The aftermath of the pandemic at VA will require as much emergency funding, if not more, than was required during the actual pandemic, according to VA leadership.
GAO Finds Problems With Oversight of Community Healthcare Providers
MISSION Act critics have raised alarms about the legislation consolidating and expanding VA’s community care program– that healthcare provided by non-VA providers would fail to meet VA’s standards.
Trump Administration’s Last-Minute Attempt to Fire USU President Went Nowhere
DoD officials advocated for the firing of Richard Thomas, MD, DDS, president of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
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.
Gen. Lloyd Austin Becomes First African American Defense Secretary
Lloyd J. Austin III made history when the retired four-star general was confirmed as the first African American Secretary of Defense last month.
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.
National Guard Gives States’ Vaccine Distribution Plans a Shot in the Arm
The National Guard has stepped up again to help states in their battle against the novel coronavirus.
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?
Nursing Assistant Pleads Guilty to Insulin Deaths at Johnson VAMC
A VA nursing assistant has pleaded guilty to seven counts of second-degree murder and one count of assault with intent to commit murder in the deaths of eight veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VAMC.
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.
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...
