The VA’s My HealtheVet is not only the most widely disseminated personal health record system in the United States, it also is likely to become the model for such systems nationwide.

After recorded seasonal influenza vaccination rates among VHA healthcare personnel plummeted 21% last year compared with 2009-2010, the agency has set an aggressive goal of vaccinating 85% of healthcare workers during the 2011-2012 flu season.

Please read this article and participate in this month's online opinion poll: Should VA mandate that all medical staff receive annual influenza vaccines as a condition of employment?

WASHINGTON — Unless FDA knows of a potential drug shortage in advance, the agency is not very effective in preventing or controlling that shortage, according to a recent government report.

WASHINGTON — A new survey of teen drug use shows that, while alcohol use continues its long-term decline, marijuana use has surprisingly spiked, suggesting a changing attitude among teens about the dangers of its regular use. The survey, officials said, can act as a road map for prevention efforts.

WASHINGTON — In an unprecedented move, a federal panel has asked scientists and science journals to curtail the publication of research into avian flu (H5N1). The request has led to heated discussions among the scientific community and to a temporary moratorium on some avian flu research.

WASHINGTON — Single injured or wounded servicemembers might not have close family to take care of them when they return from deployment, and the financial compensation they receive can make them vulnerable to deceitful relationships.

SAN DIEGO — Inadequate training and mismanagement at the San Diego VA Healthcare System’s Primary Care Call Center (PCCC) has put patients at risk, according to an investigation conducted by the VA Office of the Inspector General.

WASHINGTON — Controversy over access to birth control is continuing with the Department of Health and Human Services’ recent decision to cover birth control as a preventive service under the Affordable Care Act.

WASHINGTON — Frustrated by the numerous reports of veterans unable to receive timely mental healthcare at VA facilities, legislators have called for the VA Office of the Inspector General to conduct a formal audit of wait times.

WASHINGTON — With the swearing in of Lt. Gen. Patricia D. Horoho, RN, as the Army’s 43^rd surgeon general, for the first time a woman or a nurse has been officially in command of the Army’s largest medical organization. Horoho is both.