VA Stories of Note: Sept. 9-15
The Gazette (Video) (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Sept. 12: VA secretary stops in Iowa to see disabled veterans’ dreams come true
Patton, of Sacramento, Calif., is paralyzed from the chest down due a spinal cord injury he sustained in a car crash in 1986. Gripping his driver with his right hand, Patton lines up his shot, takes a quick one-handed practice swing and then lets ’er rip, sending the ball sailing 178 yards. […] "Well, you inspire me,” said Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, who visited with Patton and other veterans Monday at the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort.
The Daily Iowan (Iowa City, Iowa), Sept.13: U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough visits UI student veterans
U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough met with University of Iowa student veterans in the Iowa Veteran Education, Transition, and Support (IVETS) group to talk about programs and resources for Iowa veterans on campus Monday.
WBOY (NBC-12, Video) (Clarksburg, W. Va.), Sept. 14: West Virginia adding virtual service access points for rural veterans
Seven new virtual access points for rural veterans are being added in West Virginia, including one at the Clarksburg Veterans Affairs office at the DMV. The State of West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance (WVDVA) and the Huntington Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO) announced the virtual access sites (VAS) on Tuesday.
GovCIO, Sept. 14: AI is Helping Brain Trauma Detection, Treatment
Federal agencies are applying a range of data inputs within newfound AI models to better understand the origins of traumatic brain injuries and how to help patients recover from their long-term impacts. Speaking at the 2022 BRAIN Summit, representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs outlined how cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are providing newfound insight into neurological injury.
WAER (NPR-88.3) (Syracuse, N.Y.), Sept. 14: VA Hospital rooftop garden makes Syracuse veteran feel at home
The top of the downtown Syracuse Veterans Hospital is a therapeutic oasis for former service member Steve Kasprzycki. That’s where he cultivates his green thumb in a rooftop garden that boasts around 100 plants. Kasprzycki said the garden allows him to step back and appreciate the small things in life.
GovCIO (Audio), Sept. 14: Listen: How VA is Leveraging Genomics and Big Data to Improve Lung Cancer Outcomes
Cancer innovation has been a longstanding priority in the current administration. But sometimes overlooked is some of the nation's most sophisticated lung cancer research underway at the Department of Veterans Affairs. This includes applying capacities like modernized electronic health records and artificial intelligence to support groundbreaking innovation. Dr. Michael Kelley, director of the National Precision Oncology Program, and Kenute Myrie, portfolio manager at the VA Office of Research and Development, discuss how the agency is advancing understanding of cancer and improving long-term health outcomes for veterans.
WCAX (CBS-3, Video) (South Burlington, Vt.), Sept. 14: PSA campaign urges veterans in crisis to seek support
The Department of Veterans Affairs is focusing on keeping our nation’s heroes healthy. As part of Suicide Prevention Month, a new campaign encourages service members to seek support before they’re in crisis.
OHSU (Portland, Ore.), Sept. 14: Social media outreach for veteran suicide prevention shows promise
New research suggests brief online video training may be a useful way to provide suicide prevention skills to friends and family members of military veterans. The study, led by researchers at the VA Portland Health Care System and Oregon Health & Science University, highlights an easily accessible avenue for reducing suicide among U.S. veterans — rates that have exceeded the civilian population.
The Journal (Martinsburg, W. Va.), Sept. 13: Martinsburg VAMC employee always on duty saves high school student
The Martinsburg VA Medical Center (VAMC) prides itself on fostering a team-like workforce that is always ready and willing to answer the call. Recently, a Team Martinsburg employee was attending his son’s high school football game when he witnessed an emergency that put him into high alert. On Sept. 2, Jim Roupe, certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), was sitting in the stands in Fredrick, Maryland, watching his son’s high school football season opener.
MeriTalk (Alexandria, Va.), Sept. 13: VA Tech Approach Cutting Benefit Wait Times From Months to Minutes
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is harnessing technology that has succeeded in cutting the time veterans need to wait to receive disability benefits from months to minutes, according to Zach Goldfine, deputy chief technology officer at the VA.