5/1/2017
Why Dr. David Shulkin is exactly what the VA ordered | TheHill
Why Dr. David Shulkin is exactly
what the VA ordered
BY RAOUL LOWERY CONTRERAS, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR - 04/20/17 07:00 PM EDT
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For every suicide committed by a veteran under the care of the
Department of Veteran’s Affairs, there are two vets not under VA care. CONGRESS BLOG — 13M 21S AGO
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That, according to President Donald Trump’s appointee to head the VA –
Dr. David Shulkin – is a top priority of his new job.
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“Losing,” Dr. Shulkin told U.S. Senators, “even one veteran to suicide is
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Dr. Shulkin’s nomination surprised many for the simple reason that he was
already serving as the VA’s Undersecretary of Health appointed by and
serving under – President Barack Obama.
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President Obama brought him in to rescue the VA from impotence and
bad management. Veterans were dying every day because they couldn’t
get treatment from the 360,000 employee VA. It is one of the largest
health organizations in the world.
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5/1/2017
Why Dr. David Shulkin is exactly what the VA ordered | TheHill
The entire U.S. Senate, all 100 Senators, voted to conşirm Dr. Shulkin as
President Trump’s VA Secretary.
He is responding in kind. So is Congress.
The VA, he says, provides “a different model of care, which treats the
physical along with the psychological, the social and the economic
aspects of health, all of which contribute to the well-being of the patient.”
Related News by Wash Post reporter:
Trump asked us to run…
Perhaps VA Secretary Shulkin is embarking the department on a new
treatment paradigm, a paradigm of more treatment, more effective
treatment, new treatments all under a new management.
Further he says, “We (the VA) should focus on the things veterans need us
to focus on and work with companies that know how to do (health
systems) better than we do.”
Perhaps the best known phrase that came out of our decade-long Vietnam
War experience was – THE “THOUSAND YARD STARE.” It is a blank look
that manifests a detachment from surroundings and people that chills
witnesses.
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Times after report says…
Give Trump the silent
treatment
There is a large population of veterans that have served in combat that
have “thousand yard” stares; mental health professionals have attached a
name to the stare and what it represents: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
“PTSD.”
The VA estimates that as many as 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans
suffer from “PTSD.” Vietnam Era vets, now in their 60s and 70s require
more and more treatment by the VA health system. No one can even
guess how many Iraq/Afghanistan vets suffer from “PTSD.”
Can the VA handle a “crush” of new “PTSD” sufferers that need treatment?
There isn’t a “pill” that treats “PTSD.” Other means must be used. There
aren’t enough mental health professionals to work with such veterans, nor
enough dollars to fund them. The VA employs over a third of a million
people, how many more can it hire?
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sue Trump over…
Physical and mental trauma experienced daily by many Americans also
causes PTSD, not just war.
Good news. A new treatment is inching its way into treatment for “PTSD”
and no, it isn’t yoga or meditation at a Tibetan monastery. Can the VA use
this new treatment to help thousands of PTSD victims?
Speaking as a “rough, tough” former United States Marine any treatment
that includes music, meditation, relaxation and soft lighting seems
“touchy and feely” but…there is evidence a high tech combination of all
those items seem to help some people with PTSD.
Dr, Shulkin: It’s called “Blue Room” therapy. One might say it is a form of
“safe space.” The treatment is non-invasive, requires no special clothing,
or professional treatment by doctors or psychologists and only takes 20
minutes a session.
One wonders why the VA isn’t using the technique in heavy veteran livedin areas like California, Texas, et al. Is it cost or lack of desire? Dr. Shulkin
has himself announced that the two worst areas of VA treatment eŝiciency
is in Tennessee and Texas. That’s where this treatment should be
implemented immediately.
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5/1/2017
Why Dr. David Shulkin is exactly what the VA ordered | TheHill
Results of “Blu Room” use is the true test of the treatment not cost. Dale
Vaughn is a Vietnam veteran who has suffered from nightmares for years.
He has been formally diagnosed with PTSD.
Another vet, Cynthia Williams-Patnoe, served as a pilot in Afghanistan; her
problem was not caused by combat but by a pickup truck that hit her
causing brain trauma that required extensive physical and speech therapy
treatments.
Both of these vets say they have beneşited from Blu Room treatment.
Studies from UCLA and John Hopkins University suggest positive results
from such treatments, touchy feely or not.
Dr. Shulkin believes that the VA needs to go outside for private enterprise
solutions and treatments; so do we. Budgets, desire and new treatments are the metrics we need to handle
the coming deluge of Iraq and Afghanistan vets with PTSD -- they need Dr.
Shulkin and us to help them. ###
Contreras is the author of The Mexican Border: Immigration, War and A
Trillion Dollars in Trade and Murder in the Mountains: War Crime at Khojaly,
both published by Floricanto Press and his work was formerly distributed
by the New York Times Syndicate.
The views expressed by contributors are their own and are not the views of
The Hill.
TAGS BARACK OBAMA DONALD TRUMP VETERANS VA VETERAN AFFAIRS TRUMP SHULKIN
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