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Skriven 2007-03-06 23:33:20 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (070306) for Tue, 2007 Mar 6
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Fact Sheet: Taking Care of America's Returning Wounded Warriors
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary March 6, 2007

Fact Sheet: Taking Care of America's Returning Wounded Warriors President
Bush Names Bob Dole And Donna Shalala To Serve On The President's
Commission On Care For America's Returning Wounded Warriors

ÿÿWhite House News

ÿÿÿÿÿ President Bush Discusses Care for America's Returning Wounded
Warriors, War on Terror at American Legion

The President's Commission On Care For America's Returning Wounded Warriors

Today, President Bush Signed An Executive Order Creating A Bipartisan
Presidential Commission To Conduct A Comprehensive Review Of The Services
America Is Providing Our Returning Wounded Warriors.ÿThe President's
Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors will recommend
ways to:
 1. Improve The Transition From Deployment To Other Military Service Or
    Civilian Life.ÿ The Commission will examine returning wounded service
    members' transition from deployment in support of the Global War on
    Terror to productive military service or civilian society, and
    recommend needed improvements.
 2. Ensure High-Quality Services For Returning Wounded Service Members.ÿ
    The Commission will evaluate the delivery of health care, disability,
    traumatic injury, education, employment, and other benefits and
    services to returning wounded service members by Federal agencies and
    the private sector.ÿ It will recommend ways to ensure programs provide
    high-quality services.
 3. Increase Access To Benefits And Services. ÿThe Commission will analyze
    the effectiveness of existing outreach programs for service members and
    identify ways to increase awareness of and access to benefits and
    services and reduce any barriers or gaps in these benefits and
    services.
  þ Commission Members Will Consult With Foundations, Veterans Service
    Organizations, Non-Profit Groups, Faith-Based Organizations, And
    Others, As Appropriate.ÿ

The President Also Announced Former Senator Bob Dole And Former U.S.
Department Of Health And Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala Will Serve
As The Commission's Co-Chairs.ÿIn total, the President will announce nine
members to serve on the Commission  including the two co-chairs.ÿ
  þ Bob Dole: Senator Bob Dole was elected to Congress from his home state
    of Kansas in 1960 and to the U.S. Senate in 1968. ÿHe resigned from the
    Senate in 1996.ÿ His personal history of service includes active duty
    in World War II, during which he was gravely wounded and received for
    heroic achievement two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with Oak Leaf
    Cluster.
  þ Donna Shalala: In 1993, President Clinton appointed Donna Shalala
    Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), where she served for
    eight years, becoming the longest serving HHS Secretary in U.S.
    history.ÿ She has served as President of the University of Miami since
    June 1, 2001.ÿ

Interagency Task Force On Returning Global War On Terror Heroes

The President Also Directed U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Secretary Jim Nicholson To Establish An Interagency Task Force On Returning
Global War On Terror Heroes.ÿ The Task Force will bring together top-level
officials from the U.S. Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, Labor,
Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Education, as
well as the Office of Management and Budget and the Small Business
Administration.ÿ It will identify and examine existing Federal services
provided to returning Global War on Terror service members, identify gaps
in these services, and seek recommendations from appropriate Federal
agencies on ways to fill those gaps quickly and effectively.

In Addition, Defense Secretary Robert Gates Has Formed An Independent
Review Group To Conduct An Assessment Of Outpatient Treatment At Walter
Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) And The National Naval Medical Center
(NNMC).ÿ The group held its first meeting on March 1, 2007.ÿ It will
identify any critical shortcomings and opportunities to improve care and
quality of life for injured and sick members of the armed forces at WRAMC,
NNMC, and other facilities if necessary, and make recommendations for
corrective actions.

A Record Of Commitment To Improving Service For The Men And Women Of Our
Military

The President's 2008 Budget Proposal Contains $38.7 Billion For Military
Health Care Costs - Doubling Funding Since The President Took Office.ÿAll
military members and families and retirees and families receive health care
benefits from the Department of Defense (DoD).ÿ Military members on active
duty are treated in DoD hospitals and clinics worldwide.ÿ A member severely
harmed in combat is retained on active duty and treated in DoD facilities
until he or she is granted lifetime DoD disability retirement and health
benefits.ÿ The member may also transition to the VA health system for care.
  þ In 2005, DoD Launched Its Global Electronic Health Record System, Which
    Will Ultimately Serve More Than 9 Million Service Members, Retirees,
    And Their Families Worldwide. ÿIn2008, the system will be active in 60
    percent of military hospitals  a major step towards achieving the
    President's goal of making electronic health records and information
    about health care costs available to a majority of Americans.
  þ In December 2006, The Defense Department Established A Task Force On
    The Future Of Military Health Care.ÿThe 14-member task force will
    evaluate and recommend alternatives to ensure the availability and
    affordability of military medicine over the long term.

With The President's 2008 Budget Proposal, We Will Have Increased The VA's
Health Care Budget By 83 Percent Since 2001  An Average Of 9.1 Percent A
Year.ÿ Overall, the President is asking Congress for more than $86 billion
for veterans' services in 2008.ÿ If Congress approves his request, this
would amount to a 77 percent increase since the President took office  the
highest level of support for veterans in American history.ÿ
  þ VA Has Placed Staff At Key Military Hospitals To Assist Returning
    Service Members. ÿThese include benefit counselors who help service
    members obtain VA services and social workers who facilitate health
    care coordination and discharge planning as service members transition
    from Defense Department to VA health care.ÿ ÿÿ
  þ VA Has Refocused Resources On Returning Combat Veterans And Has
    Implemented A Priority Scheduling System To Ensure These Men And Women
    Receive The Care They Need Without Unnecessary Delay.ÿIn addition, each
    VA medical center has a designated point of contact to ensure the
    health care needs of returning service members and veterans are fully
    met.ÿ
  þ VA Has Expanded Resources For Patients With Multiple Complex Injuries.ÿ
    To further meet the need for specialized medical care for returning
    combat veterans, VA has expanded its four polytrauma centers in
    Minneapolis, Palo Alto, Richmond, and Tampa to encompass additional
    specialties to treat patients for multiple complex injuries. ÿThis
    effort is being expanded to 21 polytrauma network sites and clinic
    support teams around the country that can provide state-of-the-art
    treatment closer to injured veterans' homes.ÿ
  þ The President's 2008 VA Budget Includes A Total Investment Of Nearly $3
    Billion To Provide A Full Continuum Of Care For Veterans With Mental
    Health Issues.ÿVA and DoD are working together to identify departing
    service members who may be at risk for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
    and have implemented an aggressive plan to determine the appropriate
    care best suited to each veteran.
  þ VA Has Significantly Expanded Its Counseling And Other Medical Care
    Services For Recently Discharged Veterans Suffering From Mental Health
    Disorders, Including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. ÿVA has created
    dozens of new mental health teams based in VA medical facilities that
    focus on early identification and management of stress-related
    disorders.ÿ It has also recruited about 100 combat veterans as
    counselors to provide briefings to transitioning service members
    regarding military-related readjustment needs.
  þ VA Is Leading The Way In The Use Of Electronic Health Records To
    Enhance Patient Safety And Prevent Errors Associated With Prescription
    Drugs.ÿ All VA medical records are stored and tracked electronically,
    rather than on paper. This system allows physicians to review a
    patient's medical history, diagnoses, medications, charts, and X-rays
    at any of VA's 1,400 sites. It also substantially cuts down on errors
    in drug prescription, curbs repetitive and unnecessary tests, and helps
    identify patients who need vaccinations and other services.

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