VAnguard outlook November/December 2007 The Twilight Brigade Transition Patient Advocates Cemetery Expansions in Florida Veterans Day 2007 November/December 2007 1 VAnguard Features Smoothing the Way 6 Transition patient advocates bring passion, commitment to the job Serving Veterans Through the Firestorm 9 As fires raged across Southern California, employees stayed on the job 6 Meeting a Growing Need in Florida 10 Major cemetery expansions are underway in the Sunshine State Veterans Day 2007 12 A variety of observances large and small are held from coast to coast ‘No one wants to die alone’ 18 The Twilight Brigade brings comfort and companionship to the dying California Healin’ 21 Disabled veterans learn to catch a wave at adaptive surf camp 10 Powerful Therapy: When Alvis Met Stevie 23 Rock star inspires wounded Iraq veteran’s rehabilitation progress Spreading the Word that Recovery is Possible 24 Facilities find creative ways to observe Mental Illness Awareness Week A Century of Service in South Dakota 25 Hot Springs VA Medical Center celebrates 100th anniversary Departments 21 3 Letters 31 Medical Advances 4 Management Matters 32 Have You Heard VAnguard 5 Outlook 34 Honors VA’s Employee Magazine 26 Around Headquarters 36 Creative Arts November/December 2007 30 Introducing Vol. LIII, No. 6 Printed on 50% recycled paper Editor: Lisa Respess Gaegler Assistant Editor/Senior Writer: Renee McElveen Photo Editor: Robert Turtil Photographer: Art Gardiner Staff Writer: Amanda Hester On the cover Twilight Brigade (Compassion in Action) Published by the Office of Public Affairs (80D) volunteer Sari Honig spends time with VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospice patient Herman “Marty” Aguilar in 810 Vermont Ave., N.W. the labyrinth at the Sepulveda facility. Twilight Washington, D.C. 20420 Brigade volunteers bring comfort and (202) 461-7427 companionship to dying veterans at VA E-mail: [email protected] facilities around the country. The Greater www.va.gov/opa/feature/vanguard Los Angeles chapter will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year. photo by Paula Berger 2 November/December 2007 VAnguard letters Green VA ter, which is located on the competition is located: Fort started more recently and In the May/June issue on page grounds of Tripler Army Worth, Texas. There is a VA amazes me—these people have 32 you state the new Fort Medical Center. presence in Fort Worth, an various ordinary kinds of jobs Harrison, Mont., benefits Nancy W. Winters, M.D., outpatient clinic that is grow- and play almost as well as the claims office is “VA’s first en- Ph.D. ing by leaps and bounds. I professionals. Extend my con- ergy efficient and environmen- Staff Psychiatrist went to school at Texas Chris- gratulations to Drew Mays. tally certified building.” I VA Pacific Islands HCS tian University around the Job well done! Thanks for cov- would contest that the VA Pa- Honolulu time that the Van Cliburn In- ering this in VAnguard. cific Islands Health Care Sys- ternational Piano Competition Shirley Campbell tem in Honolulu is a “green” Editor’s note: We won’t dis- started there. Not the amateur Medical Librarian building and has been such pute your points. Claims of competition, but the original. VA North Texas HCS well before the Montana of- “first” often do come down to The amateur competition Dallas fice. a technicality or careful word- Please correct me if I’m ing. The larger issue is that VA wrong. We are very proud of has been putting increased our building for its “green” emphasis on “going green,” We Want to Hear from You status in the beautiful state of not only in building construc- Have a comment on something you’ve seen in Hawaii. This building has re- tion but in many other areas, ceived numerous awards. as well. Look for more cover- VAnguard? We invite reader feedback. Send your Just trying to get the de- age of “the greening of VA” in comments to [email protected]. You can also write tails straight, and let the colors future issues of VAnguard. to us at: VAnguard, Office of Public Affairs (80D), fall where they may. I may be Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., incorrect by a technicality, but Drew Mays N.W., Washington, D.C., 20420. Include your I’m just bringing the possibil- I was excited to see the article name, title and VA facility. We won’t be able to pub- ity to your attention that you on Drew Mays on page 30 of lish every letter, but we’ll use representative ones. may have overlooked our the July/August issue, but dis- beautiful green Spark appointed that it didn’t men- We may need to edit your letter for length or clarity. Matsunaga VA Medical Cen- tion the city in which the Ready for Flu Season? The single best way to prevent seasonal influenza is by annual vaccination. Both staff and patients should be vaccinated to keep themselves and those around them healthy during the flu season. Although many people get their flu vaccinations in the fall, the flu season runs through winter and into the spring. Says Dr. Michael Kussman, VA Under Secretary for Health, in the fore- word to the 2007-2008 VA Influenza Toolkit Manual: “I am proud of VA’s track record in promoting influenza vaccination for veterans and staff and I encourage you to keep up the good work.” Here the good work of VA is evident. The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System in Tucson is one of sev- eral VA facilities that run drive-through flu vaccination clinics. VA medical centers also offer indoor vaccina- tion clinics, include vaccination as part of regular ap- pointments with patients, provide flu vaccination at em- ployee and patient health fairs, use mobile carts to visit offices and health care units, and employ other cre- ative ways to ensure that patients and employees, trainees and volunteers are offered vaccination. Right: Roll in and roll up your sleeve! On a sunny day in Tuc- son, Ariz., veteran and hot rod driver Wendell Avery gets his flu shot from Kay Morris, R.N. JOHN SOKOLOWSKI November/December 2007 3 management matters VAnguard Building a Veteran-Centered System of Care and Benefits Gordon H. Mansfield Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs As I continue guiding the de- processes into a simpler tion care system being imple- sixth Secretary of Veterans Af- partment through this period streamlined program for dis- mented throughout VA. A re- fairs, Dr. Jim Peake, should he of transition in our leadership, abled military members and cent Gallup poll of major be confirmed by the Senate. I I am meeting regularly with veterans alike. limb amputees showed general know that filling this position top Department of Defense I One thing every employee satisfaction with VA care; in and getting on with the busi- officials to plan and monitor in VA can do is recruit veter- fact, 84 percent of the veter- ness of meeting the nation’s implementation of recommen- ans to fill VA jobs and I’m ans questioned said they obligations to its veterans is a dations made by the Presi- particularly excited by the 10 would return to VA to con- priority of both the President dent’s Commission on Care full-time “veterans employ- tinue their care. and the Senate. for America’s Wounded War- ment coordinators” I’m bring- While GWOT veterans Dr. Peake is set to hit the riors led by former Senator ing on board. They will focus are an important driver in VA ground running as Secretary. Bob Dole and former Health efforts to attract, recruit and planning and program devel- No one could bring more to and Human Services Secretary hire veterans throughout the opment, we can’t forget that the department as we work Donna Shalala. department and work closely they make up less than 20 ever more closely with the De- The commission’s recom- with the federal recovery coor- percent of our overall partment of Defense to meet mendations focus on close dinators mentioned earlier to workload. While we research the needs of our newest gen- VA-DoD coordination in pro- assist GWOT veterans in and develop more effective eration of combat veterans viding care and seamless tran- coming to work at VA. Em- treatments for PTSD, TBI and their families. sition of military personnel in- ploying veterans is good gov- and polytrauma cases, we His career spans more jured in the Global War on ernment and good business must also focus our resources than 40 years in military Terrorism (GWOT). Much and VA will lead by example. and brain power on helping medicine, during which he has been done already to put Initiatives in mental older generations of veterans held several medical com- those recommendations into health care are also underway. manage chronic and long- mands and is credited with action, and I’d like to update PTSD and traumatic brain in- term health problems such as improving the training and you on our progress. jury are part of routine screen- diabetes and heart disease. techniques of the Army medi- I VA is hiring “federal recov- ing exams for GWOT veter- The quality care and ser- cal force. From 2000-2004, he ery coordinators” who will ans entering the VA health vice we provide our younger served as Surgeon General of help develop and implement care system. VA held a na- combat veterans of today will the Army. individual recovery plans for tional conference of its mental keep them with us as they, Dr. Peake began his mili- seriously injured service- members.