Even VA’s harshest critics regularly admit that VA provides world-class care to its veterans and that VA facilities are staffed by some of the most compassionate, hardest-working providers in any healthcare system in the country.
News
Slow Postal Service Hits Veterans Hard With Medication Delivery Delays
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has long been the most popular government institution in the country, but cascading delays in the last eight months have threatened its preferred position as both businesses and individuals suffer from lost and stranded mail and packages.
A Third of Military Healthcare Beneficiaries Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
About one-third of military servicemembers, civilian contractors and military family members are declining to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and that has DoD officials concerned.
Current Issue
Delayed Colorectal Cancer Screening Follow-up Increases Veterans’ Death Rates
With about 4,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed each year, the VA has fought to increase screening for the condition, which is in the top five cancers afflicting veterans.
Servicemembers Affected by Toxic Exposures Need More Specialized Healthcare
Government medical agencies need to view toxic exposure as a high-priority issue deserving of specialized centers for research and monitoring, according to advocates who raised concerns that veterans with conditions related to their exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances might be left waiting decades for the science to catch up to their healthcare and benefits needs.
DoD Takes Aim at Vaccine Hesitancy With Targeted Public Health Campaign
The DoD cannot mandate immunization against COVID-19, but it can strongly encourage servicemembers to take a jab for the team.
COVID-19
How Effective Are COVID-19 Vaccines in Autoimmune Disease Patients?
Patients with autoimmune diseases had significantly worse outcomes with COVID-19 infection than with past cases of influenza, according to a review using data from the VA and other international data.
DoD Personnel Critical in Getting Civilians Immunized Against COVID-19
In an effort to get as many COVID-19 shots into arms as possible as quickly as feasible, the military is continuing to supply personnel to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency at mass vaccination sites.
House VA Committee Engages in Partisan Squabbling Over Funding
In its first meeting of the 117th Congress, the House VA Committee advanced a proposal that would allocate $17 billion for VA as part of President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
Comorbidities Led to More Severe COVID-19 Cases Among MHS Beneficiaries
About a third of COVID-19 cases among MHS beneficiaries were diagnosed with at least one comorbidity linked to more severe infection
A Third of Military Healthcare Beneficiaries Refuse COVID-19 Vaccine
About one-third of military servicemembers, civilian contractors and military family members are declining to be vaccinated for COVID-19, and that has DoD officials concerned.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
“Wear a mask.” – Anthony Fauci, MD.
Dr. Anthony Fauci made the now-famous statement, “Wear a mask,” during a 60-Minutes interview at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The verbal missive has been requoted countless times by government officials and healthcare leaders during the past year. The Yale Law School library has listed this statement as one of the top 10 quotations that define the year 2020.
Survey Looks at VHA Glaucoma Surgery Patterns
Laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) is the use of a laser beam to burn areas of the trabecular meshwork, located near the base of the iris, to increase fluid outflow.
Battlefield Ocular Trauma Leaves Wounded Legally Blind
Modern-day combat trauma results in complicated ocular injuries causing nearly a third of injured military personnel to be declared legally blind in the affected eye, according to a new study.
Study Sought to Characterize Ocular Pain Symptoms
How common is ocular pain in patients with and without a history of refractive surgery, and what are its characteristics?
With Atrial Fibrillation, More than the Heart Is Aflutter
The most feared consequence of atrial fibrillation has long been ischemic stroke, but the erratic heartbeat doesn’t just raise the risk that a blood clot formed in the heart will lodge in the brain with sudden and frequently fatal results.
Untangling the Mystery Behind Blast-Induced Neurological Complications
Explosive blasts account for a majority of the injuries among wounded servicemembers, but some of the most long-term and damaging effects of blast exposure might be slipping by undetected.
PCI Improves Survival of Some LVEF Heart Failure Patients
While revascularization of ischemic cardiomyopathy by coronary artery bypass grafting has been shown to improve survival among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%,
Researchers Link Heart Failure, Frailty With Mortality and Admission Risk
Is frailty associated with increased admission and mortality risk in heart failure patients?
Early Discharge Follow-Up Improves HF Outcomes
The benefit of early post-discharge hospital followup for heart failure patients was demonstrated in a new approach at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System.
Younger, Not Older, Veterans With Epilepsy Tend to Have Lower Quality of Life
For veterans with epilepsy, quality of life is most negatively impacted by frequency of seizures, according to a new study. And that, plus some other factors, usually means that younger veterans have a tougher time with epilepsy than older ones.
Cognitive Disorders Common in Older Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients
Cognitive impairment can be a typical comorbidity in epilepsy, appearing in a significant number of older adults with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), the most common form of focal epilepsy, according to a new study.
Chief Medical Recruiters Look for Commitment to the VA’s Mission
Even VA’s harshest critics regularly admit that VA provides world-class care to its veterans and that VA facilities are staffed by some of the most compassionate, hardest-working providers in any healthcare system in the country.
Slow Postal Service Hits Veterans Hard With Medication Delivery Delays
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has long been the most popular government institution in the country, but cascading delays in the last eight months have threatened its preferred position as both businesses and individuals suffer from lost and stranded mail and packages.
“Wear a mask.” – Anthony Fauci, MD.
Dr. Anthony Fauci made the now-famous statement, “Wear a mask,” during a 60-Minutes interview at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The verbal missive has been requoted countless times by government officials and healthcare leaders during the past year. The Yale Law School library has listed this statement as one of the top 10 quotations that define the year 2020.
Survey Looks at VHA Glaucoma Surgery Patterns
Laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) is the use of a laser beam to burn areas of the trabecular meshwork, located near the base of the iris, to increase fluid outflow.
Battlefield Ocular Trauma Leaves Wounded Legally Blind
Modern-day combat trauma results in complicated ocular injuries causing nearly a third of injured military personnel to be declared legally blind in the affected eye, according to a new study.
Study Sought to Characterize Ocular Pain Symptoms
How common is ocular pain in patients with and without a history of refractive surgery, and what are its characteristics?
With Atrial Fibrillation, More than the Heart Is Aflutter
The most feared consequence of atrial fibrillation has long been ischemic stroke, but the erratic heartbeat doesn’t just raise the risk that a blood clot formed in the heart will lodge in the brain with sudden and frequently fatal results.