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2019 Compendium of
Federal Medicine 2019 USM Directory
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Electronic Health Records Emergency Preparedness Legislation Medical Equipment News Pay and Recruitment Personnel Pharmacy Policy Tricare

MHS Pharmacies Prescribed 6,200 Naloxone Kits Under New Directive

FALLS CHURCH, VA—In June 2018, Defense Health Agency Director Raquel Bono, MD, directed all MHS pharmacies to dispense the opioid reversal agent naloxone to eligible beneficiaries and those who request it without requiring a prescription.... View Article

From the Editor in Chief


Chester Buckenmaier III, MD COL (ret), MC, USA

“13. The delivery of good medical care is to do as much nothing as possible.” “Laws of the House of God,” —Samuel Shem

“When discussing collaboration, people often talk about ‘breaking down silos.’ ... ” —William D. Ramsey, MD

Trying to Determine What Leads to Tobacco Cessation in Vets

MINNEAPOLIS—Incidental pulmonary nodules are commonly found on routine chest imaging, but not enough is known about smoking behaviors among patients with IPNs or characteristics of patient-clinician communication that may contribute to these behaviors. A study... View Article

Benzodiazepines Prescribed Long-Term for COPD/PTSD

SEATTLE—Symptoms of insomnia and anxiety are common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that is especially the case among patients with comorbid mental health disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a... View Article

Decompensated Diabetes More Common in Certain Racial, Age Groups

ATLANTA—Which diabetes patients are most likely to have decompensated diabetes, defined as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state? A study published in Cureus sought to determine that across age, gender and racial groups of hospitalized... View Article

Archives

Featured Articles

New Biomarker for MS Discovered; Could Replace MRI for Detection

August 22, 2019

VA: Blue Water Veterans Must Wait Until 2020 for Claims to Be Processed

August 16, 2019

Debate Continues on Esketamine Efficacy and Safety for Depression Treatment

August 12, 2019

Administrative Confusions Results in Little Oversight of VA’s Police Force

July 16, 2019

All VA Healthcare Facilities to Be Completely Smoke-Free by October

July 12, 2019

Departments

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Ensuring Community Providers Meet Veteran Suicide Prevention Standards

WASHINGTON—As leaders from across multiple federal agencies begin work on a roadmap to combat veteran suicide, they are searching for ways to turn existing efforts in towns, cities, counties and neighborhoods across the country into... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

VA Manages Drug Costs Better than Medicare Part D

ST. LOUIS – Medicare Part D could save more than $14 billion annually if it paid the same prices for top medications as the VA, according to a new study. A research letter published earlier... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

House Passes Bill to Create Education/Employment Arm of VA

WASHINGTON,—Legislators have reintroduced plans to create a fourth administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs—one dedicated to overseeing veterans’ education, transition and employment benefits. Currently these operations fall under the Veterans Benefits Administration, with VBA... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Administrative Confusions Results in Little Oversight of VA’s Police Force

Suicides, Violence at VMACs Put Spotlight on Security WASHINGTON—As the number of suicides and other violent incidents at VA facilities grows, a spotlight is being thrown on VA’s internal police force and its ability to... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Veterans Using Dual Health Systems Have More Problems With Medications

CHARLESTON, SC—More than half of the patients treated by VA are also Medicare eligible, and that is increasing the risk for a range of prescription medication problems—from chronic disease medication nonadherence to opioid overdoses—among dual... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

All VA Healthcare Facilities to Be Completely Smoke-Free by October

New Directive Abolishes Designated Smoking Zones WASHINGTON—Starting in October, all VA healthcare facilities will be official no-smoking zones. While VA now permits smoking in designated areas, the department has issued a new policy restricting smoking... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

VA Isn’t Addressing Recommendations by Oversight Agencies

Too Many Leadership Vacancies Are Part of the Problem WASHINGTON—Deeply ingrained management problems are preventing VA from addressing priority recommendations from oversight agencies, leaving the department with long-standing weaknesses in its healthcare and disability benefits... View Article

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

VA MRSA Prevention Program Successfully Reduced Cases 43%

CDC, VA Authors Reject Calls to Lessen Interventions SALT LAKE CITY—Concerned about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, one of the most common causes of healthcare-associated infections, the VA piloted a MRSA prevention program in 18 VAMCs beginning... View Article

Clinical Topics

Respiratory

Trying to Determine What Leads to Tobacco Cessation in Vets

MINNEAPOLIS—Incidental pulmonary nodules are commonly found on routine chest imaging, but not enough is known about smoking behaviors among patients with IPNs or characteristics of patient-clinician communication that may contribute to these behaviors. A study... View Article

Respiratory

Benzodiazepines Prescribed Long-Term for COPD/PTSD

SEATTLE—Symptoms of insomnia and anxiety are common among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and that is especially the case among patients with comorbid mental health disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, according to a... View Article

Diabetes

Decompensated Diabetes More Common in Certain Racial, Age Groups

ATLANTA—Which diabetes patients are most likely to have decompensated diabetes, defined as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state? A study published in Cureus sought to determine that across age, gender and racial groups of hospitalized... View Article

Diabetes

Tight Glycemic Control Increases Fracture Risk in Veterans with Diabetes

DURHAM, NC — Diabetes mellitus among older men has been associated with increased bone mineral density but paradoxically increased fracture risk, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.1 The mechanisms... View Article

Diabetes

Metformin Reduces Dementia Risk in Black Veterans With T2D

ST. LOUIS—Use of metformin for Type 2 diabetes significantly reduces the risk of dementia among African American male veterans older than 50, according to a large observational cohort study. The study published in the Annals... View Article

Multiple Sclerosis

VA-led Study Finds U.S. MS Prevalence Is Double Previous Estimates

WASHINGTON—Researchers and policy makers estimated that 300,000 to 400,000 people in the U.S. had multiple sclerosis in 2010, but new data indicates that number grossly undercounted the number of people affected by the neurological disease.... View Article

Multiple Sclerosis

New Biomarker for MS Discovered; Could Replace MRI for Detection

BALTIMORE—A University of Maryland research team has discovered a biomarker that can determine whether a patients has multiple sclerosis or is relapsing, thanks to VA funding. Now two VA organizations focused on technology transfer are... View Article

Psoriatic Arthritis

New Guidelines Recommend TNFi Biologics as Initial Psoriatic Arthritis Treatment

BIRMINGHAM, AL For the first time, new guidelines have recommended the use of tumor necrosis factor inhibitor biologics as initial therapy for psoriatic arthritis. While current Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic... View Article

Non-Clinical Topics

Pharmacy

MHS Pharmacies Prescribed 6,200 Naloxone Kits Under New Directive

FALLS CHURCH, VA—In June 2018, Defense Health Agency Director Raquel Bono, MD, directed all MHS pharmacies to dispense the opioid reversal agent naloxone to eligible beneficiaries and those who request it without requiring a prescription.... View Article

Legislation

VA: Blue Water Veterans Must Wait Until 2020 for Claims to Be Processed

Vietnam Vets on Ships Won Fight for Presumptive Agent Orange Status WASHINGTON—Blue Water Navy veterans who want to file disability claims related to Agent Orange exposure will have to wait until next year to have... View Article

Whistleblowers Report Ongoing Harassment for Revealing VA Malfeasance

WASHINGTON—In 2014, Katherine Mitchell, MD, was one of a handful of employees at the Phoenix VAMC who blew the whistle on hospital leadership for keeping a separate, secret list of veterans seeking healthcare—a numerical sleight-of-hand... View Article

Pharmacy

Oral Cancer Therapies Create Critical Demand for Pharmacists

CHICAGO—The pace of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of oral anticancer medications has rapidly increased, from less than one a year at the turn of the century to 10 in 2018. While patients generally... View Article

Electronic Health Records

Technology Experts Question MISSION Act Electronic Systems

WASHINGTON—VA is working under a tight deadline to implement the community care provisions of the MISSION Act, the new law that goes into effect this summer and revises and codifies access standards for veterans receiving... View Article

Pharmacy

DCVAMC Acting Pharmacy Chief Ivan Cephas: ‘Caring Is the Reason’

WASHINGTON—Ivan Cephas, PharmD, the acting chief of pharmacy at the DCVAMC, would be the first to say that what he does is not above and beyond the call of duty. Despite having been awarded the... View Article

Legislation

VA Reverses Stance, Won’t Challenge ‘Blue Water’ Veteran Court Ruling

WASHINGTON—In an about-face, the VA will recommend that the federal government not challenge a recent court decision ruling that the department cannot deny benefits to Vietnam-era Blue Water Navy veterans claiming Agent Orange exposure. The... View Article

Electronic Health Records

Lack of DoD/VA Decision-Maker Could Hamper EHR Implementation

WASHINGTON—Plans are moving ahead for VA’s 10-year, $16 billion effort to modernize its electronic health record system, but legislators still have questions about the project’s timeline and funding, as well as concerns about the project’s... View Article

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