DoD & VA Improve Medical Record Sharing Effort

DoD and VA Improve Sharing Effort 11/27/08. The sharing efforts between DoD and VA, which began in 2001, are on-target to meet requirements of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, said Dr. Gerald Cross, principal deputy under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration. Bi-directional Health Information Exchange (BHIE), the system that allows for DoD and VA to share their electronic health information, is now available at all DoD and VA medical facilities, said Cross. By allowing a VA doctor to see a veteran’s DoD medical record, including lab results, vital signs and allergies, duplicative testing and drug interactions may be prevented, and a better continuity of care is possible as a service member moves from DoD to VA care. Military Health System

Gulf War Veterans

DoD Works to Resolve Gulf War Veterans’ Health Issues 11/27/08. he Defense Department continues to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to resolve veterans’ health issues, including maladies associated with the Gulf War, a senior DoD official said here today. DefenseLink

A New New Orleans VA Medical Center Project

VA and Louisiana State University Announce Site Selections for New Orleans Medical Center Projects 11/25/08. n a public event held today in New Orleans, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the State of Louisiana jointly announced the selection of adjacent downtown sites for construction of their replacement medical center projects. The two projects, called the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the Louisiana State University Academic Medical Center, restore greatly needed health care capability lost in New Orleans during flooding after Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005. VA

DoD and Combat Related Disabilities

Los Angeles Times Examines Department of Defense Policy Change on Combat-Related Disabilities for Veterans 11/25/08. The Los Angeles Times on Tuesday examined the effects of a policy change made in March by the Department of Defense that limited the definition of combat-related disabilities. According to the Times, the policy change has cost some injured veterans thousands of dollars in lost benefits and has prompted criticism from veteran advocacy groups. The policy change followed the enactment of a "wounded warrior" law in January that allowed veterans injured in combat and combat-related operations to collect disability severance from the military and disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Kaisernetwork.com

Physics and TBI

The physics of explosives and blast helmets 11/25/08. Of all the threats facing U.S. soldiers in combat, among the most dangerous are roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices. At the 61st Meeting of the American Physical Society's Division of Fluid Dynamics this week in San Antonio, Naval Research Laboratory scientist David Mott is presenting research aimed at predicting the risk of traumatic brain injury for US soldiers and other people who are wounded by improvised explosive devices. American Institute of Physics via Eurekalert!

Soldier-Family Relationships

K-State psychologist studies ways to improve soldiers' work-life relationship 11/25/08. The US military provides its members with policies to help balance their work and family commitments. But a researcher at Kansas State University has found that simply providing programs might not be enough to maintain a supreme equilibrium. Satoris Culbertson, assistant professor of psychology at K-State, and colleagues have been studying how soldiers' perceptions of a family-friendly environment relates to their physical fitness, confidence in task performance and intentions to remain in the military. Kansas State University via Eurekalert!

Post-Combat Coping Methods

Post-Combat Coping Methods Vary 11/24/08. Methods of coping with combat and its after effects vary as greatly as the effects themselves, six warriors participating in a conference panel here said. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury hosted the “Warrior Resilience Conference: Partnership with the Line.” Combat veterans who spoke at the conference described a range of effects and needs in becoming resilient. DefenseLink

2008 VA Performance and Accountability Report

2008 Performance and Accountability Report 11/24/08. VA published its fiscal year 2008 Performance and Accountability Report on Nov. 17. The report provides important financial information and describes VA’s progress toward reaching specific performance goals. The report allows the president, Congress, veterans, veterans service organizations and the public to evaluate how well VA is performing its mission. VA