The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights

In honor of its 63rd anniversary, the Paralyzed Veterans of America has made this week PVA Awareness Week, in order to celebrate its successes and achievements and highlight some of its current challenges.

During the week, PVA and its 34 chapters are holding events around the country to increase awareness about their work.

In addition, every day this week the PVA website will be providing information around a particular area of their work, starting with today's theme of their work to make sure veterans receive the health care and benefits they are due.

Currently, the veterans health care system has so many problems that some veterans wait for months before they can see a doctor.

President Obama recently announced plans to create a federal electronic database to better track veterans' medical records.  The database will be overseen by the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which will allow them to share information more easily.

Active members' health care is managed through DOD.  Once a soldier is released from active duty, the VA takes over administering health care.  Currently, the two agencies maintain separate databases and it's common for information to get lost during the transition from active duty to civilian.

"We are delighted that the President is making veterans a top priority for his administration … The issue of seamless transition of electronic medical records is a nut that needs to be cracked and will remove much of the needless red tape that folks coming home from conflict have to deal with," said Homer S. Townsend, national executive director of PVA.

The other PVA Awareness Week themes are: promoting wheelchair sports and recreation, advocating research into new treatments and cures for spinal cord injuries, increasing accessibility for people in wheelchairs, and empowering paralyzed veterans.