The NewsleTTer of The New eNglaNd ChapTer paralyzed VeTeraNs of ameriCaMay 2012 Vol. LXII, #5

a member ChapTer of The paralyzed VeTeraNs of ameriCa – CharTered by The CoNgress of The uNiTed sTaTes

CORD WORDWORDCORD

President’sReport

3

GovernmentRelations Report

4

Service Officer’sReport

5

Sports & Recreation

6

NEPVANomination Form

for FY 20139

New NEPVAMember Benefit

13

InsideWhat’s

continued on page 7

By Mike Guilbault

From March 25-29 the New England Vet-

eran skiers, “Team Chowdah,” attended

the National Disabled Veterans Winter

Sports Clinic in Snowmass, CO. The team also

included VA staff that volunteered as medi-

cal support, instructors, team leaders, coaches,

equipment repair and support.

Some of the NEHSA instructors

also joined us along with some

family and friends. NEPVA

members who made the trip

were Brent Cote, Dave Pelkey,

Dustin Soroka, Mark Sanders,

Mike Guilbault, Steve Moffitt, Tim Kelly and

Wayne Ross. Some blind skiers, amputees, TBI

and other injuries made up the rest of the skiers,

many who got their first taste for snow sports at

our local WSC held in January. In all, the team

was about 36 strong with 14 skiers, 12 instruc-

tors and the rest support staff and family.

It was definitely spring skiing weather in Aspen

and sunscreen was a must. The strong sun and

warm weather had us all comfortable and the

snow running off the mountain in tiny brooks!

In addition to the

downhill skiing, the

veterans had many

options for alternate

activities to fill the

time between their

scheduled ski days.

Kayaking was a new

addition this year in

addition to the cross

country skiing, shooting, scuba, rock climbing,

snowmobiling, sled hockey and trips to Aspen

village, gondola ride up Aspen Mountain and

the ever popular Glenwood Hot Springs trip.

There were also classes one could attend that

included self-defense and Tai Chi along with

equipment

clinics for

seating

systems

and review

of some of

the new

ski equipment options available. There sure are

many more models of sit-skis now available as

compared to when I started skiing 15 years ago.

Technology is a wonderful thing; ask any of the

amputees now snowboarding on their prosthetic

legs, which was a common site on the slopes!

The team represented New England very well

and I’m happy to say we all came home without

any injuries we didn’t have before going. I

can’t say the equipment was as lucky. I know I

Team Chowdah attends NVDWSC in Colorado

Photo: Wayne Ross and instructor coming in after a

great day on the slopes.

…the team was about 36 strong

with 14 skiers, 12 instructors and

the rest support staff and family.

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org

PARALYZED VETERANS of AMERICA

NEW ENGLAND CHAPTERNEPVA ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE

1600 PROVIDENCE HIGHWAY-SUITE 143WALPOLE, MA 02081

TEL: (508) 660-1181, 1-(800) 660-1181FAX: (508) 668-9412; e-mail: info@nepva.org

web: www.nepva.orgOffice Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm

NEPVA OFFICERSPresident, Craig CascellaVice President, Debra FreedSecretary, Debra FreedTreasurer, Charles SchenaNational Director, Craig Cascella

EXECUTIVE BOARD John BrakoBrad CarlsonWalter Farrington Wayne RossDustin SorokaJim WallackNeal Williams

NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICEPARALYZED VETERANS OF AMERICA

BOSTON VA REGIONAL OFFICEJ.F.K. FEDERAL BUILDING - Room - 1575 C

BOSTON, MA 02203TEL: (617) 303-1395 & 1-800-795-3607

Fax: (617) 723-7467

Acting Eastern Region Director, Joseph E. BadzmierowskiSenior Secretary, Ann Marie Wallace

Cord Word is published twelve times a year by the New England Chapter Paralyzed Veterans of America, 1600 Providence Hwy., Suite 143, Walpole, MA 02081 in the interest of Chapter members. Membership in NEPVA entitles you to a free subscription to Cord Word. Articles published in Cord Word do not necessarily reflect the views of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, New England Chapter. NEPVA neither endorses nor guarantees any of the products or services advertised herein. Postmaster: send changes of address to NEPVA, 1600 Providence Hwy., Suite 143, Walpole, MA 02081

Monthly meetings are held every first Wednesday of the month at the NEPVA office in Walpole, Ma. The executive board meets at 10:30 a.m. Followed by the regular membership meeting at 1:00 p.m.

PROGRAM DIRECTORSDevelopment Director, Craig CascellaMembership Officer, Craig CascellaMS Liaison, John BrakoCommunity Outreach, Mike GuilbaultNEPVA Peer Mentor Rep., Mike GuilbaultScholarship Chairman, Craig CascellaSports Director, Brad CarlsonAssistant Sports Director, Mike GuilbaultBass Trail Liaison, Jim WallackWeb Master, Harley FreedmanWomen Veterans’ Liaison, Debra FreedVolunteer Chairman, Judy Goldstein

Hospital Liaisons Brockton, MA VAMC, Craig CascellaWest Roxbury, MA VAMC, Craig CascellaNorthampton, MA VAMC, Tim KellyProvidence, RI VAMC, Craig CascellaManchester, NH VAMC, Walter Farrington West Haven, CT VAMC, VacantWhite River Jct, VT VAMC, Craig CascellaTogus, ME VAMC, Neal Williams

STAFFCord Word Editor, Judy GoldsteinGovernment Relations Director, Debra FreedAdministrative Assistant, Judy GoldsteinBookkeeper, Jeri FarinellaCord Word Design, Harley Freedman

2

NINE MONTH DRAwING

APRIL wINNERS

PVA NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICETOGUS, VARO, 1 VA CENTER

BLDG 248, ROOM 112AUGUSTA, ME 04330

Serving maine, new HampSHire and vermont

TEL:(207) 621-7394, FAX: (207) 621-4829TOLL FREE: 866-795-1911

National Service Officer II, John StansburySecretary, Wendy Glidden

IN REMEMBRANCE

We deeply regret the passing of our Chapter Members:

and extend our heartfelt sympathyto family and friends.

John Ciarlelli

Walter W. Crowley

$50Laura RossRevere, MA

$25Caleb LeBoeufwoodstock, CT

$25Thomas Bird

Oregon City, OR

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 3

by Craig C. Cascella

NEPVA PresidentPresident’s Report

continued on page 8

I sincerely hope all of our Chapter

members, family, volunteers,

and friends had a terrific Easter

holiday. Although we were teased

with some spring or even in some cases,

summer-like weather, it has cooled off

a little bit but the good weather will

hopefully be here to stay very soon.

Peruse our newsletter and our web site

for upcoming activities and events that

may interest you, and that hopefully

you may want to participate in.

On March 19th, I visited the West

Roxbury VA and had a scheduled

meeting in the Executive Suite with

Ms. Karen Acera-Williams, Assistant

Medical Center Director, Brockton

Campus. We chatted about different

local items and issues, as well as an

upcoming new construction project.

In May, construction will begin with

an addition to the MRI building. This

is next to the entrance of Building 2

across from the Fisher House, where

many disabled parking spaces are

available and where frequent ambulance

drop-offs and pick-ups are done. The

ambulance services will be moved to

the Building 3 entrance area while

the construction is ongoing. Patients

with disabilities may still park in the

designated parking spaces nearby

and enter via Building 2 through a

temporary entrance where the normal

automatic double-door entrance

currently is. Entering the facility will

still be accessible for anyone with a

disability. The project is estimated to be

completed in roughly 6-8 weeks.

On the 22nd, I traveled down to the

Newark, NJ area for a scheduled PVA

meeting the next

morning at the

East Orange, NJ

VAMC. I met

with PVA Senior

Vice President

Al Kovach, PVA

Vice President and

National Chapter

Liaison Ken Weas,

and Colonial

Chapter President

Ron Hoskins on

the SCI Unit.

The purpose of

the meeting was

to meet with PVA

members from

the New York and

New Jersey area

who would like to

form a PVA Chapter

in New Jersey.

As some of

you may

know,

years ago

the former

Eastern

PVA Chapter

decided to

dissolve from the National

organization, and since then there

has been no PVA Chapter in those

two states. NEPVA does have some

members from the New York and New

Jersey area that decided to transfer

their PVA member at large status and

join a Chapter of their choosing. All in

attendance were able to ask questions,

give feedback, and voice any concerns

or comments related to the possibility

of forming a PVA Chapter in that area.

The meeting notes, discussion, and

commentary involved with the meeting

will be brought before the PVA

Executive Committee, who will make

a decision as to whether or not forming

a new PVA Chapter in that area is a

viable option.

Near the end of March, I traveled

down to Virginia Beach, VA for the

Korchak Doty Memorial wheelchair

bowling tournament. There was a good

turnout and showing by New England

attendees. I missed the roll-off in the

A Division by 6 lousy pins. However,

Chapter members Fred Sislack and

Walter Farrington met in the B

Division Championship, with Fred On April 5, NEPVA President Craig Cascella (left) presented Richard (Rick) Frano with a plaque in appreciation for his many years as NEPVA Hospital Liaison at the West Haven VAMC.

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org4

by Debra FreedGovernment Relations Director

Government Relations

continued on page 11

As stated in the April newsletter,

NEPVA sent five individuals

to Washington DC for the

annual PVA Advocacy & Legislative

Seminar. I would like to thank Neal

Williams, Dustin Soroka, Walter and

Pat Farrington for giving up a week of

their lives to advocate on behalf of our

members and the disabled community.

It is always interesting when we go

because there is learning on all sides.

One of the issues we learned about

affects both veterans and non-veterans.

This is a very serious matter. It concerns

government sponsored annuities

(compensation). I’m pretty sure that

most people have either seen or heard

those commercials that offer a lump

sum if you are receiving any sort of

annuity.

Well, it sounds great doesn’t it? But for

those receiving any type of government

supplement - VA Compensation, VA

Pension, SSDI, SSI, or Social Security,

it is illegal to sell it for a lump sum.

We are all aware that times are tough

and for some it seems even tougher.

However, it remains illegal to do and

not if, but when discovered, it could

mean the loss of your benefits by the

federal government. No matter the

problem, please, please do not sell your

government issued compensation.

For the record, it may be great to meet

with the Senator or Representative but it

is equally great to meet with their aides.

Why? The aide usually only has to deal

with a few issues: i.e, Transportation,

Veterans Affairs, Banking, where the

Senator or Representative is responsible

for everything that comes through in

order to vote on them. So, what did we

teach our Senators, Representatives,

and their aides? We informed the New

England delegation about an upcoming

proposed bill: The Inclusive Home

Design Act from Illinois Representative

Jan Schankowsky. This would make

it a requirement that even newly

built private homes be accessible for

“visitability” purposes. Basically, if you

get hurt and end up in a wheelchair, I’ll

bet that most would not even be able to

get into their own

homes let alone

anyone else’s. This

legislation would

require the first

level of any home

to be accessible.

We asked the

New England

Senators to

consider a Senate

counterpart.

Another issue we

learned about

was the Senate

had passed the

Transportation

Reauthorization

program, but

it has not yet

come up in the House.

So we all did our best to convince

Representatives that this is a must.

NEPVA can apply for a number of

grants including transportation. Grants

are and have been a catch as catch

can program and sometimes it seems

like a complete waste of time because

what happens if after all that work,

your grant application is not accepted?

Well, if NEPVA doesn’t even try, then

it remains quite obvious, it won’t be

forthcoming.

Another topic we discussed

was to convince Senators and

Representatives that although the VA

is really a great healthcare system, not

everything should become electronic.

Those applying for compensation

can now do it online. The forms are

“standard” and if a physician forgets

to check the box where comments

were made, the computer can’t read it.

Therefore, the claim may be denied

forcing the veteran to re-file and thereby

making the claims process even longer.

Another discussion topic was

Centralized Base of Care or CBOCs.

The VA has done a decent job of

Follow-Up: Learning On All Sides

Shown (l. to r.): Walter Farrington, Neal Williams, Pat Farrington, Senator Scott Brown (MA), Dustin Soroka, and Debra Freed.

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 5

Service Officer’s Report by Brenda Vazquez Alvarez, Senior National Service Officer, Bronx, NY

During this tough recession,

we are all aware of the

nightmares regarding home

mortgages and the alarming numbers

of foreclosures and evictions in our

communities. Not to say, how this

has impacted the veteran and service

members’ communities as well. It has

been clearly documented by many

agencies that homeowners have been

taken advantage of by their lenders

with high interest rates that increase

a homeowners’ mortgage to the

point that they can no longer afford

the American Dream. Therefore,

some relief and protection has been

implemented in the way of the

Servicemembers Civil Relief Act of

2003 and several amendments.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act

of 2003 (SCRA) was signed into law

on December 19, 2003, replacing the

Soldier’s and Sailor’s Civil Relief Act

of 1940. The SCRA was amended on

December 10, 2004 by the Veterans

Benefit Improvement Act of 2004.

President Obama amended The

Housing and Economic Recovery

Act of 2008 (HERA) which was also

amended by the Helping Heroes Keep

their Homes Act of 2010 in order to

prevent foreclosures, to assist veterans

or active duty servicemembers with

selling their homes and reducing their

interests rates through December

31, 2012. In addition, the Veterans

Disability Act of 2010 allows the US

Attorney General to bring civil actions

to include monetary damages against

violators of the Servicemembers Civil

Relief Act (SCRA).

According to the Servicemembers Civil

Relief Act of 2003 the maximum rate of

Interest on loans to include mortgages

and eligibility are as follows:

• Uponreceivingawrittenrequest

for relief and a copy of the service

member’s military orders, creditors

must, for the duration of the service

member’s military service, reduce the

interest rate on debts incurred by the

service member, or a service member

and spouse jointly, prior to entry into

military service to no more than 6

percent per year.

• Creditorsmustmaintaintheinter-

est rate reduction for the period of

military service, except in the case

of a mortgage, trust deed, or other

security in the nature of a mortgage,

where the interest rate reduction

extends for one year after the end of

the service member’s military service.

• Creditorswhoreducetheinterest

rate on the obligations of a service

member must forgive interest in

excess of 6 percent and periodic

payments must be reduced by the

amount of interest forgiven.

• Thereducedinterestrateprovision

applies unless a court finds the ability

of the service member to pay interest

on the debt at a higher interest rate is

not materially affected by his or her

military service. In such cases, the

court may grant a creditor relief from

the interest rate limitations of the act.

In addition this settlement will

protect those servicemembers that are

homeowners who have received PCS

(Permanent Change of Station) orders.

The banks involved will offer short sales

agreements and waive some of their fees

in connection with the servicemember

being forced to sell their home at a

loss due to the home being less than

the value paid, and the servicemember

not being eligible for the Homeowners

Assistance Program. This benefit will

be extended to those that purchased

their homes between July 1, 2006 –

December 31, 2008, and who received

PCS orders after October 1, 2010. The

Administration will also be reducing

fees for FHA borrowers seeking to

refinance their homes.

If you are a veteran or service member

and you are not sure if your rights have

been violated you may contact the

Justice Department at 800-996-7743

or you can visit their website for further

information at www.servicemember.

gov. You may also contact your local

PVA National Service Officer for

further assistance.

Protection for Military Homeowners

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org6

Sports & Recreation By Brad Carlson Sports Director

So much for the winter that we

never had. By the time you read

this article, the Billiard Tourna-

ment will have been completed. I can’t

plan the future, so I can’t predict who

the winner will be however, the results

will be listed in my June article.

All applications have been submitted for

the Veterans Games. Get out there and

train, so we will exceed the medal count

from last year. Our team is staying at

the Hilton Garden Inn in Richmond

this year.

We will be holding a US National

Mickey Emery Trap Shoot July 5 - 7,

2013. I will keep you posted with news

for this event. This will likely be held

at the Cape. The Mickey Emery Air

Rifle Tournament was held April 22nd

at Brockton VMAC. Results will be

posted in my June article.

Once again, listed below are upcoming

events for the year. Joanie Lynch has

provided me with this information:

May 19, Marlboro Fishing June 2, Hudson Fishing July 23–27, Mount Sunapee Summer Sports Clinic August 18, Lake Hiawatha Bellingham at Dennis’s house. September 15, Shawme Shooting Club in Sandwich, MA Oct 5, Bass River Shooting Club Oct 8 - 12, Creative Arts Festival in Boston

For more information on any of

these trips, contact Joanie Lynch,

Recreational Therapy Service, SCIU VA

Boston at 774-826-1976, or the NEPVA

Office in Walpole.

There is also another Horseback Riding

Clinic being held on May 12, 2012 at

Elm Hill

Center

Stables in

Brookfield.

Contact the

NEPVA

Office

for more

information.

Space is

limited for this event.

Finally, the Third Annual PVA/Sail

to Prevail Sailing Clinic will be held

June 16-17, 2012 in Newport, RI. For

information or to register visit their

website at: www.sailtoprevail.org or call

Alex Egan at 401-849-8898.

Hopefully, I will have great

news about

the Billiard

Tournament in

next month’s article.

There is a lot of planning that goes into

these events -- get out there and enjoy

them.

Far left: Tim Kelly with his instructor Britt head out to start a great day. Left: Nashua, NH member Brent Cote accepts his medal after the races. Right: The perils of race day, on the way back in Mike Guilbault broke his ski after a poor landing off a mogul.

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 7

ski tripcontinued from page 1

3rd Annual New England Summer Sports ClinicJuly 23-27, 2012 Mount Sunapee, NH

Presented byVA BOSTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IN PARTNERSHIP with NEW ENGLAND HANDICAPPED SPORTS ASSOCIATION

This clinic offers veterans the opportunity to participate in a variety of adaptive

sports with a friendly team concept in mind. Kayaking, waterskiing, hand cycling,

fly tying & fishing, rock climbing and biathlon will highlight this amazing event.

All interested veterans and volunteers MUST PRE-REGISTER to participate.

Please refer to volunteer and veteran (participant) applications at www.nepva.org.

All veterans who are interested in participating are required to get medically cleared

from their doctor. Deadline to Register: June 1st!!! For any questions in regards to

this event, please contact Kelly Cossaboom (see right column) or Ellen Mitchell at

ellen.mitchell@va.gov. Thank you to everyone and looking forward to a great 2012

New England Summer Sports Clinic!!

broke one ski and heard of other broken

equipment. I say better the equipment

than one of us. It was an amazing week

and words can’t express the beauty

one experiences getting to the top of

Snowmass Mountain, and the views

of the surrounding majestic Rocky

Mountain peaks as we enjoy the long

trails down. If you’ve tried attending

our local Winter Sports Clinic held

each January and enjoy snow sports as

much as I, then I recommend you give

the National event a try. You will not be

disappointed. Now that the winter sports

have concluded, it’s time for summer fun.

Keep an eye on the Cord Word as we let

you know about all the options for fun in

the sun as it warms up.

Kelly Cossaboom, CTRS

Adaptive Sports Case Manager

VA Boston Healthcare System

940 Belmont Street (BR-135)

Brockton, MA 02301

(774) 826-2036 (**note new phone**)

(774) 826-2048 (fax)

Kelly.Cossaboom@va.gov

Potential Career Opportunity

Sam Canaan is a retired Police Officer who, after 18 years with the

Baltimore City Police Force, became a “Master Watchmaker” and is

certified to teach this craft. He would like to start a school that caters

to veterans in wheelchairs, other mobility impaired or wounded veterans, or

those disabled or not who would like to start a new career. Currently in the

U.S.A., there is a dearth of Watch Makers. Many times watches have to be

sent to Switzerland or Europe for repair. The skill sets used to fix watches

can be extrapolated to working on clocks or other precision instruments.

He hopes to start his program later in 2012, and would help pay lodging

and transportation costs. He has business people and politicians supporting

him so that this will be a reality and not just an idea that withers away. This

is a vocational training program with solid job placement opportunities.

The average salary for a Watch Maker in their first year is 65K (according

to Mr. Canaan’s experience). Also this type of craft can be done at home.

Sam said that veterans can call or email him directly. His phone number is

302-672-9262; and email is scanaan@vetwatchtraining.org

For additional assistance contact:Ken Lipton, PVA Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

Phone- 857-203-6091; kenl@pva.org

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org8

continued on page 10

NEPVA Now Accepts Vehicle Donations

Please Donate

that Auto, Boat,

or RV that’s No

Longer Needed

to New England PVA.

NEPVA is currently

accepting vehicle donations from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New

Hampshire. For further information, call Toll Free: (866) 2-GIVING or (866)

244-8464, or visit the NEPVA website: www.nepva.org

PVA EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

PurposeThe purpose of the PVA Educational Scholarship

Program is to provide assistance to PVA members and

their immediate family members by providing scholarship

funds to help with a post-secondary education.

The 2012-2013 scholarship will be in the amount of

$1,000 for full-time students and $500 for part-time

students for an academic year. The scholarship awardees

will be required to verify their status as a full-time or part-

time student in an accredited college or university.

EligibilityThe scholarship program is open to all PVA members,

their spouses and unmarried children under the age of

twenty-four (24) and who are dependent (as defined by

the IRS) on the member for principal support.

Submission ProcessIndividuals who wish to apply for the scholarship

program can download the application at www.pva.org

or request an application be mailed to them via phone

(800) 424-8200 Ext. 776, or via e-mail christih@pva.

org . Completed applications MUST be returned to

PVA NO LATER THAN June 17, 2012. Accompanying

documents will include an official transcript for EACH

school listed in the application.

A personal statement must be attached to the application

and may not exceed two pages. The statement should

contain intended courses of study and long- and short-

term goals. A copy of the personal statement must be

attached to each of the six copies submitted.

A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or

other school official should accompany the application.

Letters should be forwarded directly to PVA for inclusion

with the application.

continued from page 3President’s Report

defeating Walter to win the B Division title. Congratulations

to Fred, Walter, and the rest of the NEPVA’ers who bowled

well at the tournament. As mentioned before, NEPVA is

hopeful to host an annual bowling tournament locally,

most likely in Massachusetts, in 2012. Many bowlers at the

Virginia Beach tournament asked me if we were going to

host a tournament in 2012. I mentioned that we are certainly

looking into the possibility. Many bowlers from around

the country who attended the 50th AWBA Tournament in

Brockton, MA had a very enjoyable time. Stay tuned for any

updates on a possible bowling tournament in the area.

After having our monthly Chapter Board meeting at our

office on April 4th, I then traveled down to West Haven,

CT. The following day I visited the West Haven VAMC,

specifically the SCI/D related departments and associated

areas, and met with many VA staff members and clinicians.

I had the opportunity to sit-in with the monthly peer

mentoring group and answer questions posed by many

in attendance. While at the meeting, I had the pleasure

of presenting past NEPVA West Haven Hospital Liaison

Richard Frano with a very nice plaque, thanking him for

his many years of service as our Chapter Hospital Liaison

and peer group organizer at the VA facility. Thanks again

Richard! While the group shared some pizza and beverages

(sponsored by NEPVA), I had the opportunity to chat with

Neil Beesley, Acting Director Social Work; Elizabeth Auld,

PA-C, SCI Clinician; Dr. Huned Patwa, Chief, Neurology

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 9

NEPVA Official Nomination Form – FY 2013

This is an official Nomination Form as approved by the Executive Board of the Paralyzed Veterans

of America, New England Chapter. Your nominees must be life members of New England PVA.

INSTRUCTIONS: Fill in the names of your nominees. Return this form to the NEPVA office

(address below). To be valid, this form must be signed by you and filed with the Secretary

before 4:30 pm, May 31, 2012.

Nominees For Officers

PRESIDENT:___________________________________________________________

VICE PRESIDENT:______________________________________________________

SECRETARY:__________________________________________________________

TREASURER:__________________________________________________________

Nominees For Executive Board

1.____________________________ 5.______________________________

2.____________________________ 6.______________________________

3.____________________________ 7.______________________________

4.____________________________

This official Nomination Form must be signed by the member making the nomination(s) in order to be valid. A letter

will be sent to all persons nominated as candidates to sign acknowledging acceptance. This will be done by the Secretary.

____________________________________ _________________________________

Print NEPVA Member’s Name NEPVA Member’s Signature

Mail Form to: NEPVA, 1600 Providence Hwy., Ste 143, walpole, MA 02081

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org10

continued from page 8President’s Report

If you would like to receive

your Cord Word via email,

please send us your email

address. Email us at: info@

nepva.org or call the NEPVA

office at: 800-660-1181.

Send NEPVA Your Email Address

Service; and Thomas Ricks, PVA Senior

National Service Officer (covering the

New York, New Jersey, and Southern

Connecticut areas) about many

different items related to the West

Haven VAMC and associated services

provided in the community and area.

On April 9th, construction began on a

new parking garage at the Jamaica Plain

campus that will give patients and staff

a much-needed increase in the number

of available parking spaces. During the

construction, estimated to last 12-16

months, all patients are urged to park

in the existing parking garage. VA

staff has off-site parking arrangements,

so parking for your appointments

should be much easier than in the past.

Handicap parking will not be affected

and parking attendants will be on site

to assist patients in parking.

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Frank Webb’s Bath CentersPageStop 4 “Freedom”Showroom: Methuen ShowroomPublication: Paralyzed Veterans of America NewsletterSize: Half Page Horiz (7.5” x 4.125”)Created: 11/7/08 Jim McCoy | 508-478-5322 | mccoygroup@comcast.net

freedom.freedom.

On May 1st-3rd, PVA National will be

in the area conducting an annual site

visit to local VAMC’s. PVA Medical

Services team members, Acting Eastern

Region Director Joe Badzmierowski,

and I will be visiting the West Roxbury

and Brockton VA Medical Centers

and meeting with various staff and

management during the visit. I am

happy to say that over the many years,

National site visits have overall gone

very well.

As always, feel free to visit NEPVA’s

web site (www.nepva.org), PVA’s web

site (www.pva.org), and the VA’s web

site (www.va.gov) for up to date and

recent news. If you have any questions,

comments, or concerns please contact

our office or your local NSO.

Bruno Lift

to lift scooter intoVan or mini-van; needs installation

(was $1500 new installed)Pick up in Middleboro, MA

Call NEPVA

Invacare Pronto Surestep M-91Power WheelchairNeeds new battery

Charger included; max weight350 lbs. Pick up in Lakeville, MA.

Call NEPVA

FREE TO MEMBER

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 11

continued from page 4

Gov. Relations

building numerous CBOCs in rural areas but has done a poor job of staffing.

They are severely undermanned and many do not provide specialty care

specifically for spinal cord injured veterans.

How many of you know what 1176 is or why it is important to you? Believe it or

not, many aides were not familiar with 1176. It is the VA’s own mandate about

staffing for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI/D) units nationwide. During the two days of

training NEPVA learned that the current staffing situation is very dire. A major

point we made was the VA is claiming $3 billion of “leftover funds,” but it doesn’t

have the staffing it requires. The VA is required to provide staff for 1028 SCI beds

nationwide. A spreadsheet disclosed during training showed the VA is not even

meeting its own mandate. SCI/D patients cannot be seen or cared for in an SCI

unit because the staffing levels cannot be met. What’s more, money is a serious

issue among SCI/D staff. It takes a very strong personality to

deal with SCI/D patients and many of us would be in serious ill

health if it were not for the care and compassion of these nurses

and other staff. Although this meeting was after the DC trip,

VISN 1 Director, Dr. Mayo-Smith, met with several long term

care patients in Bldg 8 in Brockton. It was the chief concern of

these patients, the quality of care being reduced because there

aren’t enough nurses or fear nurses would leave due to financial

reasons.

“(Ride-Away) knew what to do. Dave made all the phone calls to the VA... saving me $25,000!”

Steve poses here with his Ride-Away Sales Consultant, Dave Qualey, of the Londonderry, NH facility.

-Steve Hodgkins Malden, MA

It’s no wonder why Ride-Away customers remain so loyal — Superior Support! Ride-Away — America’s #1 provider of modified vehicles for people with disabilities.

• VetsMobileOps Program• VA assistance support• All vehicle trade-ins accepted• 24/7 Roadside assistance• QAP Certified factory trained technicians

888-Ride-Away (888-743-3292)

www.Ride-Away.com

The VA, the Representatives and

Senators of Congress all want to

balance the budget. They have all

promised not to do so on the backs of

veterans. However, the cuts that have

already been made already jeopardize

the health of those who need it most.

If VA wants to save money in the long

run, providing sufficient funding now

will enable veterans to get to their

appointments to maintain and or

possibly improve their health. It is a

win-win in the long run.

Shown (l. to r.): Debra Freed, Senator Bernie Sanders (VT), Pat Farrington, and Walter Farrington.

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org12

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15F International Drive, East Granby, CT 06026 (877) WHEELS-3

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PROUDLY SERVING VETERANS’ MOBILITY NEEDS SINCE 1988.

Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed

Veterans) National President Bill Lawson urged

Congressional leaders to protect Department of

Veterans Affairs’ health care from politics.

“Our concern for the adequacy of VA funding,

possible gimmicks and statements asserting

excess resources is more than just curiosity or

budgetary gamesmanship. Most notably they

illustrate a disconnect between the health care

needs of our members and available VA services,”

Lawson told lawmakers.

“Sixty-five years ago a Paralyzed Veterans’

President testified and stated: We are

strongly opposed to the tendency of cutting

appropriations to the Veterans Administration as

an economy move of government. I am saying

the same thing today,” added Lawson.

In oral and written testimony before the Senate

and House Veterans’ Affairs Committees, Lawson

drew lawmakers’ attention to the need to

immediately address the following:

• ConcernsaboutstepstheVAhastakenin

recent years in order to generate resources

to meet the ever-growing demand on the

VA health-care system. FY 2013 and FY 2014

advance appropriation budget proposal

released by the Administration this year

includes “management improvements,” a pop-

ular gimmick used by previous Administrations

to generate savings and offset the growing

costs to deliver care.

• Criticalhealth-carestaffshortages,especially

nurses. Paralyzed Veterans estimates that nurs-

ing personnel delivering care at the bedside

in the spinal cord injury system alone was 160

nurses below the minimum requirement.

• Lackoflong-term-careservicesforveterans

with spinal cord injury and dysfunction—with

no SCI specialized long-term-care beds west of

the Mississippi and only 152 beds in the entire

Paralyzed Veterans of America Testifies Before Congress to Urge Protection of VA Health Care Programs from Spending Reductions

system (or an average of only three SCI long-

term-care beds per state).

Lawson will also focus on the recommendations

contained in The Independent Budget (IB) for

Fiscal Year 2013—an annual comprehensive

budget and policy document, by veterans for

veterans. The IB recommended $57.2 billion

for health care, $611 million for medical and

prosthetic research, $2.1 billion for benefits

processing and $3.8 billion for major and minor

construction. Congress now has the opportunity

to implement these recommendations that are

designed to fully meet the needs of our nation’s

veterans.

For the past 26 years, The Independent

Budget has been a blueprint for the resource

requirements for VA. It has served as a voice of

advocacy for America’s veterans by providing the

White House and Congress with a roadmap for

funding the Department of Veterans Affairs.

May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 13

New NEPVA Member BenefitsNew England Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans (NEPVA) is excited to announce exclusive new benefits. Members of NEPVA will receive up to a $25 Sam’s Club Gift Card when signing up for a new Sam’s Club Plus Membership or renewing an existing Plus Membership by June 30, 2012. We have included information how to become eligible with the phone number for the office to get your certificate. Also please note the example of the certificate you will receive as a member of NEPVA simply by calling the office at our toll free number and requesting it. (800) 660-1181 Or, choose an Advantage or Business Membership and receive a $10 Sam’s Club Gift Card at sign-up. In addition to a year of exceptional value, Advantage Members enjoy time-saving services in-club and online

Sam’s Club memberships benefits include:• Sam’s Club Members averaged savings of 30% compared to traditional retailers.

• 200% guarantee on fresh products – all of our fresh meat, seafood, produce and bakery products are backed by a 200% money-back guarantee.

• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee – if at any time you’re not satisfied with your Membership, we’ll give you a full refund.

• Sam’s Club Pharmacy now accepts TRICARE and Express scripts and can fill your prescription in about 20 minutes.

Sam’s Club Plus Members save even more including:

• eValues – Extra savings, on top of our already terrific prices, are loaded on your Membership card and applied automatically at checkout.

• Enjoy more Pharmacy savings - Save even more, on top of our already low cash prices, including 8% on name-brand prescriptions and 40% on generics not part of our $4/$10 generic prescription plan.

• Early Shopping Hours – Plus and Business Members can beat the crowds starting at 7 am Monday-Saturday.

• Earn more rewards – when you use your Sam’s Club® Discover®.

NEPVA Members should call the NEPVA office (800-660-1181) for a Sam’s Club Membership Certificate

If there is interest we will work with SAM’S Club to extend the benefit eligibility beyond the 30 June 2012 expiration of the special membership offer.

Cord Word May 2012

www.nepva.org14

MobilityAdaptive

Equipment

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LARGEST RAMPVANINVENTORY AT ONE

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Welcome To

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you $25,000 on average and sometimes very little out of pocket.

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If you can’t come to uswe’ll come to you

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May 2012Cord Word

www.nepva.org 15

Update your hand controls!

...drive with both hands on the wheel

It’s so comfortable!

Just press the ring to accelerate. Brake with the left- or right-hand brake integrated in the dash-board.

Your knee area remains free of metal parts. You maintain all adjustments of your steering column and all airbags including the knee-airbag remain functional.

DARIOS adapts its sensitivity to the speed of your car.

DARIOS uses 2 sensors inside the steering wheel to be compliant with car manufacturers’ safety standards. It sends the information from the ring to its main controller under the dashboard using digital signals to be immune to electro-magnetic noise.

Digital Accelerator Ring optimized for speed

KEMPF is a NMEDA member.

Visit: www.kempf-usa.com to find comments from users accross the country or to request a quotation.

Call Toll-free: 1-888-4-KEMPF-US (453-6738) for a free DVD and free brochure.

DARIOS let’s you drive with both hands on the wheel

DARIOS is VA accepted.

KEMPF features nationwide free at-home pick-up and delivery and at-home service.

Users’ comments: “I feel like I’m in control of my vehicle again!”“The system appears a part of the original equipment of the vehicle.”

Non-Profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Leominster, MA

Permit No. 17

New England PVA1600 Providence Highway, Suite 143Walpole, MA 02081

tel: 508 660-1181 800 660-1181fax: 508 668-9412

Email: info@nepva.org

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00am-4:30pm

21st Annual Sebastian DeFrancesco NEPVA Golf Tournament

May 29, 2012(the day after Memorial Day)

Blue Hill Country Club Canton, MA

Call the NEPVA office for further information.

2012 NEPVA Bass Trail Schedule

TBA Maine, Location TBA

June 9 Charles River, Boston

July 21 Lake Champlain-Fort Ticondaroga Ramp, Vermont

Sept. 8-9 PVA National Bass Tournament, Lake winnipesaukee, NH

Sept. 15-16 NEPVA Bass Tournament, Lake winnipesaukee, NH and TOC