LVMAC News

CLYDE HOCH SPEAKS TO THE COUNCIL

Clyde Hoch, author of Tracks – Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran, spoke to the Council on his service in the Marine Corps, his remembrances of war and his return home.

First off, he expressed his appreciation to the Council for their concern for veterans as he thinks too often veterans ā€œare tossed asideā€ once they have played their role in the defense of the nation.

Now in his sixties, he believes he has a story to tell – as many other veterans do also – which can help the young understand that sometimes great sacrifices are made on their behalf, that millions of men and women before them have left their loving families to do whatever is necessary to protect our way of life. Nor does it matter they ultimately served as cooks or infantry, for the deed was in the willingness to sacrifice for others even when those ā€œothersā€ often little understood or cared for the service members during the Vietnam era. (more…)

LVMAC Tidbits

First Generation Gets It Right

First Generation Visual Communication in Allentown “gets it.”Ā  While it is important to support our troops when deployed, it is also important to support them as veterans when they return home and are most likely to be forgotten.Ā  First Generation realizes it takes theĀ  “whole village” to do this.Ā  Not only must federal, state and county governments do their part on our behalf, but in times of war our community must make a special effort to ensure those local nonprofits effectively helping the local military veteran community are supported as well.Ā  One cannot afford the opinion of one former state legislator who stated helping veterans is the federal government’s responsibility alone. (more…)

LVMAC Tidbits

Our VA Network is About to Conduct a Special Veterans’ Family and War Study

VISN-4’sĀ  (the next higher organization to our Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center) Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)Ā  in Philadelphia is conducting a funded study to understand how war-related psychiatric symptoms may interfere with family reintegration and functioning.Ā Ā  The obvious is not apparent to them.Ā  Nevertheless, there are benefits to such a study.Ā  The means to improving care in the VA is most oftenĀ  lead through documented study.Ā  The VA has been known to beĀ  loath to move without one.Ā Ā  The benefit we see?Ā  … another step towards a more family-oriented VA.Ā Ā  Therefore, you can help by participating. (more…)

LVMAC News — Swinfard Talks on Downstream Effects of War

SWINFARD ADDRESSES COUNCIL

Dr. Ronald W. Swinfard, M.D., President and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LHVN) spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 19 October.Ā  During the Vietnam War, he served in the Medical Service Corps as a Battalion Surgeon (a lieutenant position) Ā of an Aid Station (a platoon equivalent organization) in 195thĀ  Brigade of the Americal Division (23rd Infantry Division), circa 1970.Ā  After a short stint as a high school teacher, upon return from service and decommissioning, he embarked on a career as a doctor, first training in internal medicine and later dermatology as a specialty. Ā In 2003, Swinfard was hired by the Lehigh Valley Health Network as Chief Medical Officer (CMO) after serving at fifteen years at the Harry S. Truman VA Medical Center in Columbia, Missouri, eventually rising to the position of Section Chief for Dermatology.Ā  He was also a key figure in the University of Missouri Hospital – Columbia.Ā  In November of 2010, he was selected for his current position.Ā  He stated that he is ever mindful of the sacrifice of others who gave their lives and because of them, believes we should celebrate our lives and make them useful in the service of others.

In his talk, ā€œThe Downstream Health Effects of War,ā€ he observed that few doctors are veterans and hence a learning curve is often required when it comes to their care.Ā  He noted that that LHVN sees a lot of veterans in their Emergency Rooms; and that while the organization has done some work with the local VA Clinic, it intends to do more on the behalf of our local veterans. (more…)

LVMAC Tidbits

Bethlehem Morning Star Rotarians Sponsor a Concert to Support Victory House A concert on 20 November conducted by the Allentown Band, America’s oldest concert band, and sponsored by the Bethlehem Morning Star Rotarians in recognition of the Armed Forces worldwide and the coming 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor will benefit Read more…

LVMAC Tidbits

18 April….Crayola Factory Family Day Camp….Sponsored by the PNG Children & Youth Program…..Many activities throughout the day….To register visit http://www.jointservicessupport.org/events/kioskRegistration.aspx?Mode=AddNew&ld-bd7eaaf6-0722-4b71-99b2-647a90fdbb36Ā or you can call the PNG Child & Youth Program @Ā 717.861.6289 22 April…….Keystone Wounded Warriors Day @ Hershey park.Ā  the park is reserved for military and special organizations this day.Ā  A Read more…

LVMAC Tidbits

Trout Unlimited – Hokendauqua Is Having Another Event for Injured Veterans Trout Unlimited’s Hokendauqua has arranged for its third Project Healing Water Fly Fishing event of the season to occur on 8 October just upstream of the Robin Hood Dell bridge in Little Lehigh Park.Ā  Rain date is 9 October.Ā  Read more…

LVMAC Tidbits

TTI’s “Supporting the Homefront”Ā  has Launched A groundbreaking new program for the families of deploying and deployed military members and returned veterans has just become available in the Lehigh Valley beginning 27 September on Tuesday evenings. ā€œSupporting the Homefrontā€ offers a place to gather, understand and address the difficulties inherent Read more…

LVMAC News

Speaker: Ā On 17 August, BG (PA) Michael Gould, the Deputy Adjutant General for Veterans Affairs in the Commonwealth, spoke to the council.Ā  He explained that most states have a Secretary of Veterans Affairs but in this state the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs has the responsibility.Ā  He is one of three deputies and serves at the pleasure of the Governor, though he sees his responsibility is in serving first the veterans.

His Office of Veterans Affairs is primarily consumed with the operation of six state veterans homes, requiring some 1800 employees.Ā  Its other functional responsibilities, in comparison, are relatively small.Ā  For example, the Office of Veterans Affairs has three small field offices of veterans service officers located in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Ft. Indiantown Gap which file VA claims on behalf of veterans and work in confederation with the County Directors of Veterans Affairs.

This does not mean he is not busy.Ā  He has an open door policy for any veteran and has traveled approximately 63,000 miles on veterans business in the last year.

General Gould pointed out that his office manages six benefits programs, such as a paralyzed veteran pension and an emergency assistance fund, to the tune of $1 million but these touch only 1 to 2 per cent of the state’s veterans and as constituted are mostly redundant, considering the federal programs available for the same purposes.

He believes changes are necessary in his office (more…)

LVMAC Tidbits — Review of Medical Separations

DoD Physical Disability Board of Review is Reviewing Medical Retirement Ratings

Share this with the younger veterans you encounter. It may be old news, but it is worth repeating.

Roughly 70,000 vetĀ­erĀ­ans rated at less than 30% disability and given aĀ  medĀ­ical sepĀ­aĀ­raĀ­tion between SepĀ­temĀ­ber 11, 2001 and DecemĀ­ber 31, 2009 now have the chance to get their sepĀ­aĀ­raĀ­tions reviewed and posĀ­siĀ­blyĀ upgraded to a “medĀ­ical retireĀ­ment” status.Ā  This could mean thouĀ­sands in added benĀ­eĀ­fits for disĀ­abled vetĀ­erĀ­ans who were origĀ­iĀ­nally denied a milĀ­iĀ­tary retireĀ­ment.Ā  The review is being conĀ­ducted by the PhysĀ­iĀ­cal DisĀ­abilĀ­ity Board of Review.Ā  It will examĀ­ine each applicant’s medĀ­ical sepĀ­aĀ­raĀ­tion records and make a recĀ­omĀ­menĀ­daĀ­tion to the respecĀ­tiveĀ  SerĀ­vice SecĀ­reĀ­tary based on its findĀ­ings. (more…)