VA was initially left out of strategic decisions made by the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, the group ostensibly coordinating the nation’s response to the pandemic, the agency revealed in a recent report.
News
Court Settlement Will Ease Way for ‘Bad Paper’ Veterans to Get Benefits
Tens of thousands of less-than-honorably discharged veterans will have an easier avenue to have those discharges reconsidered and possibly adjusted, making it more straightforward for them to access VA services.
VA Plagued by Data Breaches, Hacks – Including One Recently
WASHINGTON—A data breach exposed the personal information of more than 46,000 veterans this summer, the VA recently revealed. Hackers gained access...
Current Issue
Post-Surgical Pain, Opioids Decreased in Veterans Who Received Acupuncture
DETROIT—Using acupuncture in veterans facing surgery resulted in less post-surgical pain and the use of fewer opioids to manage it, according to new...
VA Completes Key Milestone in Launch of New EHR System
Last month, VA hit one of the largest, long-awaited milestones in the development of its new electronic health record (EHR) system—the launching of the system at its initial pilot site at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA.
Legislators Decry Veterans’ More Than 40-Day Wait for Community Care
Both houses of Congress held hearings last month focusing on concerns about the rollout of the MISSION Act, which consolidates VA’s community healthcare services.
COVID-19
Factors Linked With Greater COVID-19 Severity in Veterans
Prognostication, resource utilization and treatment all could be improve by Identifying independent risk factors for adverse outcomes in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a new study.
Legislators Push for VA, DoD to Preferentially Purchase U.S.-Made PPE
As the pandemic numbers rose last spring, the VA discovered what hospital systems across the country were learning—that the usual supply chains for personal protective equipment (PPE) could not handle the demand, and the gray market was rife with price-gouging and low-quality products.
Six Potential Vaccines, 300 Million Doses, 50 States:
Operation Warp Speed already has achieved the nearly impossible by fostering the speedy development of COVID-19 vaccines. Now the real work begins.
Acute Kidney Disease Common, Dangerous for VA Inpatients With COVID-19
Nearly a third of veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 developed acute kidney injury, and half didn’t fully recover their kidney function by the time of hospital discharge, according to a new study.
Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who would pervert the Constitution.” —Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Last month, my editorial was written following the debacle of the first presidential debate. By any standard, the debate was a sad commentary on the state of our union, as well as an affront to civil decorum owed to the American public by our leadership. I admitted in that editorial that my faith in the resilience of our longest-established democracy had been shaken.
New NDAA Expands Presumptive Conditions Linked to Agent Orange
In a rare New Year’s Day vote, the Senate voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—the $740 billion military spending bill, which includes a number of healthcare provisions for veterans, servicemembers, and the general public.
Acute Kidney Disease Common, Dangerous for VA Inpatients With COVID-19
Nearly a third of veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 developed acute kidney injury, and half didn’t fully recover their kidney function by the time of hospital discharge, according to a new study.
Million+ Cases Suggest ACEIs, ARBs Don’t Increase COVID-19 Risk, Severity
In the chaotic days when the COVID-19 pandemic first began to affect the United States, healthcare professionals were barraged with questions about certain blood pressure medications and whether they increased infection risk for patients using them.
Rudikoff Has Worked to Better Integrate Physical Therapy Into VA Care
Like many of his fellow physical therapists, Craig Rudikoff, PT, DPT, came to his profession through simple familiarity.
Study: Trump’s Military Transgender Ban Has Created Confusion, Mistrust
President Donald Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military has harmed the military’s reputation, weakened unit cohesion, promoted harassment and forced transgender personnel to choose between their well-being and their career, according to a new report.
GERD Linked to Faster COPD Disease Progression
Gastroesophageal reflux disease is a common comorbidity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and is linked to increased risk of acute exacerbations, hospitalization, emergency room visits, costs and quality-of-life impairment.
Factors Linked With Greater COVID-19 Severity in Veterans
Prognostication, resource utilization and treatment all could be improve by Identifying independent risk factors for adverse outcomes in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), according to a new study.
Recent Smoking Quitters Also Benefit Before Lung Cancer Surgery
Tobacco use can have a detrimental effect on postoperative outcomes, which is why patients are urged to quit smoking as long as possible before surgery.
Use of Psychotherapy for PTSD Varies Substantially by VA Region, Facility
For more than a decade, the VA has pushed evidence-based psychotherapy for post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatments nationally have slowly and steadily increased.
From Curbside Delivery to Drive-Thru Pickup, Military Pharmacies Adapt
The coronavirus shook up prescription delivery in March, and military pharmacies might never be the same again.
New NDAA Expands Presumptive Conditions Linked to Agent Orange
In a rare New Year’s Day vote, the Senate voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)—the $740 billion military spending bill, which includes a number of healthcare provisions for veterans, servicemembers, and the general public.
VA Was Excluded in Early Discussions of COVID-19 Strategic Response
VA was initially left out of strategic decisions made by the U.S. Coronavirus Task Force, the group ostensibly coordinating the nation’s response to the pandemic, the agency revealed in a recent report.
We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts
“We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the Courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to overthrow the men who would pervert the Constitution.” —Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
Last month, my editorial was written following the debacle of the first presidential debate. By any standard, the debate was a sad commentary on the state of our union, as well as an affront to civil decorum owed to the American public by our leadership. I admitted in that editorial that my faith in the resilience of our longest-established democracy had been shaken.
New Study Reviews Emerging Novel Therapies for mCRPC
Novel therapies are being investigated for metastatic castration resistant prostate cancer, according to a new review.
Clinical Pharmacists Expand Treatment of Increasing Opioid Use Disorder
The good news: The VA reduced opioid prescribing by 64% from 2012 to 2020, from more than 679,000 veterans to 247,000 through its Opioid Safety Initiative and other efforts.
Chronic Pain Is Growing Issue for U.S. Military
The U.S. military has seen a steady rise in the annual incidence rates of any chronic pain diagnoses over the past decade.
Study Questions Assumptions About PTSD-Pain Links
Post-traumatic stress disorder often is comorbid with chronic pain and is associated with increased levels of pain severity and pain-related disability, according to a new study.