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FRIDAY -- 20 NOVEMBER 2009

PATRICK W. DUNNE OUT AS HEAD OF VA'S BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION -- VA announces Dunne's departure early next year as "resignation," but insiders say exit was "requested."

FORMER ARIZONA VETERANS DEPT. CHIEF INDICTED -- Faces eight felony charges, including four counts of conflict of interest, one count of fraudulent schemes and practices, two counts of misuse of public monies, and one count of violation of procurement code.

VA TO STUDY VIETNAM-ERA WOMEN VETERANS -- Comprehensive study of women veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War will explore the effects of their military service on their mental and physical health.

VA RESEARCH: ERRORS IN SURGICAL PROCEDURES AN ONGOING PROBLEM -- Poor communication causes most mistakes in and out of operating room.

SENATE PASSES CAREGIVER BILL, COBURN AMENDMENT REJECTED -- The Senate unanimously passed legislation that would provide benefits to family members who stay home to care for severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

GAO: MASSIVE FRAUD IN GOV. CONTRACTS FOR DISABLED VETERANS -- Companies fraudulently collected at least $100 million in federal contracts designated for disabled military veterans who run small businesses.

VETS' WIDOWS FIND STAYING SINGLE CAN COST THEM A BENEFIT -- In an absurd quirk of federal laws on death benefits, military widows and widowers are losing death benefits unless they take another walk down the aisle after age 57.

VAOIG: VA'S BALTIMORE REGIONAL OFFICE IN DISARRAY -- Baltimore VARO fails in 14 of 15 operational areas because of untrained, unsupervised staff. Management acknowledges workload not under control.

THURSDAY -- 19 NOVEMBER 2009

VETERANS Q&A with JIM STRICKLAND, #75 for 2009 -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers.

ARMY HELPS PTSD, TBI VETERANS FIND JOBS -- "There is a stigma attached to the invisible wounds, and it's largely borne out of ignorance. There's a fear that somebody will go off the deep end."

SEN. COBURN LIFTS HOLD ON VETERANS' CAREGIVER'S BILL -- Will lift his hold on the bill in exchange for the opportunity to offer an amendment that will address his concerns with the legislation.

NRC CITES PHILLY VA FOR BOTCHED PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENTS -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission found that VA staff failed to evaluate radiation doses or know when to report a mistake.

SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS TRAINED BY CONVICTS -- A program that has inmates training service dogs for veterans and children is meeting with acclaim and continues to grow.

OBAMA TO NAME DR. ROBERT PETZEL TO HEAD VETERANS' HEALTH ADMIN. -- Petzel has had a long career with the VA. He is currently Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health.

WEDNESDAY -- 18 NOVEMBER 2009

NEW HIGH EXPECTED FOR ARMY SUICIDES IN 2009 -- Army's Vice COS: "This is horrible, and I do not want to downplay the significance of these numbers in any way."

NEW DIRECTOR AT FAYETTEVILLE VA PLANS TO WATCH AND LEARN -- "I really want a period of observation. I don't want to rush off with solutions and make the problems worse."

SENATE VOTES 100-0, PASSES BUDGET FOR VETERANS PROGRAMS -- The unanimous vote reflected the unique political standing of the veterans budget, which has received hefty increases.

VET GETS 36 YEARS FOR FATAL BEATING AT VETERANS' HOME -- Judge at sentencing: "Whatever danger he poses to the community will be hopefully diminished by then."

SENATE REJECTS SEN. COBURN'S VETS' CAREGIVER OPTION -- Proposal would have required lawmakers to make cuts to military construction projects and other veterans programs to make room in the budget for aid to disabled vets' caregivers.

TUESDAY -- 17 NOVEMBER 2009

GAO: VA'S FINANCIAL REPORTING PROCESSES STILL IN SHAMBLES -- Continuing serious deficiencies in financial reporting leave VA at risk of processing errors and misstatements in its financial statements.

VET SAYS VA TOOK TOO LONG TO DIAGNOSE PANCREATIC CANCER -- Veteran is filing a complaint against Iowa City VA and is considering legal action.

NEW PTSD TEST ANALYZES VOICE STRESS LEVELS -- "When we're experiencing stress we speak differently than when we're relaxed."

VA, DoD TO EXPAND JOINT DISABILITY EVALUATION PROGRAM -- VA Secretary Shinseki: "Streamlining our disability claims system and working closely with DoD to care for today's generation of heroes are among VA's top priorities."

VA'S SUICIDE SETTLEMENT: WHAT YOU DIDN'T READ IN THE PAPERS -- The VA psychiatrist noted how poorly the veteran was functioning, noted the plethora of risk factors that he faced, and released him.

EDITORIAL: SEN. TOM COBURN AS "DR. NO" -- The New York Times: "Sheer embarrassment should drive the senator into retreat as he trifles with veterans' needs and burnishes his petty role as Dr. No."

RADIOACTIVE SURPRISE FOR VETERAN AT SAN DIEGO VA -- A thyroid cancer patient received an unusually large dose of radiation after radioactive iodine became stuck in his feeding tube for nearly four days.

VETERANS Q&A with JIM STRICKLAND, #74 for 2009 -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers.

MONDAY -- 16 NOVEMBER 2009

CALIF. CONSUMER AFFAIRS DEPT. WANTS PROBE OF PALO ALTO VA -- Department has formally requested an investigation into the Palo Alto VA, where 23 glaucoma patients experienced significant vision loss while receiving treatment.

SEN. COBURN TO OFFER OPTION TO CAREGIVER'S BILL -- Coburn will offer two ways of paying for veterans' care: eliminating military construction projects in their home states or cutting the United States' contribution to the United Nations.

RESEARCHERS TO LOOK AT PTSD, SMOKING LINK -- "The research is aiming to understand the reasons why veterans with PTSD smoke and ultimately we have the goal of helping these veterans quit smoking."

BOTCHED TREATMENT AT PHILLY VA BRINGS FEW PENALTIES -- Despite poor care in the VA's Philadelphia prostate cancer treatment program, the agency has only slapped a few hands.

REPORT: BANKS OVERCHARGING VETERANS ON SOME VA HOME LOANS -- The scheme, spelled out in court documents, claims banks are overcharging veterans on home refinancing loans.

DARPA IDEA: FREEZE SOLDIERS' BRAINS AFTER TRAUMA -- DARPA is looking for research projects that would create a "therapeutic hypothermia device" to prevent traumatic brain injuries from causing permanent molecular damage to the brain.

ARMY'S MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY TEAM ISSUES NEW REPORT -- MHAT-VI report finds biggest factors contributing to mental illness are repeated combat tours, shorter times between tours and the amount of combat a soldier sees.

WEEKEND -- 14 & 15 NOVEMBER 2009

VA PROMISES BETTER CARE AT MARION, ILL. FACILITY -- Illinois lawmakers got and gave assurances that positive changes have been made and more are on the way.

NEW ORLEANS HOMEOWNERS STAND FAST AGAINST VA HOSPITAL -- About 600 mid-city homeowners are resisting the new VA hospital and don't want to sell their property.

GAO REPORT LOOKS AT VA'S DIC PAYMENTS -- Analysis of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation levels for survivors of veterans and servicemembers.
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