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NPR
Shots - Health News
Danyelle Clark-Gutierrez and her service dog, Lisa, shop for food at a grocery store. Clark-Gutierrez got the yellow Labrador retriever to help her cope with post-traumatic stress disorder after she experienced military sexual trauma while serving in the

More veterans with PTSD will soon get help from service dogs. Thank the 'PAWS' Act

Nov 26, 2021
Service dogs have long helped veterans with vision or mobility problems. Now the PAWS Veterans Therapy Act will help connect specially trained dogs to some veterans with symptoms of traumatic stress.
NPR
National
Denis McDonough, who was confirmed on Monday as secretary of Veterans Affairs, said he's been directed by President Biden "to focus on getting our veterans through this pandemic."

Senate Confirms Denis McDonough To Head Veterans Affairs Department

Feb 08, 2021
As head of the VA, McDonough inherits the formidable task of overseeing the administration of COVID-19 vaccines to approximately 18 million veterans across the nation.
NPR
National
Comedian, writer and veterans advocate Jon Stewart speaks at a press conference on "The Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020" at the House Triangle in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Jon Stewart Uses His Celebrity To Bring Attention To Vets Exposed To Burn Pits

Sep 16, 2020
The comedian and activist is helping to launch a new campaign to fight for war veterans who say they are sick because of exposure to burn pits and other toxins in Afghanistan and Iraq.
NPR
Coronavirus Live Updates

Internal Emails Show VA Hospitals Are Rationing Protective Gear

Apr 10, 2020
Seven Veterans Affairs staffers have died from the virus, and unions for VA workers have been sounding the alarm about shortages of protective gear and insufficient staffing.
NPR
The Coronavirus Crisis
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie told NPR the department was prepared to help back up the nation's health care system, if needed.

VA Secretary Wilkie: 'We Are The Surge Force'

Mar 19, 2020
In an interview with NPR, Secretary for Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie said the department was ready to deploy if called on to help with the coronavirus pandemic response.
NPR
National
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and other members of Congress are appealing a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to evict them from office spaces at VA hospitals.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Evicts Members Of Congress From Offices In VA Hospitals

Sep 25, 2019
The lawmakers have been using the offices to meet with veterans. At least one believes the eviction is payback for his tough questioning of VA Secretary Robert Wilkie in April.
NPR
National
Retired Staff Sgt. Matt Lammers holds the hand of his wife, Alicia, before the swimming competition at the 2019 Department of Defense Warrior Games in Clearwater, Fla. Alicia has been Matt's official caregiver for nearly eight years, but she was cut from

Veterans Urge Changes Before Expansion Of VA Caregivers Program

Aug 08, 2019
Veterans are warning that the Department of Veterans Affairs has not resolved serious flaws in the way the program is administered.
NPR
National Security
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie said his department is on the mend after a tumultuous 2018.

After A Year Of Turmoil, New VA Secretary Says 'Waters Are Calmer'

Nov 09, 2018
Robert Wilkie is President Trump's second VA secretary; his first was fired after clashing with political appointees. Wilkie insists he's put an end to infighting at the department.
NPR
National
A guard walks past a monument at North Alton Confederate Cemetery in Alton, Ill. The federal government has hired private security firms to guard several Confederate memorials across the U.S in the aftermath of clashes between white nationalists and coun

In Wake Of Charlottesville, Federal Government Pays To Protect Confederate Cemeteries

Oct 16, 2018
The Department of Veterans Affairs has spent millions providing round-the-clock protection to guard graves and memorials dedicated to Confederate soldiers.
NPR
National Security
Former Navy Capt. Jennifer Vedral-Baron is working to change practices at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Alvin C. York Campus in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

A Vet's Suicide Pushes The VA To Do Better

Aug 28, 2018
Former Army Sgt. John Toombs was thrown out of the residential drug treatment program at the Murfreesboro, Tenn., VA - and died by his own hand. The center's new building may be named in his memory.
NPR
National
Veterans Affairs secretary nominee Robert Wilkie (right) speaks with Marion Polk, national commander of AMVETS, before testifying at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee nominations hearing Wednesday.

Trump's Uncontroversial VA Pick Sails Through Confirmation Hearing

Jun 27, 2018
President Trump fired his first VA secretary, and his first nominee withdrew. His next pick, Robert Wilkie, is a veteran and a seasoned Washington official.
NPR
Criminal Justice Collaborative
Whistleblower Sheila Meuse was a VA hospital administrator who helped expose mismanagement in Central Alabama. She now sells real estate in Montgomery, Ala.

For VA Whistleblowers, A Culture Of Fear And Retaliation

Jun 21, 2018
VA employees in one Southeast district say a toxic culture of retaliation has undermined veterans' care and worker morale. There is growing skepticism among whistleblowers the VA can police itself.
NPR
National
Hamilton Kinard can't use his legs some days and needs help with bathing and toileting.

VA's Caregiver Program Still Dropping Veterans With Disabilities

May 21, 2018
An NPR investigation last year revealed that a number of VA centers were ejecting hundreds of caregivers from the program. The VA promised reform, but a year later few have returned to the program.
NPR
The Two-Way
U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, M.D., before a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Jackson, who abandoned his nomination to be secretary of Veterans Affairs amid numerous allegations, will not return to the job of Presiden

Jackson Won't Return As Trump's Personal Physician, Report Says

Apr 29, 2018
Dr. Ronny Jackson, who abandoned his nomination to be VA secretary amid numerous allegations, will stay with the White House medical unit but won't be the president's physician, Politico reports.
NPR
Here & Now Compass
The seal of the Department of Veterans Affairs is seen on the building in Washington, D.C., on Friday, June 21, 2013.

Beyond A Failed Nominee: Whistleblower Retaliation Another Problem At The VA

Apr 27, 2018
The VA Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection has taken on dozens of new cases of alleged retaliation. But some VA employees are skeptical the office will be able to protect them.
NPR
National

Veterans Affairs In Limbo After Jackson Withdraws As Nominee

Apr 27, 2018
Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson was tapped by President Trump to replace David Shulkin, who was fired in March. Now, the Veterans Affairs Department awaits its fourth secretary in four years.
NPR
Politics
Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the White House physician, has withdrawn his nomination to be the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ronny Jackson Withdraws As VA Nominee

Apr 26, 2018
Jackson decried "baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity," following detailed accusations including improper prescribing of drugs and wrecking a government vehicle while drunk.
NPR
The Two-Way
Ousted Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin demurred from pointing a finger squarely at President Trump but described a VA riddled with political pressure and conflict.

Fired VA Secretary Says White House Muzzled Him

Mar 29, 2018
David Shulkin, the ousted Veterans Affairs chief, tells NPR that political forces in the Trump administration want to privatize the VA and that he was not allowed to respond to an ethics controversy.
NPR
The Two-Way
Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin speaks during a House Committee on Veterans' Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier this month.

Inspector: 'Serious Derelictions' By VA Secretary Related To Overseas Travel

Feb 14, 2018
An investigation detailed an 11-day trip to Europe at taxpayer expense in which Secretary David Shulkin was accompanied by his wife and spent much of the time on sightseeing and at leisure.
NPR
Shots - Health News
Air Force veteran Billy Ramos, now 53, in a 1982 photo from his basic training days as an Airman in Texas, at Lackland Air Force Base. Now self-employed, Ramos relies on Medicaid for his family's health insurance needs.

Veterans Helped By Obamacare Worry About Republican Repeal Efforts

Jun 28, 2017
The rate of uninsurance among veterans dropped dramatically after the Affordable Care Act rolled out. Those who rely on Medicaid say they are particularly concerned about losing that care.
NPR
Politics
The House of Representatives passed a bill on Tuesday aimed at overhauling the Department of Veterans Affairs and protecting whistleblowers.

Congress Passes Bill To Increase Accountability Among VA Employees

Jun 13, 2017
The bipartisan legislation aims to transform the culture at the Department of Veterans Affairs. It shortens the process for removing negligent staffers and adds protections for whistleblowers.
NPR
Shots - Health News
Therapists spend much of their time stretching patients to keep them limber as they heal.

Civilians With Severe Burns Treated At Texas Military Hospital

Apr 11, 2017
The U.S. military's burn center in San Antonio is responsible for treating service members who are badly burned. But, to stay sharp, the medical teams there also treat civilians.
NPR
Shots - Health News
Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin is working with Congress to renew the Veterans Choice program, which allows some veterans to get medical care outside the VA system, and provides money for medical staff.

'The VA Is On A Path Toward Recovery,' Secretary Of Veterans Affairs Says

Mar 30, 2017
Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin says preventing suicide among military veterans is his "number one clinical priority," and that he is working to fill some 45,000 open jobs in the agency.
KNPR
Newscast headlines

Nye County Marks Opening Of New VA Clinic

Nov 10, 2016

Officials in Nye County are marking the opening of a long-promised Veterans Affairs clinic in Pahrump.

NPR
Around the Nation
Stephen Coning (right) served five years in the U.S. Marines, including a combat deployment to Afghanistan. He took his own life this summer, leaving behind his wife, Sky, and their 2-year-old son, Koleton.

After A Vet's Suicide, Getting VA Benefits Can Compound A Family's Grief

Aug 31, 2016
A former Marine who served in Afghanistan took his own life recently. But there was no diagnosis linking his service to his suicide, making it hard for his family to receive full death benefits.

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