CVO meeting minutes for August 20, 2025 on ZOOM from 7 PM to 9 PM.
August 20, 2025 Minutes
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order on Zoom at 1900 hours by the Chair, Larry Naziimek.
Present: Larry Nazimek (Chair), Constance Edwards (Recording Secretary), Tanis Marquette (treasurer), Steve McVeigh, Francine O’Connor, Derrick Winding (Outreach).
Minutes: The June 2025 and the July 2025 meeting minutes were approved.
Veterans Affairs Committee: Larry Nazimek circulated a detailed report to the CVO Google Group of legislation affecting the Veterans Administration. Those present discussed the impact of how the 2025 Presidential executive orders and the newly formed Department of Government Efficiency are affecting veterans, especially VA health care.
Francine O’Connor who is a retired nurse at Hines VA Hospital, said the nurses at Hines are concerned about the threats that all of the collective bargaining may be kicked out by those executive orders. Most of the nurses are placed on part-time appointments. There is much concern about the quality of patient care to veterans in the VA medical system resulting due to decreasing staff and services. The administration said the reductions in staffing will be due to attrition and hiring freeze rather than by outright dismissals. Prior to cuts Jesse Brown VA is one of only 3 hospitals in Chicago that recently received the highest efficiency score by a major hospital rating agency. Veterans across the country will be affected and limiting health care is a violation of benefits already earned and were constitutionally protected. Nazimek said his congresswoman, Delia Ramirez, said this is the kind of information that Congress needs to have input on. Congressmen Quigley and Krissthimorthi have been meeting with veterans’ groups on the issues.
Outreach Committee and fundraising: Derrick Winding said he has nothing new to report except that there is a need to re-engage the veterans organizations into CVO with a unified approach to veterans issues since the Veterans Health care system is the largest organized health care system in the country and millions of veterans will be affected by the cuts in VA funding.
Co-pays and the Means Tests are serious threats to the earned benefits by all veterans as the co-pays may increase. The Means Test was said to be eliminated a few year back but checking veterans IRS and Social Security documents for ability to pay is the same thing. Veterans’ health insurance through civilian employment must also be billed by the VA for care. Those insurance payments are also borne in part by those veterans. Some veterans report that co-pays for VA pharmacy are often higher than if they purchase prescriptions using the same insurance at a civilian pharmacy with a paper prescription. But the VA primary care doctors don’t always have paper prescriptions available and their prescription is sent electronically to the VA pharmacy as a “convenience” to the veteran.
Dental Bill: The bill still does not have enough co-sponsors to go forth to Congress. Francine said Veteran for Unfication is still advocating for support of the dental bill.
Veterans Town Hall: The next Jesse Brown VAMC Tele-Town Hall meeting is scheduled for September 9, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
Next CVO General Meeting: September 17, 2025, 1900-2100 hours
Adjournment: By acclamation, the meeting was adjourned at 2000 hours.
Respectfully submitted
Col (Ret) Constance Edwards