Several new partnerships are positioning the VA to offer more extensive services, educational material and testing for the one in six veterans estimated to have chronic kidney disease.
News
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.
Current Issue
How Do Service Dogs Help PTSD Symptoms in Veterans?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts 11-20% of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and can have a significant effect on quality of life.
GI Symptoms, IBS Are More Prevalent Among Veterans with PTSD
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a syndrome characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits.
COVID-19
Melanoma Cases Went Undiagnosed Earlier in Pandemic
Too many melanoma cases went undiagnosed during the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently presented at later stages, according to a letter published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
COVID-19 Telehealth Changes Improve VA Treatment for Opioid-Use Disorder
Implementing new policies during the COVID-19 pandemic reduced barriers to telehealth delivery of buprenorphine treatment for opioid-use disorder for veterans seeking care, a new study reports.
Elderly Veterans More Likely to Die from COVID-19 Than Flu
An often repeated misconception during the COVID-19 pandemic is that the Sars-C0V-2 and influenza viruses are similarly fatal for older adults, although there have been limited data to support that observation.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
Better late than never
Pam and I are presently hiding from the heat of summer 2022 in the lakes region of central Maine. Pam’s family has maintained a cabin in the area for over 100 years. We are indeed fortunate to have the means to travel to cooler climates within the United States. At the same time, so many Americans must withstand the daily onslaught of over 90° F temperatures.
New Center at NYU Will Focus on How Social Factors Might Affect Veterans Using Telehealth for Cancer
As part of a larger initiative, a center will be established at New York University to determine how social factors might affect the delivery of telehealth for cancer care.
VA Adds Abortion Counseling, Limited Abortion Access to Health Services
The VA has expanded its health services to include access to abortion counseling and, in limited cases, abortion to veterans and VA beneficiaries, even when restricted by state laws.
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.
Aspirin Helps Protect Hypertensive Patients from Melanoma
Dose aspirin used by hypertensive patients reduce their risk of melanoma?
U.S. Military Needs to Prioritize Sun Protection More
The U.S. military could do more to protect service members from skin cancer, according to a recent article.
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 Researchers Suggest Non-Hispanic Black Men Might Need More Frequent PSA Screening to Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality
The benefits of annual prostate-specific antigen screening (PSA) appear to vary by race, decreasing the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality among non-Hispanic Black men but not non-Hispanic white men, according to a new veteran study.
What Factors Help Decrease Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Veterans?
Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders. They also carry a significant risk of side effects.
Problematic Anger Impedes Transition to Civilian Life
How does problematic anger in long-term adjustment of service members transitioning out of the military?
Collaborative Care Works Well for Bipolar Patients Seeing PCPs
For patients with bipolar disorder, medication management appears to work as well with primary care clinicians supported by psychiatrists as direct psychiatrist care.
VA Partners With American Kidney Fund, Business to Tackle CKD
Several new partnerships are positioning the VA to offer more extensive services, educational material and testing for the one in six veterans estimated to have chronic kidney disease.
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.
Pharmacogenomic Testing Had Positive Results for Major Depression Patients
Pharmacogenomic testing can help clinicians avoid prescribing antidepressant medications that might have undesirable outcomes.
GAO Report Spotlights Medical Supply Issues at VA Healthcare Facilities
Each report the Government Accountability Office (GAO) submits to VA detailing weaknesses in the department comes attached with recommendations for solving the problems.
Senate Changes Spread Out PACT Act Implementation Over Years
When Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act passed the House in March, it was expected to be a very hard sell in the Senate.
VA Pauses Further EHR Expansion Because of Patient Care Issues
The VA has paused any further expansion of its new electronic health record (EHR) in reaction to an early draft of a VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.
VHA National Telestroke Program Uses Technology to Improves Acute Stroke Care
Prompt access to specialized care is critical to limiting the damage caused by a stroke.
VA Adds Nine Rare Cancers to Presumed Service-Connected Disabilities
Nine new rare respiratory cancers are now on the VA’s list of presumed service-connected disabilities for certain veterans exposed to fine particulate matter during military service.
Severe Staffing Shortages Continue to Plague VA Healthcare System
The VA healthcare system currently is grappling with about 50,000 vacancies, mostly among doctors, nurses, social workers and physician aides. In addition, the turnover rate among nurses is the highest the department has experienced since 2005.
Biden Underscores Commitment to Veterans Who Had Toxic Exposures
During the State of the Union address, President Joe Biden shined a light, as he has many times in the past, on the effects of toxic exposure, declaring that he would continue to make it a priority of his administration.
Better late than never
Pam and I are presently hiding from the heat of summer 2022 in the lakes region of central Maine. Pam’s family has maintained a cabin in the area for over 100 years. We are indeed fortunate to have the means to travel to cooler climates within the United States. At the same time, so many Americans must withstand the daily onslaught of over 90° F temperatures.
New Center at NYU Will Focus on How Social Factors Might Affect Veterans Using Telehealth for Cancer
As part of a larger initiative, a center will be established at New York University to determine how social factors might affect the delivery of telehealth for cancer care.
VA Adds Abortion Counseling, Limited Abortion Access to Health Services
The VA has expanded its health services to include access to abortion counseling and, in limited cases, abortion to veterans and VA beneficiaries, even when restricted by state laws.
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.
Aspirin Helps Protect Hypertensive Patients from Melanoma
Dose aspirin used by hypertensive patients reduce their risk of melanoma?
U.S. Military Needs to Prioritize Sun Protection More
The U.S. military could do more to protect service members from skin cancer, according to a recent article.
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 Researchers Suggest Non-Hispanic Black Men Might Need More Frequent PSA Screening to Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality
The benefits of annual prostate-specific antigen screening (PSA) appear to vary by race, decreasing the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality among non-Hispanic Black men but not non-Hispanic white men, according to a new veteran study.
What Factors Help Decrease Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Veterans?
Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders. They also carry a significant risk of side effects.
Problematic Anger Impedes Transition to Civilian Life
How does problematic anger in long-term adjustment of service members transitioning out of the military?
Collaborative Care Works Well for Bipolar Patients Seeing PCPs
For patients with bipolar disorder, medication management appears to work as well with primary care clinicians supported by psychiatrists as direct psychiatrist care.
Veterans With Schizophrenia Face High Rates of Adverse Societal Outcomes
In addition to their substantial healthcare burdens, veterans with schizophrenia face a much higher risk of adverse societal outcomes, according to a new report.
Expert Panel Identifies Quality Measures for High-Risk Veteran Patients
An expert panel has identified quality measures for ambulatory primary care for VHA patients who have complex care needs and are at high risk for adverse outcomes, such as hospitalization or death, according to a new study.
Minimally Invasive Surgery Is Safe, Feasible Option for Diverticulitis
Patients with right colon diverticulitis can consider minimally invasive surgery a safe, feasible treatment option, according to a recent study.
NAFLD to MAFLD? New Terminology Urged for Fatty Liver Disease
International experts recommend replacing the disease acronym nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with metabolic (dysfunction)-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD); the new terminology would allow additional reasons for liver disease and more clearly specifies the probable reason for illness, according to a recent veterans study.
Adverse Health Outcomes Vary by Soldiers’ Specialized Combat Experiences
Experiencing combat during deployment has been associated with adverse health outcomes including mental health problems, sleep problems and alcohol misuse.
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.
Marijuana Laws Linked to Increasing Cannabis-Use Disorder in Veterans
As laws and attitudes about marijuana use have been relaxed over the past two decades, the substance has become widely regarded by society as innocuous.
Survey: Post-9/11 Veterans More Likely to Exercise, Eat Right Than Civilians
BOSTON — Recent U.S. veterans reported similar or better outcomes than nonveterans when it comes to their health, vocational, financial and social well-being. That is in contrast to some earlier cohorts who had served in the military and lagged behind civilians in some domains.
Prior to PACT Act, VA Prematurely Denied Most Burn Pit Claims
With the passage of the PACT Act last month, Congress is demanding that VA put burn pit exposure at the forefront of its healthcare and benefits processes.
Colonoscopy Findings Can Offer Clues to Future Non-CRC Mortality
A new study from the Durham, NC, VAMC and Duke University argued that an opportunity to improve health status is being missed by focusing only on cancer screening.
Cancer Data Misleading When Asians Are Aggregated With Pacific Islanders
While federal guidelines have called for separating data for Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander individuals from data for Asian individuals, the cohorts often are aggregated or excluded completely in medical research, according to a new study.
Study Calls for Greater Use of Fecal Immunochemical Testing for CRC
Backlogs in high-volume gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, such as colonoscopy occurred during the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the early days.
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.
COVID-19 Could Be Especially Risky for Veterans With Sickle Cell Trait
The presence of sickle cell trait (SCT) should be considered an adverse prognostic factor for COVID-19, according to a new study.
VA Focuses on Issue of Widespread Food Insecurity Among Veterans
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 11% of veterans were living in a food-insecure household, and 5.3% lived in a household with very low food security, meaning that eating patterns were disrupted and food intake reduced.
VA’s Stroke Care Quality, Outcomes Not Affected by COVID-19 Pandemic
The overall quality of care for stroke patients in the nation’s largest healthcare system did not decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
Reforms Put Caregiver Assistance in Danger for Most Post 9/11 Veterans
In a case of unintended consequences, as many as 90% of post 9/11 veterans currently enrolled in the VA’s Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) were in danger of being discharged due to an ongoing wave of eligibility reforms.
VHA Pulse Oximeters Over-Estimated Oxygenation in Some Racial/Ethnic Groups
Research from the University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins and other medical centers has been raising concerns about the accuracy of pulse oximeters in certain racial groups almost since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Airway Abnormalities in Post-9/11 Deployed Military Personnel Detected by Quantitative Imaging Analysis
Quantitative imaging analysis has been able to detect airway abnormalities in military personnel with persistent respiratory symptoms, offering a new, effective tool to diagnose and monitor patients with deployment-related lung disease, according to a recent study.
Blood Sugars Higher for Flu Vaccine Recipients With Diabetes
The Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System, established by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has more than 350 reports of hyperglycemia post-influenza vaccine, according to a new study.
Hemorrhagic Mortality A Problem for APL Patients
Even though the rate of complete remission of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is currently more than 90% because of the use of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) with arsenic trioxide (ATO), hemorrhagic mortality has emerged as the most significant barrier to APL-induced remission, according to a new study.
Yellow Fever Vaccine Response Lower After Flu Vaccine
The DoD’s support of the United States government’s response to the Ebola crisis in Liberia, beginning in 2014‐2015, was the first U.S. military operation to support a disease‐driven foreign humanitarian assistance mission.
Pediatric ALL Survivors Have High Follow-Up Screening Rates in MHS
Does universal access to healthcare make any difference in health screening for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) survivors?
New VA Therapy Reduces Pain, Disability, PTSD Symptoms Following TBI
Military servicemembers and veterans are at high risk for head injury compared with civilians. More than 369,000 U.S. veterans have at least one mild traumatic brain injury, and many report the onset or worsening of headache within three months of their injury.
VA Further Postpones Electronic Health Record Rollout to New Facilities
VA has postponed the rollout of its new electronic health record (EHR) system to new facilities, including to Boise, ID, where it had been scheduled to go live last month.
Despite Allergic-Type Reactions, Military Study Found Many Patients Can Tolerate Second Dose of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine
Although serious allergic reactions to mRNA vaccines are extremely rare, fear of them has driven hesitancy among some potential recipients. That especially has been the case when an adverse effect occurred after the first dose.
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.
MHS Researchers Found Current Antibiotic Dosing Guidelines Adequate for Critically Ill Patients With Trauma, Burn
Critical illness caused by burn and sepsis doesn’t alter how the body processes piperacillin and tazobactam (pip-tazo), an antibiotic and beta-lactamase inhibitor drug combination
Cost of VA-Reimbursed Community Care Is Rising Dramatically
Between FY 2017 and FY 2021, VA spending on community care rose from $10.1 billion to $21.8 billion–a 116% increase that does not factor in the costs of administering the program. At the same time, VA spending on healthcare in its own facilities grew 32%.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Is Uncommon in Brains of Military Personnel
Military personnel exposed to attacks with high explosives frequently experience neuropsychiatric symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction, behavioral changes, mood disturbances and suicidality.