On numerous occasions, VA officials testifying before Congress have, upon being asked, been unable to provide accurate demographics on the department’s patient population, because the information had not been collected or collated.
VA Seeks More Contractors to Support Expanding Telehealth Programs
As VA faces a post-pandemic landscape that includes an increased reliance on telehealth, it is looking to put its money where its healthcare needs are.
For Veterans With Cancer, Teleoncology Offers High Patient Satisfaction
Approximately 50,000 U.S. military veterans are diagnosed with cancer annually, representing 3% of all cancers across the nation.
VA Will Use Rescue Funds to Digitize Records Used for Veteran Claims
The VA will use millions of dollars from its American Rescue Plan grants to expand the scope of the digitization of federal records. One key goal is to reduce a backlog of record requests created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Some Patients Who Would Benefit Most From Telemedicine Can’t Access It
Telemedicine offers convenient healthcare for many, but those who could stand to benefit most could be the least able to access it, according to a new analysis.
COVID-19 Pandemic Provides Lessons on Protecting VA LTC Facilities
The VA can learn important lessons from how it handled infection control in its senior centers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Strebel Helps Create Tool to Identify VA COVID-19 Patients Most at Risk
Is it possible to create an algorithm that not only accurately predicts which COVID-19 patients will be hardest hit by the virus but will also be accepted and trusted by clinicians?
VA Police Likely Will Be Equipped With Body Cameras to Provide More Data
VA’s police force will likely soon be equipped with body-worn cameras, either through the department’s own initiative or by legislative fiat.
Legislator: VA Is Using ‘Opaque Slush Fund’ to Fund IT Costs
The VA’s plans to use money left over from another fund to increase its information technology budget has raised concerns among some members of Congress.
VA EHR Rollout at First Site Was Flawed, Needs Reconfiguration
The initial rollout of VA’s new electronic health record (EHR) system at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC was deeply flawed and requires serious reconfiguring.
VA’s Tele-Oncology Services Proved Beneficial During COVID-19 Shutdowns
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, 2,749 face-to-face visits for medical oncology and 5,093 visits for radiation oncology occurred at the Ann Arbor, MI, VAMC from June 2019 to December 2019.
Infrastructure Costs to Modernize VA Could Cost Billions Extra
VA might have underestimated the physical infrastructure costs related to its electronic health record modernization effort by billions according to a VA Inspector General report analyzing the project costs.
VA Emergency Medicine Chief Used Videocast to Share Ideas During Pandemic
As VA’s National Emergency Medicine chief, Chad Kessler, MD, appreciates the importance that communication plays in seeing people through a crisis.
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.
Problems With DoD-to-VA Transition Program Intensified by Pandemic
Transitioning from active duty military service to civilian life is difficult at the best of times. The pandemic added a host of new challenges, highlighted existing problems with the transitioning process and widened the cracks through which those veterans who are most in need of support are in danger of falling.
COVID-19 Pandemic Put Spotlight on VA’s Critical Supply Chain Problems
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored VA’s lack of a comprehensive supply chain management program, and agency officials once again defended their progress before Congress.
Workflow Issues Plague Rollout of VA’s New Electronic Health Record
Many of the design issues delaying the continued rollout of VA’s new electronic health record (EHR) system are in the area of standardized workflow rather than simple technical glitches, VA officials explained.
Infrastructure Lack Increases Health Risks of Native Americans
The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected Native Americans, has revealed a critical need for investments in those communities, according to trial advocates and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
VA’s EHR Rollout on Temporary Hold for Strategic Review
VA has put the nationwide rollout of its new electronic health record (EHR) modernization program on pause to conduct an assessment of challenges at the pilot site at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA.
GAO Reports Calls for Suspension of VA EHR Rollout to Resolve Problems
The VA should consider pausing the rollout of its new electronic health record system until problems discovered during earlier deployment stages are addressed
Technology Helps Veterans Better Manage Diabetes During Pandemic Restrictions
Across the country, diabetes patients have faced extraordinary challenges throughout the pandemic.
Yuen Used Technology to Create COVID-19 Screening Tool for VA
It was working at VA that, for Kaeli Yuen, MD, sparked a passion for finding new ways that health information technology can ease the burden on overworked, schedule-packed clinicians.
House VA Committee Advises on Protecting Veterans From Social Media
Veterans are regularly being targeted by social media, according to a report by the House VA Committee which recommends what VA and DoD can do to address the issue.
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...
Academic Detailing Pharmacists Add Pandemic Role: Telehealth Champions
For academic detailers, acting as change agents is nothing new. It’s central to their work as clinical pharmacy specialists and educators. This year, the academic detailers at the VA found their transformative role included a new and urgent responsibility—increasing provider comfort with telehealth technology.
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.
Study Urges Integration of Co-Morbid Mental Health, Substance Use Treatment
Many mental health programs will not accept patients with active substance use issues. That effectively denies treatment to many veterans who have served in the past 20 years, among whom co-occurring substance use disorders and mental health disorders are particularly common.
VA Takes Multi-track Approach for Veterans with Serious Mental Illness
WASHINGTON—The COVID-19 pandemic closed many hospitals and clinics across the U.S. this spring, but that didn’t stop the VA from supporting veterans with serious mental illness. To the contrary, it led to an expansion of service approaches that may prove valuable even...
VA Program ‘Annie’ Helps Veterans Cope during Pandemic
LOUISVILLE, KY—Veterans struggling with anxiety, depression, and isolation as COVID-19 continues to rage across the country have a virtual buddy to help them through. Annie, a new program from the VA’s Office of Connected Care, provides guidance to veterans to manage...
