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...
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?
VA Whistleblower Protection Office Takes Action in Only 2% of Its Cases
The Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection has followed through with only a small fraction of the cases it has investigated.
With COVID-19 Cases Still Climbing, VA Seeks to Improve Telehealth
While the number of COVID-19 cases being actively treated at VA facilities declined, the total number of infections and deaths rose steadily in July and August.
Most AFGE Survey Respondents Opined That VA Has Racism Problem
More than three-quarters of VA employees report that racism is a moderate to severe problem at VA facilities, according to a survey released by the American Federation of Government Employees.
APA Recommends Ongoing Use of Long-Acting Injectables for SMI
WASHINGTON — Even as VA facilities open up nationwide, administrators and others are keeping a wary eye on the possibility of a significant second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall. U.S. healthcare systems are preparing now for a sharp increase in cases in the...
Switch to Long-Acting Injectable Reduces VA Costs for Schizophrenia Care
Schizophrenia can be frightening and life-changing. Common symptoms such as disorganized thinking and speech, lack of expressive emotion, social withdrawal, neglect of self-care, hallucinations and delusions alienate individuals with schizophrenia from others and create barriers to day-to-day functioning in society.
Biomarker IDs Veterans at Risk of Poor Skin Cancer Prognosis
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) biomarker is associated with systemic inflammation and poor prognosis in solid tumors.
Study Reveals Risks of Non-Dermatologists Treating Melanoma
Military personnel often have more exposure to sunlight, compared to their civilian counterparts, and that can increase their risk of melanoma.
Some IBD Patients Have Increased Skin Cancer Risk
Past research has cautioned about the risk of skin cancer with use of immunosuppressive medications. Yet, a new study pointed out, there is limited information on repeated basal cell cancer (BCC) occurrences among inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients, especially those who use immunosuppressive medications.
VA Pharmacists Advise on Use of Anticoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Cases
While reports in the literature are increasing about high rates of coagulopathy and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is little guidance on how to treat it or prevent it.
Dementia Rates Increased With Serious Mental Illness
Because VHA provides a continuum of care over the life course, the healthcare system has need to better understand what effect bipolar disorder and schizophrenia have on veterans’ risk of dementia.
Mild TBI Exacerbates Issues for Early Binge Drinkers
Does early adolescent binge drinking (BD) increases the risk for and/or severity of psychopathology in post-9/11 veterans, and how does mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) affect the risk?
Most At-Risk Veterans Don’t Get Suicide Counseling
Despite all of the focus on preventing suicides in those who have served in the military, a significant proportion of veterans with suicidal ideation do not take advantage of available mental health treatment, according to a new study.
Robinson Empowers Pacific Islands Staff as New Healthcare Director
Adam M. Robinson Jr., MD, the newly minted director of the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System, has a story about a three-legged stool. It’s one that he tells enough that his employees end up learning it by heart.
Army Researchers Wage War Against COVID-19 in the Laboratory
As the novel coronavirus has continued to spread throughout the United States, infecting more than six million and killing more than 185,000 people, the U.S. Army has been on the front lines in an effort to protect the nation’s health and security.
‘Happy Hypoxia’ Might Not Be Such a Mystery After All in COVID-19
Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians were often baffled by patients who presented with extremely low levels of oxygen. Although oxygenation was so low it was potentially life-threatening in some cases, patients showed no obvious difficulty in breathing.
VA: Some of Its Sexual Harassment Issues Will Take Four Years to Resolve
WASHINGTON—According to a number of surveys and reports, VA has yet to adequately address the problem of sexual harassment of both employees and patients. In 2016, a Merit Systems Protection Board survey found that 22% of VA employees experienced workplace sexual...