Veteran’s Quest For ‘Foot That Fits’ Highlights Women’s Issues In VA Care
The Department of Veterans Affairs is struggling to address the needs of women when they return home from service. In other VA news, a closer look at one suicide-prevention program and the VA's claims backlog affects veterans who live in Nevada.
The Washington Post:
One Female Veteran’s Epic Quest For A ‘Foot That Fits’
Every morning for more than two years, retired Army Sgt. Brenda Reed had the infuriating chore of screwing on what she calls her “man foot.” The prosthesis was given to her by the Department of Veterans Affairs after her left leg was amputated in 2013 .... She pleaded with VA officials for “a foot that fits, a female foot,” only to be told repeatedly that the agency doesn’t carry that kind of customized prosthesis .... a health-care system that for generations catered almost exclusively to men has been slow to recognize that the 2.3 million female veterans represent the fastest-growing population turning to the agency. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 9/5)
The Chicago Tribune:
At VA Suicide-Prevention Program, Loss Turns To Hope
The call came in at 3:30 p.m. "I just want you to know that I'm about to check out," the caller said. Social worker Tonnia Hinshaw had picked up the phone in the suicide-prevention office of the veterans hospital in North Chicago. She recognized the man's voice, which was slurred from alcohol. A 62-year-old Vietnam veteran, he had called before and told her about his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder. (Mastony, 9/7)
Fox News:
VA Claims Backlog, Signature Problem Frustrate Nevada Veterans
Nevada veterans with questions about delays in processing their disability claims and the ever-growing backlog say they've hit another roadblock. Veterans in the Reno area received letters about the status of their claims from a manager at the city's Veterans Benefits Administration Service Center who no longer works there, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (9/7)
