| Veterans
News Flash 
VA
Secretary Praises Dole-Shalala Panel
July 25, 2007
WASHINGTON -- Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson today thanked
the members of a special presidential commission
for their work examining the federal government’s
response to the health care needs of returning
combat veterans.
“We at VA are caring for the whole veteran,” Nicholson
said. “I look forward to reviewing the commission’s
final report as we work to improve our efforts
to return our wounded warriors to full function,
while helping all veterans receive the jobs and
educational benefits they deserve.”
Nicholson’s remarks
came after he attended a special briefing today
in the Oval Office by the President's Commission
on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors,
co-chaired by former Sen. Bob Dole and Donna
Shalala, former secretary of the Department of
Health and Human Services (pictured below). 
The panel briefed the President, Nicholson and
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates on their preliminary
findings and recommendations. Their final report
is due by July 31. President Bush created the special
Presidential Commission in March to look at ways
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the
Department of Defense can improve care for returning
wounded service members.
“The men and women who have served this
nation in uniform, especially our wounded combat
veterans, deserve the best care our country can
provide,” Nicholson said. “I am grateful
for the contributions of these dedicated Americans
intent on helping make our veterans’ programs
better and easier to access.”
Nicholson said the commission’s
recommendations to the President, upon his order,
will be addressed immediately by the Senior Oversight
Committee, co-chaired by VA Deputy Secretary
Gordon H. Mansfield and Defense Deputy Secretary
Gordon England, which meets regularly.
Nicholson pointed out that VA and the military
have been strengthening their cooperation since
the start of the Global War on Terror. VA treats
increasing numbers of people still on active duty,
shares electronic patient records with military
doctors on the most severely injured patients,
and stations VA personnel at the major military
medical centers to ensure a smooth transfer of
patients to the VA health care system.
Earlier in the year,
President Bush asked Nicholson to lead the Interagency
Task Force on Returning Global War on Terror
Heroes, which reviewed federal benefits and processes
for changes that could quickly improve veterans’ access
to services and programs.
SOURCE:
US Department of Veterans Affair
top
of page | 
