Presidential Commission Urges Changes to Veterans’ Care

WASHINGTON — A presidential commission yesterday urged broad changes to veterans’ care that would boost benefits for family members helping the wounded, establish an easy-to-use Web site for medical records, and overhaul the way disability pay is awarded. The nine-member panel, led by a former senator, Bob Dole, a Republican of Kansas, and the health and human services secretary during the Clinton administration, Donna Shalala, also recommended stronger partnerships between the Pentagon and the private sector to boost treatment for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.A 29-page draft report was presented to President Bush in the Oval Office, just after the Senate addressed some of the issues yesterday morning by passing sweeping legislation to expand brain screenings, reduce red tape, and boost military pay.The commission formally approved the recommendations later in the day.“Gone will be the days of injured soldiers telling the same information to doctors over and over again,” said Ms. Shalala, who said the proposals seek to provide more customized, personalized care to injured Iraq war veterans.She called the report a set of recommendations that could be implemented right away. About six of the 35 proposals require legislation, while the rest call for action primarily by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs.Among the recommendations was an indirect rebuke of the VA — a call for Congress to “enable all veterans who have been deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq who need post-traumatic stress disorder care to receive it from the VA.”Only recently, the VA has taken steps to add mental health counselors and 24-hour suicide prevention services at all facilities, following high-profile incidents of suicides involving veterans. In the past, the VA had failed to use all the money for mental health that was allotted to it.“The experiences of these young men and women have highlighted the need for fundamental changes in care management and the disability system,” the report read. Making the significant improvements we recommend requires a sense of urgency and strong leadership,” it said.Mr. Bush said his hand-picked investigative panel had interesting suggestions on improving health care for those wounded in battle. But the White House said not to expect action right away.The report does not seek to directly criticize or lay blame for shoddy outpatient treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center that brought a public outcry for change and creation of the commission. It cited a need to move forward, explaining there was no need to “reiterate” the findings of news reports which uncovered substandard care from the Defense Department and VA.Among the proposals:• Boost staff and money for Walter Reed until it closes in the coming years. Urges Pentagon to work with the VA to create “integrated care teams” of doctors and nurses to see injured troops through their recovery.• Restructure the disability pay systems to give the VA more responsibility for awarding benefits.• Require comprehensive training programs in post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injuries for military leaders and VA and Pentagon personnel.

Presidential Commission Urges Changes to Veterans’ Care

Presidential Commission Urges Changes to Veterans’ Care

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