Veterans bulletin [Fall 2007]

Sonny Perdue Governor

Veterans Bulletin Georgia Department of Veterans Service
Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty Fall 2007
VA's Top Official Addresses Service
Officer School

Pete Wheeler Commissioner

Other Noted Speakers and Conference Highlights, Pages 5-7
Also in this issue:
Rome VA Clinic Opens, Page 4 Veterans Day Proclamation Signing, Pages 2-3 "Play It Again, Pete" Golf Tournament, Page 11

Governor Sonny Perdue's Annual Veterans Day Proclamation Signing
State Capitol, Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



Photos: Jon Suggs/SDVS

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



VA Outreach Clinic Dedicated in Rome
October 15, 2007

Commissioner Wheeler addresses the crowd. Members of the staff gather in front of the clinic.

Congressman Phil Gingrey gives keynote address.
Photos: Atlanta VAMC staff

Congressman Gingrey and Commissioner Wheeler
Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty

District Director Janet Byington (11th District) leads Commissioner Wheeler on a facility tour.


Front page, Georgia section, Florida Times-Union, October 11, 2007 Commissioner Wheeler calls the Thursday morning Medical Panel to order.

Registration Tuesday afternoon

Gordon Mansfield, Acting Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Vice Admiral Daniel L. Cooper (USN Ret.), Under Secretary for Benefits, VA

Conference attendees during Wednesday morning session

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



Larry Burks, Director, Atlanta VA Regional Office

Lawrence A. Biro, Network Director, VA Southeast Network, VISN 7

Judge William Moorman, U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims

Edward C. Huycke, Chief DOD Coordination Officer, Veterans Health Administration

Joe McCann, Deputy Assistant Director for Insurance, VA Insurance Center

Mary Sabulsky, Deputy Vice Chairman, Board of Veterans' Appeals, VA

William D. Elmore, Associate Administrator, Veterans Business Development, SBA
Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty

David Lewis, Assistant Director, University of Georgia Small Business Development Center


Peter S. Gaytan, Director, Nat'l Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Commission, American Legion

Scott P. Trimarchi, Assistant National Service Director, DAV

Jack Leonard, Service Director, Military Order of the Purple Heart
Serving All Who Served

John J. McNeill, Assistant Adjutant General for Operations, VFW

Rick Hirst, Manager for Training/Quality Assurance, National Veterans Service, VFW

Sea Palms Resort Saint Simons Island, Georgia October 9-12, 2007
Service Officers' School 2007
SPONSORED BY THE GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICE
IN COOPERATION WITH The United States Department of Veterans Affairs
and All Congressionally Chartered Veterans Organizations

Commissioner Wheeler (center) with department employees after receiving Georgia's "Faithful Service Award" certificates following the conclusion of this

year's school. From left: Phil Youngblood, Area Supervisor South Georgia, 15 years; Jewel Middleton-James, Manager I, Savannah, 30 years; Robert

Spaulding, Manager II, Blairsville, 5 years; Barbara Johnson, Manager I, Augusta, 5 years; JoAnn Dixon, Manger II, Statesboro, 30 years; Robert Turner,

Manager II, Cartersville, 5 years; Mary Aukerman, Secretary III, Central Office, 15 years; Jeffrey Norred, Manager II, LaGrange, 10 years; Anita Boxall,

Veterans Benefits Counselor, LaFayette, 30 years; Earnest Freeman, Manager II, Macon, 5 years; Janice Callaway, Manger I, Washington, 25 years; Joyce

Boyd, Manager II, Valdosta, 30 years; Vickie King, Manager II, Albany, 30 years; Charla Jones, Senior Counselor, Claims Staff, 20 years; Melissa Ingle,

Manager I, Americus, 5 years, and George Langford, Director, Claims Staff, 25 years.

Photos (Cover, Pages 5-7): SDVS Staff

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



VA issues Agent Orange presumptions

A new report from the Institute of Medicine finds suggestive but limited evidence that exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used during the Vietnam War era is associated with an increased chance of developing high blood pressure in some veterans.
The report is the latest update in a congressionally mandated series by the IOM that reviews every two years the evidence about the health effects of these herbicides and the type of dioxin TCDD that contaminated some of them.
The committee that wrote the report also concluded that there is suggestive but limited evidence that Amyloidosis (AL) is associated with herbicide exposure. Characterized by the accumulation of protein deposits in and around organs, this rare condition affects one in 100,000 people annually in the United States. The committee based its conclusions on the fact that Amyloidosis (AL) shares many biological and pathological similarities with multiple myeloma and certain B-cell lymphomas, which have been found to be associated with exposure to herbicides.
A finding of "limited or suggestive evidence of an association" means that scientific studies of adequate quality have yielded information pointing to a possible statistical link or plausible biological means by which exposure to the chemicals of concern could result in a particu-

lar health effect, but that contradictory results from other studies, biases, or other confounding factors limit the certainty of the evidence.
Two recently published studies of Vietnam veterans who handled Agent Orange and other defoliants provide evidence that these veterans have higher rates of hypertension. Defined as blood pressure exceeding 140/90, hypertension affects more than 70 million American adults and is a major risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular ailments. It is often associated with age, race, being overweight, or having diabetes. The two new studies were able to adjust for the impact of common risk factors for hypertension on the results. The results also were consistent with findings form several other studies that looked at the health effects of herbicides and their contaminants on Vietnam veterans but were not adjusted for known risk factors and had poorer measures of exposure. At the same time, a new environmental study and an earlier study of workers in an herbicide manufacturing plant did not find evidence of an association between herbicide or dioxin exposure and increased incidence of high blood pressure.
Given the studies' limitations and inconsistent results, the committee found the cumulative body of evidence suggestive of, but insufficient to conclude with certainty, an associa-

tion between high blood pressure and herbicide exposure.
The committee also reviewed studies that provide intriguing findings on rates of ischemic heart diseases and exposure to defoliants or dioxin. However, many of the studies did not have information necessary to adjust for the impact of weight, smoking, and other known risk factors on the results, and their measures of heart disease were somewhat imprecise. The committee members

could not agree on whether these factors distort the studies' results. The report presents scientific data only and does not imply or suggest policy decisions that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs might make. Also, the findings relate to exposure and outcomes in populations. Researchers' abilities to pinpoint the health risks faced by individual veterans are hampered by inadequate information about veterans'
continued on page 11

The VA has determined that a presumption of service connection will apply to certain claims based on exposure to herbicides that were used during the Vietnam War era. This determination is based solely on the Institute of Medicine's ability to determine association exists. The following categories of association are applicable to presumptive conditions: 1. Sufficient Evidence is sufficient to conclude that there is a positive association. That is, a positive association has been observed between exposure to herbicides and the outcome in studies in which chance, bias, and confounding could be ruled out with reasonable confidence. For example, if several small studies that are free from bias and confounding show an association that is consistent in magnitude and direction, there could be sufficient evidence of an association. 2. Limited or Suggestive Evidence suggests an association between exposure to herbicides and the outcome, but a firm conclusion is limited because chance, bias, and confounding could not be ruled out with confidence. For example, a well-conducted study with strong findings in accord with less compelling results from studies of populations with similar exposures could constitute such evidence.

The National Academy of Sciences' "The Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2006" IOM report has assigned association categories on the following medical conditions: 1. Sufficient Evidence of Association:
a. Chloracne b. Cancers:
(1) Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CCL) (2) Non-Hodgkins' lymphoma (3) Hodgkin's disease (4) Soft-tissue sarcoma

2. Limited or Suggestive Evidence of Association: a. Early-onset transient peripheral neuropathy b. AL amyloidosis c. Hypertension d. Porphyria cutanea tarda e. Type 2 diabetes (mellitus) f. Cancers: (1) Larynx (2) Lung, bronchus, or trachea (3) Multiple myeloma (4) Prostate g. In offspring of exposed individuals spinal bifida Source: NAS News/Report 27 July 2007

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



continued from page 8
exposure levels during their service in Vietnam. The report series is sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs and can be read at http://national-academies.org. Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the IOM provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. Pre-publication copy of Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2006 can be read at http://books. nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309107083.
Source: NAS News/Report 27 July 2007

The VA has determined that a non-presumption of service connection will apply to certain claims based on exposure to herbicides that were used during the Vietnam War era. This determination is based primarily but not solely on the Institute of Medicine's ability to determine if association exists. The following categories of association are applicable to non-presumptive conditions:
Inadequate or Insufficient The available studies are of insufficient quality, consistency, or statistical power to permit a conclusion regarding the presence or absence of an association. For example, studies fail to control for confounding, have inadequate exposure assessment, or fail to address latency.
Limited or Suggestive Evidence of No Association Several adequate studies, which cover the full range of human exposure, are consistent in not showing a positive association between any magnitude of exposure to the herbicides of interest and the outcome. A conclusion of "no association" is inevitably limited to the conditions, exposure, and length of observation covered by the available studies. IN addition, the possibility of a very small increase in risk at the exposure studied can never be excluded.

Augusta VA Medical
Center renamed in
honor of Norwood
H.R. 1808, which designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, as the Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was signed into law Nov. 8, 2007.
Norwood, who had served as Georgia's 10th Congressional District Representative since 1995, died in February from lung disease and cancer.
Norwood served as a Captain in the United States Army from 1967 to 1969, beginning with an assignment to the U.S. Army Dental Corps at Sandia Army Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In 1968 he was transferred to the Medical Battalion of the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam, and served a combat tour at Quin Yon, An Khe, and LZ English at Bon Son.
During his tour, he participated in experimental military dental practices that are now standard procedure for the armed forces. Norwood was one of the first participants in the Army's outreach program that delivered dentists to forward firebases in lieu of transferring patients to rear treatment areas. He provided some of the first field-based dental treatment of military guard dogs, and assisted in non-dental trauma care in Mobile Army Surgical Hospitals.
In recognition of his service under combat conditions, Norwood was awarded the Combat Medical Badge and two Bronze Stars. After Vietnam, Norwood was assigned to the Dental Corps at Fort Gordon, Georgia, where he served until his discharge in 1969. He was a member of the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Military Order of the World Wars.
Sources: http://www.whitehouse.gov and http://veterans.house.gov

The National Academy of Sciences "The Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2006" IOM report has assigned association categories on the following medical conditions:
Inadequate or Insufficient Evidence to Determine Association Neurobehavioral disorders (cognitive and neuropsychiatric) Movement disorders, including Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Chronic peripheral nervous system disorders Respiratory disorders Gastrointestinal, metabolic, and digestive disorders (changes in liver enzymes, lipid abnormalities, ulcers) Immune system disorders (immune suppression, autoimmunity) Ischemic heart disease * Circulatory disorders (other than hypertension) Endometriosis Effects on thyroid homeostasis Cancers: (1) Oral cavity (including tongue), pharynx (including tonsils), or nasal cavity (including ears and sinuses) (2) Pleura, mediastinum, and other unspecified sites within the respiratory system and intrathoracic organs (3) Esophagus (4) Stomach (5) Colorectal cancer (including small intestine and anus) (6) Hepatobiliary cancers (liver, gallbladder, and bile ducts) (7) Pancreas (8) Bone and joint (9) Melanoma * (10) Non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cells and squamous cell) (11) Breast * (12) Reproductive organs (cervix, uterus, ovary, testes, and penis; excluding prostate) (13) Urinary bladder (14) Kidney (15) Brain and nervous system (including eye) (16) Endocrine cancers (thyroid, thymus, and other endocrine) (17) Leukemia (other than CLL) (18) Other and unspecified sites:
(a) Abnormal sperm characteristics and infertifility (b) Spontaneous abortion (other than for paternal exposure to TCDD) (c) In offspring of exposed individuals:
- Neonatal or infant death and stillbirth - Low birth weight
- Birth defects (other than spinal bifida) - Childhood cancer (including acute myelogenous leukemia) * Indicates the committee could not reach consensus as to whether the evidence for these health outcomes related to exposure to the chemicals of concern was "limited, suggestive" or "inadequate," so they were retained in the inadequate category.
Limited or Suggestive Evidence of No Association Spontaneous abortion following paternal exposure to TCDD
Source: NAS News/Report 27 July 2007

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty



"Play it Again Pete" Golf Tournament Military Order of the Purple Heart Charity Golf Classic

ABOVE: Commissioner Wheeler, Tournament Chairman Dr. Kenneth W. Heard, VAMC-Atlanta Homeless Veterans Program Coordinator Jenifer Turner-Reid, and Tournament Director and MOPH Past National Commander Jim Randles with the $73,970 check from tournament fees. In total, the event raised more than $76,000 to benefit the VAMCAtlanta Homeless Veterans Program. TOP RIGHT: Commissioner Wheeler "blesses the ground" with Coca-Cola before teeing off. RIGHT: MOPH PNC Jim Randles, MOPH Service Director Jack Leonard, MOPH PNC Al Silva, Commissioner Wheeler, MOPH Adjutant Joe Palagyi, MOPH PNC Bill Wroolie. BOTTOM RIGHT: Commissioner Wheeler greets teams as they drive off to hit the links. BELOW: The blessing worked!

Photos: SDVS Staff

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty

10

"Art
From
The
Heart" The Atlanta Fine Arts League, Inc. was created in 2005 by a group of Atlanta area artists as a catalyst for its inaugural community project Art From The Heart, a project where local artists are donating their time and talents to create portraits of Georgia's service men and women who have died in the line of duty while in Afghanistan and Iraq for their families left behind. Each family will receive a 20 X 24 head and shoulders portrait of their fallen hero completely free of charge. The work of artists who volunteer is reviewed prior to assignment to assure their ability to capture a likeness and produce a professional quality portrait. There are currently over 60 portraits completed or in progress and 45 artists committed to fulfilling the need.
The response from the community has been overwhelming. Tara Materials, makers of Fredrix Artists Canvases, has donated all the canvases being used by the artists; Neonatology Specialists of Atlanta has generously donated funds to purchase frames for each portrait; JFM Enterprises of Norcross has discounted their frames by 50 percent off of wholesale to support the project; UPS has

donated all of the shipping of the portraits to the families; All Points Packaging and Industrial Packaging Corporation have donated the packing materials and handling while other dedicated businesses have become valued sponsors as well.
The exhibition was on display at the James H. "Sloppy" Floyd Veterans Memorial Building in October before moving to the Coca-Cola headquarters, where it remained through Nov. 14. After that, the paintings were presented to the soldiers' families.
The project has met with tremendous response from Georgia media outlets. Atlanta Fine Arts League has also been contacted for assistance in implementing sister programs in other states.
If you are or know of a Georgia artist interested in participating in Art From The Heart, please visit www. atlantafineartsleague.org or e-mail atlantafineartsleague@yahoo.com.
Story: Atlanta Fine Arts League, Inc.
Photos: Jon Suggs/SDVS

Georgia Veterans...guardians of liberty

11

President nominates Peake to head VA

White House Press Office October 30, 2007
President Bush announced his intention to nominate retired Lt. Gen. James B. Peake, M.D., to serve as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
His distinguished military career began in 1966 with service as an infantry officer in Vietnam, for which he received the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster for wounds sustained in battle. He retired from the Army in 2004, following service as lead commander in several medical posts, including four years as the U.S. Army Surgeon General.
Dr. Peake was awarded the Silver Star, a Bronze Star with `V' device and oak leaf cluster, and Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster for his service in Vietnam as a platoon leader with the 101st Airborne Division.
Dr. Peake was wounded twice in battle and received his acceptance letter to Cornell University Medical College while in the hospital recovering from injury. He attended medical school through an Army scholarship and then returned to the Army for his medical internships and residencies.
From 2000 to 2004, Dr. Peake served as the 40th Surgeon General of the United States Army. In this position, he commanded 50,000 medical personnel and 187 army medical facilities worldwide with an operating

budget of almost $5 billion. Dr. Peake was also commander
in several medical posts, and is credited with improving the training and techniques of the Army medical force. Notably, Dr. Peake served as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Medical Department Center and School the largest medical training facility in the world, with over 30,000 students.
Dr. Peake has been honored with the Order of Military Medical Merit; the "A" Professional Designator; and the Medallion, Surgeon General of the United States. His awards and decorations also include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters, the Meritorious Service Medal with two

oak leaf clusters, and an Air Medal. Dr. Peake wears the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Dr. Peake now serves as the Chief Medical Director and Chief Operating Officer of QTC Management, Inc. QTC serves veterans and separating soldiers by providing timely medical examination and electronic medical record services to help government agencies manage medical data and information in a cost-effective manner.
From 2004 to 2006, Dr. Peake was the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Project HOPE, a non-profit international health foundation with offices and programs in more than 30 different countries on five continents. While at Project HOPE, Dr. Peake helped to orchestrate the use of civilian volunteers aboard the Navy Hospital Ship Mercy as it responded to the tsunami in Indonesia and aboard the Hospital Ship Comfort as part of the Hurricane Katrina response.
"The President has nominated a decorated combat veteran and accomplished surgeon to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs," said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield. "We await his confirmation in the Senate and stand ready to work with Dr. Jim Peake to serve our nation's veterans with the finest health care services and benefits."

Georgia Department of Veterans Service Floyd Veterans Memorial Building E-970 Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4800

Georgia Veterans Bulletin
The "Georgia Veterans Bulletin" is published quarterly by the Georgia Department of Veterans Service. Individuals or organizations can be placed on the mailing list by calling (404) 656-5933, by writing to the Department of Veterans Service, Public Information Division, Floyd Veterans Memorial Building, Room E-970, Atlanta, GA 30334-4800, or by sending e-mail to gavetsvc@vs.state.ga.us.

James Blaylock

Chairman, Veterans Service Board

Pete Wheeler

Commissioner

Tom Cook

Assistant Commissioner, Claims and Field Operations

Len Glass

Assistant Commissioner, Administrative Service

Heldon (Bill) Jung

Director, Education & Training

Brian Zeringue

Public Information Manager

Jon Suggs

Editor, Veterans Bulletin

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