Report

Meeting at Building 9, VAMC Campus

• Call to order – 09:30, Invocation – Pledge of Allegiance
• Greetings: Recognition of visitors and guests
• Announcements – Jerry Kyser, Chair; Mike Rivard, Vice Chair
• Introducing Brad Doboszenski, the new Public Affairs officer at the Minneapolis VA.
• Introducing Katherine Wilhelm with the Rotary Club.
• Introducing Jon Olson with the Naval Academy Alumni Chapter
• Introducing Tom Lalim historic Fort Snelling.

1. Federal Congressional Representatives and Senators

Senator Amy Klobuchar- Kurt Johnson

• Not present.

Senator Tina Smith – Alex Schueller reporting

• Smith recently reintroduced S2810, the Veterans Hearings Benefits of 2019. This bill creates a presumptive condition for hearing loss and tinnitus for any veteran whose line of duty involved shooting a rifle.
• Smith cosponsored S2774, the Veterans Treatment Court Coordinated Act of 2019.
• Alex Schueller will be going out on maternity leave for January through March. Please contact the front desk in the meantime to be connected with either the Outreach director or the DC staffer assigned to veterans issues.

Q. Please thank Smith for her work on S2774. She was essential in getting this bill introduced.
A. I will, thank you.

1st District Representative – Jim Hagedorn – Joe Steck reporting

• Hagedorn has signed onto HR 4589, the Transportation for Rural Veterans for Medicare Act. This is a $3 million bill.
• In southern MN, the Springfield and Lamberton hospitals have been closed. Mayo continues to be a big problem.
• Hagedorn has signed onto ten different bills supporting veterans issues.

Q. Is the billing issue with Mayo itself, or the Mission Act?
A. We have been unable to determine that. It is an ongoing issue.

2nd District Representative – Angie Craig – Mike Siebenaler

• Not present.

3rd District Representative – Dean Phillips – Rollie Olson reporting

• The Service Academy nomination interviews will be held on December 7th. There are currently 43 applicants.

4th District Representative – Betty McCollum – Connie Haddeland reporting

• The Service Academy nomination interviews will be held on December 7th.
• McCollum is the Vice Chair of Defense Appropriations and the Chairman of Interior Appropriations. The Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations bill has passed the House and is awaiting action by the Senate.
• The Department of Veterans Affairs part of the MilCon VA Appropriations bill includes a total of $217.5 billion in discretionary and mandatory funding. This is an increase of $20.3 billion from fiscal year 2019. It funds VA medical care at $84 billion. McCollum is particularly committed to seeing the completion of the VA electronic health record merger with the DOD records. The General Accounting Office (GAO) is monitoring the situation. This was first rolled out in Washington state and one other location. It does address disability claims, processing backlog, and provided $25 million above the request from the agency and administration for hiring more claims and applets staff, digital scanning, and overtime pay. It also includes minor construction, in addition to the VA mandatory funding. Arlington is also mentioned, which is appropriated for under the MilCon, along with the American Battlefields Monuments Commission.

Q. Is the VA electronic health record different from the Cerner system?
A. It is Cerner.

Q. There were a number of issues with the Cerner system only a few months ago.
A. We are aware.

Q. Where was the construction funding going?
A. The Military Construction fund received a $10.5 billion increase. This goes to construction of facilities and repair, not operational funding.

5th District Representative – Ilhan Omar – Akolade Gbadamosi

• Not present.

6th District Representation – Tom Emmer – Alejandra Henriquez

• Not present.

7th District Representative – Collin Peterson – Meg Louwagie reporting

• Peterson has signed a bipartisan letter from HPAC to the VA following up on issues related to overpayment and debt collection that were raised during the hearings. He cosponsored HR303 and HR2201, which would require the VA to treat Thailand stationed Vietnam War veterans who were exposed to herbicides. He also cosponsored HR3155, the 75th Anniversary of the End of WWII Commemorative Coin Act, HR1962, the VA Cost Savings Enhancement Act, and participated in several markups in subcommittees with oversight.
• Peterson also signed onto the bipartisan letter led by Representative Koster requesting an update of action the VA has taken to implement recommendations given by the IOG report concerning clinicians who are not adequately implementing prescription drug monitoring programs.
• The Service Academy nomination interviews were conducted in November. We interviewed nine. Eight will be receiving nominations.

Q. Was Peterson involved with the issues surrounding the OIG report, with the VA paying the Boston Research Institute?
A. Not specifically with Boston.

Q. I would ask that Peterson look into the issue. Millions of dollars were involved.
A. Thank you.

8th District Representative – Pete Stauber – Margaret Cavanaugh reporting

• The Service Academy interviews were conducted on November 23rd. There were 13 candidates who will receive nominations. Our nominations will be entered soon.
• Stauber is a cosponsor of HR303, the Retired Pay Restoration Act. It would decrease the 50% that is required for the offsets. Currently a veteran must have 50% to get both the VA and the military retirement.
• Stauber is looking to create PTSD/suicide prevention legislation. He recently met with the 23rd Veteran Organization to discuss the issue.

2. Federal Agencies

VISN 23 – Ron Woolery

• Not present.

VBA Regional Office – Kim Graves – Ron Sackett reporting

• A claims clinic/town hall will be held at the hospital on December 16th. The claims clinic will be from 4:00 to 7:00 PM in room 1B-102. The joint town hall, hosted with VHA and VA Cemetery from 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
• We are still looking to fill the second Assistant Director position.
• VBA hosted Deputy Secretary James Byrne several weeks ago.
• The St. Paul regional office has been selected as one of the Blue Water Navy processing stations. After January 1st, we will begin processing Blue Water Navy claims. We have 55 employees who will be dedicated solely to the Blue Water Navy claims. We are also the only pension management center in the VA that will be processing those claims. The employee training for that processing will start on December 5th.
• We have a meeting scheduled on December 9th to discuss the hiring process for disabled veterans. We are always hiring new veteran service representatives and currently 60% of our employees are veterans. Nationally, the VBA ranks at 50%. It has gotten easier to get rid of bad employees, but challenges remain in those cases. There is a thorough OPM process, which takes time. Our intent is to hire good employees in the first place to avoid those situations.

Q. The Blue Water Navy claims will not be processed until January 1st?
A. When the law was enacted, a stay was given until January 1st to get the processes in place. Part of that was building a locator tool to make it easier to identify if a veteran was in the prescribed 12
nautical miles. The VA has been working with the DOD to get ships logs to make the process easier. There will be some cases that will not fit perfectly into the locator tool, but we are hoping to streamline the process somewhat. Additionally, there have been a number of employees hired nationally to offset the burden. We are hoping that all of this prep work will mean the claims can begin processing without issue on January 1st.

Q. Will you have access to information from prior claims for compensation?
A. Yes.

Q. Theoretically, would that mean a veteran would not have to submit a claim again?
A. If a veteran submitted a claim previously and was denied, we want you to submit again. As part of that process, the VBA will look at why the claim was denied previously. From what I understand, the VBA is screening previously denied claims at the national level under those presumptive to review those claims. This is separate from processing the new claims.

Q. Did the legislation direct the VA to try to locate any families where the veteran passed away and there would be a spouse or minor children entitled to DIC?
A. The NDLSP contacts us anytime they a family member who falls under that purview. I will get more information on this for you.

Q. Is 25 calendar days with two major holidays sufficient time to train employees on this process?
A. Yes. We are putting seasoned employees on this. The hiring we are conducting is for other vacancies.

Mpls VA HCS – Director Patrick J. Kelly – Brad Doboszenski reporting

• Please contact Brad Doboszenski for town hall questions.

St. Cloud VA HCS – Tyler Bieniek – Barry Venerable reporting

• The mental health clinic is now undergoing construction to add a second floor to building 111. This will add 26 additional rooms and expand the space available for group settings. It will be a two-year project and will disrupt some activities at the medical center. Patients can still walk in the front door of building 111, though it will be more complicated to navigate.
• The rehabilitation center was built five years ago. Due to budget constraints, we were only able to complete the physical therapy portion. We are now moving forward with the rest and will finish the occupational therapy clinic.
• We will soon start work in building 4 on the new women’s clinic and continue to expand primary care in building 29.
• The pharmacy upgrade is nearly complete and will be centralized in buildings 4 and 5.
• On January 1st, veterans with Blue Water eligibility will be able to enroll in VA healthcare as Priority Group 6. Applications for enrollment can be filed now.
• We are holding a hiring fair for medical support staff and clerks due to the increased demand for community care.
• With regard to emergency care, we have traditionally sent a lot of veterans to the Mayo clinic. The Mayo clinic has not signed on as a network provider. This has had a heavy impact in terms of seeking medical care. In terms of ambulances, ambulance bills cannot be adjudicated until the emergency care claim is adjudicated, so there is often a disconnect.

Ft. Snelling Cemetery – John Knapp – Bob Razor reporting

• We do not have the numbers for this month but will bring them for the next meeting.
• Construction will be taking place on the maintenance building in February. The public restrooms in that building will be closed during the construction. The restrooms in the public information building will still be open. The construction project is scheduled to go into late August.
• Things are going well at the Fargo national cemetery. The first internments were held in October. The search has started for a new cemetery manager.
• Wreathes Across America will be held on December 14th. We plan on starting at 8:00 AM, with a ceremony at 9:00 AM. If you are interested in volunteering, please go to wreathesacrossamerica.org to sign up or donate.

3. State Agencies and MN Veteran Assistance Organizations

MN Dept. of Veteran Affairs – Larry Herke – Ben Johnson reporting

• The budget forecast will be revealed on December 5th. More information will be provided at the next meeting about the supplemental budget. We have been advocating strongly for our bonding issues. Capital issues for MDVA include security updates for all campuses and asset preservation.
• We hope to invite many of the local veteran organizations to the opening of the Trust Bridge at the Minneapolis campus. The tentative date is February 3rd.
• MDVA will be helping to host the Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day ceremony on December 7th from 9:30 to 11:00 AM at the Veterans Service building in St. Paul. It will be in the east wing and the parking lot immediately adjacent to the building will be open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The Ft. Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad will be in attendance.
• Ben Johnson and Commissioner Herke will be traveling to DC in February for the NASDAVA Conference. They will meet with other leaders of state veterans organizations and congressional members.
• We have put in a request to increase the amount of funding for the Honor Guard. It has not been approved yet.

Q. A fully funded MDVA is not a legislative accomplishment. It is a legislative expectation.
A. Noted.

MN Military Affairs – Jon Jensen – Brian Winter reporting

• On the legislative side, our biggest concern is the budget. We are concerned about the continuing resolution slated to end on December 20th and the possibility of a yearlong continuing resolution. This would put a number of things at risk, including construction and other ongoing projects.
• Major General Jensen is currently traveling in Israel with state legislators and civic leaders on a tour sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas.
• Medtronic was recognized as our 71st Yellow Ribbon Company on December 3rd.
• We will be supporting a Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day event on December 7th in St. Cloud. The 34th Infantry Division band will be in attendance. Doors open at 9:30 AM and the program will run from 10:00 to 11:00 AM. Refreshments will be provided afterward.
• There will be two Yellow Ribbon Company kickoffs, on the 12th with Mankato State University in Mankato, and Travelers Insurance in St. Paul on December 13th.

MN Assistance Council for Veterans (MACV) – Neal Loidolt – Sean Riffe reporting

• MACV appeared on WCCO on December 3rd and raised $129,711. This is a new record for a one-day telethon. Thank you to Uptown VFW 246, American Legion 599, 3M, and Commissioner Herke for appearing.
• There will be another telethon on December 18th.
• The MACV transition home in partnership with Bloomington will open in February. This is a five-bedroom house on the bus line.
• We are currently in partnership with Chaska VBA to put up permanent housing in January. It will be a fourplex.
• Legal clinics are coming up on December 5th in Anoka and December 10th at the Minneapolis VA. The clinic on the 10th will be held before the annual Home for the Holidays event and stand down. There are currently 150 veterans registered for the event. There are 45 providers who will be in attendance. This year, landlords will be available to sign leases. MACV team members will be there who can provide down payments for first month’s rent, in addition to providing a resume team and staffers to handle background checks for the job fair.
• We are still looking for volunteers for the Home for the Holidays event. If you are interested, please visit our website and look under events.

MN DEED Veteran Employment Program – Raymond Douha

• Not present.

Military Action Group (MAG) – Jerry Kyser reporting

• The next MAG meeting will be on January 13th with Representative Dettmer and Senator Anderson in Room 400 in State Office Building North at 10:00 AM.

Disabled American Veterans – Trent Dilks

• Not present.

MN CVSO – Greg Peterson reporting

• December 15th is the new deadline for disabled veterans at 75% and above to file their property tax exclusions.
• We will be attending the AMC Association of Counties on December 8th through 11th.
• We have been working closely with Project Got Your Back on the Veterans Experience Council to be held this summer in conjunction with MACV’s stand down.
• A new CVSO has been hired in Clearwater County. There are vacancies in Brainerd, Yellow Medicine County, and Ottertail County. We also expect vacancies to occur in Scott County, Mower County, and Murray County in the next 10 months.

Project Got Your Back / MNME – Allison Alstrin reporting

• Gilbert Stubbs, our veterans experience officer from the VA, had to leave early but is hard at work.
• A planning meeting was held on December 3rd for the Veterans Experience Action Council. The VA is fully in support. If you have any interest in helping shape that event, the next meeting will be held on January 13th. The registration committee, mapping of the spaces, transportation, entertainment, operations, and provider review teams all need volunteers. MACVSO and MDVA are working on the benefits, alongside the benefits team.
• We are meeting with a state steering team on December 4th to ensure there is cohesion among the state groups.
• The regional meeting will be held on December 5th at Best Buy at 11:00 AM. Comments will start at 11:30 AM.
Vets for Peace – David Cooley reporting
• The US Court of Appeals ruled that the Department of Veteran Affairs violated the law requiring the department to approve veterans claims for emergency room expenses not covered by private insurance other than copayments in a ruling under Wolf v. Wilkie. Three judges ruled that the VA should reimburse veterans for coinsurance and deductibles, but not copayments. The Inspector General (IG) found that over a six-month period, the VA left roughly 17,400 veterans to pay out of pocket for $53 million in emergency room treatment over that time.
• Related to Blue Water Navy, there are other presumptive diseases that were supposed to have gone through under the prior secretary but were not ultimately passed. Those conditions were bladder cancer and hypothyroid conditions. A further study indicated the development of hypertension and Parkinson-like symptoms should also be considered. The VA has not taken any action on these four diseases. Please contact your congressman about this issue.
• The issue with the Boston VA Research Institute needs to be addressed.
• We have issues with HR3495 and S1906, the Improve Act, currently under consideration that is meant to address veteran suicides and would ask you not to support it. The problem is the bill is using the veteran suicide crisis to access federal funds for unregulated care. There will be a committee hearing on December 5th on an amendment brought forward by Representative Takano.

MN Humanities Center – Blake Rondeau

• The Veterans Voices award will continue this year. We are continuing to make improvements and be more open to the Minnesota communities. It will be held in October. This year we had nine awardees. Each spoke and read their story at the event. The submissions will open in February. More information will be shared at the next meeting.
• In the future we will be working with the awardees and local colleges to develop books sharing their stories, and to have the veterans available to speak at the schools. We want to shift the focus to be less on what a particular veteran has done, but what the veteran could do in the future.
• Next year we will be unveiling a new program, Heights in Humanities, to look at environmental therapy for veterans. We are working with the VA to get a clinician on staff. It will be in partnership with the VA mental health clinic and the DNR. Given the weather it will likely operate between May and August. More information will be forthcoming soon.
• Website changes are underway after the IT audit. We apologize for the inconvenience.

MN Military Museum – Randal Dietrich reporting

• Nothing to report.

MN Historical Society – Chris Belland reporting

• The public input process finished on November 15th for the proposed name change of Historic Fort Snelling. We are in the process of compiling the data. Approximately 7,500 submissions were received. Of that number, about 46% identified themselves as veterans or family members of a veteran. More information will be forthcoming.
• The site is going through its off-season planning. Construction will be started after January 1st. The program focus will change slightly in 2021 to expand out from the 1800s.

Q. After the name change data is compiled it will be sent to a taskforce who will then make a recommendation. Will that process be open to the public?
A. I am not sure, but I will get back to you.

Paralyzed Veterans of America – Todd Kemery

• Not present.

St. Paul Veterans Center – Scott Braden Reporting

• The move is going ahead as scheduled. We have a contract in place and will be going to Suite 101 of the US Bank building in downtown St. Paul. The grand opening date is TBD.
• There at least 30 parking spots guaranteed by the contract and proximity to the light rail and bus station. The space will also be expanded and include three group rooms.
• We are hoping the march will be on the April 15th date.
• We can be reached at 651 644 4022.
• When veterans come in we see everything from dealing with suicidal ideation to financial planning.

4. The next UVLC meeting will be held on January 8th.

5. UVLC Business Meeting

Business Meeting

• Nominations for the position of president, secretary, and treasurer are closed and accepted. Donald Rask has been reelected as treasurer.
• The treasurer’s report for December 1st: As of November 1st, the balance was $2,263.17. There were no deposits in November. There was a transcription expense of $150.00. As of December 1st, the balance is $2,113.17.
• The Vietnam Veterans of America have been uncommunicative and will be removed as members. The MN National Guard Enlisted Association and the MN Women Veterans Initiative have been uncommunicative.
• Old business. We need to come together to recover what was lost at the end of the legislative term and decide on the upcoming priorities. The Commander’s Taskforce and the CVSOs have not met in several months and likely will not until January. Mike Rivard will put together a list of general concerns.
• The proposed new letterhead has been approved.