Veterans Affairs News and Research

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U.S. Army re-awards Patient Appointing Services bridge contracts to Health Net Federal Services

Health Net Federal Services, LLC, part of the Government Contracts segment of Health Net, Inc. today announced it was re-awarded three Patient Appointing Services bridge contracts, continuing its Patient Appointing Services work in Fort Irwin and Puget Sound through March 31, 2011, and in Great Lakes through January 31, 2011, by the United States Army's Center for Health Care Contracting, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Each contract includes an option to extend services for an additional six months.

6 Oct 2010

Diamond-coated electrodes for implantable devices

Diamonds adorning tiaras to anklets are treasures but these gemstones inside the body may prove priceless.

6 Oct 2010

Study shows no difference between Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab efficacy in treating AMD

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the VA Boston Healthcare System have conducted a study that failed to show a difference in efficacy between Bevacizumab (Avastin) and Ranibizumab (Lucentis) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

4 Oct 2010

Some Minn. insurers will end certain Medicare plans; Utah issues rule on child-only plans; Fla. law on pain clinics takes effect

Five insurance companies including Minnetonka-based Medica next year will stop providing a particular type of Medicare health plan in much of Minnesota, a state official said Thursday.

4 Oct 2010

Lawmaker proposes trust fund for veterans' growing health costs

"A new study estimates that health costs for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans could top $900 billion, and [Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif.] wants to set up a trust fund to make sure the bill will be paid," The Associated Press reports.

1 Oct 2010

New England Journal of Medicine praises VA’s policy on disclosure of adverse medical events

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy on disclosure of adverse medical events was praised as a "valuable resource for all health care institutions" in an article in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

30 Sep 2010

Trial demonstrates improved outcomes in unsedated colonoscopy by water method

The October issue of GIE Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal of the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE), features the results of two randomized controlled trials of unsedated colonoscopy comparing water infusion versus air insufflation to distend the colon.

30 Sep 2010

Study finds broader statin use as a cost-effective way to prevent heart attack and stroke

A new analysis suggests that broader statin use among adult patients may be a cost-effective way to prevent heart attack and stroke. The Stanford University School of Medicine study also found that using a popular test - a screening for high sensitivity C-reactive protein, or CRP - to identify patients who may benefit from statin therapy would be cost-effective, but only under certain scenarios.

29 Sep 2010

Loss of INPP5A gene can predict cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression

The loss of a gene known as INPP5A could predict the onset, and track the progression, of an aggressive type of skin cancer, according to a study published today by the Mayo Clinic, Arizona Cancer Center, and the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen).

29 Sep 2010

Congress considering program to help women in military; War videos prepare doctors for bomb wounds

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Congress "is considering" a $3 million pilot program, that "would establish a Women Veterans and Service Members Joint Health Resource Center in South Jersey. The effort, which could be replicated across the country, would provide 'navigators' to connect women in the military and female veterans to health care, including gynecological, obstetric, and breast exams, available through the Department of Veterans Affairs and civilian facilities."

28 Sep 2010

NIH awards $2.4 million to help disabled students for careers in neuroscience

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded nearly $2.4 million Friday to University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus researcher Diego Restrepo and Elba Serrano of New Mexico State University Las Cruces to help them prepare minority students and those with disabilities for careers in neuroscience.

27 Sep 2010

Individuals with growing amount of white matter hyperintensities are more likely to develop dementia

Elderly people with no memory or thinking problems are more likely to later develop thinking problems if they have a growing amount of "brain rust," or small areas of brain damage, according to a study published in the July 14, 2009, print issue of NeurologyÂ, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

27 Sep 2010

BayCare Behavioral receives grant to launch VIP Program

This week, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration awarded BayCare Behavioral Health with a $1.75 million grant to launch the Veteran and Inebriate Program (VIP).

27 Sep 2010

Many antisocial boys may have malfunctioning brains

Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws, and act recklessly are not just "bad" kids. Many of these boys may have malfunctioning brains, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

24 Sep 2010

Nationwide Health Information Network tool to convey public health information

One hundred and sixty-six years after Samuel Morse used dots and dashes to telegraph "What hath God wrought?" opening up a whole new world of communication, Indiana has become the first state in the nation to use a potentially equally revolutionary tool, the Nationwide Health Information Network, to convey public health information to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

22 Sep 2010

Study reveals molecular steps for pneumonia therapy

A structural molecule and the cellular pump that regulates its levels influence the severity of pneumonia and could provide new ways of treating the lung infection, which is a leading cause of hospitalization and death, according to scientists at the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Iowa. Their findings are available online in Nature Medicine.

21 Sep 2010

ALS Society of Canada applauds Prime Minister's commitment to ensure benefits for veterans with ALS

The ALS Society of Canada applauds Prime Minister Stephen Harper's September 17 announcement on Global National Television regarding veterans with ALS: "I think I've been pretty clear that supporting our veterans is one of the government's highest priorities. We've been doing some internal reviews. We're aware of some concerns on how veterans who have ALS may be handled and I've certainly been insisting our officials look into how we can fix some people's problems. So you're going to see some action on that in the not-too-distant future."

21 Sep 2010

New body-contouring laser causes fat loss

Stephanie Martinez had one of the most universal desires - to shed a few stubborn inches from her waist, hips and thighs - without harsh diets, needles or other surgical interventions that require staying at home and taking time off from work.

20 Sep 2010

Wounded Warrior Project applauds introduction of traumatic brain injury bill

Wounded Warrior Project applauds Congressman Tim Walz (D – MN) for introducing legislation today in the U.S. House of Representatives that would ensure fuller lives for warriors who sustained severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in Iraq and Afghanistan, and urges speedy action on this measure.

17 Sep 2010

PCF applauds new prostate cancer legislation

As hundreds of prostate cancer researchers, advocates and supporters Advance on Washington this week and push for more progress in fighting the disease, the Prostate Cancer Foundation applauds the prostate cancer legislation introduced on Tuesday by Senator Jon Tester of Montana.

17 Sep 2010

Veterans Affairs News and Research

U.S. Army re-awards Patient Appointing Services bridge contracts to Health Net Federal Services

Diamond-coated electrodes for implantable devices

Study shows no difference between Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab efficacy in treating AMD

Some Minn. insurers will end certain Medicare plans; Utah issues rule on child-only plans; Fla. law on pain clinics takes effect

Lawmaker proposes trust fund for veterans' growing health costs

New England Journal of Medicine praises VA’s policy on disclosure of adverse medical events

Trial demonstrates improved outcomes in unsedated colonoscopy by water method

Study finds broader statin use as a cost-effective way to prevent heart attack and stroke

Loss of INPP5A gene can predict cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma progression

Congress considering program to help women in military; War videos prepare doctors for bomb wounds

NIH awards $2.4 million to help disabled students for careers in neuroscience

Individuals with growing amount of white matter hyperintensities are more likely to develop dementia

BayCare Behavioral receives grant to launch VIP Program

Many antisocial boys may have malfunctioning brains

Nationwide Health Information Network tool to convey public health information

Study reveals molecular steps for pneumonia therapy

ALS Society of Canada applauds Prime Minister's commitment to ensure benefits for veterans with ALS

New body-contouring laser causes fat loss

Wounded Warrior Project applauds introduction of traumatic brain injury bill

PCF applauds new prostate cancer legislation

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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