WASHINGTON—A data breach exposed the personal information of more than 46,000 veterans this summer, the VA recently revealed. Hackers gained access...
News
Rethinking Pharmacy Access Improves Care for Homeless Veterans
Housing and mental health have always been intrinsically intertwined in the VA’s efforts to care for homeless veterans. As its original name—the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Program—made clear, the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program focuses on providing services to veterans with serious mental health diagnoses.
Surgical Mask Use Not Dangerous, Even in Veterans With COPD
Medical advice urging the use of face masks to help bring the COVID-19 pandemic under control has become a political flashpoint in the United States, but a new VA study refuted some of the arguments against the strategy.
Current Issue
Post-Surgical Pain, Opioids Decreased in Veterans Who Received Acupuncture
DETROIT—Using acupuncture in veterans facing surgery resulted in less post-surgical pain and the use of fewer opioids to manage it, according to new...
VA Completes Key Milestone in Launch of New EHR System
Last month, VA hit one of the largest, long-awaited milestones in the development of its new electronic health record (EHR) system—the launching of the system at its initial pilot site at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA.
Legislators Decry Veterans’ More Than 40-Day Wait for Community Care
Both houses of Congress held hearings last month focusing on concerns about the rollout of the MISSION Act, which consolidates VA’s community healthcare services.
COVID-19
DoD, VA Explore Link Between COVID-19 Pandemic, Suicide in U.S.
COVID-19, which as of last month had killed 225,000 people in the United States, “has exacerbated mental and behavioral health conditions as a result of stress from prolonged lockdown orders, lost employment and social isolation,” Trump said
IT Modernization Might Not Fix VA’s Medical Supply Chain Problems
A recent Government Accountability Office report calls into question VA’s belief that upcoming IT modernization projects will fix long-standing problems in its medical supply chain.
Advice on MS Treatment During COVID-19 Pandemic
Selecting appropriate treatments for multiple sclerosis is complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new study.
DoD Leads the Charge Against COVID-19 Through Operation Warp Speed
The DoD is on the attack against a wily and deadly enemy that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, devastated populations in cities, and destroyed significant segments of the economy.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.
“That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” – Jake Tapper, CNN
On Sept. 29, 2020, the first presidential debate was hosted in Cleveland by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Like millions of other Americans who believe the upcoming election is one of the most consequential in our 244-year history, I settled in with a beer to watch. I have been consuming the historical fiction series, “Vikings,” on Hulu that involves considerable hacking and slashing battle scenes. During the course of the debate, I was tempted to turn back to “Vikings” for something a little less traumatic and disturbing.
Considering Social/Behavioral Determinants Improves Health Risk Predictions
Awareness is growing that social and behavioral determinants of health (SDH)—essentially personal circumstances and environmental factors that shape conditions of daily life
Prostate-Specific Antigen Doubling Time Helps Determine Prognosis at VHA
What is the association between prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) with metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) in VHA patients with nonmetastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC)?
VHA PSA Screening Rates Dropped for Some Groups
How did the 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against the prostate specific antigen screening for prostate cancer affect practice at the VHA?
Conservative PCa Management More Rare for Black Veterans
In general, clinical guidelines recommend conservative management, either active surveillance or watchful waiting, for men with low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.
Use of Low-Value Diagnostic Testing Varies Greatly Among VAMCs
Low-value diagnostic testing not only is associated with wasteful healthcare spending but also has the potential to expose patients to risk with little benefit.
New Definitions for Flu-Related Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis
Patients admitted to intensive care units with influenza increasingly are being diagnosed with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.
COVID-19 Inpatients More Likely Younger, Male Vs. Flu
While comorbid conditions appeared to be common among individuals hospitalized with COVID-19, estimates of prevalence vary and not enough is known about the prior medication use of patients.
Influenza Strains Don’t Differ Much in Severity
The influenza A/H1N1 pandemic of 2009 to 2010 raised the question of whether some flu strains are inherently more likely to cause severe illness than others.
More Benefits for Metformin Are Emerging Beyond Blood Glucose Control
Metformin is like a fine red wine: Its appeal continues to grow over time. More than 70 years after its first clinical use in diabetes, the staple of blood glucose control continues to surprise researchers with unexpected benefits in treating COVID-19, cancer and dementia.
VA Expands Tools to Help Veterans and Clinicians Manage Hypoglycemia Risk
For years, diabetes management was primarily concerned with keeping blood sugar from going too high. Now, and especially at the VA, keeping blood glucose from going too low is just as important.
VA Plagued by Data Breaches, Hacks – Including One Recently
WASHINGTON—A data breach exposed the personal information of more than 46,000 veterans this summer, the VA recently revealed. Hackers gained access to VA’s Financial Services Center (FSC), diverting payments meant for community care providers. According to VA...
Rethinking Pharmacy Access Improves Care for Homeless Veterans
Housing and mental health have always been intrinsically intertwined in the VA’s efforts to care for homeless veterans. As its original name—the Homeless Chronically Mentally Ill Program—made clear, the Health Care for Homeless Veterans Program focuses on providing services to veterans with serious mental health diagnoses.
That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.
“That was a hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck.” – Jake Tapper, CNN
On Sept. 29, 2020, the first presidential debate was hosted in Cleveland by Case Western Reserve University and the Cleveland Clinic. Like millions of other Americans who believe the upcoming election is one of the most consequential in our 244-year history, I settled in with a beer to watch. I have been consuming the historical fiction series, “Vikings,” on Hulu that involves considerable hacking and slashing battle scenes. During the course of the debate, I was tempted to turn back to “Vikings” for something a little less traumatic and disturbing.
Considering Social/Behavioral Determinants Improves Health Risk Predictions
Awareness is growing that social and behavioral determinants of health (SDH)—essentially personal circumstances and environmental factors that shape conditions of daily life
Prostate-Specific Antigen Doubling Time Helps Determine Prognosis at VHA
What is the association between prostate-specific antigen doubling time (PSADT) with metastasis-free survival (MFS) and overall survival (OS) in VHA patients with nonmetastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC)?
VHA PSA Screening Rates Dropped for Some Groups
How did the 2012 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation against the prostate specific antigen screening for prostate cancer affect practice at the VHA?
Conservative PCa Management More Rare for Black Veterans
In general, clinical guidelines recommend conservative management, either active surveillance or watchful waiting, for men with low-risk and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.