News
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VA Departures Open Door To Speculation
March 1 marks the start of sequestration, of course, but for the Veterans Affairs Department it brings another big change as well. VA CIO Roger Baker announced Feb. 15 his intent to step down, followed within days by CTO Peter Levin making his exit publicly known Feb. 19. Both said that March 1 would be their last official day on the job. Read More »
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VA Disability Claims For Sleep Apnea Skyrocket To Over $1.2 Billion Per Year
The Department of Veterans Affairs is reportedly spending over $1.2 billion per year to treat sleep apnea, leading one attorney to call on Congress to investigate. Read More »
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VA Downplays Claims Computers Being Taken Offline
The Department of Veterans Affairs’ new claims processing system was taken offline for repairs this week, raising more questions about the department’s long-term plans to break the claims backlog. Read More »
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VA Drive To Hire 1,600 Mental Health Professionals Hits Community Clinics’ Supply
The Department of Veterans Affairs, trying to cope with a surge in psychological needs of veterans, has vowed to hire 1,600 additional mental health care professionals by the end of June, but some experts say the pool of qualified candidates is too small and the federal effort could jeopardize already-understaffed community health organizations. Read More »
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VA Eliminates Bonuses For Benefits Officials
Senior executives of the Veterans Benefits Administration will not receive 2012 performance bonuses and the funds will be invested to accelerate elimination of the disability claims backlog, according to the Veterans Affairs Department. Read More »
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VA Embraces Nontraditional Treatments: Complementary Alternative Therapy Helps People Move The Focus Away From Their Aches And Pains
It seems an unlikely pairing. The practice of traditional - and renowned - medicine on a historic campus and a new program of alternative and complementary healing... Read More »
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VA Errors Add To Huge Delays In Benefits
A Center for Investigative Reporting review of the VA's performance data reveals chronic errors - committed in as many as 1 in 3 cases - and an emphasis on speed over accuracy that clogs the VA system with appeals, increasing delays for all veterans. Read More »
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VA Facing Huge Bill For Injured Soldiers Care
The Veterans Affairs healthcare system is likely facing a huge bill in the coming decades to treat soldiers severely wounded in action during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Kaiser Health News reported. Read More »
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VA Farmed Out Claims System Work To Controversial Navy Organization
The Veterans Affairs Department has paid the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic $105 million to help develop its next-generation disability claims processing system since 2010, despite two internal watchdog reports in 2009 that blasted previous work done by the Charleston, S.C.-based organization for VA. Read More »
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VA Gives Tranquilizers To 30 Percent Of PTSD Patients, Despite Warnings
The Veterans Affairs Department treats more than 30 percent of veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder with tranquilizers such as Xanax and Valium, despite clinical practice guidelines issued in 2010 warning against their use, VA’s National Center for PTSD reported. Read More »
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VA giving DoD 'time and space' on iEHR
As Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel gets up to speed on the integrated electronic health record, the Veterans Affairs Department is helping provide him with information he needs to make decisions on the project's future, said VA's Acting Chief Information Officer Stephen Warren during an April 25 press call. Read More »
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VA Grants For Women's Health Programs Expand Telehealth Efforts
Women's care with a special emphasis on telehealth is at the forefront of 33 grants awarded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to VA facilities. The money will go toward improving emergency healthcare services for female veterans, expanding women's health education programs and offering telehealth programs in rural areas [...]. Read More »
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VA Halts All Software Development
The Veterans Affairs Department halted all software development Tuesday, including work on its $491 million paperless Veterans Benefits Management System. The news came a day after the department furloughed 2,754 information technology employees due to the lapse in appropriations. Read More »
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VA Harnesses Big Data For Broader Impact
Dr. Stephan Fihn is sitting on the edge of a revolution at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where big data is becoming easily accessible for clinicians and analysts throughout its 160 hospitals. Read More »
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VA Has Converted Over 30 Percent Of Disability Claims Into Digital Files
165 Million Pages Have Been Scanned and Uploaded to Help Transform Paper-Based Claims Process to Digital Environment Read More »
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