From the Halls ….

CHAIRMAN BOB FILNER

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact Kristal DeKleer at (202) 225-9756

Injured Veterans Suffer Consequences of Lingering Communication Gap between DoD and VA

Washington, D.C. – On Thursday, January 21, 2010, the House Veterans’ Affairs Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, led by Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), conducted a hearing to evaluate the social work case management which is essential to coordinating complex components of care for polytrauma patients and their families.  The hearing focused on how the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) cooperate to support wounded veterans during the transition process and the specific specialized services offered to injured veterans who are transitioning to civilian life. 

“Time and again, we have heard from our returning service members, expecting a smooth transition back to the lives they once lived, only to find themselves lost in a complex and frustrating bureaucracy,” said Chairman Mitchell.  “It is imperative that VA and DOD make certain our veterans are receiving the best possible care available, provide veterans with the services and resources they have earned, and most importantly, work together to ensure that these earned benefits are seamlessly delivered.”

Veteran Sean Johnson testified about a March 2006 mortar attack that left him with an undiagnosed traumatic brain injury.  He described a faulty system that places the burden on the veteran to deliver paperwork, fight for specialized services, and independently navigate the medical evaluation system.  He said, “I am concerned with the lack of continuity or ‘seamless transition’ between active duty, the return home, the VA healthcare system, and the family.  It is unreasonable that an injured soldier who is not able to be rehabilitated for deployment must wait more than two years for his medical review board to be completed.  I am disheartened that soldiers are brushed aside in medical holding units or at home waiting for repeated exams and claims decisions. After years of work on electronic exchange of medical computer records, it doesn’t seem to be any closer than before.” 

Representatives from veteran advocacy organizations reported an overloaded system that allows injured veterans to fall through the cracks.  Specifically, veterans have trouble getting their military records sent to VA following discharge, resulting in injured veterans and their family members copying and delivering records themselves.  They also reported a lack of immediate screening and proactive treatment for traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress that can affect service members in combat.  The need for caregiver support along with increased financial support to specially adapt homes and vehicles following serious injury was also discussed.

Deputy Under Secretary Noel Koch operates the Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy and provided testimony detailing a pilot evaluation program that reduced the wait for from pilot entry to VA benefits decision.  Mr. Koch regarded Veteran Sean Johnson’s case as a “tragic anomaly.”  Regarding reports of less than seamless transition, he said, “Things take time.  Sometimes you don’t discover problems until you actually go out and look for them.” 

When discussing the plight of wounded warriors, Mr. Koch said, “When people look at our wounded veterans, they look at traumatic amputations and their heart goes out to that, and all of ours do.  But these people deal with these things very easily.  The people who have difficulties are those who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and so that’s one of the things we’re wrestling with.  Now, it has been noted that we have a lot of effort behind this and we have a lot of programs and our biggest problem is a lack of ability to put this before the people who need it.  We don’t communicate well.” 

“I am very concerned that the support system for our service members and veterans is stretched thin and allows wounded warriors to fall through the cracks,” said Bob Filner (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.  “As the country prepares for a military surge, it must also prepare for a surge of veterans. Today’s hearing shows that gaps remain and there is no real sense of direction on how to solve this problem.  Congress continues to pass laws and provide oversight, but until the military commits to proactive medical screenings for traumatic brain injury, lifetime electronic medical records are a reality, and the VA actively seeks to counsel veterans in need, injured veterans will continue to be harmed because they cannot access the care and benefits they need.  We can – and must – do better.”         

Witness List

Panel 1

·       Staff Sergeant Sean D. Johnson, USA, Aberdeen, SD, Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran)

·       Joseph L. Wilson, Deputy Director for Health Care, National Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission, The American Legion

·       Thomas Tarantino, Legislative Associate, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

·       Captain Jonathan Pruden, USA, (Ret.), Area Outreach Coordinator, Wounded Warrior Project

Panel 2

·       Honorable Noel Koch, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, Office of Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, U.S. Department of Defense

·       Madhulika Agarwal, M.D., MPH, Chief Officer, Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Accompanied by:

o       Karen Guice, M.D., MPP, Executive Director, Federal Recovery Coordination Program, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  

o       Paul Hutter, Chief Officer of Legislative, Regulatory, and Intergovernmental Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

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Prepared testimony for the hearing and a link to the webcast from the hearing is available on the internet at this link: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=519.