Veterans’ Health Matters

Tips for Working with Veterans with Airborne Hazards Concerns In this episode, Dr. Anays Sotolongo, the Co-Director of the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, discusses the airborne hazards commonly encountered during military service, and describes a new toolkit available to guide the treatment of Veterans with airborne hazard exposure concerns.   

RESOURCES Email to request hardcopies of the Deployment-Related Respiratory Disease Toolkit: [email protected]   VA Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/AHBPCE/index.asp   Post Deployment Cardiopulmonary Evaluation Network (PDCEN): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/AHBPCE/network.asp   WRIISC Sharepoint: Military Exposures: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/vawriisc   Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Eligibility Questionnaire: https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home   War Related Illness and Injury Study Center website: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Registry Exams: What Clinicians and Healthcare Staff Need to Know
In this episode, Dr. Michelle Robertson, Occupational and Environmental Medicine physician at the Department of Veteran Affairs New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (VA NJ WRIISC) and the Clinical Director of the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Center of Excellence, discusses need-to-know information about registry exams, including what the various registry exams are, and how registry exams can be a resource for Veterans with military exposure concerns.  

RESOURCES
VA Public Health Website on Environmental Health Registry Evaluations: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/benefits/registry-evaluation.asp   

Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Eligibility Questionnaire: https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home  

Environmental Health Clinician and Coordinator Directory: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp  

WRIISC Module 1 Training - Assessing  Deployment Related Environmental Exposures: TRAIN: ID: 1070234 TMS: ID: 33195  

VA’s Exposure Ed App: https://mobile.va.gov/app/exposure-ed  

Helpful Handouts

Reference Sheet for Completing Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Questionnaire https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/AHOBPR_QuickReferenceSheet_Final_508.pdf  

Compensation & Pension Exam, Toxic Exposure Screening, and Registry Exams: What’s the Difference? Exam, Screenings, and Registries - What's the Difference?  

Environmental Health Registry Evaluations for Veterans https://www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/Registry_Factsheet.pdf

Quick Tips for Everyday Clinical Care of Veterans with Exposure Concerns
In this episode, Dr. Drew Helmer, the Deputy Director of the Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety, joins Dr. Nicole Sullivan, Clinical Psychologist, to discuss tips for how clinicians, nurses, and healthcare providers can engage in every day clinical care of Veterans with exposure concerns.   

RESOURCES
Link to VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guidelines: https://www.healthquality.va.gov/  

Factsheet on Airborne Hazards Concerns: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/airborne-hazards-concerns-info-for-veterans.pdf  

Factsheet on Anthrax Vaccine: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/anthrax.pdf  

Factsheet on Exposure to Asbestos: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/asbestos-exposure.pdf  

Factsheet on Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/education/factsheets/06022021-Chemical-and-Biological-Warfare-Agents-FAQs.pdf  

Factsheet on Depleted Uranium (DU): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/depleted-uranium.pdf  

Factsheet on Gulf War Illness: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/education/factsheets/gulf-war-illness-for-veterans.pdf

Tips for How Clinicians Can Talk with Veterans about Military Exposures
Tune into this episode to hear Dr. Lisa McAndrew discuss practical tips for communicating with Veterans about their military exposure concerns, including suggestions for how to respond to traditionally difficult to answer questions.

For more information on exposures and communication techniques, visit: The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

How to Help Veterans with Military Exposures Receive the Benefits They Deserve
Listen in to this episode of the Veterans Health Matters podcast to hear Dr. Katherine Bloeser, research scientist at the WRIISC and Assistant Professor of Social Work at the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, discuss how providers can speak with Veterans about presumptive conditions for Veterans with military exposure concerns, and how you can support veterans in submitting claims for service connection.    

RESOURCES
Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) Website: https://benefits.va.gov/benefits/

VBA Support: 1-800-827-1000 About VA Disability Ratings: https://www.va.gov/disability/about-disability-ratings/

List of Recognized Veterans Service Organizations: https://www.va.gov/ogc/recognizedvsos.asp

Disability Benefits Questionnaires: https://www.benefits.va.gov/compensation/dbq_publicdbqs.asp

Access to VHA Directive 1134(2): https://www.va.gov/vhapublications/publications.cfm?pub=1

VA’s Office of Public Health, Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME): https://www.publichealth.va.gov/about/postdeploymenthealth/index.asp

Benefits Overview for Military Exposures: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/benefits/index.asp

VA’s Exposure Ed App: https://mobile.va.gov/app/exposure-ed

War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) Website: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/

WRIISC SharePoint: https://dvagov.sharepoint.com/sites/vawriisc

An Introduction to the (WRIISC) War Related Illness and Injury Study Center
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Helena Chandler, Acting Director of the NJ WRIISC, and welcome back Dr. Susan Santos, Director of Education and Risk Communication at the WRIISC, as they discuss the WRIISC including its nearly 20-year history and how WRIISC can best serve Veterans and their healthcare teams.
To learn more about the War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) and what we are doing, visit our website at: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/

Wearable Technology Trends: What Gets Measured, Might Get Improved
In this episode, Dr. Michael Falvo, Scientific Director of the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, and Matthew Watson, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, discuss how to measure or monitor personal exercise and physical activity, some advantages and disadvantages of doing so, and its importance to Veterans and clinical providers.

The following resources referred to during the show, are found here:
Exercise is Medicine:
https://www.exerciseismedicine.org/support_page.php/provider-action-guide/
CDC’s Guide on Target Heart Rate: https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/measuring/heartrate.htm
VA’s ESP Report on wearable technology: https://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/publications/esp/MotionSensingTechnologies.cfm
The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC) Resources:
https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

Essential Food Nutrients, Vitamins and Supplements
Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Nutrition physician ends our Functional Nutrition segment by exploring with moderator Paulette Brower, proven essential phytonutrients in food and drink known to provide health benefits. How the VHA Whole Health model supports “food and drink” as a resource to stay healthy and fight disease is also addressed.

Learn more from the following websites here:
The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center: https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp
Post Deployment Health Services: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/

The Role and Importance of Mitochondria
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Serena Satcher once again to have a discussion on the role and importance of mitochondria with Paulette Brower. Hear Dr. Satcher examine how functional nutrition plans impact and support optimal mitochondrial function.

More resources are available here:
The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp

The Detoxification
Dr. Serena Satcher discusses how required nutrients and others optimize the body’s natural detoxification process in the liver, kidney and skin. This podcast is moderated by Paulette Brower.

Learn more about detoxification here:
The War Related Illness & Injury Study Center (WRIISC Resources): https://www.warrelatedillness.va.gov/WARRELATEDILLNESS/index.asp