Women VeteransWomen VeteransWomen VeteransWomen VeteransWomen VeteransService through the ages—page 8

VAnguard

Inside: CARES, 4 ✩ Parkinson's Disease Centers, 5 ✩ 1-800-Call George, 7

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

MARCH 2001

2 VAnguard

INTRODUCINGSherry Laas

CCCCCONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTSONTENTS

CCCCCOLUMNSOLUMNSOLUMNSOLUMNSOLUMNS 13-16

VAnguardVA’s Employee Magazine

March 2001Vol. XLVII, No. 2

Printed on 50% recycled paper

Editor: Lisa RespessEditorial Assistant: Matt Bristol

Photo Editor: Robert Turtil

Published by theOffice of Public Affairs (80D)

Department of Veterans Affairs810 Vermont Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20420

(202) 273-5746E-mail: vanguard@mail.va.govwww.va.gov/pubaff/vanguard/

index.htm

❏ CARES 4VA health care delivery study launched

❏ Parkinson’s Centers 5VA to establish six specialty centers

❏ Position Classification 6Shared Service Center offers help

❏ 1-800-Call George 7Minn. program speeds claims processing

❏ Women of Courage 8Celebrating women vets through the ages

❏ Hometown Heroes 10NCA retiree designs veterans monument

❏ Rural Veterans 11State councils need VA support

On the cover: Dr. Mary E. Walker, one of thefirst woman doctors in thecountry, cared for woundedsoldiers on the battlefields of theCivil War. She was held as aprisoner of war by Confederatetroops for four months. In 1865,Walker became the first and onlywoman to be awarded theCongressional Medal of Honor.

When Sherry Laas began singingto hospitalized veterans in theExtended Care Unit of the Albuquer-que, N.M., VA Medical Center, theregistered nurse never imagined hersilky voice would one day reachthousands of listeners.

But that’s exactly what happenedwhen veterans there urged her to tryout for a spot in an upcomingmusical at the Albuquerque LightOpera. After just two auditions, shelanded a role in the show and hassince rocketed from singing veterans’favorites toperforming foraudiences atnearly every localtheater. “Early on,I had some suc-cess,” she recalled,“and it’s just beenan upward spiralever since.”

Her journey isrooted in thecorridors of theExtended Care Unit,where veterans canspend long monthsrecovering frommedical complica-tions. Shortly aftertransferring there, shebegan offering to singfor recovering veter-ans. “I found that if I offered them asong, and left it at their decision,then it would relax them duringuncomfortable situations,” she said.“If I can provide some joy or distrac-tion or happy memories, I’m all forit.”

As word of the singing nursespread, veterans would ask her tosing their be-bop favorites from the’40s and ’50s, songs she was oftenunfamiliar with. Determined to learnthe veterans’ favorites, Laas spenthours memorizing the lyrics of songslike “On Moonlight Bay,” which shesaid is popular among World War Iveterans, and the World War IIfavorite, “You Belong to Me”—songsGIs would sing to their sweethearts

as they headed off to war.She said the positive response she

received from the veterans led her topursue other performance opportu-nities. Since her breakthrough, Laashas performed in a variety of venues,including singing the nationalanthem at Albuquerque Dukesbaseball games, performing inShakespearean plays, singing in aZarzuela (a style of Spanish oper-etta), and putting on several one-woman concerts for area civicassociations.

One of her mostmemorable experi-ences occurred whileon a cruise vacation.One night, sheapproached thepianist in the loungeand asked if shecould sing while heplayed his babygrand. Hesitantly,the pianist agreed.Taking the stage,Laas swayed to therhythm of hertime-honoredballads, winningover the crowdwith soulfulrenditions of“Someone to

Watch Over Me,”“Georgia” and “Summertime.”

As she slowly lowered her headat the end of her performance, thelounge erupted in applause. Whenthe cheering died down, the once-reluctant pianist warmly invited herback the next night for an encore,and Laas put on nightly shows forthe remainder of the cruise.

“Sherry really has a marvelousvoice,” said supervisor Debra Gray,the acting nurse manager in theExtended Care Unit. “Her singinghelps brighten the day, particularlyfor many of our geriatric patients.Giving them that extra attentionreally goes a long way.” ❏

By Matt Bristol

March 2001 3

OutlookVentris C. GibsonDAS for HumanResources Management

Many VAemployees haveheard the termworkforceplanning butmay not befamiliar withwhat this termactually means.In fact, this isamong the most

important issues facing VA and otherfederal agencies today.

Workforce planning is the processof determining the kinds of employ-ees and structure necessary toaccomplish VA’s mission and thestrategies to meet those needs. VArecognizes that people—its humancapital—are its most critical asset inmanaging for results.

Why is workforce planning sucha critical issue? VA, like every otherfederal agency, faces major humanresources issues because of thesignificant number of employeeseligible to retire over the next fiveyears. Here are just a few of thestatistics.� Currently, 16 percent of VA’shealth care staff, 24 percent of itsbenefits administration staff, and 22percent of cemetery directors areeligible to retire.� By 2005, 98 percent of VHA seniorexecutives will be eligible to retire.� By 2005, 88 percent of VHA’s GS-15s and 94 percent of GS-14s will beeligible to retire.� By 2002, more than 40 percent ofVBA GS-15s will be eligible to retire.� By 2005, 53 percent of NCA staffwill be able to retire.

The current surge in workforceplanning initiatives has occurred toaddress this issue. However, it is notjust increased retirements thatpresent challenges.

Rapid changes in technology, anincreasingly diverse labor pool, anddifferent expectations of youngerworkers are forces that stronglysuggest that new recruitment andretention practices must be adopted

to meet program goals. In order toremain competitive and become an“employer of choice,” VA mustdesign and implement a process thatwill enable management to maintaina diverse workforce with the appro-priate mix of skills and competen-cies.

VA has made great strides infacilitating a One VA collaborativeapproach to the design and imple-mentation of a workforce planningstrategy. An overall goal ofworkforce planning is to make it anongoing process, integrated withVA’s strategic and budget planningprocesses so that we can forecast andavert future crises. This is critical toensure that we have the right peoplein the right place at the right time.

VA has identified workforceplanning strategies and measures inthe Department’s Strategic Plan andAnnual Performance Plan. In addi-tion, workforce planning is beingintegrated into the Department’sStrategic Management Framework,the primary vehicle for implement-ing VA’s mission.

Each of VA’s three administra-tions is moving ahead to develop theworkforce strategies and initiativesappropriate to their mission. A keyfocus has been on evaluating Depart-ment policies that impact pay andbenefits to identify additionalflexibilities in these policies.

In the longer term, VA willexplore a number of potentiallegislative remedies includingmovement toward a more stream-lined hiring process and broaderauthority in setting pay. VHA, forexample, is currently pursuinglegislation to increase the number ofhealth care occupations coveredunder Title 38.

A Departmental-level ExecutiveSteering Committee has also beenappointed. The committee membersrepresent key VA organizationalelements and will facilitate a One VAapproach to a workforce planningstrategy. The committee’s charter

includes the following goals:� championing workforce planningwith VA’s leadership;� providing direction for a VA-wideworkforce forecasting system;� monitoring workforce planningimplementation in VA; and� identifying and publishing “bestpractices” in workforce planningwithin VA and other organizations.

VA is also enhancing its focus oneducating managers and employeeson the available family-friendlyinitiatives aimed at fulfilling VA’scommitment to become an “em-ployer of choice.” They include thenew child care subsidy program, thetransit subsidy program, alternativework schedules, family-friendlyleave programs, and part-timeemployment opportunities. VA hasmany attributes that make us anattractive employer—most signifi-cantly, an important and challengingmission to care for the nation’sveterans and their families. ❏

Workforce Planning Will HelpVA Meet Future Challenges

VA Secretary Anthony J.Principi and French AmbassadorH.E. Francois de l’Estang an-nounced that the French govern-ment will honor U.S. World WarII veterans with certificates ofappreciation for their role inliberating France. To be eligible, aveteran must have served onFrench territory, in Frenchterritorial waters or in Frenchairspace between June 6, 1944and May 8, 1945.

The certificate will not beissued posthumously. Theapplication form will be availablefrom veterans service organiza-tions and on a special Web sitemaintained by the Frenchgovernment: www.info-france-usa.org/news/statmnts/ww2.

France HonorsU.S. WWII Vets

4 VAnguard

CARES: VA Health Care Delivery Study Launched

E nsuring that veterans receivethe right care, at the right place,at the right time is the primarygoal of a new VA health care

delivery study. The new study,“Capital Asset Realignment forEnhanced Services,” or CARES, isdesigned to objectively identify thebest ways to provide quality, acces-sible health care to veterans.

According to Dr. FrancesMurphy, VA Deputy Under Secre-tary for Health, the CARES studywill assess veterans’ health careneeds with each Veterans IntegratedService Network (VISN) and identifydelivery options to meet those needsin the future. The study will alsoguide the realignment and allocationof capital assets to support thedelivery of services. To ensureobjectivity, VA has hired an indepen-dent consultant group, Booz-Allen &Hamilton, Inc., to gather data,develop options and apply objectivecriteria to the options.

“CARES is about planning forveterans’ health care and makingsure that quality and access are giventhe highest consideration,” Murphysaid. “I encourage all VA health careemployees and stakeholders to getinvolved in the process. Broad inputis critical to the development ofeffective options.”

Phase One of the study began inthe VA Great Lakes Health CareSystem (VISN 12) in January. TheCARES process will be applied in

every VA healthcare network inthe country. In2001, VA expectsto begin CARESinitiatives inVISNs 1, 3, 4, 10,11, 12, 21 and 22.

How theCARESProcess WillWork The CARESprocess takes anew approach toplanning for thefuture veteranshealth caresystem. It beginswith a detailed

assessment of veterans’ health careneeds now and in 2010. Followingthe assessment, a team of health careconsultants will visit facilities bynetwork, gathering information fromstakeholders and employees to helpdevelop service delivery options thatwill best meet veterans’ needs.

Next, these options will beevaluated based on two sets ofobjective criteria developed by VA todetermine whether the options underconsideration provide adequateambulatory, hospital, and long-term(nursing home and home-based)care. The best option based onquality, access and cost will bepresented to the Secretary of Veter-ans Affairs for approval.

Facility Visits and MeetingsEach VA facility will hold meet-

ings between consultants for theCARES study, Booz-Allen &Hamilton, and employees, volun-teers, veterans service organizations,medical school affiliates, congres-sional staff and others. The goal ofthese meetings will be to gatherinformation and data for consider-ation in developing service deliveryoptions.

“The facility visits have enabledthe CARES team to understand theneeds of veterans and the opportuni-ties presented by each facilitydirectly from both the staff giving thecare and the veterans they serve,”said VISN 12 Director Joan E.

Cummings, M.D. “This type ofinteraction by the CARES team willensure the most positive outcomefrom the study.”

Employee andStakeholder Involvement

VHA employees and stakehold-ers will be involved in the CARESprocess in a number of ways. Prior tothe first facility visits, each networkwill assemble an official CARESSupport Task Force to provideinformation to and coordinate withthe CARES consultant. Each CARESSupport Task Force will designate a“stakeholder communication coordi-nator.”

This person will oversee imple-mentation of a communications planthat ensures stakeholder involve-ment throughout the process. Thecommunications plan will facilitateregular information sharing andallow communication of stakeholdercomments and concerns to the teamand consultant.

Employees will be kept informedabout the process via regular em-ployee bulletins, newsletters, e-mails,and meetings. They will also beencouraged to share their thoughtsand ideas by sending comments, bye-mail or regular mail, to a specialCARES e-mail address or postaladdress that will be posted on aCARES Web site to facilitate the flowof information during the study.

Why CARES?VA’s health care system has

changed dramatically in the pastdecade. Increases in outpatient care,demographic changes, changes intechnology, and availability of newtreatments have altered 21st centurymedicine. VA needs to look carefullyat these changes, assess their impacton veterans’ health care needs, anddevelop plans for the future. VAhealth care infrastructure must bealigned to support the vision andplan.

The VA system was designed andbuilt decades ago during a differentera of medical care. A new focusemphasizes putting outpatientresources into community-basedfacilities close to where veterans live

Chuck Loring (left), of Facility Management at the North ChicagoVA Medical Center, and Tony Arnold, a consultant with VWInternational, Inc., review floor plans of the ICU. VW Internationalis a subcontractor working with Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., on theutility and engineering aspects of CARES.

(continued on page 6)

March 2001 5

VA will create six newcenters specializing inParkinson’s diseaseresearch, education andclinical care, agencyofficials announced at aCapitol Hill news confer-ence on February 7. TheDepartment will commitmore than $30 millionover four years fromexisting resources to fundthe centers, which will benamed Parkinson’sDisease Research, Educa-tion and Clinical Centers(PADRECCs).

Operating as a na-tional consortium, thePADRECCs will functionsimilarly to VA’s Geriat-ric Research, Educationand Clinical Centers (GRECCs) andMental Illness Research, Educationand Clinical Centers (MIRECCs).They will be established at the VAmedical centers in Houston, Philadel-phia, Portland, Ore., Richmond, Va.,San Francisco and West Los Angeles.

The Parkinson’s centers willconduct research covering basicbiomedicine, rehabilitation, healthservices delivery and clinical trials.They’ll also participate in a landmarkclinical trial to assess the effective-ness of surgical implantation of deepbrain stimulators in reducing thesymptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The centers will develop educa-tion and training programs forpatients, families, students andhealth care professionals. And each

site will conduct a clinical caredemonstration program for evaluat-ing new models of care delivery forveterans with Parkinson’s diseaseand movement disorders.

“Our centers will bring hope—hope to veterans, and to all Ameri-cans with Parkinson’s. And they willbring progress in treating the dis-ease,” said VA Secretary Anthony J.Principi, making his first appearanceon Capitol Hill since his confirma-tion.

Parkinson’s disease is a chronicneurological condition caused by thedegeneration of cells in a region ofthe mid-brain that produces thechemical and neurotransmitterdopamine. The resulting decrease indopamine produces symptoms

including tremors,slowness of movement,stiffness of limbs and gaitor balance problems. Thedisease progresses slowly.Treatments are available,but there is no cure. The NationalParkinson Foundation,Inc. (NPF) estimates thatup to 1.5 million Ameri-cans have the disease,with about 50,000 newcases diagnosed eachyear. VA medical centerstreat at least 20,000Parkinson’s diseasepatients each year. Thenew Parkinson’s centersbuild on an allianceformed by VA and theNPF in 1999 to improve

care and find a cure for the debilitat-ing disease.

Illinois Congressman Lane Evans,a Marine Corps veteran and rankingDemocrat on the House Veterans’Affairs Committee, suffers fromParkinson’s disease. He joinedPrincipi and other VA, congressionaland NPF officials for the announce-ment.

“As a veteran with Parkinson’sdisease, I know personally of thestruggles we confront daily to livenormal lives—we endure thesebattles as we have endured othergreat conflicts,” said Evans. “I knowthat veterans and other Americanswill profit from the work that takesplace in the centers VA is announc-ing today.” ❏

VA Secretary Anthony J. Principi announces the new Parkinson’scenters during a Capitol Hill news conference on February 7. Lookingon are (from left): VA Deputy Under Secretary for Health Dr. FrancesMurphy; VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Thomas Garthwaite; Rep.Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Rep. Lane Evans (D-Ill.).

VA to Establish Six Parkinson’s Disease Centers

A national telephone survey ofveterans designed to help VA planits future programs and services gotunderway last month and willcontinue through August. Resultsfrom VA’s fifth comprehensivesurvey of a nationwide sample ofveterans are expected in 2002. Thelast survey was conducted in 1993.

The survey helps VA:� follow changing trends in the

veteran population;� compare characteristics of

veterans who use VA services withthose of veterans who do not;

� study its role in the delivery ofall benefits veterans receive; and

� update information aboutveterans to help the Departmentanalyze its policies.

Interviewers working for thesurvey contractor, Westat, Inc., willask veterans about their health,disabilities, military background,education, and their needs forservices such as medical care,housing and education assistance.

The interviewers will use asample of 20,000 veterans, 13,000 ofwhom will be selected by a random-

number dialing procedure. The other7,000 will be selected from files ofveterans who are enrolled in VAhealth care or who receive disabilitycompensation or pension benefits.Those veterans will receive a lettergiving them advance notificationabout the survey.

Participation in the survey isvoluntary and the information theinterviewers obtain from the veter-ans will be kept confidential underthe federal Privacy Act. VA conductsthe survey every seven or eightyears. ❏

National Telephone Survey of Veterans Underway

6 VAnguard

A new service to help VA manag-ers and supervisors create andclassify position descriptions is nowavailable through the VA SharedService Center (SSC) in Topeka, Kan.A part of the HR LINK$ SM humanresources and payroll initiative, thenew service features an online libraryof more than 700 position descrip-tions (PDs) that managers andsupervisors can either use “as is” ormodify to meet their needs.

In addition to the PD library, theClassification Services Web page, atwww.hrlinks.aac.va.gov, also offersinstructions on how to access anduse the library, how to submit a PDto the SSC for classification, and howto add PDs to the library.

A manager or supervisor whouses a PD from the library withoutmaking any changes can get aposition classified by classificationspecialists at the SSC within fivebusiness days, according to Classifi-cation Services Supervisor Kay

Crayton. Newly created PDs or PDswith minor changes can be classifiedwithin 15 business days, she said.

Classifying PDs involves assign-ing a title, series and grade to a set ofjob duties. For managers and super-visors who need assistance classify-ing PDs beyond what the Web pageoffers, the SSC’s classificationspecialists are available to help,Crayton said. “Sometimes, a man-ager or supervisor may not be sure ifthe correct information is included inthe PD, or they may want to verifybasic criteria for the PD,” saidCrayton. “We are here to help out inany way we can.”

The Classification Web page isone of several services currentlyavailable through HR LINK$. SMFrom any desktop computerequipped with HR LINK$ SM technol-ogy, VA employees can also reviewor change personal information suchas their name or address, buySavings Bonds, enroll in health or life

Classification Services Now Available at SSC

This year’s Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Open Seasonwas a success, according to staff at the VA Shared Service Center(SSC). Employee calls to the SSC’s toll-free line were answered muchfaster during the recent FEHB Open Season than in 1999. Of the nearly41,000 calls received between November 13 and December 11, 2000,about 97 percent were answered within 45 seconds. During the 1999FEHB Open Season, only about 80 percent of the calls were answeredduring the same timeframe.

About half of the calls were from employees initiating FEHB transac-tions; the other half were from employees requesting information abouttheir HR LINK$ SM personal identification number or the Thrift SavingsPlan Open Season, which began on December 15.

SSC staff attribute the improvement primarily to the availability of theHR LINK$ SM Self Service desktop application and sound planning.Instead of calling in to the SSC on the toll-free line, employees could logon to any desktop computer equipped with HR LINK$ SM technology andindependently initiate their transactions.

Over the month-long FEHB Open Season, VA employees accessedthe Self Service desktop application more than 79,000 times. And nearly17,000 employees used the desktop application to print out a copy oftheir new health insurance form (SF 2809)—they no longer had to waitfor a copy of the form to be mailed to them.

Many employees who used the desktop application reported that itwas easy to access and use. The busiest day of the recent FEHB OpenSeason was December 11, when more than 6,000 employees accessedthe desktop application, and more than 4,000 spoke with customerservice representatives at the SSC within a 12-hour period. ❏

insurance, or set up a payroll deduc-tion. To initiate any of the personaltransactions or use the new Classifi-cation Services, VA employees willneed their personal identificationnumber (PIN). Crayton emphasizedthe importance of keeping the PINsecure, since it gives anyone whoknows the number access to yourpersonal information.

“Your HR LINK$ SM PIN is justlike a PIN you would get from abank for your checking account,”said Crayton. “In order to ensureyour information and transactionsare secure, you need to make sureyour PIN is kept secure.” To reachthe Classification Section at the SSC,call 1-800-414-5272. TTY users shouldcall 1-800-877-8339. ❏

Faster Service from the SSCFaster Service from the SSCFaster Service from the SSCFaster Service from the SSCFaster Service from the SSC

and providing tertiary care at itsmedical centers. CARES is a respon-sible and necessary process to ensureveterans are getting the best healthcare possible, said Murphy.

The Impact on VA Facilities“CARES’ goal is not about closing

facilities,” she said. “CARES willdevelop strategies for meetingveteran needs for accessible, qualityhealth care and aligning capitalassets to meet those needs, whilemaximizing our expert staffing,community resources and VAeducation and research missions.”

CARES will look at all health caredelivery options, including poten-tially recommending that new VHAfacilities be opened. Options thatinvolve a significant mission changefor a facility will require approval bythe Secretary.

If approved, the Secretary willsubmit reports describing the optionto appropriate congressional com-mittees and stakeholder groups.There will be a formal 45-day com-ment period before implementation.From beginning to end, the CARESprocess invites and considers em-ployee and stakeholder input indeveloping recommendations. ❏

By Maureen BosschChicago OPA Regional Office

CARES (cont.)

March 2001 7

M innesota veterans whowant to discuss decisionson their claims for VAbenefits can do so by

simply picking up the telephone,dialing 1-800-827-1000 and asking forGeorge. The toll-free number con-nects callers directly to an employeeat the St. Paul VA Regional Officewho is both familiar with theveteran’s case and VA’s appellateprocess. His name is GeorgeZechmann.

“Having this phone line givesclaimants the opportunity to call VAand speak with someone specificallyabout their claim,” said George.“And they are extremely happy tohave that option.”

Since opening the Call Georgetelephone line and starting severalother appeals reduction projects, theSt. Paul VA Regional Office isprocessing claims faster and moreaccurately, has reduced notices ofdisagreement by some 50 percent,and has seen a sharp spike in cus-tomer satisfaction.

But just who is this George guy?

And how did the phone line come tobear his name?

Back in 1996, the regional officefaced a growing backlog of claims forVA benefits. “It was difficult to makeprogress on new claims when wewere constantly revisiting old cases,”said Don Walker, Veterans ServiceCenter manager.

Slowed by a mounting workload,Walker met with Regional OfficeDirector Ron Henke to hammer out asolution. “We wanted to providebetter service to veterans,” saidHenke, “and we knew that if wecould reduce the number of appealsfiled, then we could process newclaims faster.”

They decided to implement atelephone line to give veterans theoption of talking with someoneabout claims decisions they areunhappy or confused about, insteadof automatically filing an appeal.Henke asked if George could take onthe role of explaining decisions toclaimants. “George happened to bethe right person to fit that need,”Henke explained.

An Air Force veteran with aservice-connected disability, Georgeknows first hand how the claimsprocess works. Plus, he’s worked inVA benefits offices for nearly 30years.

Now, every time a decision ismailed to a claimant, a letter isincluded with a paragraph encourag-ing the claimant to call or e-mailGeorge if they have any questionsabout the decision, or if they disagreewith the decision and want todiscuss it.

Since opening the telephone line,George has handled more than 3,000calls from veterans, dependents, andveterans service officers. “Usually,the caller is unsatisfied with adecision,” said George. “I try to helpthem understand how it wasreached, or explain what type ofevidence they can submit to re-opentheir claim.” Reports show 51percent of callers felt George’sexplanation was sufficient, and 35percent re-opened their claim withevidence previously unknown to VA.

One unexpected outcome of thetelephone line, George noted, isgaining the ability to help veterans asthey develop new claims. “We workclosely with county and nationalservice officers to help veterans withevidence issues up front,” he ex-plained. “It’s a proactive approach todeveloping customer relationshipsand leads to higher customer satis-faction.”

George recently took his tele-phone hot line to TV prime timewhen he appeared on a local cabletelevision program devoted toveterans’ issues. The show reachesan estimated 30,000 viewers in sevenSt. Paul suburbs. “This cable televi-sion show is another way of reachingout to the veterans we serve,” saidGeorge.

The Call George initiative isconsidered a VA “best practice” andhas been adopted at several other VAregional offices, including DesMoines, Milwaukee and Nashville.“We felt the need to simplify theclaims process for veterans,” saidHenke. “To take away some of theconfusion and enhance VA in theeyes of veterans.” ❏

By Matt Bristol

Unique Program Speeds Claims ProcessingWhen Minnesota veterans have a question, concern or needmore information on a claims decision, they ‘Call George’

George Zechmann has handled more than 3,000 calls from veterans, dependents and veteransservice officers since the 1-800-Call George program began at the St. Paul, Minn., VARegional Office.

8 VAnguard

M arch is National Women’sHistory Month, a time tohonor the courage andvision of women who

challenged social inequities andbrought a wrecking ball to thefoundations of gender discrimina-tion. Women like Mary McLeodBethune, who in 1904 scrapedtogether $1.50 and with just fivepupils, founded a school for youngblack women.

Or labor activist Esther Peterson,whose efforts were instrumental inthe passage of the Equal Pay Act of1963. Or Air Force Lt. Col. EileenCollins, who in 1999 became the firstwoman commander of a NASAspace shuttle mission.

With each stride toward equality,women also forged an identitywithin the traditionally male-dominated military. Nearly 1.5million women have worn theuniform of the U.S. armed forcessince Teddy Roosevelt led the RoughRiders up San Juan Hill in 1898during the Spanish-American War.But their wartime contributions canbe traced much further.

In the Revolutionary War,women like Margaret Corbin andDeborah Samson served coura-geously beside their male counter-parts. When her husband was killed

while manning acannon duringthe 1776 battle ofFort Washington,Corbin rushed toreplace him—cleaning, loadingand firing theweapon—untilshe was hit andseriouslywounded bygrapeshot. Threeyears later, shebecame the firstwoman awardeda disabilitypension from theContinentalCongress.Samson, whowas later de-

clared the Official Heroine of theCommonwealth of Massachusetts,disguised herself as a man andserved gallantly for three years withthe 4th Massachusetts Regiment untilshe was wounded and her secretdiscovered.

Women ofboth Confederateand Unionallegiancerepeatedly putthemselves inharm’s way tocare forwoundedsoldiers on theCivil War’sbloody killingfields. Perhapsbest known is Dr.Mary Walker,who served as anArmy physicianand became thefirst and onlywoman awardedthe Congres-sional Medal ofHonor.

The proportion of women veter-ans has risen steadily since WorldWar I, with some 34,000 womenserving in that war, primarily in theArmy Nurse Corps. World War II

saw more than 350,000 women entermilitary service, and according to theHouse Veterans’ Affairs Committee,more than 200 died in action.

In 1943, Congress activated theWomen’s Army Corps to regularArmy status. The law, however, wasscheduled to expire in 1948. Inresponse, the Army took steps tomake the unit a permanent part ofthe U.S. military. After two years oflegislative debate, the Women’sArmed Services Integration Act of1948 was passed. The act allowedwomen to serve as permanent,regular members of the Army, Navy,Marine Corps, and Air Force.

During the Korean and VietnamWars, women served in numerousmedical and clerical assignments—inhospitals, MASH Units, intelligenceoperations groups, informationoffices, in headquarters and person-nel units. In 1950 in Korea, Armynurses supported combat troopsdefending the Pusan Perimeter, theywere in the amphibious landing atInchon, and joined troops crossingthe 38th parallel on their way to the

Yalu River on the Manchurianborder. Some 7,500 women served“in country” during the VietnamWar, the majority as nurses assignedto military hospitals, air evacuation

Women’s History MonthWomen’s History MonthWomen’s History MonthWomen’s History MonthWomen’s History MonthCelebrating Women of Courage and Vision

World War I Marine recruits take the oath.

A woman pilot prepares to board a P-38 fighter during World War II.

March 2001 9

units, hospital ships and field units.Some were wounded; others killed inaction. The names of eight arememorialized on the wall at theVietnam Veterans Memorial. 1st Lt.Sharon Ann Lane is one of those. Shedied from shrapnel wounds receivedwhen her unit, the 312th EvacuationHospital, came under rocket attack atChu Lai in 1969. She was in Vietnamfor less than three months.

Military deployments of the 1990shighlighted the growing number ofwomen in the armed forces. Morethan 40,000 women participated inthe Gulf War. Five were killed inaction, and two taken prisoner ofwar. Records of the Defense Man-power Data Center show more than1,000 women participated in militaryoperations in Somalia and more than5,000 in Bosnia.

As the number of women veter-ans grew, VA health care evolved tomeet their needs. As early as 1938, anarticle in the American Journal ofNursing reported VA as having 287hospital beds for women veterans.

In the early 1980s, VA Adminis-trator Harry N. Walters establishedthe VA Advisory Committee onWomen Veterans, charging thegroup with a wide range of outreachactivities aimed at informing womenveterans of their entitlement to thesame VA benefits as men. One of thecommittee’s major accomplishmentswas initiating the Women Counse-lors’ Program, a precursor to thecurrent Women Veterans Coordina-tor program. Back then, VA esti-

mated women would make up fivepercent of the total veteran popula-tion by the year 2000. We’ve reachedthat mark. And the number of

1st Lieutenant Joan Furey caring for a burn patient in 1969 at the 71st Evacuation Hospitalin Pleiku, Vietnam, and today (inset) as director of VA’s Center for Women Veterans.

VA SecretaryAnthony J.Principi spoke toemployees onFebruary 1 duringa live nationalbroadcast over theVA KnowledgeNetwork from itsnew headquartersstudio.

“I was hon-ored whenPresident Bushasked me toreturn to Wash-ington, and I washonored again when the Senate consented to my nomination,” Principitold employees during the broadcast. “But I really believe that thegreatest honor of all is that I can once again claim the title of ‘VAemployee.’ There are no people in government more committed, morededicated to their work than VA people.”

Principi said he looked forward to getting out in the field to meetand talk with VA employees personally. He urged VA employees to“treat every veteran who turns to us for the benefits and services he orshe has earned with sympathy, compassion and with respect. Many ofthem come to us in their weakest and most vulnerable moments. Manyof them have no other options. Veterans are the reason we exist as anorganization. A commitment to service to veterans is a prerequisite to acareer in our Department.” ❏

women veterans is expected todouble by the year 2010.

In response, VA has establishedthe Center for Women Veterans andassigned women veterans coordina-tors to VA facilities nationwide tohelp women veterans receive gender-specific benefits and services, includ-ing breast and pelvic exams, contra-ceptive services, menopause man-agement, Pap smears and mammog-raphy. VA social workers and PTSDexperts also are on hand to helpwomen veterans overcome psycho-logical trauma resulting from sexualabuses occurring during activemilitary service.

For more information on VAbenefits for women veterans, visit theCenter for Women Veterans Web siteat: www.va.gov/womenvet, or to learnmore about women in the militaryvisit: www.dtic.mil/dacowits, the Website for the Defense Advisory Com-mittee on Women in the Service. ❏

Tuning in the New Secretary

Secretary Principi speaks to employees from the VACentral Office broadcast studio.

By Matt Bristol

10 VAnguard

VA Retiree Designs Monument to Hometown Heroes

An architect’s model of the veterans monument designed by former NCA employee ButchDouma (inset) for his Iowa hometown.

H ull, Iowa, holds onto itsveterans, its fallen soldiers, itsmemories. The town of about2,000 counts between 200 and

300 veterans among them, and theyare not about to forget each other orthose who passed before them—especially now that they have amonument to all of them.

Designed by native son ButchDouma, the new monument—scheduled to be dedicated on Memo-rial Day—will display the names ofevery Hull resident who ever servedin the armed forces and will servehonorably in the future. “It will trulybe a living memorial to all its veter-ans,” said the retired VA CentralOffice employee.

Douma retired from the NationalCemetery Administration (NCA) aswestern area coordinator in 1997,moved to Phoenix, and more than ayear ago found an opportunity to tapinto his early-career experience inarchitecture and design. That waswhen a longtime friend back in Hull,as the commander representing theWegman-Keole American Legionpost, asked him to design a monu-ment for a park on Main Street.

An Army veteran and longtimeLegion member whose father was afounder of the same post in 1919,Douma vigorously accepted thechallenge and prepared six possible

designs. The Legion chose one, “themost complex with the most mean-ing,” said Douma, who then devel-oped working drawings for a con-tractor.

Legion post and auxiliary mem-bers did research to identify every-one in Hull who had served in thearmed forces. To help raise funds tobuild the monument, Douma built anarchitect’s model. A Hull “snowbird”drove it from Phoenix to Hull, whereit was displayed in the town hall togenerate donations. Post memberswrote to all veterans they could findwho had ever lived in Hull, andreceived more than enough moneyfor the construction. The donationswill also pay for maintenance, whichthe Legion post and its auxiliaryhave committed to provide.

Douma visited Hull last summerin time to help prepare the soil forpouring of concrete. World War IIveterans volunteered to shovel dirt.The monument’s total cost was$42,000. A contractor donated laborand a concrete company donatedmaterials.

The five-pointed rose-coloredconcrete star design of the monu-ment symbolizes both the UnitedStates and its five military branches.A circular curb surrounds the star toevoke unity at many levels, includ-ing the concept of a circle of friends

or a family circle. A hedge surroundsthe monument as an embracingelement of nature, the evergreensymbolizing everlasting honor.

The monument is handicapped-accessible. A walkway leads to aninterior that includes flower bedsand, near the entrance, a small stonemonument carved with “HullVeterans Memorial,” the AmericanLegion emblem and the words “Allgave some—some gave all.”

At that point, visitors can walk ineither direction around the star or siton benches to talk or contemplate. Ateach star point is a bronze emblemrepresenting a military branch and aflagstaff displaying the correspond-ing service flag. The star’s apexcarries the United States emblem andnext to it appears the main flagstaffwith the American flag. On patrioticholidays, an “avenue of flags” willsurround the monument.

Between the star points are fourred granite monuments on which theHull veterans’ names are carved,with space for future veterans’names to be incised. Currently, 787names appear. Of those, 350 namesare of World War II veterans, 50 ofwhom still reside in Hull. There areeven names of 28 Civil War veterans.

The star’s center holds a stonewith a bronze plaque. The plaquenames the 18 Hull residents whodied in service, honoring them with abronze “gold star” set on a bluebackground. The blue backgroundharks back to Douma’s remembranceof small blue flags with a star thatadorned the windows of familieswho had someone in military serviceduring his childhood. Spotlightingand other illumination within themonument area invite eveningvisitation.

The Legion post expects morenames to be added after the dedica-tion when visitors recognize missingnames. Douma will speak at theprogram, which will be part of aveterans homecoming weekend ofcommunity activities.

Douma’s VA career began at thePhoenix VA Regional Office in 1974.He moved to VACO in 1978, andheld management positions in VBAand NCA. ❏

By Jo Schuda

March 2001 11

Before VA opened a community-based outpatient clinic in Hays, Kan.,local veterans had to travel morethan a hundred miles to receivemedical treatment. But thanks to apartnership between the Wichita VAMedical and Regional Office Center(VAMROC), the Kansas RuralDevelopment Council, and statewidehealth care organizations, nearly1,500 rural veterans can now receiveprimary and preventive health careservices right in their hometown.

The Hays clinic is just one ex-ample of the remarkable successesresulting from VA partnerships withstate rural development councils.Other notable accomplishmentsinclude a collaborative effort be-tween the Wisconsin Council, theDepartment of Agriculture’s Foodand Consumer Service, and VA toeducate the state’s elderly populationabout new nutritional guidelines.

Similarly, in 1999, the Massachu-setts Rural Development Council,Northampton VA Medical Center,and other local groups worked tocoordinate transportation resourcesto meet community needs, includingthe transportation of VA patients.

The list of successful partnershipsalso includes multiple conferences,information-sharing efforts, andendeavors to improve health caredelivery across rural America.In spite of these achievements, VArepresentation on the state councilshas declined over the years. Asrecently as 1996, VA could boast ofmembership on half of the 40 statecouncils. Today, only 12 have VAparticipation.

Yet, in a recent survey, virtuallyall of the councils expressed interestin recruiting VA members to workon projects benefiting rural veterans.For example, the Montana Councilreported it would like VA represen-tatives to help with Internet trainingfor veteran small business owners.And even though the MississippiCouncil has a strong relationshipwith local VA staff, it could benefitfrom additional VA support to workwith clinics offering telemedicine.

To stimulate interest, employeesof the Office of IntergovernmentalAffairs in VA Central Officelaunched a campaign to educate VAemployees on the value of statecouncils. They published a report

entitled “Department of VeteransAffairs and the State Rural Develop-ment Councils: Partnerships ThatWork!” This report illustrates thebreadth and depth of the councils’recent work in such areas as healthcare, housing, telecommunications,workforce development and trans-portation.

The National Rural DevelopmentPartnership’s mission is to bringtogether federal, state, local andtribal governments as well as privateand non-profit organizations toaddress the problems facing ruralAmerica. This network serves as avaluable resource by allowingmultiple partners to work together toachieve shared goals.

To get a copy of the report on VApartnerships with state rural devel-opment councils, call (202) 273-9399.For more information about staterural development councils, contactthe National Rural DevelopmentPartnership at (202) 690-2394 or visitthe Web site: www.rurdev.usda.gov/nrdp. ❏

A world-renownedpioneer inAIDS treat-ment andresearch hasbeen namedchief ofMedicalService at theSan FranciscoVA MedicalCenter. Dr.Paul Volberding, professor ofmedicine at the University ofCalifornia, San Francisco (UCSF),also serves as vice chair of UCSF’sDepartment of Medicine.

He had been director of theUCSF Positive Health Program,the university’s AIDS clinicalservice based at San FranciscoGeneral Hospital Medical Center

(SFGHMC). Volberding helpedfound the service in the early yearsof the AIDS crisis, and led it tobecome the highest-ranked AIDSprogram in the country.

Volberding joined the UCSFfaculty at SFGHMC in 1981—thesame year San Francisco recorded itsfirst cases of a mysterious illness thatlater become known as acquiredimmune deficiency syndrome(AIDS). Two years later, with fund-ing from the San Francisco andCalifornia departments of publichealth, he teamed with two col-leagues to establish the first programdedicated to treating AIDS patients.

At the clinic, then known as Ward86, Volberding and his colleaguesconducted clinical testing of many ofthe first anti-retroviral drugs onAIDS patients, and have continued tostudy and test new treatments for

HIV/AIDS. Under his leadership,the clinic, now known as thePositive Health Program, was amajor influence in developing awidely accepted model foreffective and compassionate careof HIV/AIDS patients.

Dr. Diana Nicoll, chief of staffat the San Francisco VA MedicalCenter, said Volberding’s “broadarray of talents in clinical treat-ment and research will be of greatbenefit to us, and to VA’s nationalcommitment to patient care,education and research.”

Volberding will stay on asprincipal investigator of theUCSF-Gladstone Institute ofVirology and Immunology Centerfor AIDS Research (CFAR). Thecenter is part of a national net-work of CFARs organized by theNational Institutes of Health. ❏

AIDS Treatment Pioneer Joins San Francisco VAMC

State Rural Development Councils Seek VA Help

By Kimberly A. JonesTruman Fellow, VA Central Office

Volberding

12 VAnguard

Korean War 50thKorean War 50thKorean War 50thKorean War 50thKorean War 50th

Thousands of Long Beach, Calif., residents linethe streets each year on November 11 to enjoy thecity’s annual Veterans Day parade. This pastVeterans Day, employees of the VA Long BeachHealthcare System decided for the first time toenter a float in the parade. And for their initialforay into float-making, they chose the 50th anni-

VA Long Beach Healthcare System employees mount a 50thanniversary of the Korean War commemoration logo on thefloat they created and entered in the Long Beach, Calif.,Veterans Day parade.

Employee volunteers put the finishing touches on their 50thanniversary of the Korean War-themed float for the LongBeach Veterans Day parade.

Wearing dark suits and gowns accented by livelyKente cloths, members of the VA Gospel Choir swayedand lifted their voices in spirited harmony before apacked conference room in VA Central Office (VACO) onFebruary 15, for the second in a series of events celebrat-ing Black History Month.

The program, “Creating and Defining the African-American Community: Family, Church, Politics andCulture,” simulated an actual church service led by theRev. John Vaughan, who doubles as a choir member. His

Voices Lifted in Harmony

A performance by the VA Gospel Choir was one of several activitiescelebrating Black History Month at VA headquarters.

vibrant sermon elicited several rounds of “amen” fromenthusiastic audience members, while the smoothharmonies of the VA Gospel Choir blended in suchgospel favorites as “Center of My Joy,” “I Know I’veBeen Changed” and “Victory is Mine.”

The VA Gospel Choir has been delighting audiencesthroughout the Washington, D.C., area since they formedin 1980 to perform at a Black History celebration. “Thereare many ways we celebrate in the African Americanchurch,” said Deborah K. McCallum, chair of the VACOBlack History Month Committee. “Song is one of those.”

In his opening remarks, Secretary Anthony J. Principiconfirmed the significance of celebrating Black HistoryMonth. “We celebrate our unity while we simultaneouslyremember and honor each of the individual and separatethreads from which our unified tapestry is sewn to-gether.” Later he added, “Your presence shows yoursupport, not only for African Americans and theirhistory, but also for the commitment to diversity that is atthe heart of our Department’s efforts.”

VA facilities around the country also planned andconducted a variety of activities to observe Black HistoryMonth, which celebrates progress, achievements anddiversity in the nation’s African American community.African American historian Carter G. Woodson createdan annual celebration of African American life in the1920s. Originally called “Negro History Week,” it wasexpanded to a month-long observance in 1976. Woodsonchose February because it is the birth month of twohistorical figures who had a dramatic impact on the livesof African Americans—Frederick Douglass and AbrahamLincoln. ❏

versary of the Korean War commemoration as thetheme.

Starting from scratch only a week before theparade, the employee volunteers created a red, whiteand blue float emblazoned with the words, “VAHonoring the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War,”and featuring the logo and flag of the 50th anniver-sary commemoration. They also flew the U.S. andfive military service branch flags, and veteranemployees in uniforms representing each servicebranch rode on the float. ❏

March 2001 13

MEDICALadvances

Boise, Idaho, VAMC ResearcherIdentifies New Antibiotic

A Boise, Idaho, VA Medical Center researcher has demon-strated that linezolid, a new type of antibiotic, cures manybacterial infections that are increasingly resistant to commonlyused drugs. Dr. Dennis Stevens, chief of Infectious Diseases atthe Boise VA Medical Center, headed the clinical trials oflinezolid at about 40 U.S. medical centers. The study wasrecently reported in the journal Antimicrobial Agents andChemotherapy.

Stevens and colleagues tested the new antibiotic on morethan 600 patients who were suffering from serious skin or soft-tissue infections, including abscesses and wounds. Linezolidcured 89 percent of the patients. The first of a new class ofantibiotics that attack bacteria at a different point than otherantibiotics, linezolid causes only mild to moderate side effectsand can be taken by mouth, unlike many similar antibiotics. It isknown commercially as Zyvox.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approvedlinezolid for treatment of pneumonia and skin infections,including those caused by staph and enterococcil infections.Enterococcil bacteria are considered to be among the“supergerms” that frequently invade surgical wounds and mayalso cause serious abdominal, urinary tract and heart valveinfections. Moreover, enterococcil infections are growingincreasingly impervious to antibiotics.

According to the FDA, about a quarter of enterococcilinfections among intensive-care patients in 1999 wereuntreatable, even by using vancomycin, the longtime drug oflast resort—a shocking 43 percent increase from the mid-1990sin enterococcil infections among similar patients.

Gulf War Conference ConfirmsNeed for More Research

On the tenth anniversary of the Gulf War, researchersattending a VA conference on Gulf War illnesses agreed thereis still no clear indication of why veterans of the conflict areexperiencing a myriad of ailments they believe were incurred inthe deserts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

Opening the three-day conference, Dr. John Feussner, VAchief research and development officer, confirmed what mostexperts believe—more research is necessary. “We’re going tolook as long as there’s a chance we’re going to find something,”he said.

Like archaeologists patiently unearthing bone after bone topiece together a lost species, researchers have steadilyassembled evidence in their quest to determine what causedthe collection of illnesses plaguing Gulf War veterans. So far,$155 million has been spent on 192 different studies. Somehave focused on depleted uranium, anthrax vaccinations,insecticides, PB pills, oil smoke and low levels of nerve gas askey ingredients in a hazardous environment possibly respon-

sible for symptoms afflicting as many as 60,000 Gulf Warveterans.

Yet, as Feussner pointed out, there is no clear answer.“One of the handicaps is there is no conventional diagnosis thatthey have. They don’t have disease ‘X.’ The symptoms are verybroad,” he said. Complicating matters, studies show those whoserved in the Gulf War do not have higher death rates thannormal, are not more susceptible to infectious disease orcancer, and do not have higher rates of birth defects in theirchildren.

VA researchers are currently studying the effects ofexercise and cognitive-behavioral therapy in treating a group of1,100 sick veterans. Results of the study are expected later thisyear.

Columbia, S.C., VAMC ResearcherLinks Folic Acid with Alzheimer’s

Research shows that birth defects of the central nervoussystem are less common in children whose mothers had dietsrich in folic acid during pregnancy. But can the essential vitaminalso reduce the risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease or othercognitive disorders associated with aging?

Researchers from the Columbia, S.C., VA Medical Centerhope so. Christine Tully, M.D., chief of the Extended CareService Line, collaborated on a study published in the AmericanJournal of Clinical Nutrition that shows a correlation betweenfolic acid blood levels and severe brain changes associatedwith Alzheimer’s-type brain disorders.

Tully and colleagues studied the brains of thirty deceasednuns, between the ages of 78 and 101, who lived in the sameconvent. They found those with higher levels of folic acid in theirblood had fewer and less severe Alzheimer’s-like brainchanges.

The findings allow researchers to test whether folic aciddeficiency may lead to or accelerate the development ofAlzheimer’s disease. “Overall findings in this unique populationof women suggest that relatively low folate concentrations maybe related to atrophy of the neocortex, particularly in personswith significant numbers of Alzheimer’s disease lesions,”concluded the journal article.

VA Researchers Find Intense Exercise MayBoost Bone Density in Older Women

A new study conducted by researchers from the VA SanDiego Health Care System (HCS) and the University of Califor-nia at San Diego shows intense exercise may boost the densityof certain fracture-prone bones in older women.

The findings, presented during the 86th Scientific Assemblyand Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of NorthAmerica, highlight the significance of physical training in helpingto prevent bone fractures and osteoporosis. In the study,researchers measured the bone density of male and femaleathletes age 40 and older who competed in the 1999 IronmanWorld Championship Triathlon. They found density values wereequal for bones like the lower spine and upper thighbone—common sites of serious fractures in osteoporosis.

“Our data show that intense physical exercise may curtailbone loss in women over 40 years of age,” said lead author Dr.Daphne J. Theodorou, a musculoskeletal radiologist in the SanDiego VAHCS. ❏

14 VAnguard

HONORSand awards

Each year, the Veterans HealthAdministration presents the MarkWolcott Awards for Clinical Excel-lence to two VHA health carepractitioners deserving of specialrecognition for their contributions toenhancing clinical care. Dr. GeorgeSullivan, assistant chief of the VAPalo Alto Health Care System’s

Spinal Cord Injury Service, was selected from a group of19 nominees to receive the 2000 Award for Excellence inClinical Care Delivery, and Dr. David Law, associate chiefof staff for education at the BayPines, Fla., VA Medical Center, wasselected from 31 nominees as winnerof the Award for Excellence in ClinicalCare Leadership.

The award is named after MarkWolcott, M.D., who dedicated morethan 40 years of his life to improvingthe quality of health care for thenation’s veterans.

Sullivan

Law

Two VA Health Care PractitionersHonored With Wolcott Awards

U.S. RepresentativeSilvestre Reyes (D-Texas)presented a Certificate ofSpecial CongressionalRecognition to Paul Farmer,a rating veterans servicerepresentative with the Waco,Texas, VA Regional Office,in recognition of his “outstand-ing and invaluable service tothe community.” A Vietnamveteran retiring after 32 yearsof federal service, Farmer wasrecognized for his work inestablishing the Pre-Dis-charge Development,Examination, and RatingProgram at Fort Bliss, Texas.

Chaplain Michael L.McCoy, associate director ofChaplain Service at the VANational Chaplain Center inHampton, Va., received theDistinguished Service Awardfrom the Military ChaplainsAssociation of the U.S.A. It isthe association’s highesthonor. McCoy was recognizedfor conducting site reviews of49 medical centers andproviding recommendations toenhance the spiritual careavailable to veterans. He alsowas instrumental in openingthe door for VA chaplains topursue mediation training.

A longtime Los Angelesadvocate for the homeless,Senior Judge HarryPregerson of the Ninth CircuitCourt of Appeals, received anaward of appreciation from VAfor creating partnerships thatimprove the lives of homelessveterans. A World War IIveteran who was severelywounded during the battle ofOkinawa, Pregerson hasworked tirelessly since 1972to create organizations thatprovide housing, employment

and rehabilitation services forLos Angeles homelessveterans.

Richard A. Silver,director of the Tampa, Fla.,VA Medical Center, wasselected winner of the FloridaBest Hospital AdministratorAward for the Tampa Bayarea by a multi-specialtypanel of judges. He willreceive the award at theannual Florida HealthcareAwards ceremony this month.

The American College ofPhysicians (ACP) presentedMarvin H. Sleisenger, M.D.,of the San Francisco VAMedical Center, the presti-gious 2001 John PhillipsMemorial Award. The awardwas established in 1929 tohonor an ACP member foroutstanding work in clinicalmedicine. Sleisenger haselevated the academicstandards of teaching, patientcare, and research during hisdistinguished career with VAand the University of Califor-nia at San Francisco (UCSF).In 1967 he played a pivotalrole in renegotiating themedical center’s academicaffiliation with the university.From 1968 to 1988, he servedas chief of Medical Service atthe San Francisco VAMC andvice chair of the Departmentof Medicine at UCSF.

Congressman James E.Rogan (R-Calif.) honored IraNeedleman for his work asprogram manager of the VA/HUD Veterans OutreachPartnership Program in theLos Angeles area with aproclamation from the U.S.House of Representatives.

The program Needlemanmanages is a cooperativeeffort between VISN 22 (LongBeach, Calif.) and the LosAngeles office of the Depart-ment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment (HUD) thatbrings VA health care andbenefits information toveterans in HUD assistedhousing developments andHUD-funded community andsenior centers. Needleman, aformer HUD employee,developed the concept for theprogram, which began in1998. He later helped VA andHUD officials in Houston setup a similar program there.

Barbara K. Chang, M.D.,chief medical officer for theNew Mexico VA Health CareSystem, received the 2000David M. Worthen Award forAcademic Excellence, VA’shighest award for achieve-ments in the education ofhealth care professionals, atthe recent national meeting ofthe Association of American

Medical Colleges. Throughouther career, Chang has madesignificant contributions to theVA educational mission,recently as a member ofVHA’s Resident OversightCouncil and in helping VHArealign its graduate medicaleducation program. Shecontributed to the develop-ment of two highly regardedVA graduate educationprograms: the VA PrimaryCare Chief ResidencyProgram and the VA PrimaryCare Specialist Program.

The New HampshireCancer Pain Initiative pre-sented its annual “Freedomfrom Pain Award” to MadelineGerken, M.D., an oncologistat the Manchester, N.H., VAMedical Center. In presentingthe award, Tim Ahles,president of the New Hamp-shire Cancer Pain Initiative,cited Gerken’s dedication tomaking pain management andend-of-life issues an essentialelement of patient care. ❏

March 2001 15

you heardHAVE

What does the flag meanto you? Holding and kissingthe flag one final time was thelast wish of terminally illveteran Thomas Smith, whowas hospitalized for morethan a year at the Miami VAMedical Center. When socialworker Mercedes Mukatilearned of Smith’s request,she contacted Jorge Ramos,veterans benefits officer at theSt. Petersburg VA RegionalOffice, for help in obtaining aflag. Together, they obtainedone, and ThomasTomlinson, chief of MiamiVAMC’s Police and SecurityService, presented it to theveteran at his bedside whilehis family looked on. Whenthe veteran died a few dayslater, this small act of kind-ness provided a lastingmemory for his family.

The National MemorialCemetery of the Pacific,Hawaii, was featured on thecover of the November 2000issue of American Cemetery,The Magazine of CemeteryManagement. JamesMessner, the cemetery’spublic affairs officer, providedthe author with details on thecemetery’s vision, missionstatement and history for thefeature article. The story alsomentioned a few of thespecial services the cemeteryoffers, such as taking photo-graphs of loved ones’gravesites for families whoare unable to make the trip toHawaii.

In April of 1999, a carslammed into Greta Harris,an employee at the Birming-ham, Ala., VA MedicalCenter, as she crossed thestreet on her way to work.

The accident left the singlemother paralyzed from theneck down and dependent ona ventilator. The only way shecan communicate with herfamily and friends is byblinking her eyes or movingher lips to “mouth” words. Tohelp meet her special medicalneeds, the Birmingham VAMedical Center and thecommunity established theGreta Harris Trust Fund atAmSouth Bank. The primarygoal was to raise $8,000 tobuy a special computer thatwould allow her to speak toher 8-year-old son, Tori. Theremaining money would beused for her medical care,including a ramp at her house,a suction machine, a powerwheelchair with specialcontrols and 24-hour nursingcare so she could be homeduring the holidays. To date,the fund drives for Harris haveraised more than $40,000 withthe assistance of the localnewspaper and televisionstations.

The Chicago area VAmedical centers and regionaloffice will host their annual VABowling Tournament June1-3. The tournament will offerteam, singles and mixeddoubles events for peoplewho work for VA, or bowl in aVA bowling league. The lasttournament attracted morethan 95 teams from VAmedical centers and regionaloffices from all over thecountry. For more information,contact Tyrone Reese at(708) 681-6942 or by e-mail athsctrees@vba.va.gov.

When a late December icestorm caused a loss of powerto thousands of homes in

north Texas, the Bonham VAMedical Center opened itsdoors to care for families leftwithout electricity, heat orwater. Some 35 peoplesought refuge at the medicalcenter, including five U.S.Forest Service employeeswho were removing trees fromblocked roadways. Employ-ees of the Central ArkansasVeterans Healthcare Systemalso battled freezing tempera-tures and power outages asthe storm whisked throughthat state. Cathy Heaton, aprogram assistant, broughther husband and two childrento the medical center’sMountain Park ConferenceCenter, where they stayed forsix days while their home waswithout electricity.

A partnership between theAmerican Legion and theWomen’s Health Center at theRichmond, Va., VA MedicalCenter has generated a newGuest Relations program forwomen veterans. With thegoal of brightening the lives ofwomen veterans, JerryWenditz, American Legionrepresentative, met with staffof the Women’s Health Centerand suggested presenting acarnation to each womanveteran following her appoint-ment. Employees agreed, andthe Guest Relations Programwas born. Joan Knox, anurse practitioner, said theprogram has been wellreceived by women veterans.

The Washington, D.C.,VA Medical Center was theonly local hospital to respondto D.C. Mayor AnthonyWilliams’ call for assistance inproviding clinical emergencysupport during the recentpresidential inauguration. Atthe request of the D.C.Emergency ManagementAgency, the medical centerinstalled a bio-agent symp-tomatology informationsystem, a computerizedpatient tracking system.

The Rev. Bernice King,daughter of slain civil rightsleader Martin Luther King, Jr.,spoke to veterans, employeesand visitors at the Hines, Ill.,VA Medical Center inJanuary about the need tohonor her father’s dream.Barbara Bollenberg, aregistered nurse who hasserved on the medicalcenter’s Black History MonthCommittee for four years,presided over the presenta-tion.

The Center for MinorityVeterans, in partnership withthe Health Care FinancingAdministration and the VALearning University, hostedthe fifth annual trainingconference for VA’s minorityveterans program coordina-tors in Pittsburgh last fall.More than 230 coordinatorsgathered to learn how tobetter promote the use of VAprograms and services amongminority veterans, assess theneeds of minority veterans,and analyze the barriers thatimpede service to the nation’sminority veterans. Theyparticipated in workshops ona full range of topics, includingoutreach, interactive network-ing with community-basedorganizations, culturalsensitivity, and issues facingminority veterans.

How do you encouragepatients and their families toask questions when they’reconcerned about their healthcare? “Ask Me a Question,” a13-minute video produced forthe VISN 7 (Atlanta) Cus-tomer Service Action Plan andcustomized for each of thenetwork’s medical centers,uses vignettes and humor toremind veterans that askingquestions is an integralcomponent of the patient/health care provider relation-ship. The video is shown inwaiting rooms, educationcenters and other areaswhere patients gather. ❏

16 VAnguard

HEROES✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

While driving to work on acold, rainy morning, TonyBrown, an echocardiogramtechnician at the CentralArkansas VeteransHealthcare System, saw anaccident on the opposite sideof the freeway. “A car was onthe median, it had hit a poleand was totaled,” he laterrecalled. Instead of driving on,Brown swung a U-turn andwent to help. When hearrived, two other motorists,who happened to be nurses,had also stopped to assist.The accident victim had beenthrown into the car’s backseat from the force of thecrash. “We felt for a pulse andlooked for a heartbeat, butsaw nothing,” said Brown.They tried CPR, but thevictim’s airway was blocked.Carefully, they cleared herairway. “Once we did that, shestarted breathing again on herown,” said Brown. The triostayed with the victim,monitoring her vital signs, untilparamedics arrived.

Tornado strengths arerated according to the Fujita,or “F,” scale—starting with therelatively weak 40-72 mphwinds of the F0 and going allthe way up to the monster F5,an extremely violent stormwith winds reaching speeds of261-318 mph. Though F5storms are rare, one toucheddown last fall in Xenia, Ohio,taking the life of one man andinjuring 115 people. Within anhour of the storm’s passing,members of the Dayton,Ohio, VA Medical Center’sRed Cross Disaster MentalHealth Team sprang intoaction. Pam Davis, a clinical

social worker, workedthroughout the night, openinga disaster center and placingsupportive pamphlets andother literature for thoseinjured in the storm in anearby hospital emergencyroom. Fred Peterson, aclinical psychologist at themedical center, visited threeshelters and the emergencyroom, where he counseledthose affected by the storm.He continued his workthroughout the week. Alsopitching in were Rob Dennis,a vocational rehabilitationspecialist, and Joan Barron,a nurse clinical specialist.Barron spent the night of thestorm coordinating the phonetree for VA volunteers andspent several days assistingfield workers.

Alone in a motel room, histruck broken down and little orno money to pay for repairs, aveteran made a desperate callto the Atlanta VA MedicalCenter and was fortunateenough to be connected tosocial worker Bruce Rooney.The conversation took on adeadly tone though, when theveteran threatened to harmhimself or possibly others.Rooney calmly spoke with theman and discovered he hadbeen treated at Floridaoutpatient clinics in Viera andDaytona Beach and had agood relationship with histherapist there, MarilynMcQuarrie. The vet gavepermission for Rooney to callher and after much reassur-ance that help was on its way,also promised not to doanything rash. After severalmore phone calls, help arrived

and the veteran was trans-ported without incident to theAtlanta VAMC for evaluationand treatment.

It was a beautiful day forClyde Kelly, a regularvolunteer at the Loma Linda,Calif., VA Medical Center.The disabled Vietnam veteranand his wife were moving intotheir own home after some 10years of homelessness. Butthe day’s joy was abruptlyinterrupted by the sound ofpiercing screams coming fromoutside. Kelly and his friendRyan Molnar raced outsideand saw a neighbor with her8-month-old baby in her arms.The baby was blue, showingno signs of life; the womanfrantically pleading for help.They placed the child on thegrass and began CPR. “Heasked me to do the compres-sions while he did therespiration,” said Kelly,describing how they coordi-nated the CPR procedures.After a few minutes, the babybegan breathing. Paramedicssoon arrived and transportedthe child to a nearby hospitalwhere she was examined.They later learned the motherhad been bathing her childand left the room for a coupleof minutes to get a cleantowel. When she returned, theinfant was submerged in thebath water.

Joe Print, a constructionanalyst in the Cleveland,Ohio, VA Regional Office’sRegional Loan Center, wasdriving back to the office aftera typical day of houseappraisal reviews lastDecember when all of asudden, he saw a car skid onthe icy pavement, roll overthree times, and abruptly landon its roof. He immediatelypulled his government van tothe side of the road and

jumped out to assist thevictim. As he approached thecar, he saw a young womancrawling out of the vehicle’sshattered rear window. Hehelped the victim away fromthe wrecked car and had hersit inside the warm van. Hewiped blood from the victim’sface, carefully removedembedded glass, andcomforted her until paramed-ics arrived.

With quick thinking anddecisive action, a group ofemployees in the LaundryDepartment at the Minneapo-lis, Minn., VA MedicalCenter saved the life of a co-worker in distress. RandyWilliams, Todd Vang,Clifford Johnson, JewelGranger, Fred Holland,Charles Collet, Keith Shelbyand nurse manager JoyceDamon, R.N., who happenedto be nearby when theincident occurred, alerted themedical center’s CardiacArrest Team and performedCPR when a co-workersuddenly collapsed. They allreceived Heart SaversAwards for their actions.

Nancy Griffith, a nurse atthe Huntington, W. Va., VAMedical Center, was drivinghome after work one night—she had her windows rolledup and the radio on—whenshe somehow managed tohear a voice calling for help.She pulled her car to the sideof the road and again heard aman’s voice calling for helpfrom down a hillside. Thoughshe couldn’t see what waswrong, she dialed 911 andthen climbed down the hill. Atthe bottom, she found aninjured couple sitting next totheir wrecked truck. Emer-gency personnel arrivedshortly thereafter and rescuedthe couple. ❏

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Cover PageContents PageIntroducing Sherry LaasOutlook - Ventris C. Gibson, DAS for Human Resources ManagementWorkforce Planning Will Help VA Meet Future Challenges

France Honors U.S.WWII VetsCARES:VA Health Care Delivery Study LaunchedVA to Establish Six Parkinson ’s Disease CentersNational Telephone Survey of Veterans UnderwayClassification Services Now Available at SSCFaster Service from the SSC Faster Service from the SSC Faster Service from the SSC Faster Service from the SSC Faster Service from the SSC

Unique Program Speeds Claims ProcessingWomen ’s History Month - Celebrating Women of Courage and VisionTuning in the New SecretaryVA Retiree Designs Monument to Hometown HeroesState Rural Development Councils Seek VA HelpAIDS Treatment Pioneer Joins San Francisco VAMCVoices Lifted in HarmonyKorean War 50thMedical AdvancesBoise,Idaho,VAMC Researcher Identifies New AntibioticGulf War Conference Confirms Need for More ResearchColumbia,S.C.,VAMC Researcher Links Folic Acid with Alzheimer ’sVA Researchers Find Intense Exercise May Boost Bone Density in Older Women

Honors and AwardsHave You HeardHeroes