Rural Classificatio for VA Health Care

Practical and policy implications of using different rural-urban classification systems: a case study of inpatient service utilization among veterans administration users. 07/03/09. Decisions about allocating VA health care resources to target "rural" patients may be affected greatly by the rural classification system chosen, and the impact of this choice will affect some hospital networks much more than others. Journal of Rural Health via PubMed

VAOIG Review of Tampa VA

Combined Assessment Program Review of the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital Tampa, Florida 07/03/09. The purpose of the review was to evaluate selected operations, focusing on patient care administration and quality management (QM). During the review, we also provided fraud and integrity awareness briefings to 574 employees. This review focused on eight operational activities. The medical center complied with selected standards in the following two activities (1) coordination of care and (2) patient satisfaction. We identified transforming care at the bedside as an organizational strength. We made recommendations for improvements in the following six activities: Environment of care, Suicide prevention program, QM, Medication management, Emergency/urgent care operations, and Contract/agency registered nurses. VAOIG

What is PTSD?

What Is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? What Is PTSD? What Causes PTSD? 07/03/09. PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is triggered by a traumatic event - it is a kind of anxiety. The sufferer of PTSD may have experienced or seen an event that caused extreme fear, shock and/or a feeling of helplessness. Most of us experience a brief period of difficulty adjusting and coping with traumatic events. However, we gradually get better with time and healthy coping methods. On the other hand, there are times when symptoms get worse and may last for several months, or years. This study explains how PTSD can surface two years after a traumatic event. Another study found that one in eight Lower Manhattan residents likely had PTSD two to three years after the 9/11 attacks. Medical News Today

VA Ready to Compensate Colonoscopy Victims?

VA silent on compensating for endoscopic mistakes 07/02/09. An attorney for veterans potentially exposed to HIV and other infections by colonoscopies at three Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals said his clients are waiting to hear if they will be compensated for mistakes that led to congressional hearings and new VA spending on patient safety. A spokeswoman for the VA declined to comment about prospects for compensation. Katie Roberts said the more than 10,000 veterans who have been getting follow-up blood checks since February have the option of filing a complaint in a claim just like other VA patients. She said the VA has been advising the affected patients that they have the option of filing a claim. AP via Yahoo News

Little Known VA Benefit

VA Provides Underused Monthly Pension Benefit While Medicaid Receives Increased Attention 07/01/09. Medicaid receives increased attention while an underused, special monthly pension benefit called Aid and Attendance can help veterans, and spouses, with assisted living.

Newsday reports that the "pension benefit may be available to wartime veterans and surviving spouses who have in-home care or who live in nursing homes or assisted-living facilities" and that "eligible veterans need not have served overseas or in combat; they must have served during the period of a war: World War II, Dec. 7, 1941-Dec. 31, 1946; Korea, June 27, 1950-Jan. 31, 1955; Vietnam, Aug. 5, 1964-May 7, 1975; Persian Gulf War, Aug. 2, 1990 to a date not yet determined." A 2006 press release about the program "got little notice, perhaps because Veterans Affairs wanted to save money... [but that] as word of the benefit got around, elder law firms throughout the country became active in pursuing the benefit for clients." The benefit is meant for veterans and surviving spouses with unreimbursed medical expenses, such as assisted-living charges that are not supported by Medicaid. The Philadelphia Inquirer also picked up the feature (Friedman, 6/27). KaiserHealthNews

VAOIG Review of VA's Computerized Record System

Review of Defects in VA’s Computerized Patient Record System Version 27 and Associated Quality of Care Issues 06/30/09. At the request of the former Secretary of Veterans Affairs, this review evaluated testing and deployment of Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) version 27 (v27). The purposes of this review were to identify the processes supporting the planning, testing, authorization, and implementation of CPRS v27; identify system development control deficiencies; and determine whether Veterans Health Administration (VHA) developed appropriate action plans in response to CPRS v27 defects. Additionally, we assessed the associated risk to patients and VHA actions in response. We recommended that OI&T and VHA: Develop a process to ensure that the selection of Alpha/Beta test sites adequately represents how different VA medical facilities utilize CPRS, while considering the depth and complexity of software changes associated with major releases of CPRS. VAOIG

VAOIG Review of Retroactive Payments

Review of Veterans Benefits Administration Large Retroactive Payments 06/30/09. The Office of Inspector General (OIG) conducted a special review of large retroactive Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) payments at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Offices (VAROs) in response to an ongoing OIG investigation. The objective of this review was to determine whether other such incidents were occurring at other VAROs processing large retroactive payments and to what extent VBA and VAROs have designed and implemented effective policies, procedures, and mechanisms to prevent and detect this type of fraudulent activity. Prior investigations of fraud relating to large retroactive payments heightened the need for more attention to prevention and detection of fraud related to these benefits payments.VAOIG

VAOIG Review of Clarksburg, West Virginia VA

Combined Assessment Program Review of the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center Clarksburg, West Virginia 06/30/09. The purpose of the review was to evaluate selected operations, focusing on patient care administration and quality management (QM). During the review, we provided fraud and integrity awareness training to 26 employees. The review covered seven operational activities. The medical center complied with selected standards in the following four activities: (1) coordination of care, (2) medication management, (3) patient satisfaction, and (4) suicide prevention program. We identified the development and use of isolation reference cards as an organizational strength. We made recommendations for improvements in the following three activities: Emergency/urgent care operations. Environment of care. QM. VAOIG

Over 25% Sampled Veterans With Metabolic Syndrome

Computer-Based Screening of Veterans for Metabolic Syndrome. 06/30/09. Over one quarter of veterans in the VANCHCS may have metabolic syndrome based on our modified ATP III criteria. We urge screening more veterans with fasting laboratory testing. Computerized screening of a large clinical database can provide an effective strategy to aid clinicians in identifying more patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. Metabolic Syndrome & Related Disorders via PubMed

Postdeployment Hospitalization Rates

Postdeployment Hospitalizations Among Service Members Deployed in Support of the Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. 06/30/09. Active-duty service members have an increased risk of hospitalization after deployment compared with before deployment but a lower risk when compared with nondeployers. Annals of Epidemiology via PubMed

Sen. Arlen Specter Questions "Rogue Physician"

Pa. doc at center of VA cancer probe admits errors 06/30/09. A doctor accused of botching dozens of prostate cancer surgeries at a Veterans Administration hospital admitted Monday that he sometimes missed his target when implanting radioactive seeds, leaving patients with incorrect dosages. AP