The Independent-News, Volume 121, Number 9, Walkerton, St. Joseph County, 13 July 1995 — Page 9

LEGION CORNER By William Flaugher American Legion Post 189 American Legion observers hope the Veterans Health Administration’s reorganization plan opens the system to more veterans in need. I Fundamental reform within the /s Veterans Health Administran (VHA) and its central office y be in sight following release of /s ‘Vision for Change’ proposal. American Legion officials initif applauded details within the brm proposal, and reviewed the in during recent testimony bee a House Veterans Affairs tjcommittee. ‘The reorganization proposal >sents an excellent opportunity enhance medical care cost fectiveness and cooperation tong medical-care facilities, and prove management performce,” said Frank C. Buxton, puty director of the National k&R Division. Equally important, Buxton said n testimony before the subcommittee that the reorganization plan, ‘can form the foundation for future lomino changes within VA, such as ligibility reform.” Legion analysts applaud in genral the proposal unveiled by Dr. (eneth Kizer, the VA’s underecretary for health, which retructures both VHA’s field opertions and management of its entral office. If implemented, ecentralizing layers of managelent will save VA an estimated 9.3 million a year, with the avings to be directed to patient are. But buxton cautioned the plan I oes not open the VA system to lore veterans in need of care, nor oes it alter the current eligibility arriers needed as a first step in

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expanding care. Under the Vision for Change reorganization, the four medical regions which encompass 171 VA medical centers will be dropped in favor of a structure centered on 22 Veterans Integrated Service Neti works (VISNs). Vision for Change is subject to approval by Congress, and the issue may be decided when the current session ends next year. The Vision plan redirects central office authority out of Washington over VA’s 171 medical centers and redirects decision making and resources by creating the 22 VISNs. Each VISN staff will manage groups of five to 12 hospitals. Hospitals in the network will be allowed to pool resources and can save money by avoiding duplication of services. The networks also should encourage cost savings, improve patient treatment, and promote innovative approaches by management. Each VISN staff, in turn, will appoint a chief network officer to oversee administrative and financial accounts for each medical center within the network and thereby consolidate administrative tasks within VA medical centers. Buxton said the Veterans Integrated Service Networks will streamline and consolidate services, making management decisions more responsive to patients' needs, and commended Kizer and staff for developing a “very marketable proposal.” Veterans service organizations I will have a place on network and facility policy boards to provide input from "veteran consumers,” Buxton said. i The Advent of managed health ) care, advances in technology and economic pressures are. forcing ' health-care providers away from i hospital care to outpatient care.

Buxton said the VISN arrangement is a response to this dramatic shift in medical care trends. “The (VHA) reorganization proposal will allow VA to adapt its service delivery systems to align with the changes occuring in the delivery of modern medicine,” said Buxton, who also offered these observations concerning the reorganization plan: • Though not mentioned directly in the Vision for Change plan, Buxton urged VA Voluntary Services should maintain its title and its current line of authority, reporting directly to the directors of individual medical centers. • The American Legion also strongly advocates maintaining fiscal autonomy and direct line reporting for the VA’s Readjustment Counseling Service. Buxton said the Vet Centers handle multiple tasks that require a separate reporting sturcture. • He also cautioned against “diluting” the VA’s Office of Inspector General by moving the medical inspector’s functions into the Quality Improvement area. “Whichever change is made, there must remain some arm of the organization with the ability to investigate allegations of mistreatment, malfeaseance or medical negligence,” said Buxton. In the past dozen years VHA has experimented with several structural changes. In the early 1980 s VA had 28 medical districts and six medical districts where abolished, replaced by seven medical regions. Most recently, the system opted for the current system of four medical regions. No leader, however great a personality he may be, is an important to a people as their own intellectual development. —G. W. Russell

JULY 13. 1995 - THE INDEPENDENT-NEWS -

INDIANA STATE FAIR’S 53rd FARMERS DAY PARADE A kid's Pet Parade, goat untie, and more than 50 floats promise fun and excitement at the Indiana State Fair’s 53rd annual Farmers Day Parade set for the Grandstand race track on Wednesday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m. Cosponsored by the Indiana State Fair and Indiana Farm Bureau, more than $3,500 in premiums and trophies will be presented to the top five winners of the Pet Parade, Farm Hitch Class, and Youth, Adult and Competitive float divisions. Entries are judged on their ability to tell a story reflecting this year’s “Growing American’s Future” parade theme. Communities, townships, county or state organizations, corporate businesses and individuals can join in the Farmers Day festivities by obtaining and completing an official registration form from Indiana Farm Bureau. Registration is free, and all entries must be postmarked no later than August 1. To obtain a brochure and information, contact: Indiana Farm Bureau Inc., 225 S. East Street, P.O. Box 1290, Indianapolis, IN 46206, or call: (317) 692-7819.

IHealth & Nutrition by Judith Sheldon I

STOMACH “SENSE” - Re searchers at Purdue University have found that when it comes to sticking to a diet, or finding how much food you actually need, you have a builtin food measurer that’s been with you all your life: your stomach. The Purdue scientists have found that the neural (nerve) network in the digestive tract helps monitor and control what we eat. These nerves continually assess every morsel we ingest, and help the body absorb maximum nutrients from the food, while also passing on information to the brain which, then, can act on the data to determine when to slow down or stop eating. Terry L. Powley, professor of psychological sciences at Purdue, explained that further study of this process can lead to a better understanding of eating disorders and weight problems. We’ve long known that the brain sends signals about slowing or stopping the eating process. Many people, however, choose to override these signals by ignoring them. Instead of eating when hungry, and

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stopping when full, they eat when, what, and as much as they like, and often wind up with serious health problems. HEALTH TO A “TEA”: Over the past several years, researchers have been finding an extraordinary number of healthful benefits tn green tea, including the antioxidants said to inhibit development of cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of certain cancers, and retard aging, as well as other factors that may reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar, and protect against tooth decay. Although the potential benefits involved in drinking green tea could be enormous for everyone, the problem is green tea is not very popular outside of China and Japan. Black tea is preferred by tea drinkers in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Europe, and India. But if recent research studies discussed at a symposium at the New York Academy of Sciences last December are a guide, we may soon find that the line between the healthful benefits found in green tea and those in black tea may be blurring. So next time you sip a cup of your favorite black tea, you can take to heart, quite literally, the toast, “To Your Health." LIVING COPING WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS (CNN) — Millions of Americans live with some type of chronic illness and find ways to accommodate physical suffering, reports Health News Network the news service of the Indiana Association of Osteopathic Physicians & Surgeons. In the United States, an estimated 43-million people perpetually have to deal with heart and circulation disease, 37-million have arthritis, more than 10-million have diabetes, more than 500,000 have lupus, about 250,000 have multiple sclerosis. Others have liver, kidney, intestinal disorders, and severe asthma and other chronic ailments. Many pass as being as healthy as they can, not letting their chronic problem be obvious. Others wear down their families and friends by constantly talking about their health problems, which often are visible and obvious. Others with chronic illness allow friends around for support without talking about it all the time. These people often have dear and longlasting friends, says HNN.

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