In an effort to improve healthcare access for veterans in rural, trial and underserved areas across the United States, the VA is creating a new pilot program for graduate medical education.
McDonough: VA Can Only Be So Competitive in Physician Salaries
For many high-demand medical professions, VA will likely never be able to fully compete with the private sector, regardless of the breadth of benefits the department can offer, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough.
Army Names Kenney and Petty Best Medics for 2023
Anyone with a 68W military occupation specialty signs up to go above and beyond the call of duty as a matter of course. As combat medic specialists, they provide life-saving treatment in the chaos and trauma of battle and accept responsibility for the health and well-being of their fellow soldiers on base.
VA Has Good Record Hiring Some Minorities, but Few End Up in Top Management
Over the last decade, VA has increased the percentage of employees who are non-white, but those employees are more likely to be paid less, be fired more and receive fewer raises and awards, as well as, less vacation time, according to a new report.
Army Files Charges Against Anesthesiologist, Alleges Inappropriate Sexual Conduct
Sexual-assault charges have been filed by the Army against Maj. Michael Stockin, MD, an anesthesiologist stationed at the pain clinic at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Madigan Army Medical Center.
With Influx of Patients, VA Loses Ground in Filling Key Healthcare Positions
Despite a recent hiring surge, VA has been losing ground in filling key healthcare positions, with the number of severe shortages rising from this time last year.
Significant U.S. Military Response to Catastrophic Lahaina Wildfires in Hawaii
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.
Despite Hiring at a Record Pace, VA Struggles to Meet PACT Act Demand
The 1-year anniversary occurred last month of the signing of the PACT Act—the sweeping legislation that expanded healthcare and benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service.
VA Doctor-Turned-Inventor Works to Prevent Infectious Disease Spread
Part of the inspiration for Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, to specialize in treating infectious disease comes from going to medical school in his native India, which has a high burden of such diseases. However, he also likes to say it’s partly for selfish reasons.
VA House Committee Chair Raises Concerns About VA ‘Sustained’ Leadership
Legislators and agency watchdogs are concerned about the lack of strong, sustained leadership at VA’s highest levels. Part of the worry is about the department’s ability to carry through on major projects and enact the provisions of recent legislation, as well as learn from previous mistakes.
Retaliation Common Against ‘Whistleblowers’ Who Point Out VA Wrongdoing
Despite strong messaging over the last few years that VA would protect employees who come forward about wrongdoing in the workplace, the percentage of whistleblowers who experience retaliation from co-workers is growing.
VA Slowly, Steadily Rolls New Pay, Hiring Authorities Those Could Increase Salaries for Some Staff
While VA is moving quickly to roll out new pay and hiring authorities, the impact might take time to trickle down to VA staff in non-supervisory roles or those whose salaries are not near the top of their profession’s pay cap.
Military Surgeons Deployed to Combat Environments Face Moral Injury, Distress
A new VA study may be the first to examine moral injury and distress at the intersection of these populations—that is, military healthcare professionals, specifically surgeons
New Bill to Raise VA Physician Salary Cap Goes to Full Senate
The Senate VA Committee has advanced sweeping bipartisan legislation that would allow VA to raise the salary cap for physicians to above $400,000.
New Defense Act Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Servicemembers
Before year’s end, Congress passed the $858 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2023, the largest defense spending bill of its kind.
Man Who Stalked Female VA Physicians in California Called ‘Menace’ by Judge
A federal judge called a man “a menace to society” —the first time he said he has done that —while sentencing him to 18 years in federal prison for stalking four female physicians who worked for the VA.
Elnahal Is First Permanent VA Under Secretary for Health Since 2017
The Senate voted to confirm Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, as the next VA undersecretary for health, making him the first Senate-confirmed person in that role since 2017.
Sexual Harassment Reporting Structure Might Change at VA
Despite concerns from agency watchdogs that VA’s sexual harassment reporting process has a perceived conflict of interest, if not an actual one, the department has resisted changing it.
VA OIG: Lack of Oversight Found in DO’s Sexual Abuse at Beckley VAMC
This is just the latest finding by the OIG that places blame for a recent criminal case on lack of VA oversight.
Psychologist Colleen Richardson Makes Sure VA Properly Cares for Caregivers
During her four years of active duty with the Navy, Colleen Richardson, PsyD, saw the immediate effects of trauma first-hand. In 2008, as the first woman Operational Stress Control and Readiness Provider embedded with the 1st Marine Division’s Regimental Combat Team, the clinical psychologist provided mental health care to servicemembers on the front lines in Iraq.
Legislators: VA’s Whistleblower Protection Office Is Falling Short
Bipartisan legislation currently being drafted in the House is attempting to clarify the role of VA’s Office of Whistleblower Protection (OAWP), an organization that has been fraught with challenges since it was established in 2017.
Ho Seeks to Reduce Barriers to Care—Inside and Outside VA
Michael Ho, MD, PhD, a staff cardiologist at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care, has spent much of his professional career studying how veterans access VA and the barriers that might stand in their way.
Severe Staffing Shortages Are Again Increasing at VA Medical Facilities
After years of improvements, severe staffing shortages are back on the rise at VA. According to a VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report released last month, fiscal year 2022 put an end to a three-year staffing improvement
VA Makes Efforts to Respond to Healthcare Workers’ High Levels of Stress
As VA employees are reporting increasing levels of burnout, and the department is facing its highest turnover rate in decades, VA has tried to put systems in place to support staff mental and emotional health.
Community Care Coordination Puts Strain on VA Staff, Finances
Since 2014, when Congress passed the Veterans Access Choice and Accountability (Choice) Act, the VA has been paying for U.S. veterans to receive increasing amounts of private sector, non-VA, care.
VA Researcher Focuses on How to Prevent Staff Burnout at VA
For the past five years, Kara Zivin, PhD, MS, MA, has been “chasing burnout,” working to understand what causes it, how to measure it and what are the truly impactful measures that a healthcare system can take to combat it.
VA AIR Report Outdated Because Pandemic Effects Weren’t Considered
Some of the data which the VA used to support the recommendations made in its Asset and Infrastructure Report (AIR) is outdated and flawed, VA leaders recently admitted.
Safety Procedures Aren’t Always Followed at DHA Facilities
Dez Del Barba was only a short way into Army basic training at Fort Benning, GA, when he began to experience escalating pain in both legs. Physicians wrote it off as simple muscle soreness.
Future Employers Might Not Know About Problem Clinicians Fired by VA
A recent investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found widespread noncompliance by VA facilities in reporting healthcare professionals whose conduct or incompetence led them to be fired to state licensing boards (SLB) or the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).
VA Leads Nation in Developing Valuation System for Health Care Innovation
The VA introduced a new value-driven framework for evaluating health care innovations in conjunction with the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting in March.