Tidbits
LVMAC Tidbit — New Director for Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Has Arrived
### As of 14 October 2016
### As of 14 October 2016
In an effort to increase Veteran recruitment, Wilkes-Barre will be providing a weekly informational email related to positions advertised at the medical center the previous week. Please distribute/share as is appropriate for your office. The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for the following positions: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Read more…
On 28 September, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center (VAMC) is holding a Community Homelessness Assessment, Local Education and Networking Groups (CHALENG) Meeting and Summit at the Charles Chrin Community Center of Palmer Township (Gym II).
While there has been a long history of annual CHALENG meetings, holding one in the Lehigh Valley has been a rarity. Considering the recent efforts of the Lehigh Valley Regional Homelessness Advisory Board (LVRHAB), the time has come to encourage such meetings locally if the VA is to be a true partner in this region’s homeless efforts – and not off to the side.
Because a summit implies the meeting of leaders, LVMAC is reaching out to various organizations (police departments, school districts, public housing authorities, special social work agencies, county and city governments, for example) to have a key officer or “mover and shaker” attend. (more…)
VFW believes that VA health care is not only as good or better than private carebut also cheaper and tailored for veterans specific needs. http://digitaledition.qwinc.com/publication/?i=324472&p=8 ### As of 24 August 2016
The Department of Veterans Affairs Friday announced the appointment of Russell Lloyd as the new director of the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, whose network services our area. He will succeed the Interim Director, Mirza Ali, and is expected to arrive within the next 60 days. Source: New Director Designated for Read more…
As in the past, you can call a VA clinic or hospital (see the preceding section for the local facilities) and they will send you a VA Form 1010EZ (Application for Health Benefits) package to complete; or you could go down to the facility and pick up the package. Click Read more…
Majority of Veteran Suicides Are 50 and Older – We Still Don’t Know Why | Vietnam Veterans of America VA Updates Its Suicide Report – Majority of Veteran Suicides Are 50 and Older – We Still Don’t Know Why | Vietnam Veterans of America — “Healthcare in Our Community” News Read more…
On July 29, 2016, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that District Court has no jurisdiction to review actions of the Secretary of the VA. This case was on appeal from an earlier ruling by the Federal District Court on the matter. The Read more…
Last Veterans Day 2015, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched with little fanfare a new website, www.vets.gov, though it is still under development and not anticipated to be finally complete for a year. It is part of the ostensibly transformative MyVA initiative and is being done in response to the federal government’s acknowledgment that there is are far too many “helpful” websites, call centers and 1-800 numbers out there. The end result is “the VA customer experience is fragmented, frustrating and confusing.” The VA is attempting to develop a simplified website “which provides useful information that’s clearly written and presented and tools that are easy to find and use” in all one place. This is no easy task.
One of its better efforts on this website seems to be the The Veterans Employment Center™ (VEC). Its intention is to connect veterans and their families with meaningful employment and career-development opportunities. (more…)
Veterans may now apply to enroll in the VA’s healthcare system by picking up the phone and dialing 1-877-222-8387 (VETS) between Monday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it has eliminated paper signature requirements for military veterans wishing to enroll in VA healthcare. That door was opened through an amendment to its regulations. (more…)