VA hosting free drive-thru flu shots for Veterans

Fort Wayne, Indiana (September 22, 2023) - Veterans Affairs Northern Indiana Health Care System will host multiple drive-thru flu shot clinics from September to October. The clinics will be held at VA locations in Fort Wayne, Marion, Muncie, Mishawaka and Peru.

 

The flu shot will be free to all VA-enrolled veterans who bring a veteran health care identification card. Veterans are asked to wear a loose-fitting, short-sleeve shirt and wear a mask.



Flu vaccinations will also be offered to veterans at every face-to-face scheduled appointment.

The schedule will be:

Fort Wayne VA campus (2121 Lake Ave.)
Saturday, Sept. 30 — 8-11 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 3 — 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14 — 8-11 a.m.

Marion VA campus (1700 E. 38th St.)
Saturday, Oct. 14 — 8 a.m. to noon
Tuesday, Oct. 17 — 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 21 — 8 a.m. to noon

Jackie Walorski VA Clinic (1540 Trinity Place, Mishawaka)
Tuesday, Sept. 26 — 1-4 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 30 — 8-11 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 3 — 1-4 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 10 — 9 a.m. to noon

Hoosier VA Clinic (1496 W Hoosier Blvd., Peru)
Wednesday, Oct 11 — 9 a.m. to noon
Tuesday, Oct. 17 — 9 a.m. to noon
Wednesday, Oct. 18 — 9 a.m. to noon
Tuesday, Oct. 24 — 12:30-3 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 25 — 12:30-3 p.m.

Muncie VA Clinic (3401 N. Morrison Road)
Saturday, Sept. 30 — 9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 4 — 4:30-6:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14 — 9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 18 — 4:30-6:30 p.m.

SOURCE: VA.gov/Northern-Indiana-Health-Care

Transforming lives: One eye at a time

Step into the realm of humanitarian training missions, where ophthalmology emerges as a beacon of hope in underserved areas. In July 2023, a team of 32 members from the Air Force, Army, and Navy embarked on an Ophthalmology Medical Readiness Training Exercise (MEDRETE) to Regional Hospital Dr. Luis "Chicho" Fabrega in Santiago de Veraguas, Panama.

The annual joint service exercise was led by U.S. Southern Command, aimed to enhance the skills and operational readiness of team members by immersing them in a range of prevalent chronic eye conditions in the region. Over three weeks, the team conducted rapid preliminary screenings for 300 patients within just three days. Following this, they accomplished a remarkable total of 291 surgeries over the subsequent eight days, leaving an impact through nearly 750 clinic appointments.

 

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kelsey Martinez

Amidst the mission's logistics, Master Sgt. Kim Piad, the flight chief at the 59th Medical Wing Ophthalmology Clinic and the Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of PANAMAX Alpha 2023, highlighted the importance of flexibility and innovation. Piad noted the dynamic nature of these surgeries, patient care, and resource management that required adaptation from their accustomed practices.

In missions like PANAMAX Alpha 2023, selecting the right personnel becomes vital, ensuring optimal outcomes within tight schedules and limited resources. U.S. Army Col. Casey Carlton, an ophthalmologist assigned to Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas and Officer in Charge of the mission, marveled at the collaboration across nations and specialties.

Operating under demanding conditions, collaborating internationally, and performing intricate surgeries with constrained resources provide a unique learning opportunity. Carlton emphasized how this environment sharpens skills in procedures like MSICS and pterygium excisions, while ensuring top-tier patient care throughout.

SOURCE: Defense Visual Information Distribution service    

Suicide Rates Surged Among Post-9/11 Veterans

Indianapolis, IN (August 28, 2023) - Suicide among post-9/11 veterans rose more than tenfold from 2006 to 2020 even as the rate remained relatively flat in the general U.S. adult population, according to a new review of 2.5 million service member records. The findings were even more startling for veterans diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury – those veterans had suicide rates 56% higher than those without a head injury and three times higher than the general population.

 

U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Airman 1st Class Corey Hook

That U.S. veterans struggle with brain injuries, mental health conditions and suicide is not news. Military service was, before 2008, a protective factor against suicide, with troops having lower rates than their civilian counterparts. But since that year, which coincided with a surge in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, suicide rates have risen steadily, despite enormous efforts by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to prevent the deaths.

The retrospective study, published Monday in JAMA Neurology, appears to show that those multimillion-dollar suicide prevention initiatives and programs have had little impact. "We were pretty stunned, honestly. Even though this is just a descriptive analysis, the trends are so alarming we felt we needed to report it as soon as possible," said Jeffrey Howard, an associate professor of public health at the University of Texas at San Antonio who led the study.

The study looked at the records of military veterans who served on active duty after Sept. 11, 2001, and had received three years of medical care through the military health system or at least two years at the VA. The researchers found that from 2006 to 2020, 8,262 veterans died by suicide while 562,411 civilians died by suicide, which translate – a rate of roughly 42 per 100,000 for veterans versus roughly 18 per 100,000 for the general population when looking at the groups across the 15-year time frame.

The rates were highest among those ages 35 to 44, followed closely by the 25- to 34-year-old group, and among Native and Alaskan Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and veterans with traumatic brain injury. The findings build on work published in February 2022, also by Howard, that found veterans with even mild traumatic brain injury, as well as those with moderate to severe injuries, were more likely to die by suicide, accidents or homicides than their counterparts who had never received blows to the head.

In an email Monday to Military.com, Howard said his researchers published the brief because they had received an update of the national death index data through 2020 and the group was interested to see how the rates may have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But when they looked at the rate trend, what "really stood out was just how dramatically they had increased over the past 15 years."

SOURCE: Military.com

Indiana veterans exposed to toxic materials invited to event

Lawrence, IN (August 24, 2023) - Indiana veterans exposed to toxic materials can learn more about improved VA benefits and get screened for toxic exposure at a special event on Thursday. Veteran Health Indiana will host a benefits and event at the Lawrence Armory located at 9920 East 59th Street.

 

The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, known as the PACT Act, improved and expanded VA benefits and health care for veterans exposed to toxic substances including Agent Orange, asbestos, burn pits, and radiation.

Thursday’s event will give veterans and their families, caregivers, and survivors to find out more and ask questions about eligibility, enrollment, compensation, and more. Info briefings are scheduled at 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. for anyone who wants to learn more. Toxic exposure screening will also be available. Interested veterans should bring their DD-214.