Veterans who have developed illnesses after serving in recent conflicts have enlisted powerful supporters in their fight to gain presumptive coverage for their conditions.
News
Key Veteran Legislation Appears to Escape Mire of Political Season
Last month, Congress passed a collection of sweeping legislation designed to help prevent veteran suicide. This came as a pleasant surprise to veterans’ advocates, who feared that the bills would be caught up in partisan gridlock and had been predicting only weeks earlier that no agreement would be reached.
Are State Veterans Homes Falling Through Cracks of Oversight?
What responsibility does VA have for state veterans homes and the tsunami of COVID-19 infections and deaths that have swept through facilities nationwide?
Current Issue
VA’s SimLearn Network Even More Important During COVID-19 Pandemic
After a 20-year career in the Army, Eric Bruns retired in 2008 and almost immediately found the private sector unsatisfying.
Burn Pit Exposure Linked to Specific Symptoms but Not Diseases
Are burn pits becoming the new Agent Orange for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan? This is one of the issues worrying legislators and veterans’ advocates, who see parallels not just in the myriad symptoms linked to burn pits, but also in the too-slow scientific progress understanding their relationship.
Statins Reduce Risk of Acute Liver Injury in Veterans With HIV or HCV
In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association issued updated guidelines significantly expanding the number of patients who should be considered candidates for statin therapy.
COVID-19
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.
Older Veterans Are Able to Get VA Coverage for High-Dose Vaccines This Year
Public health officials across the country have warned that the combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and influenza could endanger a record number of Americans and overwhelm healthcare facilities this fall and winter.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
Only One Rule in Medical Ethics Need Concern You
“Only one rule in medical ethics need concern you – that action on your part which best conserves the interests of your patient.” — Martin H. Fischer (1897-1962)
My mother, who I give complete credit for my abilities to manipulate the English language to craft these editorials, recently sent me an article by Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters, Aug. 14, 2020) entitled, “U.S. to make coronavirus strain for possible human challenge trials.” Mom, who is not one to mince words, included the email comment, “OMG! Crazy … ” I believe my mother’s remark was able to convey the meaning behind this month’s quote by Dr. Martin H. Fischer, but she managed to do so with just 12 characters. Although my mother is not a healthcare professional, she understands a foundational medical ethics concept of which I, Dr. Fischer, and all healthcare providers are familiar with—primum non nocere.
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.
Program Falls Short of Easing Servicemembers Return to Civilian Life
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP)—the joint effort by DoD, VA and DHS to help servicemembers transition to civilian life—is falling short of its goal, according to legislators and veterans’ advocates.
Academic Detailing Pharmacists Add Pandemic Role: Telehealth Champions
For academic detailers, acting as change agents is nothing new. It’s central to their work as clinical pharmacy specialists and educators. This year, the academic detailers at the VA found their transformative role included a new and urgent responsibility—increasing provider comfort with telehealth technology.
Death Rates Higher for Veterans Getting CV Procedure at Community Hospitals
Veterans who received a common cardiovascular procedure at VA facilities had a significantly lower risk of death than those being treated at a community hospital.
Spinal Cord Stimulator Reduces Veterans’ Opioid Usage
Spinal cord stimulator (SCS) implantation has shown some effectiveness for chronic pain, including painful musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
Who Is More Likely to Have Phantom Limb Pain?
Phantom limb pain persists for veterans who undergo major upper limb amputation, according to a new study.
Opioid Prescribing Common to Military Spouses
While use and misuse of opioids by active-duty servicemembers has been examined in several studies, much less is known about use of painkillers by their spouses.
Servicemembers Usually Diagnosed With Lung Cancer Earlier Than Civilians
Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, killing more than 150,000 people each year. Lung cancer also poses a particularly high risk to servicemembers and veterans.
Epilepsy Diagnosis Not Always Accurate in Veterans
For years, the VA has tried to come up with ways to differentiate veterans who have epileptic seizures (ES) as opposed to psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), which are especially common in those who fought in recent wars.
Neurological Condition Sometimes Underlies LUTS Diagnosis
Clinicians should be aware that underlying—and undiagnosed—neurological conditions could be involved in lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
Bills Push VA to Presumptively Cover Cancer Treatment in New Groups of Veterans
Veterans who have developed illnesses after serving in recent conflicts have enlisted powerful supporters in their fight to gain presumptive coverage for their conditions.
Key Veteran Legislation Appears to Escape Mire of Political Season
Last month, Congress passed a collection of sweeping legislation designed to help prevent veteran suicide. This came as a pleasant surprise to veterans’ advocates, who feared that the bills would be caught up in partisan gridlock and had been predicting only weeks earlier that no agreement would be reached.
Only One Rule in Medical Ethics Need Concern You
“Only one rule in medical ethics need concern you – that action on your part which best conserves the interests of your patient.” — Martin H. Fischer (1897-1962)
My mother, who I give complete credit for my abilities to manipulate the English language to craft these editorials, recently sent me an article by Julie Steenhuysen (Reuters, Aug. 14, 2020) entitled, “U.S. to make coronavirus strain for possible human challenge trials.” Mom, who is not one to mince words, included the email comment, “OMG! Crazy … ” I believe my mother’s remark was able to convey the meaning behind this month’s quote by Dr. Martin H. Fischer, but she managed to do so with just 12 characters. Although my mother is not a healthcare professional, she understands a foundational medical ethics concept of which I, Dr. Fischer, and all healthcare providers are familiar with—primum non nocere.
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.
Program Falls Short of Easing Servicemembers Return to Civilian Life
The Transition Assistance Program (TAP)—the joint effort by DoD, VA and DHS to help servicemembers transition to civilian life—is falling short of its goal, according to legislators and veterans’ advocates.
Academic Detailing Pharmacists Add Pandemic Role: Telehealth Champions
For academic detailers, acting as change agents is nothing new. It’s central to their work as clinical pharmacy specialists and educators. This year, the academic detailers at the VA found their transformative role included a new and urgent responsibility—increasing provider comfort with telehealth technology.
Death Rates Higher for Veterans Getting CV Procedure at Community Hospitals
Veterans who received a common cardiovascular procedure at VA facilities had a significantly lower risk of death than those being treated at a community hospital.