Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Childhood maltreatment more strongly associated with current psychiatric symptoms than military sexual stressors

A study of long-term, active duty military personnel who used Department of Veterans Affairs' health services showed that childhood maltreatment and other high magnitude stressors, such as being in a serious accident or a natural disaster, were more strongly associated with participants' current psychiatric symptoms than were their military sexual experiences, such as sexual harassment.

9 Dec 2010

Study: Adding community features to online health programs could reduce attrition

In an era when social networking sites and blogs are visited by three quarters of online users, it's only natural that the medical profession would also tap into the power of social media tools.

9 Dec 2010

New technique jumpstarts growth of nerve fibers to reverse stroke damage

A new technique that jumpstarts the growth of nerve fibers could reverse much of the damage caused by strokes, researchers report in the Jan. 7, 2011 issue of the journal Stroke.

9 Dec 2010

Integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care improves abstinence rates in PTSD veterans

Among smokers with military-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care for PTSD resulted in higher rates of prolonged smoking abstinence, compared to referral for assistance with quitting smoking, according to a study in the December 8 issue of JAMA.

8 Dec 2010

Ultraviolet light activates enzyme that helps skin cancer cells survive, proliferate: Researchers

The sun's ultraviolet light activates an enzyme that helps skin cancer cells survive and proliferate, researchers report.

8 Dec 2010

Case Western Reserve School of Medicine researchers receive NIH grant for four research endeavors

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine faculty members are reaping the rewards of funding from the National Institutes of Health, in the form of grants and contracts. The funding totals more than $6.4 million for four different research endeavors.

8 Dec 2010

Lutheran Medical Center implements Medsphere's OpenVista EHR solution

Lutheran Medical Center (LMC) and Medsphere Systems Corporation today announced the successful implementation of Medsphere's OpenVista® electronic health record (EHR) solution throughout the hospital. The full service 476-bed teaching hospital is now on track to achieve meaningful use and qualify for millions of dollars made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

7 Dec 2010

Study reveals higher mortality rate among veteran status epilepticus patients

Status epilepticus (SE) is a true medical and neurologic emergency. To better understand the causes, treatment approaches and associated outcomes among SE patients, investigators at the Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System retrospectively reviewed all SE cases treated within their system over an eight year period.

4 Dec 2010

New pilot program to connect rural health care providers with VA

The Utah Health Information Network (UHIN) today announced a new pilot program to connect rural health care providers in the Moab, Utah region with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to improve access and coordination of patient care for veterans and service members living in rural areas.

3 Dec 2010

Medical groups weigh in on health reform, pay freeze

News outlets report on how new treatment models impact care, as well as political developments and positions among medical organizations.

2 Dec 2010

Odors in womb sensitize fetus to smells, alters brain development

A major new study shows that a pregnant mother's diet not only sensitizes the fetus to those smells and flavors, but physically changes the brain directly impacting what the infant eats and drinks in the future.

1 Dec 2010

New tool helps gauge care for people with neurological disorder

A national conversation continues about the best ways to improve both the quality of medical care and to contain costs. So far, developing quality measurements has focused on primary care or highly prevalent, chronic conditions such as asthma and diabetes. But what about brain disorders? To date, the number of measures that apply to neurologic care has been limited.

1 Dec 2010

Vets compare VA hospitals online; Government doctors may face pay freeze

Government Health IT: The Veterans Affairs Department's Hospital Compare website, www.hospitalcompare.va.gov, is "providing online tools so veterans can compare how well the VA's 153 hospitals perform, with the ultimate goal of spurring further improvements at those facilities." Veterans and their families can go online to compare the "relative strengths" and weaknesses of VA hospitals, ranked by color codes.

1 Dec 2010

New findings offer insights into novel treatment avenue for Crohn's Disease, sarcoidosis

A new finding out in the December 1st issue of Genes & Development offers insight into a new treatment avenue for two painful inflammatory diseases: Crohn's Disease and sarcoidosis.

30 Nov 2010

Department of VA works to speed-up process to obtain health-care records

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working to significantly reduce the average time needed to obtain health-care records from private physicians with the help of a private contractor and the Internet to speed claims decisions.

30 Nov 2010

New genomic approach to evaluate suspicious thyroid nodules

Doctors at the University of Colorado School of Medicine were concerned recently when they found a nodule in the thyroid of a 64-year-old Colorado man. They extracted cells from the nodule, hoping to determine whether the man had cancer. But the biopsy results were inconclusive.

24 Nov 2010

First Edition: November 22, 2010

Today's headlines offer a range of health policy stories, including more reports on deficit reduction issues, the continuing politics swirling around the health law repeal effort and employers' soaring health care costs.

22 Nov 2010

Researchers develop three-dimensional cancer cell from normal human tissue in culture dish

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have successfully transformed normal human tissue into three-dimensional cancers in a tissue culture dish for the first time. Watching how the cells behave as they divide and invade surrounding tissue will help physicians better understand how human cancers act in the body. The new technique also provides a way to quickly and cheaply test anti-cancer drugs without requiring laboratory animals.

22 Nov 2010

CMS notifies Health Net about intermediate sanction on compliance with Part D requirements

Health Net, Inc. announced today that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) notified the company of its intent to impose intermediate sanctions suspending the marketing and enrollment of new members of all Health Net Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) and stand-alone Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) contracts, effective November 20, 2010.

20 Nov 2010

Action Alliance to address preventable public health tragedy of suicide

The National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, a public-private partnership created in September to address the preventable public health tragedy of suicide, announced today the creation of its first three task forces.

20 Nov 2010

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Childhood maltreatment more strongly associated with current psychiatric symptoms than military sexual stressors

Study: Adding community features to online health programs could reduce attrition

New technique jumpstarts growth of nerve fibers to reverse stroke damage

Integrating smoking cessation treatment with mental health care improves abstinence rates in PTSD veterans

Ultraviolet light activates enzyme that helps skin cancer cells survive, proliferate: Researchers

Case Western Reserve School of Medicine researchers receive NIH grant for four research endeavors

Lutheran Medical Center implements Medsphere's OpenVista EHR solution

Study reveals higher mortality rate among veteran status epilepticus patients

New pilot program to connect rural health care providers with VA

Medical groups weigh in on health reform, pay freeze

Odors in womb sensitize fetus to smells, alters brain development

New tool helps gauge care for people with neurological disorder

Vets compare VA hospitals online; Government doctors may face pay freeze

New findings offer insights into novel treatment avenue for Crohn's Disease, sarcoidosis

Department of VA works to speed-up process to obtain health-care records

New genomic approach to evaluate suspicious thyroid nodules

First Edition: November 22, 2010

Researchers develop three-dimensional cancer cell from normal human tissue in culture dish

CMS notifies Health Net about intermediate sanction on compliance with Part D requirements

Action Alliance to address preventable public health tragedy of suicide

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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