1-800-767-3018 901-527-3018 Fax: 901-528-1972 E-mail: mspva@aol.com

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage

PAID Memphis, TN

Permit No. 628

Mid-South Chapter

Paralyzed Veterans of America

Memphis VAMC

1030 Jefferson Ave.

Room 2D100

Memphis, TN 38104

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

United Access is proud to support PVA!

-New & Used Wheelchair Accessible Van Sales -Lifts, Mobility Seating, and Driving Controls -24 Hour Service, Rentals, and much more!

United Access MidSouth 2165 Hillshire Circle

Memphis, TN 38133

Toll free (888)939-1010 or (901)888-1010

info@unitedaccess.com

www.UnitedAccess.com

Vol. 23 No. 6 May - June 2013 Editor: Sharon Mount

PARAPARA--GRAPHGRAPH

Mr. Leo Lawson presented with the

VAVS Volunteer President’s Lifetime

Achievement Award by Dr. Knight,

Interim Medical Center Director

Memphis VAMC.

Mid-South Paralyzed Veterans of America

1030 Jefferson Ave. Rm. 2D100 Memphis, TN 38104

Tel: (901) 527-3018, 1-800-767-3018 Fax: (901) 528-1972

E-Mail: mspva@aol.com

Terrence Green ................................................... President Truman Suttle ............................................. Vice President Terry Loggins ......................................................Treasurer Susan Wiley ......................................................... Secretary Harold Holbrook…………………………………Board Member Matthew Powell ............................... ……...Board Member Mike Smith ........................................... ..National Director Johnny Jones………..……………..Sports Program Manager Vacant………..…… ………....Events/PR Program Manager LeRoy Cage ………………. Membership Program Manager David Specking………………………………....Hospital Liaison Sharon Mount ............................. Gov. Relations Director JoAnn Holt………………………...……………..Office Secretary

Memphis PVA Service Office: Barbara Redwine ........................ National Service Officer Lorna Jefferson ....................................... .Office Secretary

(901) 523-8990 x7795 ... Office 1-800-795-3568 ............. Office

Nashville PVA Service Office: Nichelle Edwards…….National Service Officer Candidate Cassandra Shelhorse .............................. .Office Secretary

(615) 695-6383 ............... Office 1-800-795-3569 ............. Office

Alabama PVA Service Office: Anthony Steele ........................... .National Service Officer Eunice Micciche ...................................... .Office Secretary

(334) 213-3433/34/35 .. Office 1-800-795-3581 .............. Office

Robert Crowley……..Mid-South Chapter Representative

(205) 447-0025

Mississippi PVA Service Office: Timothy Hicks............................. National Service Officer Dorothy Gray .......................................... .Office Secretary

(601) 364-7188 ............... Office 1-800-795-3610.............. Office

Arkansas PVA Service Office: Clyde Reed .................................. National Service Officer Billie Caldarera ....................................... .Office Secretary

(501) 370-3757 ............... Office 1-800-795-9236 ............. Office

THE PARA-GRAPH Published Bi-Monthly by Mid-South Chapter Paralyzed Veterans of America 1030 Jefferson

Ave., Rm. 2D100 Memphis, TN 38104, 1-800-767-3018, 901-527-3018, Fax: 901-528-1972, web site:

www.midsouth-pva.org, and E-Mail: mspva@aol.com All material published is for your information and does not

necessarily indicate an endorsement or reflect the views or opinions of the Mid-South Chapter. 2

Mid-South Paralyzed Veterans of America

1030 Jefferson Ave. Rm. 2D100 Memphis, TN 38104

Tel: (901) 527-3018, 1-800-767-3018 Fax: (901) 528-1972

E-Mail: mspva@aol.com

Cheri Arnold ........................................................ President William Bass ............................................... Vice President Truman Suttle…………………..………………………. Treasurer Cindy McIntosh .................................................. Secretary Vacant………….....…………………………………Board Member Matthew Powell ............................... ……...Board Member Truman Suttle ...................................... ..National Director William Bass.....Advocacy/Legislative Program Manager Anthony Gilliam…...……………..Sports Program Manager Leo Lawson…....…….……....Events/PR Program Manager Ertemus Bell………..……. Membership Program Manager Terry Phillips..……....Hospital Liaison Program Manager Sharon Mount ............................. ……..Executive Director

Memphis PVA Service Office: Cliff Dupree ................................. National Service Officer Delphine Newsum .................................. .Office Secretary

(901) 523-8990 x7795 ... Office 1-800-795-3568 ............. Office

Nashville PVA Service Office: Nichelle Edwards…….National Service Officer Candidate Cassandra Shelhorse .............................. .Office Secretary

(615) 695-6383 ............... Office 1-800-795-3569 ............. Office

Alabama PVA Service Office: Anthony Steele ........................... .National Service Officer Lakisha Anderson ................................... .Office Secretary

(334) 213-3433/34/35 .. Office 1-800-795-3581 .............. Office

Robert Crowley……..Mid-South Chapter Representative

(205) 205-568-0202

Mississippi PVA Service Office: Timothy Hicks............................. National Service Officer Dorothy Gray .......................................... .Office Secretary

(601) 364-7188 ............... Office 1-800-795-3610.............. Office

Arkansas PVA Service Office: Clyde Reed .................................. National Service Officer Billie Caldarera ....................................... .Office Secretary

(501) 370-3757 ............... Office 1-800-795-9236 ............. Office

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Mona R. Pickett

David Anderson

Tommie L. Dean

Tommie S. Jones

Johnathan W. Grimes

We extend our deepest

sympathy to the family and friends

of our chapter members passing.

Larry W. McCue

Roderick M. Williams

J.D. Hurtt

Joe L. Neyland

Michael E. Braden

Curtis R. Cathey

11

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2

Labor Day

Office Closed

3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19

BOD

Meeting

10:30am

20 21

22 23 24 25 26

Staff Appreciation

Cookout

11am - 1pm

27 28

29 30

September 2013

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8

BOD

Meeting

10:30am

9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17

18 19 20 21 22

Membership

Meeting

1:30pm

23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

August 2013

10

N a t i o n a l P V A A n n u a l C o n v e n t i o n - L o n g B e a c h , C A

Greetings! I am

Cheri Arnold, the

new President of

Paralyzed Veterans

of America, Mid-

South Chapter. I

hope to put an end

to any gossip or rumors that are

inevitably floating around. In

short, I have been placed in this

Office because, as of 1 May 2013,

PVA Mid-South President -

Christie Hill-Smith and Vice Presi-

dent - Tom Lewis, resigned from

their elected offices, citing health

and personal issues.

First of all, I want to thank

them both for their dedicated ser-

vice to this great chapter and to

our members. When you see them

around, please take a moment to

express your thanks for the more

than a year and a half, (as Presi-

dent and Vice President), of hard

work, dedication and sacrifices

they have made to keep our chap-

ter running effectively. They are

very difficult positions to fulfill,

with countless hours of time and

energy required. No matter what,

it is impossible to please everyone.

After a teleconference with

the National PVA office that in-

cluded; Truman Suttle, myself,

National PVA Vice President Liai-

son – Ken Weis, and Parliamentar-

ian – Tom Wheaton, it was deter-

mined that according to Robert’s

Rules of Order, (the basis for all

PVA procedures), in the event that

the President resigns or is re-

moved, the Vice President be-

comes the President. In the event

that the Vice President declines or

resigns, the Board of Director Sec-

retary becomes President. If the

Board of Director Secretary de-

clines or resigns, the Board of Di-

rector Treasurer becomes Presi-

dent. This is the automatic line of

secession.

These are tough times for

our Chapter, and for PVA as a

whole with all the budget cuts and

constraints. As a result, we have

had to be very tight with our

budget to ensure the future of our

Chapter in the years to come. I

know there is a lot of concern and

animosity over the current Na-

tional Veterans Wheelchair Games

and Golden Age Games Policy.

This policy was put into effect

back in 2009, as a result of Na-

tional monitoring. I am confident

that we can make some changes if

we put our heads together and con-

fer with the experts in Washington.

I welcome your input and sugges-

tions to find a solution.

I look forward to continu-

ing to serve the Chapter with in-

tegrity. PVA is a strong and resil-

ient organization and requires a

team of dedicated members to

move forward with our mission.

Please join the team and bring

your skills, knowledge and heart

together to help each other! Thank

you.

If you are having issues

getting an appointment or

being denied admission to the

Memphis SCI center and not

being referred to another SCI

center, please give the

National Service Officer, a

call at 1-800-795-3568.

If you are having problems

getting an appointment at the

Little Rock SCI clinic please

notify Clyde Reed, National

Service Officer, in Little Rock

at 1-800-795-9236. 3

A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT B Y C H E R I A R N O L D

Social Security Administration

Social Security Administration is

seeking feedback from customers

about their online services and has set

up the link below for public input

about peoples' awareness of their

online services, how the agency could

increase usage of these services and

improve customer satisfaction and

how to simplify the programs that

SSA administers. If you have some

ideas in response to this inquiry, go to

the website below.

http:/ssaeservices.ideascale.com/

4

OPERATION PAVE: PVA’s Vocational Program

Networking: How It Can Help You Obtain Employment. A little known fact about the job market is that it changes just as fast or faster than other markets. What once

was in style a few years ago is no longer in style today. For example, in the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s, it

was very popular to attach a photo to your resume. Today, some job sites state that if you include any

“inappropriate items with your resume like a photo” your application will receive no further consideration.

In our global economy, where job seekers are competing in an ever growing pool of candidates, it can be very

difficult to stand out and be noticed. So, how do you do that? Well, there is no simple answer; however, there

are some simple techniques that may improve your odds. One way is to avoid the crowd by jumping to the

front of the line. In other words, Networking.

What is Networking? Simply put, networking is taking advantage of the relationships and acquaintances you

already have in order to promote your agenda: obtaining employment. It is also learning how to effectively

create situations which will allow you to meet and build relationships with people who can advance your goal

of obtaining suitable employment.

How do you get started networking? Well, you are already in a network. You know people from work (past

or present), church, school, and the community. Now all you have to do is let those people who know you:

1. Know that you are looking for employment opportunities

2. Know what type of work you want

3. Ask them if their employer is hiring or if they know of someone who is hiring

4. Ask them if they could give you an introduction to someone at their job who might be able to help you

get hired at their company

Networking is simple, but it is not easy. It takes practice and determination. You may make some mistakes

along the way, but in the long run, it will pay off. The key is to know what you want and ASK people to help

you.

Veterans with Spinal Cord Injury or Spinal Cord Disease who may be receiving SSDI or SSI and wish to work might consider calling a Paralyzed Veterans of America Certified Vocational Rehabilita-tion Counselor.

Contact information: Susan Deguzman, M.A.,CRC

Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

James A. Haley VA Medical Center 13000 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.

Room C052-38 Tampa, FL 33612

Office:

813-972-2000 Ext. 5681

Email: susand@pva.org

www.OperationPAVE.org 9

CHAPTER MEETING DATES

JULY

11 - Program

Managers

Meeting

10:30 A.M.

18 - BOD

Meeting

10:30 A.M.

25 - Membership

Meeting

1:30 P.M.

AUGUST

15 - BOD

Meeting

10:30 A.M.

22- Membership

Meeting

1:30 P.M.

SEPTEMBER

12 - Program

Managers

Meeting

10:30 A.M.

19 - BOD

Meeting

10:30 A.M.

26- Staff

Appreciation

Cookout &

Membership

Meeting

1:30 P.M.

A L A B A M A LI A I S O N RE P O R T B Y R O B E R T C R O W L E Y

Hello from Birmingham. Paralyzed Veterans of Amer-

ica, Mid-South Chapter would like to welcome Mr. Tho-

mas C. Smith, III, FACHE, as the New Director of the

Birmingham VA Medical Center (BVAMC). Mr. Smith

will oversee the delivery of healthcare to more than

60,000 Veterans, and an operating budget of over $400

million. Mr. Smith previously served as Director Central

Texas Veterans Health Care System.

The BVAMC ranks in the top 10% of the 150+ Veterans Administra-

tions Health Care Facilities throughout the US. BVAMC SHEP Scores

are above national average; however, in the area of access to care scores

were low. Customer service is focusing on improving outpatient satis-

faction by visiting clinics daily, increased visibility of the hospitality

cart and customer service training for medical clerks. Initiatives to

counter this problem are to consistently distribute score cards within

each clinic and begin tracking outpatient responses more frequently to

help monitor and address issues in a timely manner. This initiative will

provide leadership with real time data for review.

In request of new Mental Health initiatives, Mental Health will have 20

openings for Psychologist, Social Workers, Nurses and Pharmacist.

This will also require an extension for TeleMental Health for Veterans

throughout the VISN. Due to high suicide statistical rates nationally, the

BVAMC will continue monitoring and implementing suicide preven-

tion initiatives. In addition to obtaining 12 -14 beds from Tuscaloosa

VA Hospital for inpatient care for veterans that require hospitalization.

Other happenings at BVAMC:

The BVAMC has been upgraded to a 1A Category Hospital.

It is now certified as one of only 3 PRIMARY STROKE CENTERS

(PSC) in all of VHA System.

The NEUROLOGY/SLEEP LAB is open. Be patient if you are waiting

there is a back log of requests.

THE PHOENIX CLINIC. It is for Veterans who are homeless, or leav-

ing homelessness behind. The clinic will be a walk-in clinic where

medical and social work services will be available.

There are other programs in the works for BVAMC that I will report on

in later Newsletters. The BVAMC is working hard to make your visit to

the doctor a pleasant one. The parking is inconvenient so arrive early

for your doctor’s appointment. Be careful of the sun and heat as the

weather gets hotter.

8

ADVOCACY/LEGISLATION REPORT BY WILLIAM BASS

Social Security Disability There are two types of Social Security disability. Social Security disability income (SSDI),

which is paid to a person that has paid into the system and has a disability that impacts one ac-

tivity of daily living; self-care, thinking clearly, walking or working for at least 12 months and

Supplemental security income (SSI) is paid to adults and children with disabilities who have

limited financial resources or have not paid into the system at all. If you work and earn $940 or

more a month Social Security does not consider you as being disabled.

There are five steps when determining if you are disabled:

1 Are you working?

2 Is your medical condition severe?

3 Is your medical condition on the list of impairments?

4 Can you do the work you did before?

5 Can you do any other type of work?

75% of all claims are denied on the initial claim and then half of those of because of the language.

If a person dies before the claim has been approved depending on the program the family can file a claim and

received the payments from the time the claim was made until the claim was approved. During the time that a

claim is being processed, if the Social Security Administration requests documentation or information in a pre-

scribed time and the time limit has not been met, they can kick your claim out of the system.

The older you are the easier it is for you to get benefits, ages 18 to 49 are always considered a younger individ-

ual. If you have a high education or skill that can be transferred to another job these things make it harder for

you to get approved. Currently the time it takes to process a claim is from 18 to 24 months in Tennessee, and

up to 36 months and Mississippi.

When representation is being used they can be paid 25% of the claim amount, up to $6000, they also get reim-

bursements for obtaining medical records and things of that nature. Not all lawyers are familiar with Social Se-

curity laws and language but they can represent you so do your research and be careful who you let represent

you.

Join us on September 26, 2013 for the

Annual Staff Appreciation Cookout

at the Memphis VAMC

on the SCI Patio

from

11am - 1pm

Greeting Mid-South members, I hope that everyone is in good health and spirits. I just want to

thank everyone who participated in our annual PVA Awareness Month activities. On April 6,

at the Wheelchair Wash, we had a nice turnout and I want to thank all of the volunteers who

came out to make this event successful. I also would like to thank Invacare for bringing infor-

mation, goodies, and even door prizes. On April 9, we had a Yoga Class demonstration with

inpatients and outpatients. I would like to thank Diane for making this class a success. We had

12 participants. On April 13, we had our annual Yard Sale and Cookout at our Storage Locker. We even had

the Sergeant W.K. Singleton Pipes and Drum band come out and to help bring in customers. On April 22, we

had a Barber who came out to the Memphis SCI unit to cut hair for inpatients. We are planning on having him

come to the hospital on a regular basis.

Starting in the month of May, for Nurses Appreciation Week we honored our SCI nurses with a beautiful

Lenox Heart & Dove Pin for all of the hard work they do to take care of patients. On May 30 we are having

our Friends and Family Cookout. It will be in the Memphis Botanic Gardens at 750 Cherry Rd., Memphis, TN

from 11am to 2pm.

We are looking for volunteers to help with chapter events. Your time and service to help fellow veterans is

greatly appreciated. Please feel free to come into the chapter office to sign up or call the chapter office at 1-

800-767-3018.

The thought for the day “Never give up never surrender”.

Essay Contest

Title of Essay – “How an accessible van could change my life”

Rules of Contest: Open to all Mid-South PVA members only

500 words or less Deadline for entries: Postmarked or emailed to Mid-South chapter office by August 1st, 2013

1030 Jefferson Ave, Room 2D100, Memphis, TN 38104 Or emailed to: mspva@aol.com

Winner be selected by Dixon Hughes, an independent accounting firm. The winner will be announced in September at Staff Appreciation Day in Memphis VAMC.

Winner of Essay will win an accessible 1996 Dodge Ram Van!!!

8 cylinder engine, automatic transmission, 4 new tires, air conditioner, stereo, power steering, power windows and locks, extra gauges, towing

package, remote control side door ramp, still has both original front seats, bench seat in rear, no middle seats, no hand controls, no extended

roof, good condition, runs great. Van is in “as is” condition and all respon-sibilities, taxes, insurance, tags, maintenance, and disability conversions

will be the responsibility of the winner. Good Luck!

PUBLIC RELATIONS REPORT BY LEO LAWSON

5

6

PVA AWARENESS MONTH

Cole Schaffer helped to wash wheelchair at

the Memphis VAMC SCI unit.

Jack Schaffer busy putting a

polish on Mr. Bell’s wheels.

Toby Anders, from Upscale, gave

inpatients on the SCI Unit in Memphis

some fresh looks.

Once a Marine always a Marine.

The Sgt. W. K. Singleton Pipes & Drums at

the Cookout & Yard Sale, drumming up

some business.

Working on finding that peaceful

relaxation through Yoga Class.

Tommy Smith, Grill Master!

Christie Hill-Smith speaking at a VA Em-

ployee Seminar on women veterans issues.

Volunteer Rita Mount is all smiles putting

the shine on an inpatient’s chair.

7

VAVS VOLUNTEER AWARD LUNCHEON

NURSES APPREICATION WEEK

In recognition of the dedicated

and hard work that the nursing

staff does at the Memphis VAMC

SCI Unit, Leo Lawson, Cheri Ar-

nold, and William Bass presented

all nursing staff with a beautiful

Lenox Heart Pins during Nurses

Appreciation Week. The nurses

work very hard to make sure that

patients needs are being met, and

the chapter appreciates all they

do. We are excited to have two

new Nurse Managers on the

wards, Haisley Holden, Nurse

Manager on 1 - West, and Lorren

Wells, Nurse Manager on 1 -

East.

Above: Leo Lawson presents a Lenox

pin to Haisley Holden, Nurse Manager

for 1 - West.

Below: Leo Lawson presents a Lenox

pin to Frankie Dunmore, Nurse Practi-

tioner in the Outpatient SCI Clinic.

On April 24, 2013 the Memphis

VAMC held it’s annual VAVS

Volunteer Award Luncheon.

Chapter members have logged in

over 28,000 volunteer hours. Mr.

Leo Lawson (on the cover) re-

ceived the VAVS Volunteer

President’s Lifetime Achievement

Award and has over 4000 volun-

teer hours of service. Other chap-

ter members who have volun-

teered during the years are Albert

Thetford with 8750 hours, Syl-

vester Lewis with 2926 hours,

Houston Lewis with 2118 hours,

and Alvin Carruth with 1000

hours. Veterans are taking care of

their own and the chapter is grate-

ful for their dedication, time and

service.

William Bass has logged in

2252 volunteer hours.

Lawrence Green has logged

in 3750 volunteer hours.

Pictured to the Right:

Ertemus Bell has logged in

2500 volunteer hours.