Late Breaking News
- First Drug for Debilitating Hand Disease Approved
- 02-06-2010 DoD Approves Morning-After Pill For Basic Core Formulary
- 02-05-2010 H1N1 Activity Appears to Have "Leveled Off," CDC Says
- DoD Officials Present Budget Before Senate Committee
- Rules Issued Requiring Mental Health, Substance Abuse Treatment Parity
- Study Examines Effect of Deployments on Army Youth
- Navy Ship Heads to Haiti with Medical Team
- Review of Fort Hood Tragedy Recommends Changes in DoD
- US Military Providing Help In Haiti
- Government Task Force Issues New Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines
January Issue
Combat Experiences Not the Primary Reason for Veterans’ Homelessness
WASHINGTON, DC—One of the most surprising pieces of information to come out of the VA Homeless Summit, held here recently, was the revelation by VA researchers that experiences of combat are not the primary reason for the circumstances of most homeless combat veterans.
Dr Robert Rosenheck, director of VA’s Northeast Program Evaluation Center, has been a leader in veteran homeless research. According to work being done by he and his colleagues, there are a host of more powerful factors that result in a veteran becoming homeless, other than the trauma of combat.
Independent Review Found Plans for New Walter Reed not World Class
WASHINGTON, DC—Members of a House committee voiced their skepticism to DoD leaders last month that the new Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is on track to becoming a world-class medical facility. Full Article
CDC Report Finds H1N1 Especially Deadly for Indigenous Populations
WASHINGTON, DC—American Indians (AI) and Alaska Natives (AN) have an H1N1 mortality rate that is four times higher than persons in all other racial and ethnic populations combined, Full Article
Legislators Question VA Officials on How Allocated Funds Are Disseminated
WASHINGTON, DC—Congress has managed to nearly double the VA health care system’s budget over the last few years, but is that increase being seen at the local level? Full Article
PEPFAR Launches New Five-Year Strategy for AIDS Relief and Prevention
WASHINGTON, DC—US officials unveiled a new five-year strategy for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) Full Article
Clear Need for Reform of Acquisition Procedures Within VA
WASHINGTON, DC—There is a clear need of reform of acquisition procedures within VA, legislators declared last month at a House VA Oversight subcommittee hearing. Full Article
Relationship Between VA and IHS Described as Problematic and Full of Service Gaps
WASHINGTON, DC—Advocates for Native Americans who are working on the frontlines of providing health care to Native veterans describe the relationship between the VA and the IHS as problematic and full of service gaps. Full Article
Literature Review January 2010
This new section of U.S. Medicine will bring to our readers highlights from the peer-reviewed literature and clinical trials Full Article
New DoD Study Points to Pluses and Minuses in Health-Related Behaviors
WASHINGTON, DC—Results of a new DoD study suggest that many servicemembers are struggling with prescription drug misuse. Full Article
Suicides Are the Toughest Problem Faced by Army Vice Chief of Staff
WASHINGTON, DC—The Army is on track for a higher number of suicides in 2009 than the previous year, according to Army officials in a recent statement. Full Article
Army Mental Health Advisory Team Recommends Increasing Provider-to-Servicemember Ratio in Theater
WASHINGTON, DC—The Army said that it is increasing the number of mental health providers being sent to Afghanistan in order to help servicemembers deal with combat stress. Full Article
Military Programs and NGOs Assist Military Families but Many Still Face Financial Hardships
WASHINGTON, DC—On May 31, 2008, Army Pvt Kevin Kammerdiener was serving in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber drove into his Humvee. Full Article
Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009
WASHINGTON, DC—In November, the Senate unanimously passed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009— Full Article
If Researchers Can Understand the Damage Being Done to a Family Then Logic Suggests There Must be Treatments
BETHESDA, MD—Identifying and describing how deployment and its effects can place stress on families is important, but it is only the first step in the healing process, researchers agreed at last month’s Trauma Spectrum Disorder Conference hosted here by NIH, VA and DoD. Full Article
Thirteen Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Available Under NIH Guidelines
BETHESDA, MD— The first new embryonic stem cell lines for use in NIH-funded research in over eight years were announced last month. Full Article
Obama Signs Budgets for Most Health Care and Health Research Agencies
WASHIGNTON, DC—President Obama signed the FY 2010 omnibus appropriations bill last month, which included the budget for most of the nation’s health care and health research agencies. Full Article
Progress Notes January 2010
THE COMMERCIAL TARGETING AND ANALYSIS CENTER FOR IMPORT SAFETY was opened last month in a joint effort by HHS and Homeland Security to ensure the safety of food coming into the US. Full Article
CDC Releases New Report on HIV Infection Among High-Risk Populations
WASHINGTON, DC—Injection drug users (IDUs) continue to represent a substantial proportion of new HIV diagnoses, a recent CDC study confirmed. Full Article
