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.
Dementia Rates Increased With Serious Mental Illness
Because VHA provides a continuum of care over the life course, the healthcare system has need to better understand what effect bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have on veterans’ risk of dementia.
Mild TBI Exacerbates Issues for Early Binge Drinkers
Does early adolescent binge drinking (BD) increases the risk for and/or severity of psychopathology in post-9/11 veterans, and how does mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affect the risk?
Most At-Risk Veterans Don’t Get Suicide Counseling
Despite all of the focus on preventing suicides in those who have served in the military, a significant proportion of veterans with suicidal ideation do not take advantage of available mental health treatment, according to a new study.
Robinson Empowers Pacific Islands Staff as New Healthcare Director
Adam M. Robinson Jr., MD, the newly minted director of the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System, has a story about a three-legged stool. It’s one that he tells enough that his employees end up learning it by heart.
Army Researchers Wage War Against COVID-19 in the Laboratory
As the novel coronavirus has continued to spread throughout the United States, infecting more than six million and killing more than 185,000 people, the U.S. Army has been on the front lines in an effort to protect the nation’s health and security.
‘Happy Hypoxia’ Might Not Be Such a Mystery After All in COVID-19
Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians were often baffled by patients who presented with extremely low levels of oxygen. Although oxygenation was so low it was potentially life-threatening in some cases, patients showed no obvious difficulty in breathing.
VA: Some of Its Sexual Harassment Issues Will Take Four Years to Resolve
WASHINGTON—According to a number of surveys and reports, VA has yet to adequately address the problem of sexual harassment of both employees and patients. In 2016, a Merit Systems Protection Board survey found that 22% of VA employees experienced workplace sexual...
Maher Seeks to Convince Women Veterans That VA Can Meet Their Needs
WASHINGTON—Currently, women make up 10% of U.S. veterans, and that percentage grows higher with each new generation of veterans. Yet, there has historically been in enrollment between men and women in VA services, and it has become more apparent as the number of women...
VA’s COVID-19 Cases Quadruple Between Early June, Late July
Number of Infected Employees Also Is Growing WASHINGTON—As the number of new coronavirus cases rose throughout the country, VA’s caseload grew as well, with the number of VA’s active COVID-19 cases more than quadrupling between the beginning of June and the end of...
Pandemic Puts Spotlight on Problems With VA’s Healthcare Supply Chain
WASHINGTON—The difficulties VA faced during the early weeks of the pandemic ensuring its facilities had an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) confirmed what agency officials have recognized for some time: The healthcare system’s supply chain system...
VA’s Hydroxychloroquine Stockpile Mainly Being Used for Chronic Disease
FDA Rescinds Drug’s Emergency Use for COVID-19 WASHINGTON—After months of controversy on the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for severe COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration rescinded the emergency use authorization (EUA) allowing physicians to...
VA Plans for the Unimaginable: A Natural Disaster During the Pandemic
WASHINGTON—Hurricane season officially began on June 1, and VA officials were asked by legislators to reassure the American public that the department was capable of dealing with another natural disaster while remaining on a pandemic footing. VA leaders expressed...
Rural Areas Present Challenges for Gathering Medication History
BIRMINGHAM, AL—Even more than other veterans, those in rural areas often see providers and obtain medications outside the VA system, in many cases because the closest VA facility might be distant from their home or they have a primary care provider in their community....
Vigilance at VA Community Living Centers in the Time of COVID-19
Editor’s note: The VA asked if U.S. Medicine could help disseminate important information on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a discussion from some of the agency’s top leaders. By Carolyn Clancy, MD, Teresa Boyd, DO, and Scotte Hartronft, MD We believe...
Mortality, Amputation from Critical Limb Ischemia Declining at VA
IOWA CITY, IOWA — High rates of diabetes, obesity, smoking, and other risk factors elevate veterans’ risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia.
VA Trial Seeks to Determine if ADT Is Protective Against COVID-19 in Men
LOS ANGELES — That men tend to have worse outcomes with COVID-19 has been observed since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Sleep Apnea Increases Need for Opioids in Veterans
WEST HAVEN, CT — Does sleep disruption caused by obstructive sleep apnea lead to hyperalgesia and contribute to poor pain control and use of prescription opioids?
Auricular Acupuncture Effective for Short-Term Pain
FARGO, ND — Battlefield Acupuncture is a unique auricular procedure use by many VHA facilities, according to a new study which suggested that, based on past research, it can reduce pain for up to two weeks.
Statin Effect on Death in Veterans With Prostate Cancer
SAN ANTONIO — As the most common cancer in men in the United States, prostate cancer is associated with a prolonged survival and patient care often includes optimizing other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease.
PTSD Raises Risk for Cancer Pain in VHA Patients
BOSTON — While research has shown a link between chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, not much is known about the longitudinal course of pain and PTSD during cancer treatment, according to a new study.
Does Medicare Policy Influence End-of-Life Care At VHA?
NEW HAVEN, CT — Although fee-for-service Medicare does not allows simultaneous receipt of cancer treatment and hospice care—i.e, concurrent care—VHA does.
VA Pushes for More Use of NSCLC Targeted Therapies
DURHAM, NC — To help guide therapeutic decisions for patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) gene panels are often completed.
IHS Faces Challenges as Navajo Nation Becomes New COVID-19 Epicenter
WINDOW ROCK, AZ — The Indian Health Service) and the Native American communities it serves saw the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact reach new heights in May.
VA’s IG: Unrealistic EHR Rollout Could Have Put Patients at Risk
WASHINGTON — The VA Inspector General released two long-awaited reports last month examining problems with the roll-out of VA’s new electronic health record system at its pilot site, the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA, and the news was not good.
Too High Rate of Diabetes Therapy Intensification at VA Hospital Discharge
BOSTON — About 10% of older veterans discharged from VAMCS had their diabetes medication intensified, even though half of them were unlikely to benefit because either they already had reached their blood glucose goals or had limited life expectancy.
McCoy Helps Rural VA Clinic Use Telehealth to Improve COPD Care
EAST LIVERPOOL, OH — As VA facilities across the country are transferring veterans’ care wherever possible to telehealth in an attempt to promote social distancing and curtail unnecessary visits to hospitals and clinics, one rural outpatient clinic in Ohio is well ahead of the curve.
VA Vows to Be Better Prepared If COVID-19 Case Spike in Autumn
WASHINGTON — According to VA leaders, the department will be better prepared if COVID-19 infections spike again in the fall, as many health experts are predicting it will.
Satisfaction With Telehealth Visits Building Among VA-Treated Veterans
WASHINGTON — When the VA recently received $17.2 billion in funding from the CARES Act, one of the priorities was providing telehealth resources for veterans seeking in-home care.
