2007.07.01: July 1, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Iran: University Administration: Veterans: PR Newswire: Shalala says Veterans report will be solution driven
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2007.07.01: July 1, 2007: Headlines: Figures: COS - Iran: University Administration: Veterans: PR Newswire: Shalala says Veterans report will be solution driven
Shalala says Veterans report will be solution driven
"We will not be issuing a report that points fingers. Our charge has and will be to focus on solutions that can be activated in a reasonable time. We will also not be issuing a report with a laundry list of recommendations. Our report will be action oriented and patient centered with our primary goal being to improve and simplify, where needed, the system of care for our service men and women so they can transition, as soon and as best as possible, to civilian life or active duty." University of Miami President and former Clinton Cabinet member Donna Shalala served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Iran in the 1960's.
Shalala says Veterans report will be solution driven
Statement from Senator Bob Dole and Secretary Donna E. Shalala Commission Co-Chairs
WASHINGTON, June 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by the President's Commission On Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors:
Next month, this Commission will convene to publicly discuss our recommendations. In doing so, we must fulfill the following objectives of our charter:
"*Evaluate and recommend improvements, where needed, to the transition from wounded warrior status back to military service or civilian life
*Evaluate and recommend ways to ensure access to the highest quality service for returning wounded warriors
*Analyze the effectiveness of the process through which health care services and benefits are delivered."
As we have said from the beginning, we are solution driven. We will not be issuing a report that points fingers. Our charge has and will be to focus on solutions that can be activated in a reasonable time. We will also not be issuing a report with a laundry list of recommendations. Our report will be action oriented and patient centered with our primary goal being to improve and simplify, where needed, the system of care for our service men and women so they can transition, as soon and as best as possible, to civilian life or active duty.
Our report is rooted in the work done by the Commission over the past three months plus the work of other Task Forces and Commissions that have been examining similar issues. This Commission has heard testimony at seven public meetings and has conducted 23 site visits to military bases, VA hospitals and treatment centers across the country. We have heard from experts on providing physical and mental health care, navigating health care and disability evaluation and compensation systems, members of Congress and their staff, and most importantly, service men and women, their families and the health care professionals charged with their care. The Commission is also conducting its own nationwide survey of service men and women and is currently analyzing the data.
As a Commission, we believe that honoring our injured service men and women means:
-- Our nation must acknowledge the significant sacrifices of our wounded and injured service members
-- While in most cases service members receive excellent care, the care provided should meet the highest standards of quality.
-- Improving the system of care where needed will benefit all veterans for generations to come.
-- Our goal is that the care provided heal, to the greatest possible extent, the physical and mental wounds of our service members to enable them to achieve their maximum potential.
-- It is imperative that we continue to value the significant contributions of family members in supporting the health and well- being of their loved ones.
These are the points that ground and guide our work.
We will receive today from our dedicated Commission members and staff an overview of the work and observations from each of our Subcommittees. Before they begin, we wanted to take a moment to share our general observations on what the Commission has heard and learned thus far:
-- Creating a seamless system of care that meets the needs of those wounded and injured should be a national priority.
-- The face of our military has changed -- as have their needs.
-- Some returning service members injured in the line of duty have complex and often multiple injuries, placing greater challenges on the DoD and VA as well as family members. These more complex injuries have also revealed, in some cases, shortcomings with the existing system in providing continuity of care.
-- Well meaning attempts over the years to reform health care in the military and VA have produced many positive results that have also made the system more complex and confusing in some areas. In these cases, it is difficult for service members, their families, and caregivers to understand how to navigate the system.
Our challenge is to redesign and simplify a health care system so it is evidence based and meets the needs of patients and their families. With these thoughts in mind, we look forward to hearing from the Subcommittees today and discussing our recommendations in July.
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Headlines: July, 2007; RPCV Donna Shalala (Iran); Figures; Peace Corps Iran; Directory of Iran RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Iran RPCVs; University Administration; Florida; Peace Corps Library; Peace Corps Directory; Peace Corps History; Peace Corps Message Board; Peace Corps Headlines
When this story was posted in July 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: PR Newswire
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Figures; COS - Iran; University Administration; Veterans
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