Fix Utah’s disorganized approach to helping veterans

Veterans unaware of — or bewildered by — an array of services offered by state agencies would have an easier go of it under proposed legislation.

The Senate has approved SB126 and the House Government Operations Committee on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the bill. It next goes to the full House, where it likely will pass.

The legislation would create a new veterans’ services coordinator position in the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs and mandate that certain state agencies pick an employee to zero in on veterans’ issues.

The bill originated in the Veterans Reintegration Task Force, a panel the Legislature created last year, said Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City, co-chairman of the task force and SB126 sponsor.

The bill stops short of what the task force suggested in its final report: that all state resources for veterans be consolidated under the department.

But it does mandate that state agencies serving veterans start working better together. Salt Lake Tribune

Department of Workforce Services’ Veteran Employment Services

As we approach Veterans Day, we would like to bring attention to DWS’ Veteran Employment Services, geared toward assisting Veterans. A list of services, links and information can be found at the site, or call your nearest employment center.

Hiring Veterans is Good for Your Bottom Line
We all know a veteran who has served our county with honor and courage. Through the Utah Patriot Partnership Program, Utah businesses provide ongoing support by offering employment opportunities to our heroes upon their return. Employers who make the pledge of support to hire veterans receive recognition that includes a certificate from the governor.

The Utah Patriot Partnership Program isn’t the only organization aimed at helping our veterans succeed. The ACE program is intended to provide an accelerated avenue for veterans to capitalize on their training and knowledge from their military occupational specialty and match those skills for certification in the civilian occupational codes.

If you are an employer, hiring a veteran can add to your bottom line. Employers can benefit from Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits ranging from $2,400–$9,600 per veteran hired. For more information, visit jobs.utah.gov.

Utah to help returning vets get credit for work experience

Utah’s Department of Workforces Service on Monday kicked off a new program designed to help veterans get credit for their military work when they seek state licenses or higher education.

The Accelerated Credentialing Program for Veterans (ACE) was launched at Utah Valley University by Workforce Services and its partners.

Essentially, it means that veterans’ representatives at Workforce Services will help vets get credit for the training and work they did in the military.

For instance, vets who drove trucks or were medics could have an easier time getting licensed to work as truck drivers or emergency medical technicians, said Curt Stewart, an agency spokesman.

The idea is that the schools will help veterans get their official training records so school admission offices can decide whether to grant credit or allow the vet to test out of certain academic requirements. Salt Lake Tribune

Hiring Veterans is good for Your Bottom Line

Veterans deliver. They have a strong work ethic, exceptional training and proven leadership skills. They can fill any job that requires teamwork, discipline and leadership skills.

If you are an employer, hiring a veteran can add to your bottom line. Employers can benefit from Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits ranging from $2,400–$9,600 per veteran hired. For more information, visit jobs.utah.gov. Trendlines

Measuring the dynamic changes in America

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a vital source of information about our nation and its people. Every year, the ACS provides detailed demographic and socioeconomic statistics. The ACS tell us about education attainment, income, occupations, health care coverage, our veterans and more. Because of the ACS, the public and private sectors can make informed decisions impacting our nation's future.

A Utah Veterans Affairs doctor will see you now — virtually

It’s not right for all patients in all scenarios. But sometimes a dose of broadband is just what the doctor ordered.

That’s Susan Rose’s assessment of telemedicine, an increasingly popular means for reaching patients in remote areas where specialty care can be in short supply. Salt Lake City’s Veterans Affairs hospital has added basic obstetric and gynecological care to its quiver of tele-health offerings. Rose, the hospital’s sole obstetrician and gynecologist, demonstrated the technology on Thursday.

Women veterans tend to seek care from private clinics instead of the Veterans Health Administration, in part because the services they need weren’t available until recently.

Utah’s VA has operated a women’s clinic for 14 years, and Rose is said to be the only practicing OB/GYN in the VA system. But getting word out to patients is complicated by the fact that she’s responsible for serving patients throughout Utah, northwestern Nevada and parts of southeast Idaho.

She’s now able to "Skype" six of the VA’s 10 community based clinics, and anticipates seeing about a dozen patients a month this way.

Whether telemedicine will improve care is yet to be seen.

But Andrew Kalinen, who oversees the VA’s community clinics, said it’s a money-saver. "We’ve saved hundreds-of-thousands of dollars in travel alone," he said, explaining that the VA covers patients’ travel costs. Salt Lake Tribune