TWI
for the Children Inc.
Report of Visit of Cabinet Level Officials from the Federation of Bosnia
and Herzegovina, to
the United States
21 - 29 January 2000.
TWI for the Children, Inc.
sponsored the Washington, DC January 2000 visit of a cabinet level delegation
from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to take part in meetings with the
United States Department for Veterans Affairs (V. A.).
The
purpose of this visit was to learn how the United States cares for its veterans
and to obtain information on rules, regulations and laws that govern assistance
to American veterans. When the
delegation returns to Bosnia, they will begin writing the laws and regulations
for their Ministry for Disabled Veterans.
In addition to briefings at the
V. A. Headquarters In Washington, DC, the Office of Intergovernmental and
International affairs, arranged visits to the Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical
Center in New York, and the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
The Delegation also visited the National Rehabilitation Hospital in
Washington and the Shady Grove Fertility Clinic in Rockville, MD.
An interview at the Voice of America in Washington, DC gave the folks in
Bosnia and Herzegovina an opportunity to hear from the delegates first hand
about their visit and the impact it will have for the future of their country.
The USAID provided funding for
the air transport for the delegation and Training Workshops International (TWI)
for the Children, Inc. hosted the delegation while they were in the United
States. TWI for the Children, Inc.
thanks the Marriott Hotel at Metro Center, AMTRAK and the Embassy of Bosnia and
Herzegovina for their kind assistance in making this visit a success.
The itinerary of the visit:
Visit
of Delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina to
Department
of Veterans Affairs
21-
29 January 2000
Program
Reference: Veterans Program 2000
Representatives
from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for
International Affairs, Office of Intergovernmental and International Affairs.
Special Assistant, Office of
International and International Affairs.
Delegation from the Federation of
Bosnia and Herzegovina:
Minister, Federal Ministry for Veterans and Disabled Soldiers
Affairs, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Field of Interest: Status of U.S. Veterans.
Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health, Federation of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Field of
Interest: Paraplegics and treatment of Land Mine injuries.
Director, Modern Medicine Center, Sarajevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
Director for Balkan Operations, Training Workshops International
(TWI) for the Children, Inc. (Interpreter).
Host:
TWI for the Children, Inc.
Schedule
of Activities
|
Date
|
Time
|
Activity
|
|
1/21/00
(Fri)
|
2330
|
21
January 2000
•
Delegation arrives at Dulles Airport .
|
|
1/22/00
(Sat)
|
1100-1400
|
22
January 2000
·
Tour the area of downtown Washington.
|
|
|
1500- 1700
|
•
Hosted lunch and discussion of results of work with patients
in Bosnia.
•
Determined that there was a need for further evaluation of
patients and that an appropriate follow-up visit should be scheduled in
April 2000. This must be
further coordinated with the Ministry of Health in Sarajevo..
|
|
|
1700-1800
|
·
Return to hotel. Evening
free.
|
|
1/23/00
(Sun)
|
0800 - 1700
|
•
Day Free
|
|
1/24/00
(Mon)
|
0500-0830
|
24
January 2000
·
Travel to New York, NY
|
|
|
0900-1000
|
•
Transport to Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center
|
|
|
1000-1030
|
•
Bronx Veterans Affairs Medical Center
·
Welcome and Medical
Center Overview
Visit
Patient Care Center
|
|
|
1030 -1100
|
•
Overview of Spinal Cord Injury Program
Spinal Cord Injury Unit,
|
|
|
1100 - 1300
|
Tour
of SCI Unit
•
Spinal Cord Injury Ward, Bowel Care, Patient Computer Lab,
SCI Research Program, GU Suite, Lithotripsy, Recreation Center, and
Therapeutic Pool.
|
|
|
1300-1330
|
Lunch
|
|
|
1330 - 1430
|
Medical
Center General Tour
Intensive Care Unit; Ambulatory Surgery; Ambulatory
Care; and Rehabilitation Program.
|
|
|
1800 - 2100
|
·
Return to Washington DC
|
|
1/25/00
(Tues)
|
|
25
January 2000
Snow Day
|
|
1/26/00
(Wed)
|
0930
|
26
January 2000
Arrival of Delegation at Department of Veterans
Affairs
|
|
|
0930-1100
|
Overview of the
Legislative and Rulemaking Processes and Overview of Title 38, U.S. Code,
“Veterans Benefits”
|
|
|
1100-1300
|
The Legal
Framework for VA Health Care presented by Deputy Assistant General
Counsel, Office of the General Counsel.
|
|
|
1330 - 1600
|
Visit to Shady Grove Fertility Clinic,
|
|
|
1700 - 1800
|
Voice of America Interview
|
|
1/27/00
(Thur)
|
0830-0900
|
27
January 2000
Briefing at
Department of Veterans Affairs,
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0915 - 1000
|
Spinal Cord
Injury Strategic Healthcare Group (SHG) presentation by, Chief,
Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration.
|
|
|
1000- 1100
|
Prosthetics and
Sensory Aids presentation by Chief, Prosthetics and Sensory Aids, SHG,
Veterans Health Administration.
|
|
|
1100 - 1200
|
Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder and Readjustment Counseling presentation by Chief
Consultant Mental Health SHG; and Chief Readjustment Counseling Service,
Veterans Health Administration.
|
|
|
1200 - 1300
|
Lunch - Hosted by Leadership VA Alumni Association
|
|
|
1400 - 1430
|
Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Welcome and
Medical Center Overview.
|
|
|
1430 -1445
|
Tour of Neurology and Rehabilitation Facility
|
|
|
1445 -1515
|
Demonstration of Prosthetic Appliances and Services,
Chief, Prosthetics and surgery; appliances include wheelchairs, canes,
braces, mobility aids, and daily living aids (devices to button shirts,
eating utensils)
|
|
|
1530 -1700
|
Visit National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH)
|
|
|
1800-2000
|
Dinner hosted by TWI for the Children
|
|
1/28/00
(Fri)
|
0830 - 0900
|
28
January 2000
Arrival of Delegation at the Department for Veterans
Affairs.
|
|
|
0900-0915
|
Welcoming
Remarks by Under Secretary for Benefits, Veteran Benefits
Administration (VBA)
|
|
|
0915 - 1015
|
Overview of
VA’s System of Compensation and Pension presentation by Assistant
Director, Demand Management Compensation and Pension Service.
|
|
|
1015-1030
|
Break
|
|
|
1030-1130
|
Education
Benefits presentation by Assistant Director, Operations Service.
|
|
|
1130- 1230
|
Vocational
Rehabilitation presentation by Deputy Director, Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment Service.
|
|
|
1230 - 1430
|
Policy and
Working with USAID, presented
by USAID, Coordinator for Disabilities.
|
|
|
1500 - 1700
|
Delegation Debrief, Bosnian Embassy
Press Conference.
|
|
|
1700 - 1900
|
Reception at Bosnian Embassy
|
|
1/29/00
(Sat)
|
|
29
January 2000
|
|
|
1805
|
·
Delegation departs Dulles Airport
|
Results of Visit and Action Taken:
Obtain information on computerized equipment and laboratory
supplies and equipment necessary to create a state of the art Fertility Clinic
in Sarajevo for all the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following receipt of this information, TWI for the Children, Inc. should
attempt to coordinate donations of equipment and supplies to the Federation,
Department of Health.
·
Action Taken: The
Federation Ministry of Health did not provide a request for assistance in
obtaining this equipment. Although
TWI for the Children attempted to get the Ministry there was no response.
No further action will be taken on this item.
·
Upon return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Delegation will host
press conferences to provide an overview of the visit and to advertise a
possible return follow-up visit of TWI for the Children, Inc. personnel to
Sarajevo in the Spring of 2000.
·
Action Taken: The
Federation Ministry of Health did host a press conference on the trip.
The Federation did invite Dr. Seager to return to Sarajevo in the Spring
of 2000. (See Report of Visit (Disabled Veterans).
·
TWI for the Children, Inc. was requested to coordinate with the
Bronx VA Medical Center to determine if they could receive a copy of the
computer software necessary to determine the correct pressure for design of
wheelchair cushions according to patient weight.
·
Action Taken: The
Federation did not request in writing that TWI for the Children obtain a copy of
the computer software; therefore, no action was taken on this item.
·
TWI for the Children Inc. was requested to determine if used items
of equipment for the disabled such as wheelchairs could be contributed and
shipped to Sarajevo.
·
Action Taken: TWI
for the Children with the assistance of the National Rehabilitation Hospital
have obtained and shipped items of equipment for the disabled to include
wheelchairs .
·
Upon return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Delegation will
exchange letters with the Department for Veterans Affairs and schedule a visit
with the U.S. Ambassador in order to validate the success of the visit.
A report of the visit will be provided the President of the Bosnian
Federation and other key government leaders.
Finally, the Federation will work toward bringing all disabled veterans
together to provide information on their rights and health benefits.
All disabled veterans includes veterans from all ethnic cultures of the
Federation – it is hoped that this will foster a new sense of reconciliation
among the soldiers who recently fought each other.
·
Action Taken: The
Federation did not exchange letters with the Department of Veteran Affairs to
facilitate continued exchanges. The
Deputy Minister of Health made a visit to the VA in Washington in August 2000,
but no program has been instituted to continue work with the VA.
·
The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will send letters of
invitation to the Department For Veterans Affairs inviting them to visit Bosnia
and assist in developing the new Ministry for Disabled Veterans.
·
Action Taken: No
action has been taken on this item. TWI
for the Children will not continue activity on this item.
·
TWI for the Children, Inc. was requested to determine what can be
done to assist in creating a training facility similar to that for
rehabilitating disabled persons at the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
A facility of this nature would be open to all Bosnian citizens and
afford infrastructure for healing, fostering democracy, and achieving
reconciliation, economic stability and growth.
·
Action Taken: Although TWI for the Children attempted to
get the Federation to request assistance as noted above, there was no interest
in pursuing this item. TWI for the
Children no longer is tracking this item.
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Updated: 11/9/2004