Devastating wildfires have been burning in Western Maui since the evening of Aug. 8, with Lahaina—the original capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom—being the area most affected on the island.
Costs of Cataract, Other Surgeries at VA Vs. Outside Care
A new study raises questions about which veterans requiring cataract and total knee replacement surgeries received community care, as opposed to the cases kept within the VA system.
Cancer Patients Have Better Survival With Military Health Service Care
MHS provides universal healthcare to beneficiaries, reducing barriers to medical care access. That appears to be especially beneficial for military beneficiaries facing a colon cancer diagnosis and treatment.
National Guard Responds to Hurricane Ida Catastrophe
As of the end of August, the National Guard had activated more than 5,200 personnel in Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas and Alabama in response to Hurricane Ida, according to Army Maj. Gen. William D. “Hank” Taylor, the Joint Staff deputy director for regional operations.
OIG Finds That VA’s Computer Systems Remain Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
Although no data was stolen from VA’s computer systems during the 2020’s SolarWinds hack, cybersecurity remains a long-standing material weakness for the VA, agency overseers pointed out.
Mortality Rate Lower for Kidney Transplant Patients at VHA Than Outside Care
Mortality rates are lower for veterans who receive all of their post-kidney transplant care within the VHA than those who receive care outside the VA through Medicare coverage, according to a recent study.
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.
Aggressive Chemo-Immunotherapy Found Safe for Older Patients With CLL Treatments
MINNEAPOLIS — Even though chronic lymphocytic leukemia is a disease of older adults, with median age of 68 years at diagnosis, clinical trials on chemo-immunotherapy agents rarely included patients of advanced age, according to a new study. Noting the strong...
Genetic Mutations Affecting Response to Drugs Are Common in Veterans
SALT LAKE CITY — A massive VA study revealed that 99% of veterans have at least one genetic mutation known to affect response to specific drugs, including some commonly prescribed antidepressants, anticoagulants, antivirals, oncology medications and statins. That raises the question of who should be tested for which variants and when, which has stirred lively debate within the VA.
Five Miles High? VA Document Backlog Is Stacking Up, OIG Reports
WASHINGTON — If stacked, VA’s backlog of paper medical documents that are waiting to be digitalized—most generated by veterans’ visits to non-VA providers—would be over 5 miles high, according to a report from the VA inspector general.
Feds Investigate 11 Unexplained Deaths at West Virginia VAMC
CLARKSBURG, WV – Law enforcement officials announced recently that a criminal investigation has been launched to look into the unexplained deaths of as many as 11 patients at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center here.
