Mortality rates are lower for veterans who receive all of their post-kidney transplant care within the VHA than those who receive care outside the VA through Medicare coverage, according to a recent study.
VA Now Vaccinating All Veterans, Not Just VHA Enrollees
The VA is smoothing the way for all U.S. veterans, their spouses and caregivers to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Lawmakers Seek to Expand VA Coverage Related to Fertility Issues
Veterans who have service-connected infertility issues should have access to the full range of fertility services science now available, especially in vitro fertilization, without the constraints imposed by antiquated and sometimes nonsensical regulations, legislators and veterans’ advocates argued last month.
VA’s EHR Rollout on Temporary Hold for Strategic Review
VA has put the nationwide rollout of its new electronic health record (EHR) modernization program on pause to conduct an assessment of challenges at the pilot site at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA.
How Effective Are COVID-19 Vaccines in Autoimmune Disease Patients?
Patients with autoimmune diseases had significantly worse outcomes with COVID-19 infection than with past cases of influenza, according to a review using data from the VA and other international data.
Survey Looks at VHA Glaucoma Surgery Patterns
Laser trabeculoplasty (LTP) is the use of a laser beam to burn areas of the trabecular meshwork, located near the base of the iris, to increase fluid outflow.
Battlefield Ocular Trauma Leaves Wounded Legally Blind
Modern-day combat trauma results in complicated ocular injuries causing nearly a third of injured military personnel to be declared legally blind in the affected eye, according to a new study.
Study Sought to Characterize Ocular Pain Symptoms
How common is ocular pain in patients with and without a history of refractive surgery, and what are its characteristics?
With Atrial Fibrillation, More than the Heart Is Aflutter
The most feared consequence of atrial fibrillation has long been ischemic stroke, but the erratic heartbeat doesn’t just raise the risk that a blood clot formed in the heart will lodge in the brain with sudden and frequently fatal results.
Untangling the Mystery Behind Blast-Induced Neurological Complications
Explosive blasts account for a majority of the injuries among wounded servicemembers, but some of the most long-term and damaging effects of blast exposure might be slipping by undetected.
PCI Improves Survival of Some LVEF Heart Failure Patients
While revascularization of ischemic cardiomyopathy by coronary artery bypass grafting has been shown to improve survival among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%,
Researchers Link Heart Failure, Frailty With Mortality and Admission Risk
Is frailty associated with increased admission and mortality risk in heart failure patients?
Early Discharge Follow-Up Improves HF Outcomes
The benefit of early post-discharge hospital followup for heart failure patients was demonstrated in a new approach at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System.
Younger, Not Older, Veterans With Epilepsy Tend to Have Lower Quality of Life
For veterans with epilepsy, quality of life is most negatively impacted by frequency of seizures, according to a new study. And that, plus some other factors, usually means that younger veterans have a tougher time with epilepsy than older ones.
Cognitive Disorders Common in Older Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients
Cognitive impairment can be a typical comorbidity in epilepsy, appearing in a significant number of older adults with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), the most common form of focal epilepsy, according to a new study.
Home Videos Help VA Physicians Accurately Diagnosis Epilepsy
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented new challenges for VA healthcare delivery, although access to care has always been difficult for veterans who either live in remote areas or have conditions that require specialist care.
DoD Personnel Critical in Getting Civilians Immunized Against COVID-19
In an effort to get as many COVID-19 shots into arms as possible as quickly as feasible, the military is continuing to supply personnel to help the Federal Emergency Management Agency at mass vaccination sites.
Delayed Colorectal Cancer Screening Follow-up Increases Veterans’ Death Rates
With about 4,000 new cases of colorectal cancer diagnosed each year, the VA has fought to increase screening for the condition, which is in the top five cancers afflicting veterans.