Policy Vets
Policy Vets with Dr. David Shulkin and Louis Celli Jr.
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The veteran policy community needed a common, nonpartisan space to discuss current and future policy decisions that affect our nation's military and veteran community. From access to healthcare and earned benefits, to illnesses caused from service related toxic exposure, depression and suicide, transition and educational programs, Policy Vets gathers the top experts in the industry in one place to vet policy for vets.Board Executive Chairmen The Honorable Dr. David Shulkin and Executive Director Louis Celli explain why Policy Vets is needed today.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
2 days ago
The UK Wants to Team with the US to help Veterans
Professor Renata Gomes joins Secretary Shulkin and Lou to discuss Bravo Victor, a UK-based group dedicated towards focusing the world’s best research scientists to improve the lives of the visually impaired and veterans. Professor Gomes is the Chief Scientific Officer at BRAVO VICTOR, Blind Veterans UK Group (https://www.bravovictor.org/)
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Oct 15, 2021
Veterans Education - Villains and Victories
Chris Madaio and Will Hubbard join Secretary Shulkin and Lou to discuss the successes of the GI bill. They also discuss those educational institutions, who for profit motive, have acted as predators towards service members and veterans. Chris and Will both hold Vice President positions at Veterans Education Success (https://vetsedsuccess.org), a non-profit of bipartisan policy experts, academic researchers, lawyers and advocates dedicated to bridging the military-civilian divide to ensure career and education success for military families.
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Oct 8, 2021
The Honorable Dr. Phil Roe and the 115th Congress Veterans Bills - Where Are They Now?
Dr. Phillip Roe, the former Chairman of the House Veteran Affairs Committee, speaks with Secretary Shulkin and Lou about what he's doing now, what should be a priority for congress with regards to veterans, and what he wishes he could have done while in office.
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Oct 1, 2021
Comedy and the Arts Helping Veterans
Brian Jenkins, Executive Director of the Armed Services Arts Partnership (ASAP), discusses how the arts and comedy makes the lives of veterans (and audiences) better. You'll also get a chance to hear two great comedians, Clyde Thompson and Adam Keys, two veterans who will bust your gut.
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Sep 24, 2021
Why Veterans Died in State Veterans Homes, and How to Fix it.
Today, Randy Reeves, the former Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs for the VA, and the former Executive Director for Mississippi's Veteran Affairs Board, shares his understanding and experience being responsible for a State Veteran Home network. He explains the problems that occurred with the Holyoke Soldiers' Home in Massachusetts, and still proclaims that he would prefer living in a Veteran home over a privatized home.
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Sep 17, 2021
The Data on Veteran Suicides - Far Outweighing Deaths in Military Operations
Dr. Ben Suitt joins Secretary Shulkin and Lou to talk about his recent study regarding the shockingly high numbers of veteran suicides. He explains that the recent drop in suicides reported by the VA, might just be a numbers game that doesn't reflect reality.
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Sep 10, 2021
What To Do About Cannabis? Can It Help Veterans?
Today, Cherissa Jackson, Chief Medical Executive at AMVETS (American Veterans), a registered nurse, a veteran and PTSD survivor, discusses her perspective on Cannabis and the impact it is having on the veteran community. Also, Lou puts the Secretary on the spot regarding his policies while he was VA Secretary.
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Sep 3, 2021
Art Helps Veterans, and Lou is Cheap
Today, Secretary Shulkin and Lou speak with AnnMarie Halterman, who is the Executive Director of Uniting Us (https://unitingus.org/), which uses art therapy to support the veteran community as they deal with trauma, physical disability, or life in general.
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Aug 30, 2021
General David Petraeus - The United States Should Have a Permanent Footprint in Afghanistan
In today's special episode, Secretary Shulkin and Lou are joined by General David Petraeus. General Petraeus served Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and before retiring from a 37 year Army career, served as the Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Commander, U.S. Forces – Afghanistan. He speaks to the tragedy that is occurring in Afghanistan, and provides words of encouragement to veterans who are struggling with the U.S. Withdrawal.
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Aug 27, 2021
The Cost of War is Realized Long After we Leave the Battlefield
Lou Celli and guest host Charlie Malone, stepping in for Secretary Shulkin this week, are joined by Dr. Linda J. Bilmes, Harvard Kennedy School Professor and the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Senior Lecturer in Public Policy and Public Finance. This week they talk about the true financial costs of war, which according to her research are woefully understated, and neglect to account for taking care of veterans future needs.
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Aug 20, 2021
What is happening with the Cerner rollout at VA and DoD?
Dr. David Shulkin and Executive Director Lou Celli sit down with Cerner Senior Vice President & General Manager Brian Sandager to talk about the electronic health record modernization project. What's going well, what didn't go well, and how they plan to fix it going forward.
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Aug 17, 2021
Recent Afghan Ambassador to US Roya Rahmani - Afghanistan Government Crumbles
Recent Afghanistan Ambassador to The United States Roya Rahmani sits down with former Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs Dr. David Shulkin Executive Director Louis Celli to describe the final days of democratic Afghan rule as the Taliban move into the Presidential Palace.
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Aug 13, 2021
Securing the Veteran Service Organization's Voice for the future
Sherman Gillums joins Secretary Shulkin and Lou Celli to talk about Veteran Service Organizations (VSO's) and what they need to do in order to ensure veterans continue to have a voice. Sherman has served as a veteran, VSO Executive, and now as an advocate.
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Aug 6, 2021
600 Billion Dollars in Federal Procurement Dollars each year - How much of that goes to Veteran Owned Businesses?
Barbara Ashe is the Executive Director for a program that teaches veteran businesses how to tap into the multibillion dollar federal sales market. The Department of Veterans Affairs 2022 budget request is 270 billion dollars. Find out how much of that will get spent on goods and services, and what type of priority veteran businesses have when selling to VA.
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Jul 30, 2021
Afghan Interpreters Coming to US - Why?
Zia Ghafoori is a former Afghan interpreter who served with the US Army Special Forces for 14 years. The Taliban abused his family and the war ended high school when he decided to fight for his country by supporting the United States as an interpreter. Ghafoori earned a Purple Heart and is now a US citizen advocating for other Afghan workers who stood shoulder to shoulder in Afghanistan.
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Jul 23, 2021
The Importance of the Caregiver to Some of Those Who Served
Sarah Verardo is a national advocate for wounded Veterans and their Caregivers, and CEO of The Independence Fund (https://independencefund.org/). Her husband Michael was catastrophically wounded in Afghanistan in 2010, in two separate IED attacks that took his left leg, much of his left arm, and left him with polytraumatic conditions that required more than one hundred surgeries and years of speech, visual, physical and occupational therapies.
Sarah's compelling story delves into the impact of the war on Afghanistan, getting personal about the impact on her husband, her children, and of course, herself.
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Jul 16, 2021
Military Sexual Assault - Does it Degrade Military Readiness
Join Dr. Shulkin and Lou Celli as they speak with Phillis Wilson and Lucy Del Gaudio. Phyllis is a retired Chief Warrant Officer 5 and Policy Vets BOD member, and Lucy is a Military Sexual Assault victim who works to advocate for other Military Sexual Trauma victims. Different eras, different experiences, same problem - is it getting any better?
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Jul 9, 2021
Are race relations a national security issue?
Join Dr. Shulkin and Lou Celli as they speak to Reuben Keith Green and Gloria Dent. Keith is the author of "Black Officer, White Navy", and Gloria is a small business owner. Both had long careers in the military and have a perspective on race in the military that is especially important considering recent events.
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Jul 1, 2021
"He returned a hero, and died a villain" Danica Thomas Talks about SSG Allen Thomas
Dr. David Shulkin and Lou Celli speak with Ms. Danica Thomas, who shares her story about her husband Army Staff Sergeant Allen Thomas; how they met, what happened to SSG Thomas in Afghanistan; and the tragic afternoon he left the VA and murdered two people he had never met thinking they were enemy combatants before taking his own life.
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Jun 25, 2021
Service Dogs Pt. 2 Increasing Our Paw Print in Support of Veterans.
Dr. Gordon Sumner, President and CEO of Veterans Moving Forward (https://vetsfwd.org/staff/) and Cole Lyle, President of the Working Warrior Foundation (https://workingwarriorfoundation.org/) join Dr. Shulkin and Lou in talking about how to increase our paw print in support of veterans without wasting taxpayer dollars on scientific studies.
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Jun 18, 2021
Service Dogs Pt. 1 How service animal regulation affect Veterans
In part 1 of this two part series Donald Overton and Danique Masingill join with Dr. Shulkin and Lou to talk about the power of animal regulation for the future of Veteran support. Donald is the Executive Director of the Blinded Veterans Association (https://bva.org/), and Danique is the Co-Founder and President of Leashes of Valor (https://leashesofvalor.org/).
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Jun 11, 2021
Combat Veteran and Author Tom Voss Speaks About His Journey
Combat Veteran and Author Tom Voss Speaks About His Journey following his return home from Iraq, the combat-related trauma he suffered, and how family, a very long walk, and his family helped to bring him to a peaceful place.
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Jun 4, 2021
Senator Jon Tester Discusses 117th Congress and Veterans Affairs Committee Work
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, Senator Jon Tester talks about teh Department of Veterans Affairs, burn pits, and future legislation.
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May 28, 2021
Joe Chenelly from American Veterans (AMVETS) Talks Memorial Day
In this episode of the Policy Vets Podcast, Joe Chenelly, the Executive Director of American Veterans Inc (AMVETS) talks about Memorial Day, the Rolling to Remember Memorial Day motorcycle run, and the state of Veteran Service Organizations in Washington, and their relationship with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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May 21, 2021
Dr. Chris Nowinski talks about the brain bank
Dr. Chris Nowinski, CEO and Co-founder of the concussion legacy foundation talks about the Brain Bank, and the importance of the VA to his efforts at understanding brain trauma.
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May 14, 2021
LTG Ron Place discusses warfighter medicine pt.2
In this episode we wrap up our conversation with Lieutenant General Ronald Place, the Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA). DHA is responsible for providing healthcare to more than nine million military members, retirees, and family members.
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May 7, 2021
LTG Ron Place discusses warfighter medicine pt.1
LTG Ron Place, the three star general and Director of the Defense Health Agency talks about Electronic Healthcare Record modernization, the vision for providing precision medicine to DoD beneficiaries, and the importance of cross agency collaboration, especially with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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Apr 30, 2021
Jon Towers speaks on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs: Part 2
Jon Towers continues to speak about the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
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Apr 23, 2021
Jon Towers speaks on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs: Part 1
This is Part 1 of the discussion with Jon Towers.
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Apr 16, 2021
Jon Stewart Talks Toxic Exposure and Burn Pits: Part 2
This is the second episode where Jon discusses current legislation and provides justification why new legislation is so critical.
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Apr 9, 2021
Jon Stewart Talks Toxic Exposure and Burn Pits: Part 1
Jon Stewart, toxic exposure activist and award-winning comedian best known for his long-running stint as the host of 'The Daily Show with Jon Stewart' Joins Policy Vets podcast hosts The Honorable Dr. David Shulkin, 9th Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and Executive Director Lou Celli to talk about the toxic exposures associated with military deployment and the devastating health effects on our military members poisoned by burn pits.
This candid discussion will be followed by a press conference in Washington D.C. to introduce legislation recognizing the illnesses and diseases associated with this exposure, and what congress is trying to do to address it.
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Mar 31, 2021
What is Policy Vets? With Former. SECVA David Shulkin and Executive Director Louis Celli
What is Policy Vets? A quick overview of who, and what Policy Vets is, and where we are going.
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