Veterans Affairs News and Research

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State highlights: Medicaid bankruptcy ruling could save some nursing homes; high HIV rates in Southern states

A federal judge's recent ruling blocking Medicaid officials from cutting off a struggling nursing home could help troubled health care facilities survive using bankruptcy, according to restructuring professionals.

23 Sep 2014

Research roundup: Home health nurses' workloads; readmissions at the VA; SHOP choices

In anticipation of next year's premium announcements and given some information already made public, concerns have surfaced about the potential for double-digit percent increases in nongroup and small-group health insurance premiums. This analysis shows that, although average annual increases in small-group premiums over the past 13 years averaged roughly 5.5 percent, double-digit average premium increases are common for states and large metropolitan areas.

22 Sep 2014

Curcumin, cancer-inhibiting peptides show promise in slowing progression of mesothelioma

A common Asian spice and cancer-hampering molecules show promise in slowing the progression of mesothelioma, a cancer of the lung's lining often linked to asbestos. Scientists from Case Western Reserve University and the Georg-Speyer-Haus in Frankfurt, Germany, demonstrate that application of curcumin, a derivative of the spice turmeric, and cancer-inhibiting peptides increase levels of a protein inhibitor known to combat the progression of this cancer.

22 Sep 2014

Private efforts to address mental health needs of veterans could aid VA health system reform

A unique partnership to support private efforts to provide mental health services to veterans and their families could provide a model for similar efforts should federal officials decide to expand privately provided health care as part of reform of the VA health system, according to a new RAND Corporation report.

22 Sep 2014

In a change, VA auditor says wait times may have played a role in deaths

In testimony before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, Acting Inspector General Richard Griffin says that delays in getting treatment at some VA centers may have been a factor in the deaths of some veterans.

22 Sep 2014

Viewpoints: Election victory could bring difficult decisions for GOP; Burwell 'presses reset'

But if the GOP controls both the Senate and the House, its members will be under pressure to govern. At least in the Senate, where 60 votes are needed to move major legislation, they'll even have an incentive to compromise .… But that won't be easy.

18 Sep 2014

Soldiers deployed to sunny climates face increased risk of skin cancer

Soldiers deployed to tropical and sunny climates are coming home with increased risk factors for a threat far from the battlefield: skin cancer.

17 Sep 2014

GOP accuses VA of interfering with report on deaths

Meanwhile, the health-tracking device company Fitbit hires a D.C. lobbying firm to deal with privacy questions from lawmakers.

16 Sep 2014

GOP Senate may not be able to repeal health law, but it could cripple key provisions

News outlets examine what the future could hold for the health law especially as the Senate increasingly appears to be within GOP reach.

16 Sep 2014

Breathing-based meditation practice can be effective treatment for PTSD

One of the greatest casualties of war is its lasting effect on the minds of soldiers. This presents a daunting public health problem: More than 20 percent of veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a 2012 report by RAND Corp.

12 Sep 2014

New class of compounds protect brain cells from traumatic brain injury

A new class of compounds has now been shown to protect brain cells from the type of damage caused by blast-mediated traumatic brain injury (TBI).

12 Sep 2014

Clinical trial of stem cell-derived therapy for patients with Type 1 diabetes

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, in partnership with ViaCyte, Inc., a San Diego-based biotechnology firm specializing in regenerative medicine, have launched the first-ever human Phase I/II clinical trial of a stem cell-derived therapy for patients with Type 1 diabetes.

11 Sep 2014

Study shows how stress can impact men’s health

Older men who lead high-stress lives, either from chronic everyday hassles or because of a series of significant life events, are likely to die earlier than the average for their peers, new research from Oregon State University shows.

11 Sep 2014

Senate panel hears testimony from VA inspector general

During a hearing of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Inspector General Richard J. Griffin said administrators at 13 VA health facilities lied during the investigation of waiting list issues and other improprieties.

11 Sep 2014

New VA director details plan for fixing health system

The new head of the Department of Veterans Affairs said Monday he is working to streamline the VA's sprawling bureaucracy, simplify the process for veterans to receive care and hire thousands of new doctors and nurses.

10 Sep 2014

Genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely driving force behind human skin cancers

A genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely the driving force behind millions of human skin cancers, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

8 Sep 2014

Amida launches Blue Button-branded software component, Data Reconciliation Engine

Amida is pleased to announce the second release of its Data Reconciliation Engine (DRE). The DRE is a Blue Button-branded software component that supports the aims of the Blue Button Initiative, a nationwide public-private effort that enables patients and consumers to gain easy access to their own health information.

2 Sep 2014

Serelaxin reduces occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure

Serelaxin reduces the occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure by almost half in patients admitted for acute heart failure, according to the RELAX-AHF trial. The results were presented for the first time today at ESC Congress by co-principal investigator Professor John R. Teerlink.

1 Sep 2014

Viewpoints: GOP's 2015 Obamacare opportunities; the need for community health workers; WHO's Ebola response

In another sign that the politics of Obamacare continue to shift, the Medicaid expansion is now all but certain to come to another big state whose Republican governor had previously resisted it: Pennsylvania. ... The details of the final deal will matter. But broadly speaking this looks like another sign of just how hard it is for Republican governors in non-deep-red states to resist the expansion - and of how the politics of this issue continue to change (Greg Sargent, 8/28).

30 Aug 2014

Researchers find method to expand blood stem cells used to treat cancer patients

A team of scientists from the University of Colorado School of Medicine has reported the breakthrough discovery of a process to expand production of stem cells used to treat cancer patients.

30 Aug 2014

Veterans Affairs News and Research

State highlights: Medicaid bankruptcy ruling could save some nursing homes; high HIV rates in Southern states

Research roundup: Home health nurses' workloads; readmissions at the VA; SHOP choices

Curcumin, cancer-inhibiting peptides show promise in slowing progression of mesothelioma

Private efforts to address mental health needs of veterans could aid VA health system reform

In a change, VA auditor says wait times may have played a role in deaths

Viewpoints: Election victory could bring difficult decisions for GOP; Burwell 'presses reset'

Soldiers deployed to sunny climates face increased risk of skin cancer

GOP accuses VA of interfering with report on deaths

GOP Senate may not be able to repeal health law, but it could cripple key provisions

Breathing-based meditation practice can be effective treatment for PTSD

New class of compounds protect brain cells from traumatic brain injury

Clinical trial of stem cell-derived therapy for patients with Type 1 diabetes

Study shows how stress can impact men’s health

Senate panel hears testimony from VA inspector general

New VA director details plan for fixing health system

Genetic mutation caused by ultraviolet light is likely driving force behind human skin cancers

Amida launches Blue Button-branded software component, Data Reconciliation Engine

Serelaxin reduces occurrence of in-hospital worsening heart failure

Viewpoints: GOP's 2015 Obamacare opportunities; the need for community health workers; WHO's Ebola response

Researchers find method to expand blood stem cells used to treat cancer patients

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