For individuals seeking relief from painful health conditions, there’s low certainty of evidence that massage therapy will ease their pain, according to a recent review article.
Nearly $15 Billion Budget Shortfall Must Be Addressed This Month, VA Officials Said
Congress recessed for August without passing legislation to close the nearly $15 billion budget shortfall VA is facing for this year and next. The shortfall, which came to light in July, includes $2.88 billion for the remainder of FY2024 and $12 billion for FY2025.
New Algorithm Developed for Urinary Retention Evaluation, Catheterization
A new algorithm could improve care for adult inpatients who need to be evaluated for urinary retention and possible catheterization, according to a recent study.
Does ‘Underserved’ Designation Demoralize Staff at VA Facilities?
For the past several years, VA has been identifying the most underserved facilities in its system and requiring them to create action plans to improve care to their veterans.
Unraveling the Mystery of Long COVID: VA Steps Up for Nation in Crisis
By March 2020, the SARS-COV-2 virus had reached every inhabited continent on the globe, with devastating impact. In response, the U.S. and many other countries entered lockdowns to slow the spread and reduce deaths from the virus.
Innovative Pain Self-Management Program Improved Pain, Depressive Symptoms in HIV Patients
For almost three decades, antiretroviral therapy (ART) has enabled people with HIV to have nearly normal life expectancies. But as many as 85% of them experience chronic pain, due in part to common medical comorbidities and the side effects of life-saving treatments.
Microvascular Complications of Type 2 Diabetes Drop When PTSD Resolves in Veterans
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a range of adverse effects in veterans, and about 7% are affected at some point in their lifetimes. A recent study puts a spotlight on an unexpected co-morbidity—worsening Type 2 diabetes (T2D) outcomes.
Alternative Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines for U.S. Black Men
In the United States, Black men are at highest risk for being diagnosed with and dying from prostate cancer.
Review Authors Urge More Genetic Testing of BRCA for Male Cancer Patients
Even though half of all carriers of inherited cancer-predisposing variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are male, the implications for their health tend to be under-recognized compared to females, according to a new study.
Prescription Medications Affect Survival Rates in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
How do prescription medications affect overall survival in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer?
Another Reason to Reduce PPI Use? Usage Linked to Susceptibility for Respiratory Infections
One of the most commonly used medication classes worldwide, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are effective for treating acid-related stomach disorders, such as ulcers, heartburn or acid reflux.
VA EHR Rollout at Lovell Federal Healthcare Center Better Than Previous Sites, But Legislators Say Some Issues Persist
About six months ago, the James A. Lovell Federal Healthcare Center became the sixth VA site to switch to the Oracle-Cerner electronic health record (EHR).
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Screening Associated With Improved Survival in Patients Cured of HCV Infection
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common blood-borne pathogen in the United States, with HCV-related cirrhosis being the leading cause of primary liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Study: Propofol Use Should Be Minimized in Children With ALL
A study involving military researchers has raised concerns about the use of certain types of anesthesia in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)
Circumstances Linked to Bleeding Risk With Chronic Liver Disease Diagnosis
A recent study looked at risk factors for non-variceal bleeding within the first year after diagnosis of chronic liver disease in veterans.
Multiple Myeloma Patients Have Longer Survival With Military Healthcare
MHS beneficiaries with multiple myeloma (MM) had improved overall survival compared to MM patients from the U.S. general population, according to a new report.
Gastrointestinal Symptoms Frequently Diagnosed in Deployed Gulf War Veterans
Deployed Gulf War veterans frequently developed several gastrointestinal symptoms, including irritable bowel syndrome, dyspepsia, diarrhea, bloating and constipation, and those often persisted long after returning home, according to a new study.
Use of Non-therapeutic Laparotomy Decreased in Recent Wars but Remain Essential Battlefield Trauma-Care Tool
As combat casualty care improved over time during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the use of nontherapeutic laparotomy (NTL) decreased.
Study: Eating Processed, Red Meat Raises the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Consuming meat, especially processed and red meat, is a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes, according to a new study involving VA researchers.
Misdiagnosis of Community-Acquired Pneumonia Occurs More Than Half the Time at VA Hospitals
Pneumonia diagnoses change more often than not at VA hospitals, either because a veteran initially thought to have the infection is diagnosed with something else or because the community-acquired pneumonia diagnosis was missed when the patient entered the hospital.
Persian Gulf War Service Linked to High Rates of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
A study of almost a half-million veterans has found for the first time a link between environmental exposures during military service and the development of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs).
Removing Race From Lung-Function Equations Shifts Disease Classifications
In 2023, the American Thoracic Society recommended race-neutral interpretation of lung function and requested the investigation of “consequences for the yet-unquantified number of individuals with results near decision-making thresholds.”
Anti-TNF Agents Associated With Kidney Function Decline in IBD Patients
The introduction of biologic therapies, such as antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents, has revolutionized the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)—a group of diseases characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Essien Pushes Pharmacoequity in VA Healthcare to Combat Disparities
A general internist and health services researcher with the Center for the Study of Healthcare Innovation, Implementation, and Policy (CSHIIP) at the Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Utibe Essien, MD, MPH, has devoted his career to defining and then breaking down the systemic problems that lead to healthcare inequity.
Leadership Is Service, Not Position
It has been a particularly challenging few weeks for Team Buckenmaier. We recently pulled our floating home (a Lagoon 42 catamaran) for much-needed routine maintenance and bottom work at a local yacht yard. Our 3,000-plus miles in the Atlantic had taken their toll on the boat and its systems.
Cytomegalovirus Examined in Breast Cancer Tumor Development
Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpesvirus that leads to lifelong infection, appears to play some role in breast cancer, according to a new study.
Why Do Surprising Distant Metastases Occur in 10-30% of ‘Cured’ Breast Cancer
PITTSBURGH — In most cases of breast cancer, no evidence of spread is found, the primary tumor is removed and the patient is as close to cured as possible, at that point. In 10% to 30% of cases in women, however, distant metastases recur after years to decades. “This...
New Efforts Seek to Reduce Treatment Time, Travel for Breast Cancer Patients
WASHINGTON — Earlier this year, the VA announced expansion of the "Close to Me" cancer program, with the understanding that access to medical centers providing specialty cancer care can be difficult for many veterans. The expansion will bring new cancer diagnosis,...
Legislators Question Continued Usefulness of VISN System at VA
The Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), which group VA’s facilities into 18 interconnected regions, has been a key part of the department’s structure since they were created in the late 1990s. Now, following a series of key oversight failures at VA facilities and years of watchdog agencies reporting frustrating inconsistencies from VISN to VISN, legislators are wondering if this structure is really the best way to oversee VA’s 172 hospitals nationwide.
VHA Closely Follows Clinical Guidelines on Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy
When initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) at the VHA, clinicians achieved high overall concordance between current GAHT initiation practices and guidelines, particularly for feminizing GAHT, according to a recent study.
