(Washington) – Commissioners Ken Kizer, M.D., and Harry Walters were featured panelists on May 4 at a New America Foundation roundtable discussion about the current and future state of VA health care. The event’s organizer, Phillip Longman, is the author of a new book entitled, “Best Care Anywhere: Why VA Health Care is Better Than Yours,” which examines how the veterans health care system has come to be regarded as the highest quality, lowest cost health care system in America. C-Span provided live coverage of the two-hour discussion.

Dr. Kizer, former VA Undersecretary for Health from1994 to 1999, is widely credited with turning around VA’s health care system, as documented in Longman’s book. Also participating for the Commission was the Honorable Harry N. Walters, who served as VA Administrator from 1983 to 1987. During Walters tenure in charge of VA he also helped modernize VA through a number of management and organization reforms. Walters was also the driving force in creating the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans, and serves as Managing Commissioner.

Other experts participating in the discussion include Dr. Gerald Cross, Acting VA Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health; John Holahan, Ph.D., Director, Health Policy Center at The Urban Institute; and John F. Sommer, Jr., Executive Director of The American Legion.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans was established in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and to develop recommendations for how our government can meet those needs. The Commission has been meeting and conducting independent research to develop and deliver recommendations and plan of action to the President, the Congress, and the America public by spring 2008.

Harry N. Walters, Managing Commissioner of the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans, today announced that the Professional Golf Association (PGA) was pairing up with the Commission in support of today’s and tomorrow’s veterans.  Walters, who served as VA Administrator during the Reagan Administration, said that details about the PGA’s sponsorship were still being developed and expressed deep gratitude for the PGA’s support.

“We are grateful for the generous sponsorship of the PGA and for their demonstrated dedication to the cause of America’s veterans,” said Walters.  “Golf is an activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and all abilities, and can provide tremendous physical, emotional and social benefits to our nations wounded warriors.  We believe that pairing up disabled veterans and golf can be an important component of their rehabilitation, and the PGA has some ideas that our Commission should consider as we develop our recommendations for the future,” Walters said.

PGA Chief Executive Office Joe Steranka expressed thanks to the Commission for “…the very important work you are doing for this special group of Americans.  We welcome the opportunity to explain the role that golf can play as a lifetime activity for America’s veterans,” he said.

The PGA has developed a number of programs to provide golf instruction to wounded and disabled servicemembers and veterans, working through the Military Severely Injured Center and VA hospitals across the country.  As part of their program, PGA professionals will provide disabled veterans with instruction on golf, including specific instruction on how to use compatible motion to develop golf skills relative to their abilities.  They will also provide information about equipment and resources to fit disabled golfers with adaptive equipment. Further information about the PGA program can be at: http://www.pga.com/news/pganews/pgamedianewsletter/pgadsusa_051707.cfm

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans was established in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and to develop recommendations for how the government can meet those needs.  The Commission has been meeting and conducting independent research to develop and deliver recommendations and plan of action to the President, the Congress, and the America public by Memorial Day 2008.  The Commission was created by the Veterans Coalition, an organization comprised of leading veterans service organizations, including The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Jewish War Veterans, Blinded American Veterans Foundation, and Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Following three days of fact-finding visits and public meetings in Tampa, Florida, Managing Commissioner Harry N. Walters said that, “the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans has taken major strides towards its goal of developing a vision and plan for how this nation can best deliver needed benefits and services to our veterans far into the future.”  The centerpiece of the Tampa visit was an open, public “town hall” meeting held on Wednesday night in which hundreds of Florida residents (some all the way from Miami) were able to speak directly to the Commission about their experiences with VA today and their hopes for its future.  This “town hall” meeting, called “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans”, was also webcast live over the Internet.

“Our Commission was able to hear the heart-felt views and insightful ideas of Tampa Bay veterans, caregivers and supporters of veterans, as well as leading medical professionals working to improve veterans’ lives,” said Harry Walters, who previously served as Administrator of Veterans Affairs under President Ronald Reagan.  “We are grateful to all the Floridians who cared enough to come to our meetings, take us on tours, and provide expert testimony to the Commission.  Our Commissioners heard them loud and clear, and we will make sure that their ideas become part of this Commission’s work,” Walters said.

Over the past week, the Commission conducted comprehensive tours of the VA nursing home at Bay Pines and the polytrauma and spinal cord injury units at the Haley VA hospital in Tampa.  The Commission also heard several hours of expert testimony about the future of VA research, academic affiliations, and information management and technology.  On Wednesday, the Commission was joined by retired General Norman H. Schwarzkopf, himself a Tampa resident, who is supporting the Commission as a member of its National Leadership Council.  Schwarzkopf praised the Commission for its work to fulfill America’s obligation to care for those men and women who defend our nation.

Among the experts who spoke to the Commission were: Dr. Steven Scott, Medical Director, Tampa Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center; Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA Chief of Research and Development; Dr. Paul Tibbits, VA Deputy Chief Information Officer; Dr. Malcolm Cox, Chief Academic Affiliations Officer; Dr. Jordan J. Cohen of the American Association of Medical Colleges; Dr. Lynn Wecker, Associate Dean for Research at the University of South Florida College of Medicine; and Mr. Gary Ewart, Director of Research at Friends of VA Research.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans (www.future4vets.org) began operating in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and develop recommendations for how the federal government should meet those needs.  Over the next 15 months, the Commission will continue holding meetings and conducting research to develop and deliver recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the America public by Memorial Day 2008.  The Commission was created by the Veterans Coalition, an organization that includes The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), AMVETS, Vietnam Veterans of America, Blinded American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, and  Military Order of the Purple Heart.

The Commission is currently engaged in a multi-state tour entitled “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans”, actively seeking input from military veterans, veterans’ experts, and other Americans interested in supporting veterans.  The “Conversation” began at Charleston, West Virginia in January, continued this week in Tampa, Florida and next goes to San Diego, California at the end of May, and then on to Cincinnati in July.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans today announced that they will be expanding the reach of their activities to a worldwide audience by broadcasting their proceedings over the Internet.  The first “virtual town hall meeting” will take place on March 14 at 7:00 PM when their live town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida is opened up to web participation.  Details on how to participate in the ‘virtual’ town hall meeting can be found at the Commission’s website: www.future4vets.org.

“We are very pleased to expand our activities beyond the confines of auditoriums and conference rooms through the use of modern technology that allows anyone with a computer and an Internet connection to fully take part in our meetings,” said Harry N. Walters, Managing Commissioner and former VA Administrator.  “Not only will web participants see and hear the same things as the live audience, they will also be able to submit comments and questions over the Internet to the Commissioners,” said Walters.

“The shocking stories about living conditions for many of our wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center bring home the problems that can occur when a health care system is strained to the breaking point,” Walters said.  “With a looming budget crisis facing the Department of Veterans Affairs and other federal programs, it is absolutely imperative that we begin planning today to ensure that our future veterans get the treatment they deserve.  That’s what this Commission is all about: looking at the system today, envisioning where it needs to be in the future, and developing plans to get there from here,” Walters said.

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans began operating in September 2006 as a private, independent, analytical body to examine the needs of veterans 20 years in the future, and develop recommendations for how the federal government should meet those needs.  Over the next 15 months, the Commission will continue holding meetings and conducting research to develop and deliver recommendations to the President, the Congress, and the America public by Memorial Day 2008.  The Commission was created by the Veterans Coalition, an organization comprised of The American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and AMVETS.

The Commission is currently engaged in a multi-state tour entitled “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans”, actively seeking input from military veterans, veterans’ experts, and other Americans interested in supporting veterans.  The “Conversation” began at Charleston, West Virginia in January, continues with another Town Hall meeting on March 14 in Tampa, Florida and next goes to San Diego, California at the end of May.  All future town hall meetings of the Commission will be broadcast as ‘virtual’ town hall meetings on the web.

Following a presentation to the mid-winter meeting of the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA), Harry N. Walters, former US Veterans’ Administrator and now Managing Commissioner of the independent Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans (www.future4vets.org), said that “State Veterans’ Departments are critical to ensuring benefits and services can be provided to veterans in the future.” 

“The VA of today cannot survive Washington’s deadly budget battles much longer,” Walters said.  “Only by bringing about dramatically new ideas and more robust partnerships with States and other entities can we provide what our veterans have earned and will desperately need in the future,” he said.

“Our independent, non-governmental and non-partisan Commission is charged with establishing a visionary, critically-needed plan to ensure that our veterans will have the resources and assistance they require when returning from the hazards of war,” said Walters.  (Read on …)

The Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans had a tremendous start to their national “Conversations” tour in Charleston, West Virginia in January.West Virginian’s veterans and political leaders packed the State House Chamber for the Commission’s “Town Hall Meeting” to share their views on what veterans deserve and will need decades from now.

West Virginia’s Governor Joe Manchin, as well as the State’s Adjutant General of the National Guard, Secretary of Military Affairs, and Director Veterans Affairs all addressed the Commission. National leaders from The American Legion, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, and PVA also made the trek from Washington to help kick-off the “Conversation” in Charleston.

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The Commission’s “Town Hall Meeting” in Charleston, West Virginia garnered quite a lot of media attention in West Virginia, as well as some national press. Television, radio and newspaper stories before and after the meetings helped spread the word about “Conversations on the Future for America’s Veterans.”  Watch a comprehensive TV report from WSAZ-3 from Charleston.  Or read news clips from the Charleston Gazette and the Associate Press.

(Washington, D.C.) – An influential, new national panel - the Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans - will kick off a multi-state tour on Tuesday, Jan. 16 in Charleston. The two-day event will include a ‘town hall-style’ meeting on Tuesday in the West Virginia House of Delegates Chamber, as well as an open, public Working Session of the Commission to take place on Wednesday, January 17, 2007.

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After months of planning, the new Commission on the Future for America’s Veterans began its historic work with a series of public and private meetings in Washington, DC on November 9, 2006. The Commission is an independent, nonpartisan analytical body established to examine the needs of veterans twenty years into the future and develop comprehensive recommendations that will alow our Nation to meet those needs.

The Commission’s day was highlighted by its first public meeting held on Capitol Hill and a private meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson, Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield, and a dozen other senior VA officials.

Participating in today’s meetings were all nine Commissioners: Mr. Everett Alvarez, Jr., Mr. Raymond Boland, Mr. Chad Colley, Mr. Ronald F. Conley, Mr. William M. Diefenderfer III, Dr. Kenneth Kizer, Ms. Susan Livingstone, Mr. Bryan E. Sharratt, and Ms. Jo Ann Webb. In addition, Hon. Harry N. Walters, former VA Administrator, who serves as a non-voting, Managing Commissioner, helped preside over the first public meeting.

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