Wednesday, October 10th, 2012

The healthcare of our servicemen and women is a top priority for our nation. With that in mind, we want to recognize the efforts of the University of South Florida and the State University of New York at Albany for their efforts to make a difference in the lives of veterans, through a special online study to understand the impact of combat deployment on a variety of behavioral health outcomes. The study is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) and led in part by Lt. General Martin R. Steele, USMC (Ret.), a Veterans Advantage Advisory Board Member. The Study provides payments to participants. If you served in OIF/OEF, and would like to participate, click here.

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Friday, August 31st, 2012

Summer’s almost over and the kids are going back to school. If you’re like Lin and me, you can’t quite believe that your youngest is off to college! It’s a time of transitions for everyone in the family. For those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, it’s too often a time filled with challenges. Clearly, we must find ways to provide the support they need, particularly for those suffering the silent injuries of TBI and PTSD. On a personal note, we have learned a great deal from dealing with our own son, who has suffered both TBI and PTSD. He underwent treatment with Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment (“HBOT”), and the results have been nothing short of a miracle.

Our son’s therapy was based on a recent study by physician Dr. Paul Harch on veterans suffering from the chronic effects of mild blast-induced TBI and PTSD. The study produced extraordinary results and led us to try the therapy with our son. In the veterans study, headaches, post-concussion symptoms, abnormal neurological exam findings, cognition, quality of life, and brain blood flow were significantly improved after a one month course of HBOT. At a six month phone follow-up, the great majority of veterans sustained their symptomatic improvements.

HBOT has always been safe, and is a remarkably effective treatment for burn and wound victims. Now, the Harch study results show it to be a highly effective treatment for veterans with TBI and PTSD. The study argues strongly for the immediate application of HBOT to the hundreds of thousands of veterans with persistent post-concussion syndrome with or without post-traumatic stress disorder. We agree. To read the study click here.

Tags: Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment, Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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Friday, August 24th, 2012

Do you think the criteria for the Purple Heart should expand to include invisible psychological wounds suffered during war? That’s the question we recently posed to members, and I must admit the current results are surprising.

It seems most are split on the subject, and we’re curious to know why? The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released a special report earlier this summer, Party for Patriots: The Mental Health Needs of Military Personnel, Veterans and their Families, calling for an expansion of the criteria for the Purple Heart to include injuries like post-traumatic stress. It could have wide-ranging ramifications, not just for who could subsequently be eligible to receive the Purple Heart, but it could also raise awareness about this increasingly critical issue in today’s military.

No doubt this is a sensitive subject that has, one way or another, touched all of us in the military community. If you have not yet voted in our latest poll, we encourage you to do so now by clicking here.

And after you voted, be sure to click here and sound off with your comments on our Facebook page. Thanks!

Tags: National Institute of Mental Health, Post traumatic stress, Purple Heart
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Monday, January 30th, 2012

I was pleased to see the Washington Post reviewed Into Sunlight, the dance based on the book by David Maraniss, the Pulitzer-prize winning journalist. It is a special look at a series of events surrounding the Vietnam War, and we have been honored to sponsor this very important work of art, and host Veterans Advantage Members to see the production at New York City’s famed 92nd Street Y and Georgetown University in Washington DC.

Choreographed by Robin Becker, a very talented artist and now a good friend of the company, the production follows the soldiers of the army battalion the Black Lions, 61 of whom died in an ambush by North Vietnamese on October 17, 1967. In a very poignant parallel, a second piece centers on the October 18, 1967, riot at the University of Wisconsin at Madison when student protesters tried to stop Dow Chemical, the maker of napalm, from recruiting on campus.

When we sponsored a performance in New York City over the summer, it struck a strong emotional chord with our members, whom we hosted with complimentary tickets. The interest still runs deep, and the continued dialogue about feelings is therapeutic. As one member wrote after viewing the Georgetown performance, “What a powerful and emotional piece of work. Thank you for the opportunity to attend.” Thank you to choreographer Robin Becker for this extraordinary artistic achievement.

We also hope you enjoy reading this week’s Cover Story, courtesy of Pulitzer prize winner Sarah Kaufman, dance critic at the Washington Post. Sarah recently interviewed me about our sponsorship of “Into Sunlight,” and you can read the full review here.

Tags: veterans articles, vietnam
Posted in Events, News, Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Veterans Advantage Charitable Activities | Comments Off

Monday, July 12th, 2010

News broke over the weekend that should be heartening for those of us in the Veterans community: The Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will make it easier for Vets of any generation to get the help they need, if they suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD).

Under the new rule, The VA would not require corroboration of a stressor related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA doctor confirms that the stressful experience recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran’s symptoms are related to the claimed stressor. Past benefit rules required a stressor related to hostile military activity.

“Just as we have a solemn responsibility to train and equip our troops before we send them into harm’s way, we have a solemn responsibility to provide our veterans and wounded warriors with the care and benefits they’ve earned when they come home,” said President Obama in his weekly radio/Internet address this past Saturday.

“That is our sacred trust with all who serve – and it doesn’t end when their tour of duty does.”

Much like the rewrite of the GI Bill last summer, we believe this is a landmark decision. According to the New York Times, the estimated cost for this necessary benefit upgrade amounts to a $5 billion program over several years. I believe it is worth it. When you think of the ease with which Vets can live and integrate into society after receiving this vital health care, I believe it’s a national investment that will serve all of us quite handsomely.

“This nation has a solemn obligation to the men and women who have honorably served this country and suffer from the often devastating emotional wounds of war,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “This final regulation goes a long way to ensure that Veterans receive the benefits and services they need.”

For additional information, go to www.va.gov or call VA’s toll free benefits number at 1-800-827-1000.

Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, PTS
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Monday, February 23rd, 2009

There appears little question that our troops will be leaving Iraq in greater numbers in the months and years ahead. The question now is, how will we welcome them back?

There was little thought given to this question for those who served and sacrificed in Vietnam and the results were painful and disastrous; they continue to reverberate through American society nearly 35 years after the end of that war.

Along with training and equipping our troops for wartime service, we need to focus our energies on how we train and equip them to reenter American society. The consequences of inadequate re-entry programs are disturbing and real. Read the article by Give an Hour Founder Dr. Barbara Romberg, who examines the response to the rise in suicides in the Army community. And read our HeroVet profile of Brian Delate, a talented actor and director, long active in the New York veterans community, and now making news on the national scene with an award-winning movie about the perils – and triumphs – faced by people with PTS. Clearly, we have an obligation to our brave men and women not to repeat the mistakes of Vietnam.

With an eye on your wallet (as always), we highlight this week discounts for food, computers, your upcoming tax filing, and, lastly, flea and tick medication for your pet. Our new discount program with 1800petmeds.com has everything you need to protect your pets from insect-related illnesses this spring.

Tags: troops returning home
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Saturday, December 20th, 2008

At this time of year, our thoughts turn to those who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan. We thank them and their families from the bottom of our hearts. We are deeply grateful for their service and sacrifice. Please include your prayers with ours that each one returns home safely.

As you know, your membership supports and makes possible our charitable activities. Thank you. We are rounding out our second deployment of complimentary Veterans Advantage memberships cards to those serving in and around Iraq and Afghanistan, nearly 70,000 this holiday season. That brings us to a total of 300,000 this year. See a full listing of our charitable activities here.

From all of us at Veterans Advantage, we wish you the very best of health and happiness over the holidays and throughout the New Year.

Tags: Veterans Advantage Charitable Activities
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