Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1007462
12 UCW JULY 25-31, 2018 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM If confirmed by the Senate as secretary of Veterans Affairs, Robert Wilkie will have to deal with VA hiring practices and the over-prescribing of anxi- ety drugs. A new report from the nation's leading veterans group said these issues may be undermining efforts to combat suicide among veterans. e American Legion just released a 20-page report soon after the VA came out with its own report showing little change in the veterans suicide rate in recent years. "VA has implemented nu- merous successful initiatives and programs," the Legion report stated. "However, as an average of 20 veterans a day continue to take their own lives ... much more must be done." "e prime directive is customer service," Wilkie said. He told a Senate committee the VA should be an industry leader in opioid intervention and sui- cide prevention. Wilkie grew up in Fayetteville and has held several top positions in government. He has repeatedly stated his opposition to privatization of the VA, whose budget has quadrupled in the last 20 years and stands at more than $188 billion. at makes it the second-largest agency in the federal government behind only the De- partment of Defense. Of concern to Legion officials are significant staffing gaps at VA medical facilities across the country. Department officials have acknowledged more than 30,000 full-time vacancies, particularly problematic shortages in special- ties such as mental health care. American Legion leaders blame those shortfalls in large part on "the tedious hiring process" in the federal bureaucracy and urged more outreach and research into ways to improve the recruiting and retention process. About 74,000 veterans live in the 19-county area of Southeastern North Carolina served by the Fayetteville VA. "e shortage of employees can lead to over- worked staff, poor patient experiences and lower quality of care," the report stated. Keeping veterans in the VA care network has resulted in a significant decline in suicide, the report added. Legion officials also sounded alarms over VA physicians' use of benzodiazepines, a class of anti- anxiety drugs that includes Xanax and Valium. "Over 25 percent of veterans newly diagnosed with PTSD are still being prescribed harmful and potentially deadly amounts of medications," the report stated. e report also recommended further outreach by the VA to veterans with other-than-honorable discharges. Last year, VA officials offered emergency mental health intervention to those veterans for the first time. It also suggested more exploration of alternative mental health therapies such as "acu- puncture, yoga, meditation and martial arts" for struggling veterans. Wilkie said that if confirmed, he would carry out the mandate of newly passed legislation that calls for expanding private health care for veterans. But, he said, private care would not replace VA, a long- standing fear among Democrats. At his confirmation hearing, Wilkie cited a raft of "administrative and bureaucratic" issues he said he has seen firsthand during the weeks he served as acting VA secretary. He said he would fix them by modernizing the agency's cumbersome medical appointment system. Wilkie was appointed to the interim post in March. To contact the Veteran Crisis Line, dial 1-800-273- 8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. Veterans, soldiers or their families can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance. Robert Wilkie will have a full plate by JEFF THOMPSON NEWS JEFF THOMPSON, Senior News Reporter. COMMENTS? news@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200. Robert Wilkie (910) 678-8400 • www.faytechcc.edu Make the SMART choice to register now for Fall classes at FTCC! Choose from over 250 programs of study in the areas of Arts & Humanities, Business, Computer Information Technology, Engineering & Applied Technology, Health, Math & Sciences, and Public Service For information on course descriptions involved with each program, career paths, and employment outlook, visit www.faytechcc.edu/academics or meet with an FTCC admissions counselor at our Fayetteville, Spring Lake, or Fort Bragg locations! Register now for Fall classes! Classes begin August 20