New VA Nursing Academy Sites

VA Announces New Nursing Academy Sites 04/09/09. To provide compassionate, highly-trained nurses to serve the health care needs of the nation’s Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is establishing new partnerships with five of the country’s finest nursing schools. With these new partnerships, the VA Nursing Academy will expand the number of collaborations between the department and nursing schools from 10 to 15. VA

Proposed Mental Health Services for Vets

VA Budget Adds Mental-Health Services 04/09/09. The proposed Department of Veterans Affairs funding request will provide more post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury services to combat veterans, as well as other mental-health care and services for wounded warriors. DefenseLink.mil

Lifetime E-records

Obama Announces Vets e-Records System 04/09/09. President Obama announced plans to provide servicemembers with an electronic health records system that will follow them from the day they put up their hands to serve until the day they die. The streamlined records system will help alleviate a six-month backlog of claims, according to Obama. Military.com

PTSD & Panic Attacks

No Direct Link Between Panic Attacks, PTSD 04/07/09. New Geisinger research sheds light on panic attacks shortly after disasters and the long-term likelihood a person will experience PTSD related to the disaster. Leading PTSD researcher Joseph Boscarino shows that factors such as a prior history of depression, a person’s emotional support network and self-esteem are better indicators of a person’s susceptibility to PTSD. Geisinger Health System via Newswise

VAOIG Review of Honolulu VA

Healthcare Inspection Administrative Issues VA Pacific Islands Health Care System Honolulu, Hawaii 04/07/09. The purpose of the review was to respond to questions raised by Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Daniel Akaka regarding oversight, equipment, and staffing in the inpatient psychiatric unit (Ward 3B2) operated through a sharing agreement with Tripler Army Medical Center. Responsibilities for Ward 3B2 are defined in a joint policy and generally appear to be clear to managers at both facilities. Equipment and staffing issues have been addressed adequately. Therefore, we made no recommendations. VAOIG

Regaining Lost Functional Ability

VA/UAB study looks at functional decline in older patients after hospitalization 04/07/09. Motivation and expectation may be factors in helping older adults regain lost functional ability after hospitalization, say researchers with the Birmingham VA Medical Center and UAB. In findings published in March in the Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers found that patients hospitalized for surgery returned to normal baseline function more quickly and more completely than did patients hospitalized for illness. University of Alabama at Birmingham via Eurekalert!

Review of VA's Mental Health Strategic Plan

Audit of Veterans Health Administration Mental Health Initiative Funding 04/06/09. The Office of Inspector General conducted an audit of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Mental Health Initiative (MHI) Funding. The objective of this audit was to determine if the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) had an adequate process in place to ensure funds allocated for MHI were tracked and used accordingly. Results of our audit showed that VHA staff adequately tracked funds allocated for the MHI in FY 2008. The Office of Mental Health Service (OMHS) distributed funds through the Office of Finance for specific programs to medical facilities using transfer disbursement authorities. In addition, OMHS provided award memorandums explaining the funded program, necessary resources, and the funding amounts. Medical facility fiscal staff at each location established their own multiple fund control points and used spreadsheets to track salary and purchase order costs for the MHI. The Office of Finance staff received reports on the amounts spent and compared with the amounts allocated. Medical facility mental health care staff reported on personnel actions associated with filling the MHI positions and if the positions were filled internally, when the old positions were backfilled. OMHS staff monitored these personnel reports to track the status of the MHI positions. In FY 2009, the Office of Finance established standardized account classification codes for the MHI funds that could further enhance transparency and accountability over how MHI funding is spent in the future. The Under Secretary for Health agreed with the findings and noted that metrics for monitoring the implementation f the requirements listed in the Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook are currently being developed. VAOIG

Healthcare Inspection Implementation of VHA’s Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook 04/06/09. As required by the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriation Bill, fiscal year 2009 (FY09), the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a review of the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA’s) progress in implementing the recommendations of the Mental Health Strategic Plan. Also the Committee was concerned that VHA policy on the identification and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has not been applied uniformly and directed the OIG to include a review of the compliance to these policies in the report. This inspection reports on the system-wide implementation status of VHA Handbook 1160.01, Uniform Mental Health Services in VA Medical Centers and Clinics. We believe it reasonably estimates the present extent of handbook implementation at the medical center level at this time. A detailed table presents our findings, including findings on PTSD. Because facilities have until the end of FY09 to fully meet the handbook requirements, we made no recommendations at this time. VAOIG

VA Medical Records Garner Attention

Medical Journal Praises VA Electronic Health Record 04/06/09. A recent study in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine singles out the VA for its successful implementation of a comprehensive system of electronic health records. VA

Reprocessing Issues

VA Continues Notification Process for Veterans Affected by Reprocessing Issues 04/06/09. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced 3,174 Veterans have already been notified of the results of testing they underwent recently, that testing was conducted because of improperly reprocessed endoscopy equipment that may have been used in their care. These Veterans, in the Tennessee, Georgia and South Florida areas were among 10,555 Veterans sent letters offering free testing. VA