April 2021 Newsletter
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News from MHCE<br />
APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong><br />
WWW.MHCE.US<br />
have designed and positioned this<br />
platform as the next generation<br />
vaccine, one that paves the way<br />
for a universal vaccine to protect<br />
against not only the current virus,<br />
but also counter future variants,<br />
stopping them in their tracks before<br />
they can cause another pandemic."<br />
The vaccine was developed with<br />
support from the Henry M. Jackson<br />
Foundation for the Advancement<br />
of Military Medicine.<br />
Army Begins Clinical Trials on<br />
Vaccine That May Be Effective<br />
Against All Coronaviruses<br />
Fifteen months after launching an<br />
effort to develop a vaccine against<br />
COVID-19, the Walter Reed Army<br />
Institute of Research is preparing<br />
for a clinical trial, seeking<br />
volunteers for a small safety study.<br />
The Army's vaccine candidate<br />
uses a new technology involving<br />
a Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle, or<br />
SpFN, that researchers hope can<br />
be adapted to protect against any<br />
coronavirus, including those that<br />
cause the common cold or deadly<br />
diseases such as COVID-19,<br />
Severe Acute Respiratory<br />
Syndrome, or SARS, and Middle<br />
East Respiratory Syndrome,<br />
MERS.<br />
The WRAIR vaccine candidate<br />
has been tested in mice and<br />
monkeys and is now ready for<br />
human safety trials, according to<br />
officials at the institute, which falls<br />
under Army Medical Research and<br />
Development Command.<br />
"Even before recent COVID-19<br />
variants were identified, our<br />
team was concerned about the<br />
emergence of new coronaviruses<br />
in human populations, a threat that<br />
has been accelerating in recent<br />
years," Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad,<br />
director of the Emerging Infectious<br />
Diseases Branch at WRAIR, said<br />
in a released statement. "That's<br />
why we need a vaccine like this:<br />
one that has potential to protect<br />
broadly and proactively against<br />
multiple coronavirus species and<br />
strains."<br />
The study is being conducted at<br />
WRAIR's Clinical Trials Center<br />
and will enroll 72 healthy adult<br />
volunteers ages 18 to 55 who will<br />
be randomly placed in placebo or<br />
experimental groups.<br />
WRAIR began its work on a<br />
coronavirus vaccine Jan. 11, 2020<br />
-- the day after Chinese researchers<br />
published the coronavirus' genetic<br />
sequence, enabling scientists to<br />
more fully understand the lethal<br />
pathogen.<br />
With that genetic makeup in mind<br />
and building on research on the<br />
coronavirus that causes Middle<br />
East Respiratory Syndrome,<br />
or MERS, WRAIR scientists<br />
developed SpFN as a protein<br />
base that can carry one or more<br />
spike proteins engineered to block<br />
infection and elicit an immune<br />
response, according to Modjarrad.<br />
While commercial manufacturers<br />
have produced four distinct<br />
vaccines against COVID-19,<br />
three of which are currently being<br />
distributed under emergency-use<br />
authorization in the U.S., WRAIR<br />
is playing the long game when it<br />
comes to developing a coronavirus<br />
vaccine for the future.<br />
"We are in this for the long haul,"<br />
Modjarrad said in a release. "We<br />
More than 176,000 U.S. service<br />
members have tested positive for<br />
COVID-19 since the beginning<br />
of the pandemic and 24 have<br />
died. Another 307 civilian DoD<br />
employees, contractors and family<br />
members also have died.<br />
Worldwide, 132.1 million people<br />
have been infected with the<br />
coronavirus, and 2.8 million have<br />
died. There have been nearly<br />
30.8 million cases in the U.S.<br />
and 556,307 American deaths as<br />
of <strong>April</strong> 4, according to Johns<br />
Hopkins University.<br />
Across the Defense Department,<br />
2.1 million doses of the COVID-19<br />
vaccine -- made by Moderna, Pfizer<br />
or Johnson & Johnson -- have been<br />
administered to U.S. troops, family<br />
members, civilian employees and<br />
other essential workers, according<br />
to the Centers for Disease Control<br />
and Prevention.<br />
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden<br />
implored Americans to get their<br />
vaccines, especially with cases<br />
on the rise in some areas and the<br />
spread of variants.<br />
"We’re getting more and more data<br />
on just how effective these vaccines<br />
are," Biden said. "We’re making a<br />
lot of good progress … but we’re<br />
not even halfway to vaccinating<br />
300 million Americans. We are<br />
still in a life and death race against<br />
this virus."
2 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
COVID-19 Vaccine<br />
Effort Continues<br />
at Central Virginia<br />
Veterans Clinics -<br />
CVHCS Totals More<br />
Than 24,600 Doses<br />
The Army's 18th Airborne Corps<br />
wants to hear soldiers' ideas for<br />
decreasing military suicide, using<br />
a format previously employed<br />
to address issues such as sexual<br />
assault in the ranks and range<br />
management.<br />
Five soldiers will be chosen May<br />
6 to present their ideas to military<br />
leaders and subject matter experts<br />
at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, as<br />
part of the unit's "Dragon's Lair"<br />
program -- a pitch-fest based on<br />
the format of ABC's "Shark Tank"<br />
show.<br />
The troops have until midnight<br />
May 1 to submit their ideas can<br />
do so through the unit's Dragon<br />
Innovation Program website.<br />
"For us, this is about using our<br />
most-recognized program to save<br />
our teammates," said Col. Joe<br />
Buccino, XVIII Airborne Corps<br />
innovation officer. "This is about<br />
using the Dragon's Lair platform<br />
to raise awareness and give our<br />
soldiers a voice."<br />
According to preliminary<br />
data published by the Defense<br />
Department, suicides increased<br />
by 8% in 2020 among activeduty<br />
personnel, and by 25% and<br />
31% for the Reserve and National<br />
Guard components, respectively.<br />
Based on the raw numbers and<br />
population of the services --<br />
which the DoD says may change<br />
once all reports are analyzed and<br />
completed -- the Army's suicide<br />
rate in 2020 among active-duty<br />
personnel was an estimated 36<br />
deaths per 100,000 soldiers. The<br />
Marine Corps' rate was 33 per<br />
100,000, followed by the Air<br />
Force, at 24 per 100,000, and the<br />
Navy, at 18 per 100,000.<br />
In 2019, the active-duty suicide<br />
rates were<br />
• 29.8 per 100,000 for the Army<br />
• 25.3 per 100,000 in the<br />
Marine Corps<br />
• 21.5 per 100,000 for the Navy<br />
• 25.1 per 100,000 for the Air<br />
Force.<br />
Speaking to reporters March 31,<br />
Pentagon Press Secretary John<br />
Kirby cautioned against drawing<br />
conclusions from year to year<br />
until all deaths are investigated.<br />
"At this time, it's too early to<br />
determine whether suicide rates<br />
are going to show an increase or a<br />
decrease for calendar year 2020,"<br />
Kirby said. "Bottom line is, of<br />
course, that the health, safety<br />
and well-being of our military<br />
community is paramount to the<br />
readiness of our force. Every<br />
death by suicide is a tragedy, and<br />
every one results in a grieving<br />
family for which we share that …<br />
grief."<br />
The Pentagon's official statistics<br />
for the year will be released in<br />
its annual suicide report, which
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 3<br />
typically comes out around the<br />
beginning of October.<br />
The new Dragon's Lair initiative<br />
is designed to learn from soldiers<br />
who "live in the barracks, are in<br />
our orderly rooms, in our motor<br />
pools, across our formations,"<br />
Buccino said.<br />
The unit plans to announce the<br />
names of those selected on May<br />
25.<br />
The 18th Airborne Corps<br />
launched the Dragon's Lair<br />
program last October to provide<br />
soldiers a platform for sharing<br />
ideas for addressing problems<br />
across the service. In February,<br />
seven service members presented<br />
their proposals for addressing<br />
sexual assault and harassment in<br />
the ranks.<br />
Staff Sgt. Shameka Dudley<br />
proposed that the service's Sexual<br />
Harassment/Assault Response<br />
and Prevention, or SHARP,<br />
training ditch PowerPoint<br />
presentations and replace them<br />
with virtual reality scenarios.<br />
Sgt. Taylor Kneuven called for<br />
a change to representation on<br />
Army administrative boards for<br />
separation to make outcomes<br />
more fair for soldiers.<br />
The program is open to soldiers<br />
in the 18th Airborne Corps. Those<br />
who want to submit their ideas can<br />
do so through the unit's Dragon<br />
Innovation Program website.<br />
Service members experiencing a<br />
crisis can call the Veterans Crisis<br />
Line 24/7 at 800-273-8255, press<br />
1. Chatting also is available<br />
online atwww.veteranscrisisline.<br />
net and by texting 838255..<br />
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4 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
COVID-19, Civil Unrest:<br />
Have Too Many Homeland<br />
Missions Damaged Trust<br />
in the Military?<br />
More than a year after COVID-19 effectively shut down the U.S., the<br />
Defense Department still has 6,235 active-duty troops and 31,500 National<br />
Guard members across 54 states and U.S. territories administering vaccines,<br />
conducting testing, storing goods and more.<br />
The military is no stranger to homefront assistance: from hurricane and<br />
wildfire relief to food bank distribution, uniformed personnel have been<br />
called on for decades to provide domestic support during crises.<br />
But in a time when Americans seem more divided than ever, experts say the<br />
military is caught in a difficult balancing act: to lend civil support where<br />
needed without detracting from core strategic missions so it can remain ready<br />
for the next fight. Pandemic response and other domestic crises over the last<br />
year have made that task even more complicated. And changing American<br />
expectations regarding the military may heighten the tension.<br />
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WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 5<br />
Most sailors aboard the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer Chafee have<br />
been placed under quarantine in San Diego hotel rooms following a CO-<br />
VID-19 outbreak among the crew, according to Navy officials.<br />
An unspecified number of sailors assigned to the Hawaii-based ship have<br />
tested positive and have been isolating off the ship, according to Third Fleet<br />
spokesman Cmdr. Sean Robertson. Earlier, officials had said about a dozen<br />
personnel had tested positive.<br />
The rest of the crew received tests on Friday in response to the outbreak.<br />
"In order to ensure the health of the force and guarantee mission readiness,<br />
most of the crew members assigned to USS Chafee have been placed in a<br />
Restriction-of-Movement (ROM) status in hotels in the local San Diego<br />
area," Robertson said. "A caretaker crew will remain aboard in order to support<br />
the ship's operational and material readiness, and execute necessary support<br />
functions."<br />
The ship will also be cleaned, he said.<br />
None of the infected sailors have required hospitalization, Robertson said.<br />
The ship has been in San Diego for training exercises.<br />
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6 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
The Army Infantry Doesn't Just Need More<br />
Women. It Needs More Qualified Women.<br />
Capt. Shaina N. Coss was among the first 10 women to graduate from<br />
Ranger School and became the first female infantry officer to serve in the<br />
75th Ranger Regiment in 2018. She is currently serving on active duty<br />
at the U.S. Marine Corps Expeditionary Warfare School in Quantico, Va.<br />
Recent attention surrounding the Army Combat Fitness Test, or ACFT,<br />
produced a scornful public response shaming the Army into lowering<br />
physical standards to accommodate the more than 50% of women who<br />
failed to meet the minimum requirements during initial testing.<br />
Resulting backlash encouraged the service to suspend its stratified, colorcoded<br />
grading system, which had required the highest fitness standards<br />
for combat arms (black) and high standards for jobs like Military Police<br />
(gray). Both standards were replaced with a lower minimum (gold) for<br />
all soldiers regardless of military occupational specialty, or MOS, in the<br />
ACFT 3.0 version.<br />
While the Army has yet to announce whether it will reinstate tiered fitness<br />
standards, some continue to argue that the service must permanently<br />
allow substitutions for the leg tuck as they believe it discriminates against<br />
women, who lack the upper-body strength of men.<br />
Removing high standards and offering substitutions like the plank pose<br />
will increase pass rates among women, leading the Army to falsely<br />
conclude that it has achieved gender equality. However, this will not lead<br />
to the true advancement of women. While convenient for the current<br />
failures, this shortsighted reaction is ultimately degrading to all women,<br />
disproportionately harmful to the women in the infantry, and illogical.<br />
women, it is disgraceful that the Army would consider lowering standards<br />
to increase pass rates at the expense of diminishing the credibility of<br />
women to lead soldiers, particularly infantrymen.<br />
The six events of the ACFT were chosen because they correlate to<br />
commonly occurring physical skills from the Warrior Tasks and Battle<br />
Drills, or WTBD, and Common Soldier Tasks, or CST. By choosing<br />
exercises that correlate to success in the WTBD/CST, the Army can<br />
theoretically predict success in combat. When performed together, the<br />
events have a greater than 80% correlation to the WTBD or CST. The old<br />
Army Physical Fitness Test had just over a 40% correlation.<br />
Because the combat requirements of each MOS are not the same, tiered<br />
fitness standards allow for calibrated physical performance relative to<br />
occupational skills. ACFT results give leaders a better indication of a<br />
soldier's potential performance than a gender- and age-normed scale that<br />
can mask physical readiness. Removing the tiered black fitness standard<br />
may bolster pass rates in the short term, but it will likely jeopardize the<br />
future accomplishments of infantrymen in the crucible of ground combat<br />
and stymie the acceptance of women within the branch.<br />
Moreover, it simply does not follow that because women may initially<br />
lack upper body strength that they are incapable of successfully passing<br />
physical standards with sufficient training. I have personal experience in<br />
As the first and only female infantry officer to serve in the 75th Ranger<br />
Regiment to date, I know that equality will be achieved only when women<br />
are held to the same job-related standards. A meaningful way to do this is<br />
to immediately reinstate the black and gray tiered fitness standards.<br />
Permanently allowing soldiers who are not on a medical profile to<br />
complete an alternate event tacitly endorses the false notion that those<br />
soldiers (who are mostly women, in this case) are incapable of improving<br />
themselves. This is not only insulting, it is wrong. It sends the misguided<br />
message that women should not be held responsible for their actions, or<br />
rather their lack of physical preparation. Establishing this double standard<br />
contributes to the already pervasive sentiment that women are incapable<br />
and inferior. This will not only be detrimental to female advancement by<br />
undermining our authority to lead men who are held to a higher standard,<br />
but it also dishonors the Army.<br />
I recognize that high fitness standards are not the only way to earn<br />
credibility, but a leader who achieves low fitness standards inspires little<br />
confidence, especially in the Army's most physically demanding branch<br />
-- the infantry. For an organization that purportedly seeks to empower
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 7<br />
this matter because I -- like numerous women -- failed my first diagnostic<br />
ACFT. I was humiliated and disappointed when I failed the standing<br />
power throw, but I was also determined to improve, much like Capt.<br />
Kristen Griest, who details her experience in her recent article "With<br />
Equal Opportunity Comes Equal Responsibility."<br />
In response, I added the standing power throw to the warm-up of all of<br />
my workouts by purchasing my own 10-pound medicine ball. I soon<br />
increased my score to over 8 meters, and I am confident that healthy<br />
women who face similar challenges with the leg tuck are equally capable<br />
of overcoming their weakness with adequate training. Meeting the same<br />
standard as the men I lead makes me eager to improve even more. I<br />
recognize that hard work and grit are the only ways to truly diminish the<br />
gap between men and women.<br />
Further, it is irrational for the Army to expect that lower fitness standards<br />
will improve the equality of female soldiers because men and women<br />
are biologically very different and because effort is an individual choice.<br />
There are countless physiological handicaps that make physical success<br />
more difficult for women to achieve relative to their male counterparts.<br />
For example, when compared to a man of equal height, a woman will<br />
naturally have less muscle, more fat, less testosterone, less iron, smaller<br />
lungs and a smaller heart. These conditions yield a decreased natural<br />
aptitude for combat fitness.<br />
In order to achieve closer ACFT scores between the genders, women<br />
need to cultivate self-awareness to recognize their disadvantage and put<br />
in more effort than their male peers. The Army -- or for purposes of this<br />
argument, the ACFT -- is not sexist because of this fact. Alternatively,<br />
the ACFT is empowering as it has led (and will continue to lead) women<br />
to devote more effort, seek out more mentorship, and train harder than<br />
they would have otherwise.<br />
Finally, lowering standards is illogical because true equality comes from<br />
real achievement, not from the Army adjusting numbers to generate<br />
more favorable scores. Although equal pass rates across the service<br />
are desirable, discrepancies between the scores of men and women are<br />
inevitable. This does not mean that the standards for the combat-arms<br />
branches should be lowered. Conversely, high fitness requirements will<br />
improve the standing of women in combat arms because they demonstrate<br />
that they have earned the right to serve in the unit by achieving the same<br />
high standard as men. Instead of halting implementation, women simply<br />
need to train harder to pass this test.<br />
Before implementation, the Army was clear about its elevated fitness<br />
requirements for the infantry; it would be antithetical for it to renege on<br />
those standards. As one of the first 10 women who earned the privilege<br />
to wear the blue cord of the infantry and the coveted Ranger tab, I<br />
recognize the enduring need to work hard. All women, especially female<br />
infantrymen should adopt a similar mindset.<br />
Ultimately, this is not only a discussion around gender standards, but<br />
around the uncompromising standards of armed conflict. Anyone desiring<br />
to serve this country needs to meet the standard, rather than lobbying<br />
for exceptions based on gender. Lowering physical requirements may<br />
ostensibly lead to the short-term "equality" of women; however, any<br />
advancement because of gender and not merit is corrupting to this vital<br />
organization. Rather than lowering the bar to accommodate the inability<br />
of a few, raise the bar and inspire leaders to achieve more.<br />
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8 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
Alabama Senate Confirms<br />
Auburn University Trustee<br />
to Replace Secretary Austin<br />
The Alabama Senate on Thursday unanimously confirmed Tim<br />
Vines as an at-large member of the Auburn University Board<br />
of Trustees to fulfill the unexpired term of Lloyd Austin, who<br />
resigned in January after he was tapped as the nation’s Secretary<br />
of Defense.<br />
Vines is the president and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield<br />
of Alabama, where he began working in 1994. He rose through<br />
the management ranks at Blue Cross until he was elected to his<br />
present position in 2018. The LaFayette native graduated from<br />
the Harbert College of Business in 1988 with a degree in finance.<br />
Vines was also a member of the Auburn baseball team.<br />
“In addition to his business and management credentials, the<br />
Trustee Selection Committee nominated Tim Vines for the<br />
position because of his dedication to Auburn University and its<br />
students,” said Wayne Smith, who serves as board president pro<br />
tem.<br />
Vines gives an annual scholarship to the Harbert College of<br />
Business. He is an Auburn Alumni Association lifetime member,<br />
a member of the James E. Foy Loyalty Society and the 1856<br />
Society. The Birmingham Auburn Club awarded Vines its 2019<br />
Distinguished Auburn Alumnus Award. He also served as the<br />
2018 Auburn University summer commencement speaker, where<br />
he encouraged graduates to “Serve well by serving others. In life<br />
or in your chosen profession, ask what you can do to help others<br />
… Whatever you do, make sure you do it with excellence.”<br />
The selection committee was composed of Auburn Trustees<br />
Wayne Smith and James Pratt and two members of the Auburn<br />
Alumni Association’s board of directors, Regenia Sanders and<br />
Van Henley, as well as Gov. Kay Ivey.<br />
Vines will complete the last three of Austin’s seven-year term,<br />
which will expire on Feb. 8, 2024.
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 9<br />
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10 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
How Veterans Can Follow<br />
Up After a Job Interview in<br />
the Digital Age<br />
A lot of things changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but one<br />
of the things that never will is how to follow up on a job interview.<br />
Going back and reconnecting with the person who interviewed you is<br />
important for many reasons. It shows you care about getting the job,<br />
and it expresses gratitude for being considered.<br />
Job interviews held via Zoom or other video-conferencing software<br />
shouldn’t be treated with any less reverence than any other interview.<br />
There is still an open position at the company, and the person you<br />
spoke to wants to fill it with the best person for the job.<br />
The Thank You Note<br />
Even before the pandemic temporarily halted in-person meetings, the<br />
bare minimum expected of a job candidate was the thank you note.<br />
Some veterans might wonder why a person deserves a thank you note<br />
for basically doing their job. In this case, it’s best not to think of it as a<br />
thank you, but more of an opportunity to remind the interviewer about<br />
you.<br />
Did you get the job?<br />
If you’ve reached a job interview, then they consider you to be a viable<br />
candidate for the position so there’s nothing wrong with asking the<br />
interviewer when they might reach a decision. If they give you a time<br />
frame, drop them a line after it has passed, just to see where they stand.<br />
If you do send them a follow-up email asking about their decision,<br />
it’s important that you sound professional and don’t send an overly<br />
long or overly short email. If they choose not to hire you, there’s also<br />
nothing wrong with asking why they chose someone else. It only can<br />
help you in your next interview. Take the criticism with grace and do<br />
better next time.<br />
VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT MHCE.US<br />
Think of it from the interviewer’s point of view. While it may be<br />
their job to interview you, they likely had to sift through at least one<br />
hundred candidate résumés to single out who gets an interview. Then<br />
they likely interviewed 20% of those candidates, all perhaps on the<br />
same day.<br />
If you’ve ever gone to a party where you didn’t know anyone and<br />
immediately were introduced to dozens of people, you might have an<br />
idea of how difficult it can be to keep track of who’s who. The thank<br />
you note is a simple reminder of who you are and the conversation you<br />
had. It also gives you the chance to answer any questions about which<br />
you said you would get back to them during the interview.<br />
The digital age may allow for an email thank you to the interviewer,<br />
but if the job is really important to you, you might opt for a handwritten<br />
note on card stock. It stands out from all the other candidates who<br />
emailed and shows that you care about the details.<br />
The same goes for finding the job through networking. If you got the<br />
opportunity to interview thanks to some kind of in-person meeting, it’s<br />
important to show your gratitude, especially since you spend time in<br />
the same circles. Reputation matters.<br />
If you decided to send an email thank you and forgot, then you<br />
definitely should send a handwritten thank you.
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 11<br />
needs<br />
you!<br />
View current jobs<br />
or apply online at<br />
JOBS.LA.GOV<br />
For more info<br />
contact Katie Gaulden at<br />
(225) 634-4303 or katheryn.gaulden@la.gov<br />
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER | JOINT COMMISSION ACCREDITED
12 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
the event that lowering veteran suicide rates underscore the importance<br />
of the bill.<br />
“We have seen the magic of what a service dog can do for a disabled<br />
veteran who’s suffering from truly extreme PTSD. We are on the front<br />
line of fighting veteran suicide... and we are beating the odds. That’s<br />
why this act is so important and why it must be passed,” he said.<br />
Among the 660 veterans that K9s For Warriors has served, 72%<br />
of them have made a suicide attempt before they reach the group,<br />
Diamond said.<br />
Between 20 and 22 veterans die by suicide each day, Stivers said.<br />
The congressman, who introduced a similar bill this week, pointed to<br />
research from Kaiser Permanente that found veterans who work with<br />
service dogs show fewer symptoms of PTSD and depression, have a<br />
lower risk of substance abuse and improved overall mental health.<br />
Group of House Lawmakers<br />
Fights for Greater Access to<br />
Service Dogs for Veterans<br />
with PTSD<br />
WASHINGTON — A group of House lawmakers are reigniting calls<br />
to expand access to service dogs for veterans suffering from posttraumatic<br />
stress disorder amid a growing number of studies that show<br />
the treatment works.<br />
Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., on Wednesday reintroduced the Puppies<br />
Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act that would create a $10<br />
million grant program led by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The<br />
bill proposes qualified nonprofit organizations receive a stipend worth<br />
$25,000 per veteran to pair that person with a service dog.<br />
Reps. Steve Stivers, R-Ohio, Michael Waltz, R-Fla., and Chris Pappas,<br />
D-N.H., joined Rutherford on Wednesday to voice support for the bill<br />
at an event to announce the legislation.<br />
Waltz, who is a former Green Beret and a member of the House Armed<br />
Services Committee, said he personally suffered from PTSD and<br />
traumatic brain injury and has seen the benefits of service dogs.<br />
“I’ve walked that walk and these dogs absolutely work. … We’re<br />
gonna get this bill passed,” he said.<br />
When Rutherford reintroduced the PAWS Act in 2019, it drew<br />
bipartisan support in the House, but further action on it failed. The<br />
legislation was first introduced in 2016.<br />
Rutherford said he’s hopeful that it will become law this time following<br />
the release of a draft study from the VA that has “proven scientifically,<br />
it works -- something that we have known all along.”<br />
The VA has not publicly released the draft study and did not immediately<br />
respond to a request Wednesday asking for a copy of the report.<br />
The department restarted a congressionally mandated study in 2015 on<br />
service dogs and PTSD. The study’s results were expected in summer<br />
2020, but were never released.<br />
The rate of suicide among veterans has steadily increased in recent<br />
years, according to a VA study released in 2020 that analyzed data<br />
from 2005-2018. Veterans accounted for 13.8% of all deaths by suicide<br />
in 2018, according to the report, despite increased public awareness of<br />
the issue.<br />
Rory Diamond, the CEO of K9s For Warriors, one of the largest<br />
nonprofit organizations connecting service dogs with veterans, said at<br />
Stivers said there are two different bills, but “we are one, working<br />
together. One for all and all for one on dog veteran therapy.”<br />
The VA has “finally released a draft study that recognizes what the<br />
science at Purdue and Kaiser Permanente and what K9s For Warriors<br />
recognizes every time they graduate a class: Service dogs make a<br />
huge difference for our veterans suffering from PTSD. They save their<br />
lives,” he said.<br />
Funding that would be provided under the PAWS Act would benefit<br />
nonprofits such as K9s For Warriors that often train and connect<br />
service dogs to veterans with a mental illness with no charge.<br />
Diamond said a service dog can play a variety of roles in a veteran’s<br />
life, more than basic needs such as constant companionship.<br />
In the midst of a panic attack or another mental health crisis, if<br />
the person can focus on their dog and continues to pet the animal,<br />
symptoms such as cloudy vision, sweating, heightened heart rate and<br />
anxiety can start to fade, Diamond explained.<br />
“If they do that enough times when those things happen, it stops<br />
happening… and that’s the genius. It’s just like an amazing bridge<br />
back out into the world,” he said.<br />
The VA does not fully fund service dog programs now, according to<br />
K9s For Warriors. The VA also pushed back on efforts like the PAWS<br />
Act, citing a lack of research on the benefits of the treatment, according<br />
to a 2019 New York Times report.
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 13<br />
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14 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
Sleep Disorders Are Skyrocketing Among US Military<br />
Personnel, Study Finds<br />
A new study has found that serious sleep disorders<br />
are on the rise in the U.S. military -- conditions<br />
that can affect readiness and cause short- and<br />
long-term physical and mental health problems<br />
for troops and veterans.<br />
According to research from the University of<br />
Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio,<br />
insomnia diagnoses increased 45-fold, and<br />
obstructive sleep apnea rose 30-fold, among U.S.<br />
service members from 2005 to 2019.<br />
The increases should concern military leaders<br />
and doctors as well as the Department of Veterans<br />
Affairs, which provides medical treatment for<br />
veterans with service-related conditions, said<br />
retired Army Col. (Dr.) Vincent Mysliwiec, a<br />
sleep expert and one of the study's authors.<br />
"A large percentage of military veterans have<br />
insomnia and sleep apnea. We're trying to develop<br />
a better understanding of the factors that go into<br />
sleep disturbances that can develop into sleep<br />
disorders in the military," he said.<br />
Rates for insomnia across the services rose<br />
consistently beginning in 2005 and peaking<br />
in 2015 before dropping slightly. Sleep apnea<br />
diagnoses peaked in 2016, but remained higher<br />
than they had been previously, according to the<br />
research.<br />
The highest rates for both disorders were found<br />
in the Army, with more cases diagnosed than<br />
expected; the Air Force, Navy and Marine<br />
Corpshad lower-than-expected rates. Yet all<br />
services saw increases.<br />
Those most likely to be diagnosed with either<br />
disorder were married, male, White, age 40 or<br />
older, and higher-ranking enlisted soldiers.<br />
"These findings are concerning because service<br />
members across the military branches are<br />
otherwise healthy and have similar physical<br />
requirements. Their sleep disorders developed<br />
and were diagnosed while they were in the<br />
military," Mysliwiec said.<br />
Female service members were diagnosed at much<br />
lower rates than men. That is not surprising for<br />
sleep apnea, which is diagnosed at lower rates<br />
in civilian women of military service age than it<br />
is in men, but was surprising for insomnia since<br />
women generally have a higher prevalence of<br />
that disorder, according to Mysliwiec.<br />
"Insomnia is increasingly diagnosed in women<br />
veterans, thus the lower rate of insomnia<br />
diagnoses found in our study suggests that female<br />
service members are potentially underdiagnosed<br />
for this sleep disorder," the researchers wrote.<br />
"This is a potentially alarming finding and one<br />
that warrants further study."<br />
For the study, the researchers searched the<br />
medical records of active-duty Army, Navy, Air<br />
Force and Marine personnel for the medical<br />
diagnostic codes for the two disorders.<br />
While sleep disorders in the military are always<br />
a subject of interest, many studies have focused
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 15<br />
on a single service -- mainly the Army -- or were<br />
based on surveys.<br />
This was the first study to look at diagnoses across<br />
the branches, with the exception of the Space<br />
Force, which didn't exist at the time, and the<br />
Coast Guard, which falls under the Department of<br />
Homeland Security.<br />
The authors noted that many factors may have<br />
contributed to the larger number of Army<br />
personnel receiving diagnoses, including that<br />
the service has higher rates of personnel who are<br />
overweight -- a contributing factor to sleep apnea<br />
-- and soldiers may have better access to medical<br />
centers with sleep disorder clinics.<br />
The Army had the first servicewide education<br />
program regarding military-appropriate sleep<br />
practices, which may have made soldiers more<br />
aware of their sleeping habits and prompted them<br />
to seek medical care.<br />
Study co-author Alan Peterson said that while<br />
deployments were not evaluated in the research,<br />
"previous research has shown a strong correlation<br />
between deployments and sleep disorders, and<br />
deployments combined with other chronic health<br />
conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder<br />
and traumatic brain injury.<br />
"In the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there were<br />
longer and more frequent deployments between<br />
2008 and 2012. The Army typically had the<br />
longest and most frequent deployments -- 21<br />
months -- compared to 12 to 16 months for the<br />
other services," Peterson said.<br />
The researchers said the findings "open the door"<br />
to learning about the causes of these disorders<br />
in military personnel and advised military<br />
medical leadership to give further consideration<br />
to interventions, as well as enhanced insomnia<br />
screenings for female service members and more<br />
widespread screening for sleep apnea among<br />
Black troops.<br />
Mysliwiec said he'd like to see more focus on<br />
healthy sleep habits and scheduling to ensure that<br />
service members don't suffer from disrupted sleep<br />
or run the risk of developing a sleep disorder.<br />
"There's this perception that military personnel,<br />
in some way, shape or form, cause their sleep<br />
disorders. That's just wrong," he said. "'Oh, they<br />
drink lots of caffeine. That causes their sleep<br />
disorders.' Well, they drink lots of caffeine because<br />
they have to work 12-, 14-, 16-hour days and<br />
need to stay awake. They have to have a coping<br />
mechanism.<br />
"How do we prevent people from needing to<br />
get these drinks to stay awake and perform their<br />
military duties? And if we do make them work 36<br />
hours, do we give them time to sleep and recover<br />
after?" he added.
16 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
National Guard<br />
Therapy Dog<br />
Dies Weeks After<br />
Earning Alaska<br />
Commendation<br />
Medal<br />
Sweetface "Nyx" Shelton, a well-loved<br />
brindle-furred American Mastiff who served<br />
with the Alaska National Guard for more<br />
than three years, died <strong>April</strong> 9 at age 4 -- just<br />
weeks after earning a prestigious state medal<br />
for her work.<br />
Her death came just over a week after her<br />
last day as the Alaska National Guard Sexual<br />
Assault Prevention and Response, or SAPR,<br />
program therapy dog.<br />
Nyx and Ashley Shelton, a sexual assault<br />
response coordinator for the Alaska National<br />
Guard and the dog's owner, were awarded the<br />
Alaska Commendation Medal on March 18 at<br />
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, according<br />
to a release.<br />
"Our beautiful therapy dog, Nyx, has been<br />
diagnosed with lymphoma which is not<br />
curable. Typically, dogs only survive 30-60<br />
days once diagnosed. Nyx is happiest at work<br />
with her friends so she will continue to work<br />
as long as possible in the Anchorage Armory.<br />
#akngsapr #saprdognyx," the Alaska National<br />
Guard's SAPR program.<br />
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WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 17<br />
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contact Karen.Scott@mhce.us<br />
TO ADVERTISE contact Paul.Randall@mhce.us
18 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
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WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 19<br />
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20 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
However, the academy sent nearly 200 midshipmen, including<br />
98 midshipmen recovering from the disease, to local hotels in<br />
order to increase isolation and quarantine space available at<br />
Bancroft Hall. Midshipmen are no longer at the hotels, Garas<br />
said.<br />
There are also approximately 200 midshipmen living off-campus<br />
with friends, family and sponsors to allow the academy to have<br />
isolation and quarantine space in Bancroft.<br />
A decision about commissioning week, slated for the end of<br />
May, has not yet been announced.<br />
Nearly All Midshipmen<br />
Receive Vaccine as Naval<br />
Academy Continues to<br />
Lift Restrictions<br />
Nearly all midshipmen who wanted a vaccine for COVID-19<br />
have received their first dose.<br />
The remaining midshipmen — those who may have had<br />
COVID-19 — will be receiving the vaccine this week, Cmdr.<br />
Alana Garas, academy spokesperson, wrote in an email.<br />
The Naval Academy began vaccinating midshipmen in mid-<br />
March, with the first rounds of midshipmen receiving the<br />
Moderna vaccine, although the academy can distribute the Pfizer<br />
vaccine as well.<br />
Midshipmen received the vaccine on a voluntary basis, as the<br />
vaccines are distributed on emergency authorized use, which<br />
means midshipmen are not required to receive the vaccine.<br />
Midshipmen received the vaccine, in part, to allow them to do<br />
summer training, The Capital previously reported. Midshipmen<br />
who decline the vaccine will be handled on a case-by-case basis.<br />
The last of the midshipmen are receiving the vaccine as the<br />
academy continues to lift restrictions put in place following a<br />
COVID-19 outbreak that started in late February.<br />
Midshipmen started in-person classes Monday, Garas said.<br />
Midshipmen had been attending classes virtually while in the<br />
restriction of movement period.<br />
The yard remains closed to visitors, but midshipmen are allowed<br />
to access more resources, including 1845 Coffee at the Midstore,<br />
according to the Naval Academy coronavirus website. The 1845<br />
Coffee at the Gatehouse will open in a week.<br />
The Midshipman Store is open, as are the barbershop and cobbler<br />
shop. Nimitz Library Coffee and Drydock remain closed. The<br />
Alley Restaurant will open in a week.<br />
It is unclear how many midshipmen were sick with COVID-19.<br />
The Naval Academy cannot say the number of positive cases<br />
due to operational security.<br />
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contact Susan.Keller@mhce.us<br />
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WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 21
22 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us APRIL <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
Nurse Practitioners to<br />
Treat Vets Without Doctor<br />
Supervision<br />
The Veterans Affairs Department beginning next month will allow<br />
certain nurse practitioners to treat veterans without the supervision of<br />
doctors across the agency for the first time.<br />
The move is designed in part to shorten wait times for patients who<br />
are seeking treatment in underserved areas with physician shortages,<br />
according to a rule published Wednesday in the Federal Register.<br />
The regulatory change permits three types of nurse practitioners --<br />
certified nurse practitioner (CNP), clinical nurse specialist (CNS),<br />
and certified nurse-midwife (CNM) -- "to practice to the full extent<br />
of their education, training and certification, without the clinical<br />
supervision or mandatory collaboration of physicians," it states<br />
While 21 states and the District of Columbia already grant nurse<br />
practitioners so-called "full practice authority," the rule marks the first<br />
time the VA established a nationwide framework for such specialists<br />
to provide direct care to vets throughout its system.<br />
More than 5,000 nurse practitioners already provide clinical<br />
assessments, order and interpret diagnostic tests, make diagnoses and<br />
provide other treatments at VA facilities, according to the American<br />
Association of Nurse Practitioners.<br />
near future, the VA will propose a plan to include Certified Registered<br />
Nurse Anesthetists in this provision."<br />
The new provision doesn't cover certified registered nurse anesthetists<br />
because the VA doesn't currently face a shortage of anesthesiologists,<br />
according to the rule. But the department is requesting comment "on<br />
whether there are access issues or other unconsidered circumstances<br />
that might warrant their inclusion in a future rulemaking," it states.<br />
The American Medical Association, the nation's largest association<br />
of physicians, opposed the amendment in its entirety, including the<br />
exclusion of certified registered nurse anesthetists.<br />
Dr. Andrew Gurman told Forbes on Tuesday the provision sets the<br />
clock back on physician-centric care. "We are disappointed by the<br />
VA's decision today to allow most advanced practice nurses within<br />
the VA to practice independently of a physician's clinical oversight,<br />
regardless of individual state law," he said, according to the article.<br />
The regulatory change will take effect after a month of public<br />
commenting.<br />
As it stands now, though, many states require NPs to work under a<br />
"collaborative agreement" with a physician, meaning nurses working<br />
at VA facilities without "full practice authority" don't enjoy direct<br />
access to patients.<br />
The rule, slated to take effect Jan. 13, "permits VA to use its health care<br />
resources more effectively and in a manner that is consistent with the<br />
role of APRNs in the non-VA health care sector, while maintaining the<br />
patient-centered, safe, high-quality health care that veterans receive<br />
from VA," it states.<br />
Organizations representing nurses and veterans welcomed the<br />
decision, while a group representing doctors opposed it.<br />
"This is a great day for veterans and an important step forward for<br />
VA health care," Mark A. Stevenson, chief operating officer of the Air<br />
Force Sergeants Association, told Military.com. "This rule will ensure<br />
veterans high quality access to the health care they need and deserve."<br />
Dr. Cindy Cooke, president of the American Association of Nurse<br />
Practitioners, and a proponent of the regulatory change, celebrated it<br />
as a win for both nurses and veterans.<br />
"We are pleased the VA will move forward with allowing veterans<br />
throughout the country to have direct access to nurse practitioner<br />
provided health care," Cooke said in a statement. "We trust that in the
WWW.MHCE.US Monthly <strong>Newsletter</strong> | 23<br />
Tricare Select is a new health insurance plan that replaced Tricare Standard<br />
& Extra.<br />
Who Is Covered By Tricare Select?<br />
Everyone eligible for Tricare with the exception of active-duty members<br />
may enroll in the Tricare Select plan. The program is available worldwide.<br />
Tricare Select Basics<br />
With Tricare Select you can get care from any Tricare-authorized provider,<br />
network or non-network. No referrals are required, but some care may<br />
require prior authorization.<br />
If you see a network provider you won't have to pay anything except your<br />
copay or file any claims. If you visit a non-network provider you may have<br />
to pay the full cost and file a claim with Tricare to be reimbursed.<br />
How To Enroll<br />
For information on how to enroll see the Tricare website at https://www.<br />
tricare.mil/<br />
Or visit our Tricare Select coverage page for more information including<br />
coverage and costs at https://www.military.com/benefits/tricare/tricareselect/tricare-select-details.html.
24 | MHCE - News www.mhce.us MARCH <strong>2021</strong> EDITION<br />
American Nurses Credentialing<br />
Center developed the program<br />
to recognize healthcare<br />
organizations that provide the<br />
very best in nursing care.<br />
The Right Nursing Venue for You<br />
Just as patients evaluate different<br />
settings for their medical<br />
treatment, nurses should, too, to<br />
find the one that best fits their<br />
career goals and life situations.<br />
And there are many choices.<br />
In addition to hospitals -- acute<br />
care, teaching and rehab, to<br />
name a few -- nurses can work<br />
in prisons, schools, public<br />
health departments, clinics,<br />
nursing homes, home healthcare,<br />
physicians' offices, colleges and<br />
universities, workplaces and<br />
research facilities.<br />
With all these options, nurses<br />
must carefully examine their<br />
skill sets, professional goals and<br />
personality types to determine the<br />
best venue for their careers.<br />
Location, Pay and<br />
Schedules<br />
Unless you want to see the world<br />
as a traveling nurse, you will<br />
probably choose a facility close<br />
to home. Hospitals, public health<br />
departments, clinics, nursing<br />
homes and schools are found<br />
in communities of all sizes, but<br />
metropolitan hospitals and rural<br />
hospitals offer very different<br />
opportunities and pay rates.<br />
more intimate relationship with<br />
your patients," she says.<br />
Not surprisingly, metropolitan<br />
hospitals typically pay more than<br />
rural hospitals, and this may be a<br />
significant factor in your decision.<br />
But if a slower-paced environment<br />
with a more predictable schedule<br />
is more important than higher<br />
wages, then smaller hospitals<br />
are a good match, as are schools,<br />
prisons, community clinics and<br />
public health departments.<br />
As for other settings, home<br />
healthcare nurses have the<br />
satisfaction of being able to draw<br />
on their assessment and education<br />
skills to treat patients, but they<br />
must work solo. That can be<br />
stressful when it's midnight and<br />
you are trying to decide if your<br />
patient is having a heart attack,<br />
says Murphy.<br />
Psychiatric facilities offer good<br />
pay and challenges unique to<br />
other healthcare settings, but<br />
unless you possess considerable<br />
patience and empathy, you may be<br />
dissatisfied with not seeing much<br />
improvement in your patients. If<br />
you would find helping disabled<br />
patients regain functionality<br />
rewarding, consider rehabilitation<br />
hospitals. If you want to work<br />
with the latest technology, look<br />
into teaching hospitals.<br />
Third-Party<br />
Validation<br />
Regardless of the size, setting<br />
or location of a healthcare<br />
organization, accreditation,<br />
awards and Magnet designation<br />
can give you nonbiased clues as<br />
to the working conditions at a<br />
particular facility.<br />
The Joint Commission on<br />
Accreditation of Healthcare<br />
Organizations evaluates and<br />
accredits more than 16,000<br />
healthcare organizations in the<br />
US based on strict guidelines.<br />
State and public hospitals also<br />
have accreditation programs<br />
that ensure nurses a measure of<br />
commitment toward patient care.<br />
Awards can say a lot about a<br />
venue's staff and management.<br />
Recognition in a specialized area<br />
of treatment can also be telling.<br />
Finally, Magnet designation from<br />
the Magnet Recognition Program<br />
is awarded to organizations<br />
that have a proven level of<br />
excellence in nursing care. The<br />
Whatever setting you're<br />
considering, be sure to review<br />
its policies and to ask around.<br />
For example, some hospitals<br />
are moving toward restricting<br />
mandatory overtime. Other<br />
facilities are increasing<br />
whistleblower protection<br />
so nurses can report unsafe<br />
conditions without fear of a<br />
backlash.<br />
"The bottom line for all nurses is<br />
that we come into the profession to<br />
provide quality care to patients,"<br />
says Valerie Magee, RN, director<br />
of nursing for Beitler Staffing<br />
Services in Chicago. "We want<br />
to give the best patient care in the<br />
best possible care setting that we<br />
can. Accreditation, awards and<br />
Magnet status [are] important —<br />
and so [is] word of mouth."<br />
TO ADVERTISE<br />
contact<br />
Paul.Randall@mhce.us<br />
"If you want to work with<br />
higher-acuity patients, then<br />
look for a larger hospital," says<br />
Kathy Murphy, clinical director<br />
for Nursefinders, a healthcare<br />
staffing service in Arlington,<br />
Texas. Such experience will allow<br />
you to move more quickly into<br />
critical care, emergency and other<br />
specialties. "If you want a greater<br />
connection with the community<br />
and less acuity, then community<br />
and rural hospitals are the better<br />
choice, because you have a much