Veterans who experience housing instability have an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia compared to those with stable housing, according to a recent study.
GOP Lawmakers Challenge Data That COVID-19 Vaccine Protected Troops
Recent data from DoD seems to confirm what researchers and physicians have been saying for years—that individuals who receive the COVID-19 vaccine are less likely to experience long-term health effects than those who do not.
Opposing Trends for Accidental Death Rates in Returning Soldiers
A longitudinal cohort study, published in the Annals of Epidemiology, determined if risk for accidental death overall, or the most common types of accidental deaths, varied over time in relation to when a soldier returned from a combat deployment.
Bright Light Therapy Remains Underused Within VA Healthcare System
Since the 1980s, when seasonal affective disorder was first identified, one of the first-line treatments has been Bright Light Therapy.
Emerging Chemical Threats Affect Eyes Differently, Require Special Care
As chemical agent exposure remains a threat to military servicemembers, it’s important to consider that each chemical agent affects the eye differently and requires appropriate treatment, according to a recent review article.
Veterans Treated in VAMCs for Some Common Conditions Had Better Outcomes
Outcomes were better for some common conditions among veterans treated in VA hospitals compared to community care, but the tradeoff often was higher resource use.
All WWII Veterans Now Eligible for No-Cost VA Care, Including Long-term Care
All World War II veterans now are eligible for no-cost VA healthcare, medical services and nursing home care, the VA announced shortly before Veterans Day.
VA Will Fund Medical Residencies in Underserved Areas Across the United States
In an effort to improve healthcare access for veterans in rural, trial and underserved areas across the United States, the VA is creating a new pilot program for graduate medical education.
DHA Restructures, Creating Nine Health Networks to Improve Care
In the first phase of a broader realignment, the Defense Health Agency has created nine Defense Health Networks (DHN) to take the place of what had been 20 direct-reporting medical markets, each a grouping of military hospitals and clinics with varying leadership rank structures.
VA Trying to Apply ‘Buy American’ to More Pharmaceuticals
During the first year of the pandemic, the nation learned just how susceptible its healthcare system was to supply-chain problems and how relying on overseas manufacturers for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies can be dangerous when shipping lanes slow or stop entirely
DoD Grant Supports Innovative Treatment for Orthopedic Conditions
In September, the Department of Defense granted a small Maryland-based company up to $7.4 million to develop a targeted therapeutic that could have a big impact on the care of military personnel and veterans with orthopedic injuries and degenerative diseases.
Significant U.S. Military Response to Catastrophic Lahaina Wildfires in Hawaii
Devastating wildfires have been burning in Western Maui since the evening of Aug. 8, with Lahaina—the original capital of the Hawaiian Kingdom—being the area most affected on the island.
Surgery for Cervical Disc Disease Can Be Safely Performed in Overseas MTFs
Surgical procedures for cervical degenerative disc disease, including anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) or cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA), are safe and effective therapies for active duty servicemembers in overseas military medical facilities, according to a recent study.
Better Survival Rates for Lymphoma With Military vs. Civilian Healthcare
U.S. military servicemembers diagnosed with lymphoma have superior overall survival compared with their civilian counterparts, according to a recent study.
How Lung Volumes Change During Progression of Spirometric COPD
Abnormal lung volumes representing air-trapping identify the subset of smokers with preserved spirometry who develop spirometric chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and adverse outcomes can be identified by abnormal lung volumes representing air-trapping.
VA Researchers Find Biomarkers for Potentially Serious Parasitic Infections
Asymptomatic Leishmaniasis Infected Nearly 20% of Soldiers in Iraq BETHESDA, MD—New research has identified three chemokines as potential biomarkers for asymptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a chronic infection caused by Leishmania (L.) donovani or L. infantum....
VA Facilities Plagued by Security Lapses, Serious Incidents
By their nature, VA healthcare facilities are meant to be easily accessible, but open-campus layouts also make them difficult to secure.
Folasade P. May Works to Remove Obstacles Keeping Minorities From CRC Screening
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable of cancers, despite being one of the most prevalent, ranking as the second-leading cause of cancer death in adults.
VA Secretary McDonough: PACT Act Claims Numbers Still Too Small
VA has had more than a half-million claims filed under the new PACT Act legislation, which expands care and benefits for former servicemembers exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances during their service.
Military Surgeons Deployed to Combat Environments Face Moral Injury, Distress
A new VA study may be the first to examine moral injury and distress at the intersection of these populations—that is, military healthcare professionals, specifically surgeons
New Bill to Raise VA Physician Salary Cap Goes to Full Senate
The Senate VA Committee has advanced sweeping bipartisan legislation that would allow VA to raise the salary cap for physicians to above $400,000.
GOP Bill Calls for End of VA’s EHR Modernization Program; Democrats Vehemently Disagree, Calling Effort ‘Unsound’
A group of Republican lawmakers has introduced legislation that would end VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization Program. The bill is a response to the frequently delayed and problem-ridden rollout of the department’s new EHR, which the bill’s authors say is fundamentally broken and doing more harm than good to veterans.
Factors Making PTSD More Likely After TBI
Why do some military servicemembers with traumatic brain injury (TBI) develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, while others do not?
With More Than 250,000 Alzheimer’s Patients, VA Is a Market for New Drug
Now that the Food and Drug Administration has granted Fast Track approval for the new Alzheimer’s disease medication Leqembi, the issue of who will pay for it looms large.
Group Focuses on Telehealth Fraud at VA, DoD, Other Federal Agencies
While the pandemic has resulted in an explosion in the use of telehealth among federal health agencies, it also has created opportunities for fraud and waste, according to a recent joint report from six Offices of the Inspector General (OIGs).
Hurricanes, Sea Level Rise Endanger Hospitals on Atlantic, Gulf Coasts
In late September, Hurricane Ian, a deadly Category 4 storm, caused widespread damage, flooding, loss of power and evacuations from hospitals and nursing homes across Cuba and the U.S. Southeast, especially Florida and South Carolina.
VA Receives First Doses of Vaccine to Help Combat Monkeypox Outbreak
When the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health emergency on July 23, there were more than 4,000 reported cases in the United States. By mid-September, the number of reported U.S. cases had surpassed 24,000.
GAO: Claims Processor Misunderstanding Often Denied Agent Orange Benefits to Which Vietnam Vets Were Entitled
VA claims processors have consistently failed to understand the department’s own regulations when it comes to Vietnam veterans presenting with certain Agent Orange-related conditions, prematurely denying benefits for thousands, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
VA Partners With American Kidney Fund, Business to Tackle CKD
Several new partnerships are positioning the VA to offer more extensive services, educational material and testing for the one in six veterans estimated to have chronic kidney disease.
VA OIG: Lack of Oversight Found in DO’s Sexual Abuse at Beckley VAMC
This is just the latest finding by the OIG that places blame for a recent criminal case on lack of VA oversight.