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Women and men Health Information available at VA Hospitals and Online

By Jerry Field

It’s not a new service and offers a wealth of information on dozens of subjects. It’s been mostly in print and available at VA hospitals. The service is www.health.mil. Known as the official website of the Military Health Systems and Defense Health Agency, it addresses news on better health suggestions, treatments, and the latest research and treatment.

In the section on Women’s Health: Taking time for yourself is the featured story. Taking care of yourself reminds the women that the top two causes of death for women are heart disease and cancer, with diabetes ranking seventh according to the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention (CDCP). “Prevention is the best medicine,” said Navy Cmdr. Jennifer Wallinger, N H Jackson director of public health. The story points out that getting health screenings and proper maintenance are essential for maintaining good health along with a sunny disposition. An assortment of articles is available on the website. Veterans can use computers at the VA hospitals, and at most public libraries.

The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) will host its First Annual Women Reverse Job Fair scheduled for Monday October 29, starting at 10 AM. Participants at the Women Reverse Job Fair can obtain assistance in preparing their presentations on Thursday October 25 starting at 10 AM. The reverse job fair will offer Women Veterans a display of their work and skill abilities as the employers review and the display of resumes. For more information contact deniese.montoya@va.gov or 312 -569-6340 or wilson.morales@illinois.gov.

Korean War Veterans Award Ald. Edward M. Burke. Photo courtesy of Jerry Field — Korean War Veterans lithograph Ald. Edward M. Burke. Photo courtesy of Jerry Field

Another VA Research Spotlight service (veteranshealth@public.govdelivery.com) offers a roundup affecting research news on topics affecting Veterans’ health. This month’s featured topic is “Pain” The VA’s National Pain Management strategy provides a system-wide standard of care to reduce suffering from preventable pain. As part of that strategy, the department’s pain research portfolio covers a wide range of topics, from drug discovery to complementary and integrative treatments, to the impact of pain on daily function and quality of life. The strategy helps the direction of the VA pain research, which in turn helps inform and refine strategy and treatment. One of the projective research goals is to control pain without drugs.

During the Veteran week, Alderman Edward Burke (14 Chicago) will be presented a lithograph copy of the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C. in appreciation of his work with the Korean Veterans, native Koreans and Americans who were part of the Korean Conflict 1950-1953. (pix)

Veteran Day commemorations will start next week with a series of community events. The two oldest Veterans Day Commemorations will be on Sunday November 11 at Soldier Field at 11AM and at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center 820 South Damen Ave., (11 AM till 1 PM) Next issues will list all the local community events as we can gather.

The Veterans Day memorial will take place at 11 AM inside Gate O at Soldier Field. This is an historical location as the World War I Doughboy statue is a just beyond the entrance. The statue was first commissioned in about the early thirties, as legend goes, but was ‘lost’ during some street construction. Fred Randazzo a WW II Veterans asked that the Dough Boy Statue be restored and given a proper place in Chicago representing the City’s major contribution and a memorial to WW I. Randazzo, an officer in the Italian-American Veterans, petitioned the City Council and requested the Doughboy have a prominent place in Chicago. After years of Randazzo raising money and raising his voice and writing letters the site was selected as Gate O at Soldier Field. Supporting Fred Randazzo was James Balcer, former Alderman of the 11 ward. In the past years neither has missed Veterans Day at Gate O. Attending the memorial for Veterans will be city and state officials and members of various Veterans Organizations. The keynote speaker will be announced next week. (pix)

At the Jesse Brown Medical Center on Sunday, November 11, from 11 AM to 1 PM the annual Veterans Day Commemoration will take place. The yearly event will be hosted by Jesse Brown Medical Center Director, Marc A. Magill and the Jesse Brown volunteers (in red jackets) and the volunteer staff. In a traditional event a light lunch will be served with pizza from Connie’s Pizza and music by the yearly favorite “In Full Swing”.