Legislators took DoD and VA to task for their failures to ensure that servicemembers, especially those in need of mental health services, receive a warm handoff from one department to the other upon discharge.
VA Projects $2.88 Billion Shortfall for This Fiscal Year; $12 Billion for Next Year
VA is projecting a $2.88 billion budget shortfall for the remainder of fiscal year 2024 and another $12 billion for FY2025. This comes after VA leaders spent this spring assuring Congress that its FY2025 budget request, while lean, would be sufficient to do the job.
Ilem Advocates for Disabled Veterans for a Quarter Century
There’s a well-worn quote about how laws are like sausages, in that you should never either being made. In reality, the legislative process can be even messier, more laborious, and require even more hands in its construction.
DHA Restructures, Creating Nine Health Networks to Improve Care
In the first phase of a broader realignment, the Defense Health Agency has created nine Defense Health Networks (DHN) to take the place of what had been 20 direct-reporting medical markets, each a grouping of military hospitals and clinics with varying leadership rank structures.
Key Differences Found Between Veterans Who Most Use VA, Those Who Don’t
The largest integrated healthcare system in the U.S., the VHA serves more than 9 million veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare program.
House Version of NDAA Sets Up Fight With Democrat-Controlled Senate
The House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a narrow margin and with multiple controversial amendments targeting abortion access and gender-affirming healthcare for servicemembers, as well as diversity and inclusion efforts in the military.
New Equity Teams Seek to End Disparities in VA Care, Benefits
To ensure that quality VA care is being provided to all veterans regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual identity, an agency equity team is being established.
Elnahal Is First Permanent VA Under Secretary for Health Since 2017
The Senate voted to confirm Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, as the next VA undersecretary for health, making him the first Senate-confirmed person in that role since 2017.
How the DCVAMC Has Weathered Years of the COVID-19 Pandemic
The latter half of December and the first weeks of the new year were trying times for hospitals as the Omicron variant began sweeping across the country, causing infection rates and hospitalizations to rise to levels unprecedented even during the earliest months of the pandemic.
Despite Delays, NCAA Attorney Donald Remy Confirmed as VA’s Deputy Secretary
Former National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) attorney Donald Remy, an Army veteran, has been confirmed by the Senate to be the VA’s deputy secretary.
VA Hospitals Outperform Others in COPD Readmission, Mortality Rates
In the last decade, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have prioritized reducing avoidable hospital readmissions.
VA’s Integrated Healthcare: A Model for the Future of Healthcare
VA demonstrated the benefits of being an integrated health care system when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We were able to use our size as an advantage, pivoting quickly to provide care when, where and how it was needed.
Pandemic Limitations Fuel Increase in Pending VA Disability Claims
The rise in backlogged claims at the Veterans Benefits Administration is creating concern.
Denis McDonough Gets Bipartisan Confirmation as New VA Secretary
After what was a relatively easy, bipartisan confirmation process, Denis McDonough, President Joe Biden’s pick for VA secretary, is expected to be sworn in by early February.
New Veterans Health Care Act Seeks to Improve Women’s Healthcare at VA
One of the last pieces of legislation to make it through the 116th Congress was the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, MD Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.
Debate Continues on Overhaul of VA’s Eligibility Criteria
Is it time to overhaul VA’s eligibility rules? According to some legislators, the process is long overdue for an update, although veterans’ service organizations are split on the issue.
VA: Missions Achieved, Lessons Learned during a Pandemic Year
On Jan. 11, 2020, China reported the first known death from a novel coronavirus. Ten days later, the U.S. announced its first confirmed case. By mid-January, VA’s infectious disease and public health experts initiated regular updates about the new virus to department leadership.
VA Was Excluded in Early Discussions of COVID-19 Strategic Response
VA was initially left out of strategic decisions made by the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, the group ostensibly coordinating the nation’s response to the pandemic, the agency revealed in a recent report.
Recipients of the Inaugural AMSUS Sustaining Member 2020 Tip of The Spear Award
The Tip of the Spear Award is AMSUS Sustaining Members most prestigious award presented to the Federal Health Professional/Leader that exhibited the highest standard of ethical public/private partnership in advancing federal health in 2020 and the AMSUS Sustaining Member Company who best exhibited the highest standard of ethical public/private partnership in support of federal health in 2020.
VA Plagued by Data Breaches, Hacks – Including One Recently
WASHINGTON—A data breach exposed the personal information of more than 46,000 veterans this summer, the VA recently revealed. Hackers gained access to VA’s Financial Services Center (FSC), diverting payments meant for community care providers. According to VA...
Are State Veterans Homes Falling Through Cracks of Oversight?
What responsibility does VA have for state veterans homes and the tsunami of COVID-19 infections and deaths that have swept through facilities nationwide?
With COVID-19 Cases Still Climbing, VA Seeks to Improve Telehealth
While the number of COVID-19 cases being actively treated at VA facilities declined, the total number of infections and deaths rose steadily in July and August.
VA Whistleblower Protection Office Takes Action in Only 2% of Its Cases
The Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection has followed through with only a small fraction of the cases it has investigated.
Most AFGE Survey Respondents Opined That VA Has Racism Problem
More than three-quarters of VA employees report that racism is a moderate to severe problem at VA facilities, according to a survey released by the American Federation of Government Employees.
APA Recommends Ongoing Use of Long-Acting Injectables for SMI
WASHINGTON — Even as VA facilities open up nationwide, administrators and others are keeping a wary eye on the possibility of a significant second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall. U.S. healthcare systems are preparing now for a sharp increase in cases in the...
Switch to Long-Acting Injectable Reduces VA Costs for Schizophrenia Care
Schizophrenia can be frightening and life-changing. Common symptoms such as disorganized thinking and speech, lack of expressive emotion, social withdrawal, neglect of self-care, hallucinations and delusions alienate individuals with schizophrenia from others and create barriers to day-to-day functioning in society.
Biomarker IDs Veterans at Risk of Poor Skin Cancer Prognosis
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) biomarker is associated with systemic inflammation and poor prognosis in solid tumors.
Study Reveals Risks of Non-Dermatologists Treating Melanoma
Military personnel often have more exposure to sunlight, compared to their civilian counterparts, and that can increase their risk of melanoma.
Some IBD Patients Have Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Past research has cautioned about the risk of skin cancer with use of immunosuppressive medications. Yet, a new study pointed out, there is limited information on repeated basal cell cancer (BCC) occurrences among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, especially those who use immunosuppressive medications.
VA Pharmacists Advise on Use of Anticoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Cases
While reports in the literature are increasing about high rates of coagulopathy and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is little guidance on how to treat it or prevent it.
