WASHINGTON—There are approximately 24 million veterans in the United States. But while only 5 million of those take advantage of healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs, many more are eligible to do so.

WASHINGTON—As it looks forward to a decade where the average age of its patient population will reach an all-time high, the Department of Veterans Affairs is making a concerted effort to prepare itself to handle the expected flood of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

WASHINGTON—Passage of President Obama’s economic stimulus package is welcome news for the National Institutes of Health, mainly due to the efforts of Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa.

WASHINGTON—President Obama last month announced the nomination of Maj. Tammy Duckworth to be the Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

WASHINGTON—Just as newly confirmed Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki appeared before Congress to run down his and VA’s top priorities for the coming year, so did the veterans service organizations.

WASHINGTON—Capacity issues, a changing patient demographic, successes and failures in information technology and the possibility of mandatory enrollment are all issues on Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki’s mind as he tries to get a grasp on the people, programs and infrastructure that make up VA.

WASHINGTON—To avoid the funding delays that plague the federal government yearly, the Department of Veterans Affairs healthcare system should have its funding secured a year in advance, according to a bill reintroduced by legislators last month.

WASHINGTON—A recently begun Department of Veterans Affairs cooperative study is pitting different pharmaceutical treatments for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) against each other and promises to take a comprehensive look at what drugs work in what combination for which patients in the hope of improving RA therapy across the board.

WASHINGTON—How likely is it that underserved patients lacking health care, who frequently go untreated for chronic diseases, would ever see a rheumatologist? How about seeing one at no charge? Or seeing a clinician being trained at the National Institutes of Health?