Berks County Seeks Deputy Director of Veterans Affairs
We’ve just heard the Berks County’s Director of Veterans Affairs has announced he is seeking a Deputy Director of Veterans Affairs to assist him. He seems to be wisely developing a succession plan to ensure continuity of operations in Berks County. (more…)
VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues
The joy of encountering the American private medical systems’ debt collectors has been taken on by the Department of Veterans Affairs in effort to make right with their veterans. On 14 March 2016, the VA announced the opening of yet another call center – this time to resolve debt collection issues resulting from problems created by the Veterans Choice [Card] program. Veterans have been experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims. The VA is now acknowledging that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for veterans and providers alike. (more…)
In a past articles we have written about the current abortion of a program known as Veterans Choice which Congress itself helped to create in trying to make the VA’s healthcare system more responsive to veterans living in the current era (In the coming year we should expect to see major improvement.) Ironically, an immediate good has resulted from this failure because funds were transferred from the program to overcome a critical budgetary crisis, partially caused by the cost of a certain breakthrough, hepatitis drug. Furthermore, the issue of hepatitis care was not then forgotten. This is important news to those among the estimated 200,000 veterans who heretofore have been awaiting the lifesaving medicine now available – sofosbuvir, sold as Sovaldi and Harvoni. (more…)
Earlier this year, the relatively new Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) stepped in and righted a wrong over a matter of significance to those veterans who struggle with alcohol or drug use. Its action should not go unnoticed, for it has a deep impact on the way business has been done in the past. (more…)
On 17 February, in an effort to improve contact between the serviced veterans and their assigned clinical teams, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), the Wilkes-Barre VAMC has announced the opening of a one-stop call center with a one-call number (1-877-928-2621) beginning 19 February 2016. It is intended to help those using the Medical Center and their Community-Based Outpatient Centers (CBOC) — the Lehigh Valley has two of these, one in Allentown and another in the Bangor area; and it will provide veterans with a direct line of contact to schedule or cancel appointments, relay messages to their provider, request medication refills, or have their calls routed to the appropriate service. (more…)
As a result of Winter Storm Jonas, the Allentown VA Outpatient Clinic closed 25 January due to a significant snow load accumulating on the roof. The weight of the snow has caused a deflection in the roof which generated concern over occupying it. This is the second known occurrence due to Read more…
NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 17, 2015
Harrisburg, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs encourages Pennsylvania veterans to connect with them via their new online Pennsylvania Veterans Registry at www.register.dmva.pa.gov for assistance with obtaining veterans benefits and services. (more…)
On the morning of 14 November at Lehigh University’s Mountaintop Campus, the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council is hosting a special physician and advanced practitioner training symposium through its Healthcare in Our Community alliance – one of a series of events that week. It is possibly the first time nationally Read more…
Treatment Trends Inc. has a case manager for a veterans-specific treatment track which is integrated into its in- and outpatient drug and alcohol treatment programs. Treatment Trends is a key, community resource for some of our most severely afflicted veterans. If interested in the position, apply as shown in the job announcement flyer below:
Army OneSource has launched a formal campaign to engage faith leaders and counselors in providing services and support to meet the spiritual and emotional needs of soldiers and their families. It wishes to raise the awareness of the role that faith communities can play and to provide them resources to reach out to soldiers and their families within a community. This is the first time we have seen this initiative being put into practice Pennsylvania and therefore want to let you know about it. (more…)