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WASHINGTON — Legislators and veterans advocates are concerned about VA’s continued use of hydroxychloroquine, an antimalarial also commonly used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, on COVID-19 patients.

VA Faces Critical PPE Shortages After Orders Diverted by FEMA

Masks, Other Protective Equipment Went Into Federal Stockpile WASHINGTON—While early in the pandemic VA leaders repeatedly said that their...

Current Issue

Psychologist Emphasizes Social Support’s Importance for Veterans

SAN ANTONIO—If there’s one thing that Sandra Morissette, PhD, wants people to understand about veterans is that, when it comes to the need for...

Does Medicare Policy Influence End-of-Life Care At VHA?

NEW HAVEN, CT — Although fee-for-service Medicare does not allows simultaneous receipt of cancer treatment and hospice care—i.e, concurrent care—VHA does.

McCoy Helps Rural VA Clinic Use Telehealth to Improve COPD Care

EAST LIVERPOOL, OH — As VA facilities across the country are transferring veterans’ care wherever possible to telehealth in an attempt to promote social distancing and curtail unnecessary visits to hospitals and clinics, one rural outpatient clinic in Ohio is well ahead of the curve.

COVID-19

VA Trial Seeks to Determine if ADT Is Protective Against COVID-19 in Men

by Brenda Mooney

LOS ANGELES — That men tend to have worse outcomes with COVID-19 has been observed since the beginning of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

IHS Faces Challenges as Navajo Nation Becomes New COVID-19 Epicenter

WINDOW ROCK, AZ — The Indian Health Service) and the Native American communities it serves saw the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact reach new heights in May.

VA Neurologists Find That Stroke Looks Different During Coronavirus Pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO—Since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit Europe in early March and washed across the United States later that month, emergency...

VA/DoD Take On Extensive Research Roles as Coronavirus Cases Wane

by Chester Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret), MC, USA | Editor-in-Chief

WASHINGTON—As the number of cases of COVID-19 seen in hospitals in many states decline, the VA and DoD have turned from active support of...

CE Credits

Editor-In-Chief, Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret.), MC, USA

The more you know about the past, the better prepared you are for the future.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the name of the virus that causes the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease noted in 2019) that has been plaguing our nation of late. Since the disease is prevalent throughout the world, it meets the definition of a pandemic

Blood Pressure Therapy Type Affects Risk of Gout Development

by Brenda Mooney

Secondary Analysis of Study Using VA Data BOSTON –While gout often is linked to diet – such as consuming too much red meat, seafood, and alcohol – it also can be a common complication of hypertension management. In fact, according to an article in the Journal of...

Mortality, Amputation from Critical Limb Ischemia Declining at VA

IOWA CITY, IOWA — High rates of diabetes, obesity, smoking, and other risk factors elevate veterans’ risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) and critical limb ischemia.

Sleep Apnea Increases Need for Opioids in Veterans

WEST HAVEN, CT — Does sleep disruption caused by obstructive sleep apnea lead to hyperalgesia and contribute to poor pain control and use of prescription opioids?

Auricular Acupuncture Effective for Short-Term Pain

FARGO, ND — Battlefield Acupuncture is a unique auricular procedure use by many VHA facilities, according to a new study which suggested that, based on past research, it can reduce pain for up to two weeks.

PTSD Raises Risk for Cancer Pain in VHA Patients

BOSTON — While research has shown a link between chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, not much is known about the longitudinal course of pain and PTSD during cancer treatment, according to a new study.

Statin Effect on Death in Veterans With Prostate Cancer

SAN ANTONIO — As the most common cancer in men in the United States, prostate cancer is associated with a prolonged survival and patient care often includes optimizing other comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease.

VA Pushes for More Use of NSCLC Targeted Therapies

DURHAM, NC — To help guide therapeutic decisions for patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) gene panels are often completed.

IHS Faces Challenges as Navajo Nation Becomes New COVID-19 Epicenter

WINDOW ROCK, AZ — The Indian Health Service) and the Native American communities it serves saw the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact reach new heights in May.

Too High Rate of Diabetes Therapy Intensification at VA Hospital Discharge

by Brenda Mooney

BOSTON — About 10% of older veterans discharged from VAMCS had their diabetes medication intensified, even though half of them were unlikely to benefit because either they already had reached their blood glucose goals or had limited life expectancy.

VA Neurologists Find That Stroke Looks Different During Coronavirus Pandemic