The Richmond Department Of Veterans Affairs Is Scaling Down Its Research On Laboratory Dogs
By: Evan Visconti– June 27, 2022 12:02 am
Hunter Holmes McGuire V.A. Hospital in Richmond.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is about halfway through its congressionally mandated five-year plan to eliminate or reduce the use of canines, felines and non-human primates in biomedical research.
Two approved experiments, or protocols, on canines were still active in March at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Medical Center in Richmond, according to Freedom of Information Act requests filed by the White Coat Waste Project, a watchdog group working to end what they consider wasteful and cruel taxpayer-funded animal experiments.
The two protocols were scheduled to expire in April and July of this year, but as of March, there were no dogs actually being held at the Richmond VA.
It indicated to us that the last two protocols we were curious about may have ended, said Justin Goodman, the White Coat Waste Projects vice president of advocacy and public policy. The Richmond VA is the last VA facility still experimenting on dogs.
The reduction of active protocols utilizing dogs at the Richmond VA is a great reflection that the VA is taking seriously its commitment to this five-year plan, said Chris Green, executive director of the Brooks McCormick Jr. Animal Law and Policy Program at Harvard Law School.
by Evan Visconti, Virginia MercuryJune 27, 2022
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- Prevalence of sleep problems in Veterans with PTSD. PTSD is unique among mental health disorders in that sleep problems are mentioned twice among its diagnostic criteria in DSM-5: the presence of insomnia qualifying as a symptom of an alteration in arousal and reactivity and the presence of frequent nightmares as an intrusion symptom.. Insomnia is
- The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is leading the way in telehealth innovation to make sure Veterans can access care when and where they need it. VA Telehealth Services is transforming how Veterans access high-quality VA care. From your home, the clinic, or the hospital, VA telehealth technologies make it easier for you to connect with …
Prioritizing The Women And Lgbtq People Who Serve In The Military
The VA must also prioritize providing women and LGBTQ service members equal access to earned benefits, as well as ending sexual harassment against them. Women are the fastest-growing segment of the veteran population. Since 2000, the number of women in the military has grown from 63,000 to 473,000an increase of 310,000, or almost 300 percent25and the number of women using VA health care has also tripled since then, growing from 160,000 to 475,000.26 Women now represent 16 percent of the current U.S. military force. LGBT personnel, meanwhile, are estimated to make up 6.1 percent27 of service members. A 2020 GAO report28 found that the VAs inconsistent collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data has limited its ability to assess health outcomes for LGBT veterans.
Despite all the indispensable services that women in uniform deliver to America, a great deal of those women have been subject to sexual assault,29 and many have chosen not to reenlist30 as a result. In April 2021, the VA took a step31 in the right direction to improve care for women and LGBTQ veterans, as well as the approximately 25 percent of veterans who are people of color, by committing to review its existing policies with an eye toward making them more inclusiveand designing and implementing more inclusive policies going forward.
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Veterans Assistance And Resources
The Office of the Attorney General is dedicated to supporting Virginians who are serving and who have served our country. There are 27 military bases in Virginia and approximately 1 of every 10 Virginia residents is a veteran . These Service members and veterans contribute significantly to Virginias growing economy.
The Office of the Attorney General is a member of the Virginia Values Veterans Program and supports employment opportunities for veterans, Guard and Reserve. If you are interested in employment opportunities with the Attorney General, please contact Jeff McMahan, Director of Human Resources, at 804.371.2268 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit the Current Vacancies section of our website to learn more about employment opportunities.
Additionally, the Office of the Attorney General coordinates training opportunities for state agencies, localities, and businesses related to the federal Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act , as well as training on Virginia Code Title 44 as it relates to employment and reemployment rights. If you are interested in receiving training regarding USERRA or Title 44, or interested in providing training to your employees, please contact the Attorney General at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Get more information about our Veterans Legal Services Clinic here.
Education Transition & Employment
The Veterans Education Transition and Employment directorate of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services ensures that every Veteran or eligible person has a full and fair opportunity to reach his or her fullest potential through access to the G.I. Bill approved post-secondary educational, training/licensure/certification, entrepreneurial institutions, V3 certified employers and Virginia Colleges and Universities.
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Apply To Become A Gi Bill Approved Facility
Step 1: Download, complete, and submit one of two Application Request Forms to .
Step 2: A State Approving Agency Representative will respond to your Application Request.
Step 3: Make plans to attend one of our monthly Initial Approval Training Webinars. They are scheduled from 9:30 am to 11:30 am on the first Thursday of every month. Contact to attend a webinar. The 2022 Initial Approval Training webinars are on:
Step 4: Submit the Application Packet to the SAA for review of your approval. An Initial Approval Packet will not be reviewed by the SAA if a facility has not completed an Initial Approval Training webinar.
Step 5: The Department of Veterans Affairs processes the SAA Approval. The VA provides final directions for the facility to be recognized as an Approved Facility and be able able to certify veterans and other eligible students for their benefits.
The VA final directions typically include:
- Complete New School Certifying Official Training in the VAs Online Training Portal. .
- Update the 22-8794: Designation of Certifying Official form to include officials who will certify veterans benefits and have completed the New SCO Training.
- Complete a Memorandum of Understanding between the VA and your institution to use the VA-ONCE system.
Find A Dvs Benefits Services Office Near You
I do not know how to articulate how appreciative my father and I are to each and every person involved with the Virginia Department of Veterans Services. Mere words will not do justice for the gratitude I feel in my heart. Thank you so much for your dedication. A special message goes out to the staff at my local DVS benefits office it takes all kinds of people to make a world butwhat a nice world it would be if there were more like you.
Need Help? Call the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, dial 988
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Expanding Veterans Access To Disability Benefits
Secretary McDonough must also work to reduce the VAs massive backlog17 of compensation and pension exams, which a veteran must receive in order to be granted disability benefits. Many exams have been delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic: As of March 2021, 357,000 exam requests were pending. This is nearly three times the amount of exams that were pending in February 2020. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office ,18 VA leaders have not yet developed a clear long-term plan to address the issue.
Virtual Meeting With A State Approving Agency Manager
Schedule a virtual meeting to talk about GI Bill® Benefits at
Click Here to learn more about Transfer Virginia. You can research, plan and organize your transfer journey using the information and resources available within this portal from Virginias institutions.
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Rebuilding The Departments Infrastructure And Staffing
In his upcoming budget request, Secretary McDonough must put aside funding specifically for beginning to fill the departments 50,000 empty positions and addressing the departments aging infrastructure, which has been in place for an average of 58 years.35 Additionally, when the secretary appoints his leadership team, he must ensure that his choices reflect the diversity that exists within the active-duty and veteran community.
The Challenges Facing The Department Of Veterans Affairs In 2021
Denis McDonough, the new secretary of Veterans Affairs, must work to address his departments many challenges while supporting the veterans who return from war.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest and most complex agencies in the U.S. government. Commonly referred to as the Veterans Administration , the department has an annual budget of $240 billion for fiscal year 2021.1 It currently has about 360,000 employees and maintains and operates approximately 6,000 buildings, including 1,600 health care facilities, 144 medical centers, and 1,232 outpatient sites of varying complexity. In addition to providing health care to approximately 9 million veterans annually through the Veterans Health Administration , it also administers the GI Bill education program and a home loan program for veterans, as well as maintains 135 cemeteries where Americans can bury the brave service members who have sacrificed so much for their country.2
Secretary McDonoughs challenges may be placed into seven categories:
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Reducing The Veteran Suicide Rate
Secretary McDonough should take steps to reduce the risk of suicide among veteransand make the public aware of this problem. Over the past decade, more than 60,000 veterans died by suicide, and 20 veterans die by suicide each day. Between 2005 and 2017, nearly 79,000 veterans killed themselves, more than the total number of troops who have died in the wars in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan combined .19 During his presidential campaign, Biden promised20 that within his first 200 days in office, he would publish a comprehensive public health and crisis sector approach to address suicide among veterans, service members, and their families. Secretary McDonough must work with President Biden on this plan and promptly implement its recommendations.
Addressing The Ballooning Va Budget
The VA budget has grown rapidly and significantly5 since 9/11. In FY 2001, its budget was $40 billion by 2009, President Barack Obamas first year in office and before the full impact of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was felt, it had risen to $94 billion. The FY 2021 budget that Congress passed in December 2020 allocated a whopping $243 billion to the VAan increase of more than $200 billion, or 500 percent, since 9/11. From FY 2020 to FY 2021 alone, the VA budget increased by 14 percent, an increase higher than that of any other federal agency. As a result, the VA now has the second-largest discretionary budget in the federal government, trailing only the Pentagon. Its budget is greater than the combined budgets of the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of Justice, and the entire intelligence community.6
This rapid increase is a result of several factors, including the large cohort of aging Vietnam War veterans and the increase in veterans from all generations using the VA for health care, especially the 4.1 million post-9/11 veterans.10 It is also due to the increasing cost of health care in the United States, the introduction of federal programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Locations & Additional Contacts
DVS Virginia
This app will allow you to get information from The Virginia Department of Veterans Services on your smartphone or tablet devices. The Department of Veterans Services is organized into six service delivery sections benefits, veterans education, care centers, veterans cemeteries, the Virginia War Memorial, and the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program. Three citizen boards work closely with the agency to support the effective delivery of services to Virginias veterans the Board of Veterans Services, the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations, and the Veterans Services Foundation.
Office Of Veteran Services
We work with Virginia Techs Bursars Office, Registrars Office, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Services to receive and process all documentation related to veteran and military student educational benefits. We also collaborate with university and community partners to ensure that veterans and military dependents are connected to the financial, academic, and social resources necessary for a successful transition to and through their course of study at Virginia Tech.
- New student information: OVS, benefits and support services
Virginia Tech pylons, Veterans Services
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Gi Bill Approved Facilities
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The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has several WEAMS search engines available which will allow you to search for approved programs in Virginia and around the country. However, if you do not find the program for which you are searching, please contact us at 225-2298 or to determine whether the approval is in process or whether a new approval can be completed. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs . More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill |
Helping Veterans Transition Into Civilian Society
The VA must work more effectively with the Department of Defense to improve the policies and systems that can help military people transition into civilian society. The VA and DOD should work to increase veterans understanding and access to the VAs health care, educational, and housing benefits that are available to them. The departments should also increase awareness of other resources that are available to veterans upon leaving the service to help them reenter civilian life. They can do this through public information campaigns, including making phone calls to newly separated veterans. They should also continue to increase resources that are available for veterans. As Sen. John Tester , the new chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs put it in an interview with Military Times, We do a great job making civilians into warriors. But we dont do as good a job making warriors into civilians.36
Moreover, the VA should quickly crack down on for-profit colleges, many of which exploit the 90/10 loophole37 that allows them to count veterans benefits toward the 10 percent of funding that they must receive from the private sector in order to qualify for federal loans and grants such as the GI Bill. In addition, the VA should cut off GI Bill funding for schools facing legal or punitive actions from the government for using erroneous, deceptive, or misleading ads.
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Virginia Veteran And Family Support
The Virginia Veteran & Family Support Program provides resource referrals, care coordination, and supportive services to Virginias Veterans, National Guard, Armed Forces Reserves, family members and caregivers.
The programs supportive peer and family services are focused on helping individuals identify, address and successfully resolve presenting needs and challenges with special emphasis on challenges resulting from stress related conditions or traumatic brain injuries connected to military service.
How Much Does A Screener Make At Us Department Of Veterans Affairs In Virginia
Average US Department of Veterans Affairs Screener hourly pay in Virginia is approximately $22.45, which is 21% below the national average.
Please note that all salary figures are approximations based upon third party submissions to Indeed. These figures are given to the Indeed users for the purpose of generalized comparison only. Minimum wage may differ by jurisdiction and you should consult the employer for actual salary figures.
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