battle, whereas obese patients who lose up to200 pounds or more through gastric bypass surgery tend tokeep off the pounds permanently. The study shows that dietingraises ghrelin, while gastric bypass surgery sharply reduces it,almost to undetectable levels. The research is the first todocument the effects of low-calorie dieting versus gastricbypass surgery on ghrelin levels.

According to lead author David E. Cummings, M.D., thefindings not only shed light on what may be an underlyingreason for the success of gastric bypass surgery, but raise thepossibility of a new generation of safer, more effective weight-loss drugs. “If the absence of ghrelin contributes to the effec-tiveness of gastric bypass surgery, then we may be able toachieve at least some of that weight loss by antagonizing(blocking) ghrelin medically. If this approach works, then itmight be something we could use even for people who are onlymodestly overweight,” said Cummings, an endocrinologist withVA and the university.

Gastric bypass surgery, according to conventional medicalwisdom, works because it dramatically reduces the portion ofthe stomach that is available to accept food. In the operation,95 percent of the stomach is sewn shut so it can’t receive food.As a result, the patient feels full much sooner and eats less ateach meal. But the new study suggests another mechanismmay be at work. The research team believes the cells in thestomach that produce ghrelin become inactive when they areno longer exposed to food in the gut. “We think ghrelin cells ‘goto sleep’ when they’re deprived of contact with ingestednutrients,” Cummings said.

Minneapolis VA Researchers SaySmaller Aneurysms Best Left Alone

Researchers studying abdominal aortic aneurysms at theMinneapolis VA Medical Center found it is best not to correctthe problem with surgery unless the aneurysm is larger than 5.5centimeters in diameter, according to findings published in theMay 9 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. “Repair ofa smaller aneurysm does not benefit the patient and maypresent greater risks than the aneurysm itself,” said lead authorDr. Frank Lederle of the Minneapolis VAMC.

The abdominal aorta is part of the aorta, a major artery thatdelivers blood from the heart to internal organs in the lower partof the body. Aneurysms are blood-filled dilations that occurwhen the walls of the aorta weaken and bulge. They are fairlycommon, particularly among older men who have smoked, butmost of them never rupture. This led researchers to questionwhether patients should risk potentially deadly complicationssuch as heart failure or infection during surgery to repairsomething that may not pose a significant threat.

Lederle and his colleagues believe that guidelines based ontheir findings could result in at least 20 percent fewer repairs.This could mean fewer deaths and better treatment options forpatients. Researchers suspect the guidelines could be costeffective as well. The study also demonstrated an extraordinar-ily high surgery-survival rate at the 16 participating VA hospi-tals—nearly 98 percent. “The survival rate was one of thehighest ever reported,” said Lederle. “We can attribute this toselecting good surgical candidates, and the skill of the VAsurgical and post-surgical teams.” The VA Cooperative StudiesProgram funded the study. ❏

14 VAnguard

HONORSand awards

Volunteers at the BattleCreek, Mich., VA MedicalCenter are making a differ-ence in their community, andUSA Today is taking note. Agroup of them won the USAWeekend magazine localaward for their participation inthe 11th Make A DifferenceDay, held on Oct. 27, 2001.They raised $11,661 topurchase 14 dressers, bedframes, box springs, mat-tresses, and bookcaseheadboards for three “JesseHouses” for homelessveterans in the Battle Creekcommunity. The houses,named after former VASecretary Jesse Brown,provide transitional shelter toveterans who have completedtreatment programs at themedical center and needaffordable housing andcounseling as they find jobsand re-enter the community.

James B. Reuler, M.D.,chief of General InternalMedicineat thePortland,Ore., VAMedicalCenter,receivedthe OscarE.EdwardsMemorialAward forVolunteerism and CommunityService on April 10, 2002,during the American Collegeof Physicians-AmericanSociety of Internal Medicine’sannual session in Philadel-phia. Reuler was recognizedfor his work with Portland’shomeless population. In 1984,he founded The WallaceMedical Concern with $1,000

he received from the will ofone of his patients, EdwinWallace. The Portland-basednonprofit now provides freemedical care for up to 2,400homeless people each year.Reuler is quick to point out,however, that the organizationdoes more than help thehomeless. “Our goals includeproviding physicians anavenue of community serviceand improving the public’sview of doctors,” he said.More than 225 doctors,nurses, medical students andinterpreters now volunteer atThe Wallace Medical Con-cern.

The National Institute ofMental Health awarded agrant for research on mentalhealth needs of emergencyservices personnel resultingfrom the Sept. 11 terroristattacks to Charles Marmar,M.D., associate chief of stafffor Mental Health at the SanFrancisco VA MedicalCenter and professor andvice chair of the Departmentof Psychiatry at the Universityof California, San Francisco.Marmar is an internationalexpert on post-traumaticstress disorder and hasconsulted on a number ofnatural disasters including the1994 Northridge earthquakeand the 1995 earthquake inKobe, Japan. His new studywill compare the effects ofbrief cognitive behavioraltherapy to usual treatment forNew York City disaster reliefworkers with PTSD related tothe World Trade Centerterrorist attacks.

Tucson Lifestyle maga-zine named Dawn P.Lemcke, M.D., a primary care

physicianin theSouthernArizonaVA HealthCareSystem,as one ofthe “BestDoctors ofTucson.” The honor isbestowed on selectedphysicians for their ongoingdedication and contribution totheir profession and the healthof southern Arizonans.Lemcke was featured in aspecial section of themagazine’s June issue.

The VA Virtual LearningCenter (www.va.gov/vlc) waschosen from among 234government programs toreceive the prestigious E-Gov2002 Pioneer Award. This isthe highest award given by E-Gov, a coalition of public- andprivate-sector groups promot-ing innovative electronicapproaches to government.The Virtual Learning Center isa management tool forsharing information about newideas and best practicesacross VA. Additionally, theprogram offers virtualmentoring opportunities by VAleaders sharing their experi-ences and creates a forum forpeople to share professionalinterests and to exchangeinformation.

Guenther Griebau, avolunteer at the Riverside,Calif., National Cemetery,received the 2002 Outstand-ing Volunteer Award forRiverside County. Griebauvolunteers an average of fourdays a week, raising moneyfor the cemetery and helpinglocal veterans by makingthem aware of VA burialbenefits. He chairs a fundraising committee that hasraised more than $480,000 toenhance the cemetery duringthe past year alone. TheRiverside National Cemetery

has a volunteer force of nearly700.

Film crews from theEmployee EducationSystem’s St. Louis Re-source Center took first placehonors in the international2002 Videographer Awardsprogram. They won Awards ofExcellence for writing,producing, editing, and filming“VCS: Proud to ServeGenuine American Heroes”and “The 2001 NationalVeterans Golden AgeGames.” They joined crewsfrom ABC’s “20/20” and CBS’“48 Hours” in the first placeaward circle.

Korean War veteran andVA volunteer Robert E. Millerwas named Citizen of theYear 2002 for his nearly 30years of dedicated service toveterans treated at theAsheville, N.C., VA MedicalCenter. Miller, a van driver forthe Disabled AmericanVeterans’ TransportationNetwork, drives veterans fromtheir homes in the Morgantonarea to appointments at theAsheville VAMC, a distance ofabout 60 miles, and backagain. He often makes the triptwice a day.

The American Society ofTraining & Developmentselected Blanco (Skip) High,a management analyst in theOffice of Human ResourcesManagement in VA CentralOffice, as chair of theProgram Advisory Committeefor the 2003 InternationalConference and Exposition.The conference is one of thenation’s largest workplaceperformance and learningevents. As chair, he willoversee the body that screensand recommends the finalslate of conference presentersand sessions. He had servedas a member of the commit-tee for two years prior tobeing selected as chair for the2003 conference. ❏

Reuler

Lemcke

June 2002 15

you heardHAVE

Dr. Doreen Kelley, aphysician from the BuffaloVA Medical Center, startedmaking weekly house calls tothe Buffalo VA RegionalOffice on March 5 as a way toimprove the Compensationand Pension examinationprocess. Sue Kloc, who wasrecently promoted to assistantservice center manager at theregional office, explained howthe agreement works. “Themedical center agreed to lether work here for four hours aweek,” she said. “Now, Dr.Kelley is part of our collabora-tive team. Our ratingsspecialists can actually goover and talk to her when they

have questions … files forthese cases no longer have tobe transferred to the BuffaloVAMC.” She said as of April17, Kelley had reviewed morethan 100 cases, and of those,87 were ready to rate follow-ing her review.

Weeks of heavy raincaused the worst flooding indecades at the Camp ButlerNational Cemetery inSpringfield, Ill. The downpourcaused the Sangamon Riverto overflow its banks, sendingfloodwater gushing throughthe cemetery. About 50gravesites were submerged inwhat was the area’s worst

flood since 1943. As soon asthe water receded, cemeterystaff went to work cleaningheadstones, picking up debrisand getting the cemetery backin order. Cemetery DirectorDane Freeman squelchedrumors that gravesites hadbeen damaged in the flood byexplaining to local reportersthat the situation was undercontrol and cleanup wasunderway. Through the staff’squick response, the cemeterywas able to provide uninter-rupted service to veterans andwas open for visitors onMemorial Day.

VA received the secondhighest score among 24federal agencies in anindependent study of perfor-mance reports. Only theDepartment of Transportationreceived a higher score. Therating was done by theMercatus Center at GeorgeMason University in Virginia.The center measured thereports from federal agenciesusing 12 criteria under threebroad categories: Does theagency report its accomplish-ments clearly? Does thereport focus on tangiblebenefits? Does the reportshow evidence of leadershipthat used performanceinformation to devise strate-gies for improvement? VAwas noted not just for a well-organized report that is easilyaccessible, but also forproviding trend data to putperformance measures incontext and addressingmanagement challengesclearly. For more informationon the performance report,visit www.va.gov.

In one of the health careindustry’s top measurementsof quality, VA hospitalsscored slightly higher thantheir non-VA counterparts.The scores were based onsurveys of VA health carefacilities conducted by theJoint Commission on Accredi-

tation of Healthcare Organiza-tions. In the survey, VA’smean score was 93, nearlytwo points higher than theaverage for non-VA hospitalsnationwide. VA hospitals havebeen surveyed by JCAHOsince the independent reviewsbegan in 1952. “These scoresconfirm what many veteransalready know—VA providessome of the best health carein the nation,” noted Secre-tary Principi.

The VA Offices ofHuman Resources andManagement, DiversityManagement and EEO, andResolution Management aresponsoring a conference forVA leaders July 15-18 inAtlanta to address conflict anddiversity issues. Among thetopics to be discussed at theNational Leaders’ Conferenceare the impact of culture onmediation, successionplanning, root causes of equalemployment opportunitycomplaints, reasonableaccommodation, and detect-ing discrimination early. Formore information on theconference, visitwww.national-leaders-conference.org/.

Bea O’Brien, a volunteerwho runs the creative writingprogram for domiciliaryveterans at the Bath, N.Y.,VA Medical Center, has anarticle in “Chicken Soup forthe Teacher’s Soul” whichwas released in May. Herstory “Awakenings” relates anexperience of hers whileconducting creative writingworkshops for veterans at theBath VA hospital. She is theauthor of several books andcurrently serves as deputyrepresentative for the Hospi-talized Veterans WritingProgram on the VA VoluntaryService Committee. “We areproud and honored to haveBea as a member of Bath’sVAVS team,” said VoluteerManager Susan DeSalvo. ❏

An expanded and renovated emergency room openedApril 18 at the Salem, Va., VA Medical Center. The newand improved emergency room fills a critical shortage of ERcapacity in southwest Virginia.

Renovations include doubling the number of beds,installing a biohazard decontamination shower with its ownexterior entrance, and improving the psychological observa-tion area. The ER facelift is the latest in a series of movesthat are helping the Salem VA hospital increase its readi-ness for modern medical emergencies.

Salem VAMC’s ER for the Modern Age

The entrance to Salem VAMC’s new ER, which is equipped with abiohazard decontamination shower.

16 VAnguard

HEROES✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Becky Sanchez, a nursein the El Paso VA HealthCare System, was in line topay for her food at thecanteen when a man in frontof her said a baby waschoking. She saw a baby boyin a stroller; his lips were blueand his mouth was wide openas if he was trying to get air.She immediately lifted the boyfrom the stroller and gave himfour quick blows to the back,dislodging a clump of rice andbeans that was blocking hisairway. After the child startedbreathing again, Sanchezconducted a little on-the-spoteducation with his mother byexplaining what types of foodwere appropriate for his age.

Michael Stauffacher, anelevator mechanic at theAlbany VA Medical Centerfor the past 15 years, was a

hero inhishome-town afterhe pulledfivepeoplefromSaratogaLake.The

incident unfolded April 12 on awindy evening when twosailors capsized in five-footswells. Three rescue workerspulled the sailors from thewater, but they also capsizedin the choppy water as theymade their way back to shore.When he heard about thefailed rescue attempt,Stauffacher jumped in his 26-foot skiff and sped out ontothe lake. Traveling at speedsof up to 40 miles per hour, he

reached the five in about 10minutes. “I just told them all toget in the boat, and they werehappy to see me,” Stauffachertold a reporter from TheSaratogian newspaper. Onceon board, he took them homeand warmed them up with hotcoffee by the fireplace as theywaited for an ambulance. Oneperson was hospitalized forminor hypothermia and twoothers were treated andreleased.

Gwen Scully, a licensedpractical nurse at the DenverVA Medical Center, was onher way to work when shesaw an automobile accident.As the first responder on thescene, she checked the firstdriver for injuries. Whenanother passerby stopped tohelp, she left the first vehicleto check on the driver of thesecond vehicle, which hadgone into a ditch. The victimkept going in and out ofconsciousness, so shestabilized his neck to preventfurther injuries. Though thedriver of the first vehicle diedat the scene, the secondvictim was taken to thehospital by paramedics.

On April 10, MorenoValley (Calif.) police werecalled to a nearby shoppingcenter where a 20-month-oldinfant was limp, pale and notbreathing. When policearrived, they found RobertNettles, a nursing assistant atthe Loma Linda VA MedicalCenter, already on the sceneand administering CPR. Afterthree to four minutes, the

baby let out a cry andresumed breathing. The babywas immediately taken to alocal hospital for medicalattention. For his lifesaving

actions, Nettles received theMayor’s Award for Valor, thecity’s highest level of recogni-tion for heroic actions andexemplary performance. ❏

Stauffacher

I was very pleased to see the article in the MayVAnguard relating to VA’s HR regulations going online.However, I do want to add some information that might nothave been gained from it by the readers of your magazine.

The creation of an online set of regulations was onlyone part of the final product. Over 200 documents, includingchapters in the old MP-5, Parts I and II, circulars, interimissues, and directives, contained HR information when webegan our initiative. To complicate matters, names of officesand legal citations were incorrect and required updating.

Once all of the documents were consolidated into theproper chapters, these 92 chapters were assigned to one of14 directives and handbooks—a monumental task.

Finally, your article rightfully acknowledged the tremen-dous support of individuals in the three administrations andespecially in the Office of Human Resources Management.Without their support and that of the Office of GeneralCounsel, our group would have floundered.

But equally important were the many HR professionalsin the field who literally did the “grunt” work. Some re-typeddocuments to make them electronic, while others proofedthe consolidations. Others offered ideas to make theregulations user-friendly. And then there were the “volun-teers” who spent many hours putting the various partstogether at week-long sessions.

In the final analysis, the field HR professionals, alongwith the VACO staff, worked long and hard to provide a setof regulations that will truly be One VA. Individual officesand administrations won’t be writing similar regulationsspecifically for their employees. It will all be there in thesame document.

Terence P. KahnChief, Human ResourcesIndianapolis VA Medical Center(Editor’s Note: The writer served as group leader of thisinitiative.)

LETTERSLETTERSLETTERSLETTERSLETTERS

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

A number of eagle-eyed baseball fans who read our May articleabout baseball’s war heroes correctly pointed out that the 15-year-old pitcher who made his major league debut with theCincinnati Reds on June 10, 1944 was Joe Nuxhall, notMazwell. Interestingly, however, Nuxhall was not the youngestplayer ever to appear in a major-league ball game, according toThe Baseball Encyclopedia and Major League Baseball. Thatdistinction belongs to Frederick J. Chapman, who at the age of14 years, eight months pitched five innings with the Philadel-phia Athletics on July 22, 1887. But while his career in themajors ended there, Nuxhall went on to play 16 years.

Correction