Plenary Session: Welcoming Remarks

The Honorable Hershel Gober

Acting Secretary; Department of Veterans Affairs

Good morning, everyone. Thank you Tom (Dr. Tom Garthwaite) for that kind introduction. And thank you all for that warm reception.

Let me join with Dr. Garthwaite in welcoming you all here to our headquarters building for this important conference.

VA’s ROLE IN HELPING THE ELDERLY

It is particularly appropriate you are here, because we at VA have long been leaders in the effort of researching, developing and implementing new technologies designed to improve the quality of life for elderly Americans.

The veterans of World War II and the Korean War have done so much for this nation. They helped it become a military and economic superpower. They provided leadership in industry and government. They were in the forefront of the greatest advances in medicine, science, technology, the arts, and literature that the world has ever known. And now, they are old.

Today, 9.3 million veterans are age 65 or older. That’s more than 38 percent of the total veteran population. And 61 percent of all American males 65 or older are veterans. About 40 percent of the 3.6 million veterans who used the VA health care system last year were elderly. Today and every day, we will care for more than 75,000 nursing home patients and long-term care residents; our budget for geriatric research exceeds $250 million per year; and, over the past ten years, VA accounted for 40% of all physicians trained in geriatric medicine.

R&D MISSION AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

VA has been dealing with the problems of an aging population far longer than most other health care providers. It is our intention to be a leader and a model in providing comprehensive health care and counseling for older Americans. Creating technologies to meet their needs is part of that effort.

For example, VA research recently funded the development of the Low Vision Enhancement System, the first low vision assistive device ever made with autofocus, continuous zoom magnification, image brightness constancy and image enhancement. We’ve also sponsored the clinical evaluation of cochlear implants electronic devices that can be surgically implanted in suitable candidates to enable them to hear again.

Today, we are working on implementing a wide variety of new technologies under the general heading of telemedicine. One such initiative is the use of global positioning systems to develop non-intrusive ways to monitor patients at home. And we’re developing robots to help patients to do physical therapy at home, without requiring in-patient visits.

The VA Rehabilitation Research and Development Service has more than 200 researchers working to advance the health care needs of veterans with disabilities. The service also sponsors an expanding research career development program to mentor doctoral-level rehabilitation clinical professionals. These men and women will be among those who guide the future of this field. In addition, Our nine Rehabilitation Research and Development Centers around the country attract the best and brightest minds from academia, industry and medicine to study specific aspects of aging and disability research.

VA AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE

VA also understands its responsibility to take part in the President’s initiative to help bridge the “digital divide” and allow all veterans, including the disabled and the elderly, to have access to computers and the internet and to be able to use this technology effectively. We are making a substantial effort to develop ways in which we can process transactions electronically. One such effort is called VONAP. It is a web based electronic application system, and will allow veterans to apply for most VA benefits electronically. We are also working on developing a public-private partnership that would seek to determine the extent to which this divide may exist for veterans and to find ways to fill the voids, should they exist.

We have just agreed to partner this effort with two distinguished corporations: SAIC and Verizon. Both companies have agreed to work with us on a pro bono basis to help us identify and solve digital divide issues that affect veterans. They will be focusing on issues of internet accessibility, especially for disabled veterans. What they learn should benefit elderly veterans and others as well.

We hope that this partnership will provide additional training, staffing, and computer equipment for veterans who may be affected by the divide.

CONCLUSION

Our department knows we have the responsibility to share what we learn, and have learned, with everyone. Using our many years of experience and knowledge, we want to make a contribution to national policy on addressing the needs of older Americans. We know that the way a nation treats its aging veterans sends a clear message to those who serve in today’s Armed Forces – and to those who will consider doing so tomorrow.

And we know that the advances we make on behalf of veterans will benefit all of America’s elderly – both now and in the future. I expect that these meetings, and the discussions that will follow, will make a real difference in the lives of our aging veterans, and all Americans. Later today, Dr. John Feussner, VA’s Chief Research and Development Officer, will moderate a panel on Technology Partnering and Collaboration. I pledge to you that wherever and whenever possible, VA will partner and collaborate with others in this important task. We will share, as rapidly as possible, the knowledge our researchers have obtained. And we will work side by side with all who are working to improve the quality of life for our nation’s elderly.

Our veterans – and all older Americans – deserve no less. Thank you – and welcome.