Legislators in the past few years have been pushing VA and DoD to work together to better understand the toxic effects of burn pit exposure on servicemembers.
News
National Guard Gives States’ Vaccine Distribution Plans a Shot in the Arm
The National Guard has stepped up again to help states in their battle against the novel coronavirus.
New NDAA Expands Presumptive Conditions Linked to Agent Orange
In a rare New Year’s Day vote, the Senate voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—the $740 billion military spending bill, which includes a number of healthcare provisions for veterans, servicemembers, and the general public.
Current Issue
New Veterans Health Care Act Seeks to Improve Women’s Healthcare at VA
One of the last pieces of legislation to make it through the 116th Congress was the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, MD Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020—a more than 300-page piece of legislation whose size and scope had it being referred to as the “veterans’ omnibus bill.”
Debate Continues on Overhaul of VA’s Eligibility Criteria
Is it time to overhaul VA’s eligibility rules? According to some legislators, the process is long overdue for an update, although veterans’ service organizations are split on the issue.
Rudikoff Has Worked to Better Integrate Physical Therapy Into VA Care
Like many of his fellow physical therapists, Craig Rudikoff, PT, DPT, came to his profession through simple familiarity.
COVID-19
VA, DoD Quickly Began Distributing, Administrating COVID-19 Vaccines
Both the VA and DoD began distributing COVID-19 vaccine to their beneficiaries soon after the Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization for two products in mid-December.
DoD Experience With Resistant Pathogens Could Help Overwhelmed Hospitals
Hospitals across the country have improvised intensive care units, converted garages into wards and increased the number of patients under each clinician’s care as a flood of COVID-19 patients washes away established protocols and practices.
Acute Kidney Disease Common, Dangerous for VA Inpatients With COVID-19
Nearly a third of veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 developed acute kidney injury, and half didn’t fully recover their kidney function by the time of hospital discharge, according to a new study.
VA Was Excluded in Early Discussions of COVID-19 Strategic Response
VA was initially left out of strategic decisions made by the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, the group ostensibly coordinating the nation’s response to the pandemic, the agency revealed in a recent report.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
Among other common lies, we have the silent lie
“Among other common lies, we have the silent lie — The deception which one conveys by simply keeping still and concealing the truth. Many obstinate truth-mongers indulge in this dissipation, imagining that if they speak no lie, they lie not at all.” —Mark Twain (1835-1910)
In “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu reminds us that “all warfare is based on deception.” As an ROTC cadet at Catawba College in North Carolina, my military instructors often provided examples of how commanders utilized deception to gain an advantage over the enemy. In fact, “here’s to the confusion of our enemies” is a toast often heard at military celebrations.
OIG Questions Wilkie’s Response to DCVAMC Sexual Assault Allegation
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie and other high-ranking VA officials actively worked to discredit the complainant in a sexual assault investigation at the DC VA Medical Center, according to a recent VA Office of Inspector General report.
House VA Committee Advises on Protecting Veterans From Social Media
Veterans are regularly being targeted by social media, according to a report by the House VA Committee which recommends what VA and DoD can do to address the issue.
Prostate Cancer, Treatment Causes Financial Strain for Veterans
Not all of the damage caused by prostate cancer is to men’s bodies.
Enhanced Imaging Changes Prostate Cancer Treatment at VA
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligands offer a strategy to develop prostate-specific positron emission tomography tracers, which can significantly heighten the accuracy of systemic prostate cancer imaging, according to a new study.
New Study Reviews Emerging Novel Therapies for mCRPC
Novel therapies are being investigated for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, according to a new review.
Clinical Pharmacists Expand Treatment of Increasing Opioid Use Disorder
The good news: The VA reduced opioid prescribing by 64% from 2012 to 2020, from more than 679,000 veterans to 247,000 through its Opioid Safety Initiative and other efforts.
Chronic Pain Is Growing Issue for U.S. Military
The U.S. military has seen a steady rise in the annual incidence rates of any chronic pain diagnoses over the past decade.
Study Questions Assumptions About PTSD-Pain Links
Post-traumatic stress disorder often is comorbid with chronic pain and is associated with increased levels of pain severity and pain-related disability, according to a new study.
Insomnia Increases Depression Risk With Opioid Use
How does insomnia combined with chronic opioid analgesic use (OAU) affect veterans’ likelihood of having a new depression episode?
VA: Missions Achieved, Lessons Learned during a Pandemic Year
On Jan. 11, 2020, China reported the first known death from a novel coronavirus. Ten days later, the U.S. announced its first confirmed case. By mid-January, VA’s infectious disease and public health experts initiated regular updates about the new virus to department leadership.
Biden Administration Expected to Focus More on Military Burn Pit Effects
Legislators in the past few years have been pushing VA and DoD to work together to better understand the toxic effects of burn pit exposure on servicemembers.
National Guard Gives States’ Vaccine Distribution Plans a Shot in the Arm
The National Guard has stepped up again to help states in their battle against the novel coronavirus.
Among other common lies, we have the silent lie
“Among other common lies, we have the silent lie — The deception which one conveys by simply keeping still and concealing the truth. Many obstinate truth-mongers indulge in this dissipation, imagining that if they speak no lie, they lie not at all.” —Mark Twain (1835-1910)
In “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu reminds us that “all warfare is based on deception.” As an ROTC cadet at Catawba College in North Carolina, my military instructors often provided examples of how commanders utilized deception to gain an advantage over the enemy. In fact, “here’s to the confusion of our enemies” is a toast often heard at military celebrations.
OIG Questions Wilkie’s Response to DCVAMC Sexual Assault Allegation
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie and other high-ranking VA officials actively worked to discredit the complainant in a sexual assault investigation at the DC VA Medical Center, according to a recent VA Office of Inspector General report.
House VA Committee Advises on Protecting Veterans From Social Media
Veterans are regularly being targeted by social media, according to a report by the House VA Committee which recommends what VA and DoD can do to address the issue.
Prostate Cancer, Treatment Causes Financial Strain for Veterans
Not all of the damage caused by prostate cancer is to men’s bodies.
Enhanced Imaging Changes Prostate Cancer Treatment at VA
Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) ligands offer a strategy to develop prostate-specific positron emission tomography tracers, which can significantly heighten the accuracy of systemic prostate cancer imaging, according to a new study.