Dole-Shalala Commission Report: Walter Reed Was Just the BeginningPaul Rieckhoff
Posted July 26, 2007 | 12:37 AM (EST)
On March 6th, 2007, in response to a series of articles in the Washington Post that documented the poor conditions, neglect, and bureaucratic hurdles faced by outpatients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, President Bush authorized the creation of "The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors," headed by former decorated World War II veteran and Senator Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.
Today, the Dole-Shalala Commission released their draft report, proving to the American public that the Walter Reed fiasco is just the tip of the iceberg. This draft report illustrates the enormous scope of hurdles facing our nation's wounded veterans. Many troops and veterans are forced to wait months and even years for medical appointments and disability pensions. Some veterans forced to wait have committed suicide, while other have fallen deep into debt.
Last week, the Secretary of the VA Jim Nicholson ended an embarrassingly bad tenure by resigning from his post. This week, a group of disabled Iraq veterans are suing the VA for failing to provide them with care and resources. The situation is extremely urgent. Our veterans' healthcare system is facing tremendous challenges at every level and the Department of Defense and the VA are not ready to respond. This report should be a wake-up call for all Americans, reminding them that supporting the troops requires more than empty rhetoric and magnetic bumper stickers.
While the Commission will release its final report next week, a draft is available now and includes the following six major recommendations which should all be implemented as rapidly as possible:
1. Implement Comprehensive Recovery Plans
2. Restructure Disability and Compensation Systems
3. Improve Care for People with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
4. Strengthen Support for Families
5. Transfer Patient Information Across Systems
6. Support Walter Reed Until Closure in 2011
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