Retired Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Paul K. Carlton Jr., right, directs responders after the Pentagon attack Sept. 11, 2011. WASHINGTON — Mass-casualty management planning that occurred at the Pentagon in the months and days before 9/11 helped medical personnel respond...
Report Prompted by Fort Hood Shooting Calls DoD Physician Credentialing Inadequate
By Sandra Basu WASHINGTON — Reporting the results of an investigation begun after an Army physician opened fire and shot more than 40 people at Fort Hood in 2009, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the military services need to do a better job of...
Five Miles High? VA Document Backlog Is Stacking Up, OIG Reports
WASHINGTON — If stacked, VA’s backlog of paper medical documents that are waiting to be digitalized—most generated by veterans’ visits to non-VA providers—would be over 5 miles high, according to a report from the VA inspector general.
Feds Investigate 11 Unexplained Deaths at West Virginia VAMC
CLARKSBURG, WV – Law enforcement officials announced recently that a criminal investigation has been launched to look into the unexplained deaths of as many as 11 patients at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center here.
Democrats Look at VA Role of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Associates
WASHINGTON—Congress announced last month that it will be opening an investigation into alleged improper influence by three civilian consultants to President Donald Trump on administration of the VA. The three men—Ike Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment; Bruce...
Legislators Question Whether VA Can Efficiently Implement Mission Act
Six months after President Donald Trump signed the VA MISSION Act–a bill that will, among other things, streamline and expand veterans’ access to non-VA healthcare providers–many legislators are concerned whether VA has the ability to implement the extensive provisions in the bill without the painful speed bumps experienced with past legislation.
VA Overall Appointment Wait Times Shorter than the Private-Sector
Despite intense scrutiny of wait times for veterans seeking VA care over the last three years, a new study pointed out that delays in the private sector weren’t statistically less in 2014 and that, possibly because of the focus, wait times now are significantly shorter for the VA compared to private-sector healthcare facilities.
Report Questions Quality of Outsourced VA Benefit Examinations
A review of outsourcing by the Veterans Benefits Administration raised issues about the quality of contractor examinations and also questioned whether a proposed solution will work as intended.
Suicide Rates Jump Up for Younger Veterans in Recent Years
Rates of suicide among younger veterans (ages 18-34) “increased substantially in recent years,” climbing from 40.4 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2015 to 45 suicide deaths per 100,000 population in 2016, according to a new report.
Two-Thirds of VAMCs Improved Quality, Efficiency in Recent Assessment
More than half of 15 VAMCs classified as “high risk” in the October 2017 Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning report moved out of that category in the most recent update. But one, the DCVAMC in Washington declined and is now considered “critical.”
VHA Accountability Unclear for Assuring Medical Equipment Sterility
Who is responsible for VHA’s sterile processing reusable medical equipment is unclear, and the lack of accountability needs to be addressed, agency officials told lawmakers.
House Passes Bill to Improve Hiring, Retention at VHA
A three-year pilot program to provide undergraduate students a clinical observation experience within VA is called for in a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives.
Legislators Question Governance of VA EHR Implementation
How much will implementation and integration of a new electronic health record slow down processes at the VA, which already struggles with delays in care?
No Prior Mental Health Diagnosis for Many Soldiers Attempting Suicide
While mental health conditions are a strong predictor of who is likely to try to take their own life, that doesn’t account for a sizeable percentage of soldiers at risk of suicide, according to a new study.
Lawmakers Continue to Push VA to Meet Benefits Modernization Deadline
VA remains on track for implementing its new disability appeals system by the February 2019 deadline, VA officials told lawmakers at a recent hearing.
Despite Unanimous House Support, VA Opposes ‘Blue Water’ Legislation
VA officials told lawmakers last month that it opposes a bill that would expand the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to Vietnam veterans who served offshore because the “science is not there.”
Milwaukee VA Specialist Seeks to Make Radiology More Patient-Friendly
Ian Weissman, a radiologist with the Milwaukee VA, can trace his desire to be a doctor back to one source. “I grew up watching ‘The Waltons.’ There, the primary care doc was part of the community,” he explained. “That was my dream.”
As DHA Takes More Control, Military Medicine Undergoes Changes
In a bill recently signed into law, Congress signaled its intent to give the Defense Health Agency (DHA) greater control over the administration of military health care and medical research.
DC VAMC Resolves Some of ‘Dysfunction’ Cited By VA Inspector General
The DC VAMC has addressed or resolved six of 25 recommendations made by the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and is working to resolve the remaining ones, the facility announced last month.
VA Vows to Stop Whistleblower Retaliation; Some Lawmakers Skeptical
VA leaders said loud and clear that the agency “will not tolerate” whistleblower retaliation.
VA Surgeon Sees His Role as ‘Pillar of Hope’ for Veteran Patients
The theme of this year’s Harlem Fine Arts Show—the largest touring African diasporic art show in the United States—is “Health and the Healing Power of Art.”
Engineer Seeks to Make VAMCs More Energy Efficient Without Interrupting Their Mission
WASHINGTON—Anyone who’s ever worked in a hospital knows how much energy a facility of that size consumes. From the electricity to keep the lights on and the technology running to the water used to keep everything sterile, medical facilities can be far from energy efficient.
David Shulkin Gets Promotion, Appointed New VA Secretary
David J. Shulkin, MD, who currently serves as under secretary for health and heads VHA, has been picked by the incoming Trump Administration as new VA Secretary.