The 1-year anniversary occurred last month of the signing of the PACT Act—the sweeping legislation that expanded healthcare and benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service.
House Subcommittee Chair Expressed Concerns About VA Contractor Conflicts
VA spends more than $3 billion annually on management consulting contracts, relying on those contractors to help run nearly every facet of its operation in VHA and VBA.
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.
Military Plans for Casualty Care After Future Large-Scale Combat Operations
In planning and preparing for the future possibility of large-scale combat operations, military medicine might have to decide which wounded warriors can have delayed evacuations.
VA Adopts New Standards for Treating Older Veterans in EDs
The VA is trying to better serve its older patient population by adopting accredited geriatric emergency departments in many agency hospitals.
Survey Finds Greater Patient Satisfaction With Care From VA vs. Community
Patient satisfaction is higher with care received at VA hospitals than most community facilities, according to recent federal data which bolsters previous evidence of comparatively high-quality care provided by VHA facilities.
Retaliation Common Against ‘Whistleblowers’ Who Point Out VA Wrongdoing
Despite strong messaging over the last few years that VA would protect employees who come forward about wrongdoing in the workplace, the percentage of whistleblowers who experience retaliation from co-workers is growing.
VA Makes Argument in Congress for Its Record-Setting $325.1B Budget Request
VA vociferously defended its proposed FY2024 budget before Congress in an effort to justify the record-setting $325.1 billion request—a 5.4% increase over last year’s enacted budget.
VA’s Clinical Quality, Safety as Good or Better Than at Outside Care
A new review has determined that care provided in the VA healthcare system is consistently as good as or better than non-VA care in terms of clinical quality and safety.
At All Levels, Chief Medical Office Scavella Focused on Best Care for Veterans
For a VA physician, it can be a challenge to figure out the best treatment plan for a patient and implement it, and the victory comes when the veteran’s health and quality of life is improved.
Military Surgeons Deployed to Combat Environments Face Moral Injury, Distress
A new VA study may be the first to examine moral injury and distress at the intersection of these populations—that is, military healthcare professionals, specifically surgeons
New Bill to Raise VA Physician Salary Cap Goes to Full Senate
The Senate VA Committee has advanced sweeping bipartisan legislation that would allow VA to raise the salary cap for physicians to above $400,000.
VA Disability Claims Rejected at Higher Rates for Black Veterans
Conley Monk Jr., a Black veteran who served in Vietnam, has spent much of the past 50 years trying to get the VA to accept his claims for disability benefits, housing assistance and education benefits.
VHA Wait Times Increased Most for Blacks, Hispanics During Early Pandemic
Black and Hispanic veterans appeared to experience more barriers to accessing care than white veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study finding that wait time disparities increased significantly from the pre–COVID-19 period.
Man Who Stalked Female VA Physicians in California Called ‘Menace’ by Judge
A federal judge called a man “a menace to society” —the first time he said he has done that —while sentencing him to 18 years in federal prison for stalking four female physicians who worked for the VA.
VA Catching Up on Rescheduling Appointments Canceled Early in the Pandemic
VA is slowly catching up on the appointments that were canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down many nonessential services at VA hospitals.
Childs, Fisher House Provides a ‘Safe Space” for Families of VA, MHS Patients
Having a loved one in the hospital can be one of the most stressful experiences for a family.
Race Appeared to be Factor in Treatment of Veterans Hospitalized With COVID-19
Black veteran patients received different medical interventions than white patients when hospitalized with COVID-19 in VAMCs across the country, according to a new study.
GAO: VA Hasn’t Addressed Core Issues in Standardized Purchasing
For the past decade, VA has struggled to implement a standardized framework for how it purchases goods and services.
VA Adds Abortion Counseling, Limited Abortion Access to Health Services
The VA has expanded its health services to include access to abortion counseling and, in limited cases, abortion to veterans and VA beneficiaries, even when restricted by state laws.
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.
Expert Panel Identifies Quality Measures for High-Risk Veteran Patients
An expert panel has identified quality measures for ambulatory primary care for VHA patients who have complex care needs and are at high risk for adverse outcomes, such as hospitalization or death, according to a new study.
VA OIG: Lack of Oversight Found in DO’s Sexual Abuse at Beckley VAMC
This is just the latest finding by the OIG that places blame for a recent criminal case on lack of VA oversight.
GAO Report Spotlights Medical Supply Issues at VA Healthcare Facilities
Each report the Government Accountability Office (GAO) submits to VA detailing weaknesses in the department comes attached with recommendations for solving the problems.
Ho Seeks to Reduce Barriers to Care—Inside and Outside VA
Michael Ho, MD, PhD, a staff cardiologist at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care, has spent much of his professional career studying how veterans access VA and the barriers that might stand in their way.
VA Makes Efforts to Respond to Healthcare Workers’ High Levels of Stress
As VA employees are reporting increasing levels of burnout, and the department is facing its highest turnover rate in decades, VA has tried to put systems in place to support staff mental and emotional health.
Community Care Coordination Puts Strain on VA Staff, Finances
Since 2014, when Congress passed the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability (Choice) Act, the VA has been paying for U.S. veterans to receive increasing amounts of private sector, non-VA, care.
Cost of Community Care Has Risen Faster Than In-House VA Medical Care
President Joe Biden’s fiscal year 2023 budget request for VA totals $301.4 billion—an 13.3% jump from the FY22 enacted levels. This is in addition to an FY24 Advanced Appropriations request totaling $287 billion.
VA Hospitalizations Dropped Moderately After Legislation Allowing Outside Care
With the implementation of the Veterans’ Choice Act of 2014 (VCA), hospitalization within the VA healthcare system showed a modest decline.
