Dole Shalala Commission Report
June 2009
Former President Bush’s administration set up the President’s Commission On Care For America’s Returning Wounded Warriors. The Commission was led by former Senator Bob Dole and former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala examined health care services provided to members of the military and returning veterans by the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD).
The Commission’s Report outlines six broad recommendations and 34 specific steps to reach them. Those recommendations include: improving rapidity of patient transfer between DoD and VA; aggressively preventing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury; strengthening Walter Reed Army Medical Center through recruitment and retention efforts; significantly strengthening support for veterans’ families; creating comprehensive recovery plans; and perhaps, getting the most attention in the press and from legislators, was the final recommendation to completely restructure the disability and compensation systems and make VA the sole determiner of disability ratings.
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