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Reports and Letters of the Board
Report
to the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs, April 2005
Letter to Chairman Jack
Strukel, 9 Aug. 2001
letter to Congressman
Jerry Moran
Research letter
Anthrax
Report to the Kansas
Commission on Veterans
Affairs
From: Irving
A. Cohen,
M.D., M.P.H.,
Chair, Persian Gulf
War Advisory Board
.I
regret that I
cannot personally
attend your next
meeting and hope
this report will
speak for itself.
This report is on activities
carried out in
furtherance of resolutions of
the Advisory Board and suggests action
that could be
taken by the
Commission to assist Kansas veterans.
Based upon
discussions and motions
of the Advisory
Board at our meeting
of April 30th, 2005
I met with
the following
individuals and discussed
topics listed below:
John Neuberger, DrP.H.,
Professor of Epidemiology,
University of Kansas
Medical Center,
Kansas City,
Kansas May 6, 2005
Although Dr. Neuerger is
a member of
the Advisory Board,
I met with
him in his
capacity as a
researcher at KUMC.
The discussion
centered on two
possible roles for
KUMC, the
first in cooperation
with KSU on an
unmet needs survey of recently
returning veterans.
The second was
the cooperation of
KUMC with KSU
in looking at
outcomes and
searching for possible
treatment for
veterans suffering from
Persian Gulf War
Syndrome.
Ronald Trewyn,
Ph.D., Dean of
Research, Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas May
9, 2005
Dr. Trewyn is a Vietnam
combat veteran who
serves on the Federal
Agent Orange
Commission. Discussed to KSU's
role in research of
veterans' problems. Discussed issues
about congressional
support for federal
funding of KSU
“Persistent Outcomes of War” research
center. KSU has
developed a plan
for ongoing research
activity that would
benefit still-suffering
veterans' with issues
from the initial
Persian Gulf War.
This would be
built upon the
base of research
done by Lea Steele,
Ph.D. while she
was at the
Kansas Commission on
Veterans' Affairs.
The issue of
broadening the focus
of this Center
to include all
veterans' issues that
are not being
adequately addressed
or where more
scientific knowledge is
needed was addressed.
Also discussed was
the role of
intra-university
cooperation with KUMC
researchers in the
development of this
Center. I
agreed to bring
before the Commission
the issue of
developing support
from various quarters
regarding the $2.8
million proposal that is
now before the
Congressional Delegation.
Walter Schumm,
Ph.D. Professor of
Family Studies,
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas May 9, 2005
Dr. Schumm
is a retired
reserve officer who
has published several
scientific papers
regarding the Persian
Gulf War Syndrome.
Dr. Schumm’s Department
recently supervised a
graduate student who
completed her thesis
research by studying
the effect of
deployment on
divorces and service
retention of recently
returning veterans.
The possibility of
Dr. Schumm being an
investigator in study
of the needs
of recently returning
Kansas veterans was
discussed. The
need for funding
to conduct that
study and the
possibility of working
with investigators at
KUMC such as Dr. Nueberger was
discussed.
John
Pope, M.D.
Director of Mental
Health Services,
Eastern Kansas VA
region
Topeka, Kansas
May 13, 2005
Dr.
Pope is a
psychiatrist responsible
for all mental
health care provided
through the Leavenworth
and Topeka VAMCs.
Issues discussed included
the availability of
services for recently
returning veterans,
the need for
PTSD treatment for
some combat veterans
and the use of some
VAMC beds for active
duty personnel.
Areas of cooperation
to facilitate
treatment for recently
returning veterans
were discussed.
Overlap with a
study in which
the VA is planning to
cooperate with University
of Missouri at Kansas
City was discussed.
Stan Edlavitch, Ph.D
Professor and Director of
Epidemiology and
Bill Geis, Ph.D.,
Professor and
Director of Behavioral
Health Research at
University of
Missouri-Kansas
City School of Medicine
Kansas City,
Missouri May 17, 2005
Both
serve on the Kansas
Taskforce on Suicide
Prevention and hold
adjunct appointments
at KUMC. They
have developed a
study in VISN 15,
which includes Kansas,
and a program
of suicide prevention
in a VA
population. They
are now both
turning their
attention to issues
of PTSD in
a recently deployed
population of
veterans. Although
their study deals
with both Kansas and
Missouri veterans' and
looks at different
issues than a
needs survey,
there was discussion
of areas of
overlap and
cooperation.
Lea Steele,
Ph.D. Executive
Director of the
Scientific Advisory Board
on Persian Gulf
War Syndrome to
the VA.
Telephone,
multiple dates.
Dr.
Steele is of
course well known
to the Commission.
Subjects discussed
included both a
needs survey and
the continued follow-up
regarding the
population of veterans'
still suffering from
the Persian Gulf
War Syndrome.
Issues regarding
cooperation between different
Kansas institutions, Dr. Steele’s continued involvement
with Kansas research and support
for research funding
were discussed.
In
summary, in
the past several
weeks I have
held discussions with
six highly qualified
individuals, all
of whom agreed to
cooperate and lend
support for research
that will help
both the veterans'
still suffering from
Persian Gulf War
syndrome as well
as the more
recently returning
veterans whose problems
may not yet be
getting adequate
attention.
Based
upon these meetings
and upon earlier
resolutions of the
Persian Gulf War
Advisory Board,
I ask the
Commission to
formally take the
following actions:
1.
Pass a resolution
formally citing
the need for
and endorsing the
establishment of a
Center for the
Study of Veterans'
Issues as Kansas State University.
Such a center
would be intended
to look at
all needs of
veterans, both
current problems
and new problems
as they emerge
from ongoing
conflicts. Although
such a center
would be based
at KSU,
it would be
expected to
cooperate with other Kansas
institutions, in
particular through
joint investigations with
researchers at
KUMC.
2.
Communicate this resolution and
support to the
Kansas Congressional Delegation,
interested State
legislators and Kansas
Veterans' Organizations.
3.
Use the good
offices of the
Commission to
disseminate information to
recently returning
veterans that the
VA itself is
forbidden by law
to do.
This information
would be about
the scope and
availability of services
available to
recently deployed veterans.
Although the
commission currently does
provide such
information, there seems to be
a greater need
to disseminate
this then is
currently recognized.
4.
Support the
inclusion of a
budget item for
$50,000 in State
research funding
the budget request
currently under
development and/or
in the budget
for the upcoming
fiscal year.
Such funding would
be one possible
source for
conducting a study
of the needs
of recently
returning veterans.
The commission,
with scientific
guidance from the
advisory board,
would not actually
conduct such
research but would
be a conduit
for this funding
to the appropriate
Kansas research institutions.
The purpose of
such an appropriation
is twofold.
First, and
most importantly,
it will help
both the State
and Federal
governments recognize any
unmet needs in
recently returning
veterans. Secondly,
it will serve
as seed money
to bring in
far greater
federal funding if
appropriate follow-up
investigation is
indicated.
Thank you for
your consideration
of these matters.
Irving
A. Cohen,
M.D., M.P.H.
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