On the first of its
two days of meetings, the RAC will hear from Gulf War veterans, representatives
of Gulf War veterans, and representatives from the Institute of Medicine (IOM)
of the National Academy of Sciences discussing two recent scientific reports.
Dr. Stephen Hauser, chairman of the RAC, will lead off the meeting, followed by Dr. Herman Gibb of
Gibb Epidemiology Consulting. Gibbs, a member of the IOM panel that
authored the controversial, "Gulf War and Health, Volume 10," report
released February 11, 2016, will present its major findings. The report's
recommendations to end broad swathes of Gulf War research have been met with
criticism by Gulf War researchers, advocates, veterans, and members of an
investigative Congressional panel.
Dr. Barbara Vickery of the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine will present a
December 2015 IOM report that provided recommendations for VA to design a study
of neurological conditions suffered by Gulf War veterans.
In the afternoon,
Dr. Hauser will lead a roundtable panel of Gulf War veterans and veteran
representatives to receive recommendations on RAC committee priorities.
Invited panelists include: Kimberly Adams, a new RAC member; Carlos Fuentes, Senior
Legislative Associate, Veterans of Foreign Wars; Anthony Hardie,
former RAC member and Director, Veterans for Common Sense; Marylyn
Harris, veteran
entrepreneur speaker and new RAC member; Shurhonda Love, National
legislative staff, Disabled American Veterans; Jeffrey S. Nast, new RAC member; Denise Nichols, MAJ
(Ret.), R.N., National Vietnam and Gulf War Veterans Coalition; and, George S. Webb, COL (Ret.),
former Executive Director, Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs.
The roundtable will be followed by RAC committee discussion with panelists and IOM presenters.
On the second day of meetings, three researchers will
present their findings. Dr. Bennett Porter of the Naval Health Research Center will present the
Millennium Cohort Collaboration. Dr. Erin Dursa of VA’s Post-Deployment
Health Service will present the, “Gulf War Veterans Longitudinal Study” she
led, which has implications for veterans’ benefits. Finally, Dr. Dawn Provenzale of VA’s Cooperative Studies Program (CSP)
Epidemiology Center in Durham will present CSP 585, a Gulf War biorepository
project. VA Office of Research
Development (ORD) staff Dr. Victor
Kalasinsky and Dr. Robert Jaeger
will also present an update of VA-ORD’s Gulf War Research Portfolio. No similar update of ongoing epidemiological
research by the VA Office of Public Health is scheduled.
Each day will conclude with an
opportunity for public comment.
Town Hall Meeting after RAC meetings
Following the RAC meeting on Friday,
VA is hosting a town-hall style listening session for public comment on recent recommendations made to VA by the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) in its report “Gulf War and Health, Volume 10:
Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War, 2016” (http://nationalacademies.org/hmd/reports/2016/gulf-war-and-healthvolume-10.aspx ).
VA notes that, “all
comments are welcome, but VA specifically seeks those that address the
recommendations made on pages 8-11 and pages 264-272 of the IOM
report.”
Public Participation
Two public comment
periods are available during the RAC’s meetings, at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday,
April 28, the first day of meetings, and at 11:45 a.m. on Friday, April 29, the
second and final day of the two-day meeting. Times are approximate and
could be sooner or later depending upon the duration of earlier agenda items.
For those unable to
attend the RAC meetings in person, you can listen in whole or part via
teleconference. The call-in number is toll-free 1-800-767-1750 and
the access code is 56978# .
The RAC proceedings will be aired live
online using Adobe Connect at: http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/racgwvi
More information on the
VA’s Town Hall meeting following the RAC meetings is available in this 91outcomes
article.
About the RAC
The Research
Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses (RAC-GWVI) was created by
Congress in 1998 through the Persian Gulf War Veterans Act of 1998, and first
appointed by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi in
January, 2002.
The mission of the
Committee is to make recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on
government research relating to the health consequences of military service in
the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.
If you’re Attending
The Town Hall meeting is on Friday, April 29, 2016, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.
In person: Both the RAC and Town Hall meetings will be held at the Capital Hilton
(Pan American Room), 1001 16th St, NW, Washington, DC 20036. [ Map ]
Note that this is a different location than previous meetings. The Capital Hilton is located just a few
blocks north of the White House on 16th St. NW, between K and L
streets.
The Farragut North
Metro station (Red line) is the closest metro station to the hotel, one
long block to the west at 17th and K streets. The Farragut West
Metro station (Orange/Blue/Silver Lines) is a half-block further, on the
southeast corner of 17th and I (“eye”) streets. The McPherson
Square Metro Station (Orange/Blue/Silver
Lines) is two blocks to the Southwest (use the Vermont Ave. exit) at 15th
and I (“eye”) streets.
Via Teleconference: The call-in number is toll-free 1-800-767-1750 and
the access code is 56978#.
The same call-in number will be used for both the RAC meetings and
the follow-on Town Hall listening session. The RAC proceedings will be aired live online using Adobe
Connect at: http://va-eerc-ees.adobeconnect.com/racgwvi
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