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Archive for June, 2010
Monday, June 14th, 2010
There have been a number of studies out recently linking anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to later in life issues. While some of these studies are more concrete and conclusive than others, a new study seems to have produced a link between older veterans suffering from PTSD being twice as likely to also develop Alzheimer’s as well as other dementias.
This is one of the first studies linking the two conditions. Despite the research completed, not every question was answered. One thing the study could not differentiate, for example, is if PTSD increases dementias later in life or if suffering from PTSD is a premature symptom of what will likely develop into dementia in older veterans.
Deborah Barnes, PhD from the University of California at San Francisco says this study does not definitely mean they have proven a link between PTSD and dementia. What this study may stand for is concluding that stress is a factor leading to Alzheimer’s. This couples with already existing evidence showing stress damages the hippocampus. This is significant because it is the part of the brain vitally responsible for memory and learning.
The study focused on over 180,000 veterans for 7 years. Over 53,000 of those veterans had been diagnosed with PTSD and none of them had been diagnosed with dementia in 2000. At the study’s end, about 17% of them had been diagnosed with PTSD.
These results were interpreted to mean those veterans suffering from PTSD were 11% more likely to develop dementia over the 7 year period of the study. Comparatively, those veterans not suffering from PTSD had only a 7% chance of developing dementia. Once researchers eliminated all other risk factors associated with developing Alzheimer’s, they concluded veterans suffering from PTSD were developing dementia at a 77% higher rate than those veterans not suffering from PTSD.
It is very common for people suffering from PTSD to cycle in and out of symptoms. This is why it is so critical to determine if there is a link between the two. The earlier these types of links can be determined, the more likely it is to actively treat the situation before it presents itself.
Learn more about how PTSD has been potentially linked to dementia and just what the study means.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: alzheimer's disease, Dementia, PTSD, TBI, VA health care, Veterans Health Care, Veterans' Resources
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010
The House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs recently issued formal recommendations to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In following those recommendations, every VA pharmacy technician working at GS-6 and above must possess a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) certification.
The VA implementing these recommendations demonstrates their dedication and pledge to providing the absolute best patient care to veterans. Further, by integrating these new standards, the VA brings itself in line with private sector standards. Pharmacist technicians with the PTCB certification make more money and once they leave the VA are more employable.
The VA prides itself on being able to offer its veterans a world class pharmacy. A pharmacy of that caliber, however, cannot exist without high quality pharmacy technicians. By requiring the PTCB certification the VA is:
- Better equipping technicians to carry out their present duties;
- Providing a jumping off point for technicians to improve their current skills and in time take on more intricate duties;
- Providing a career ladder;
- Raising the technicians’ minimum skill level requirements; and
- Standardizing technicians’ practice in the VA health care system.
There are more than 3,800 pharmacy technicians in the VA system and their job responsibilities are greatly varied. By requiring them to all meet the same minimum standards creates a concrete base on which to support the VA’s pharmacy. The VA can then boast as to the highly trained personnel that form the basis of their world class pharmacy.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Pharmacy Technician Pharmacy Board, Pharmacy Technicians, PTCB, VA health care, Veterans Health
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
The Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006 changed the way veteran-owned and service-disabled-veteran-owned small businesses are treated as far as being awarded VA contracts. The Act demands the VA give these specific businesses preference when giving contracts to small businesses.
Where there is the opportunity for money, however, fraud is sure to follow. There is a database on which businesses eligible for these set-aside contracts list themselves in order to be considered. The VA did not verify businesses’ credentials before they were listed on the website so they have to go back and do that now. Therefore, companies not veteran owned were being awarded contracts.
As of April of this year, the VA has only been able to verify 14% of the companies listed on the website, which equates to approximately 2,900 businesses, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released at the end of May.
The GAO was able to uncover fraud in not only the set-aside program but also in quite a few other programs. According to the GAO at least 10 counterfeit companies stole approximately $100 million from the set-aside program since they did not qualify for the funds to begin with . The GAO report highlighted numerous ways the VA is failing with respect to its verification process.
According to the report, the VA was actually missing files of required information in order to qualify the applying businesses. Additionally, the VA has an increasing backlog of site visits and only established their verification methods in February. Lack of personnel and leadership has prevented the progress the VA hoped to accomplish.
The GAO study recommended the VA discover some way to overcome their backlogs and at the same time, develop safeguards to prevent non-eligible companies from being listed. The VA agreed with the recommendations and is currently hiring more workers to make sure the verification process operates as it should. Further, the VA has started to remove the webpage featuring the unverified businesses from public access.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: service-disabled-veteran-owned small businesses, Veteran-owned businesses, Veterans Care and Information Technology Act of 2006, Veterans disability
Posted in General, VA News | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Recent research seems to indicate a person’s mental condition may affect the condition of their heart. According to the study, which focused on veterans, anxiety disorders may increase a person’s likelihood of suffering a heart attack.
Researchers studied the medical records of almost 97, 000 veterans. Veterans found suffering with any of the anxiety disorders covered in the study were more likely to have a heart attack over the next 7 years than those not suffering from the disorders. Researchers limited their work to specific anxiety disorders to include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD);
- Panic disorder;
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder; and
- More generalized anxiety.
These findings built on already established findings linking the state of a person’s mental health to the state of their heart health. Previous studies have linked clinical depression to causing higher risks of heart disease but not much research has been done on the effects of anxiety disorders.
People suffering from clinical anxiety usually suffer from depression as well. With the two being so closely related, it has been difficult to determine just how anxiety disorders affect heart health.
It’s critical to note the study does not come to cause-and-effect conclusions. Rather, they only demonstrate an association between anxiety disorders and risks of heart attacks. Further, the differential between rates of heart attacks of those veterans suffering from anxiety disorders and those not suffering from anxiety disorders was very small.
When outside heart attack factors were controlled for, however, anxiety disorders caused veterans to have increased risk of heart attacks at a rate of 25-43% over those veterans not suffering from anxiety disorders. The controlled for factors included:
- Age;
- Smoking;
- Drinking;
- Diabetes;
- High blood pressure; and
- High cholesterol.
Of all the veterans in the study, none had heart problems in their medical history. What this research did not show is that treating the anxiety disorder will lower the veterans’ risk of suffering a heart attack. More research is needed in order to get to this point.
Learn more about how anxiety may increase the risk of heart attacks.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Anxiety disorder, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, mental health, PTSD, VA health care
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Monday, June 7th, 2010
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) have quickly become the signature injury of the two current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Very little is known about how TBIs affect their victims so the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is funding research specifically focused on TBIs. Specifically, researchers are looking at how TBIs:
- Look and act in the brain;
- How they affect returning troops’ ability to control behavior; and
- Can be isolated and separated from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) which usually accompanies TBI.
The Martinez VA medical center in California houses 34 researchers and scientists and has received $2.6 million in subsidies from the VA. This medical center has become one of the main facilities in the VA’s network focusing on this type of research. Many of the symptoms of TBI and PTSD overlap and have common characteristics, making specific diagnoses very difficult.
Without a solid diagnosis, rehabilitation becomes very difficult. On the outside, many TBI patients do not appear to be afflicted in any way. Internally, they may have problems performing simple tasks, or may suffer from hearing problems. If doctors cannot determine why you are acting how you are acting, the source of the issue cannot be treated.
Soldiers’ brains are being affected by IEDs in ways we have not encountered before. Instead of just the initial, straight-on, concussive shockwave, the soldiers’ bodies may be moving in different directions than their brain so that the brain is being hit with the initial wave as well as aftershocks. The ffects are not immediately apparent, and it is possible to damage the brain and not the skull.
This research is vital and if it is possible to separate TBI symptoms from PTSD, successful treatment becomes a real possibility. Given the sacrifices soldiers are making on our behalf, successful health care and treatment is the least we can do for them.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: PTSD, TBI, VA health care, VA medical center, VA Research
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Friday, June 4th, 2010
There are 375,000 veterans living in Central Florida and 90,000 of them are receiving care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center in East Central Florida. Orlando is the largest city in the United States without a VA hospital but that is changing.
Lake Nona, in Southeast Orange County, will be the site of the new, state-of-the-art VA hospital (VAMC). More than a hospital, though, it will be more like a “medical city” and will be completed in 2012. The University of Central Florida’s medical school will graduate its first class in 2012 and will allow the VA hospital to launch their residency program.
The hospital will come with a $656 million price tag, will boast 1.2 million square feet of space, and will employ approximately 2,100 people. The medical complex will utilize the latest technology and modern amenities. When finally completed, the hospital will include:
- 134 hospital beds;
- 120 bed community living center;
- A 60 bed domiciliary;
- An outpatient clinic;
- Single occupancy rooms;
- Family visiting areas; and
- Personal wireless devices.
The campus will sit on 65 acres of land and will provide an extensive recreation area. Visitors will be given all the amenities so they may be as comfortable as possible. The family living rooms include pull out couches should overnight stays be necessary.
The VAMC will, however, consist of approximately 60% outpatient services. This makes the offered treatment different than most. The Lake Baldwin Orlando VA Medical Center will continue to perform most primary care services.
The goal of the new center is keeping treatment as close to home as possible, which is why the center is being built with additions already in mind. This hospital will serve the need for which it was produced and will grow and adapt with the local population of veterans.
Learn more about Orlando’s new VA medical center complex.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Orlando VA Medical Center, VA health care, VA healthcare system, VA hospital, Veterans disability
Posted in General | 1 Comment »
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010
Every week seems to bring new treatment remedies for veterans with substance abuse issues. Sometimes, though, new is not always better and older remedies come back into the spotlight. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinic at White City hosts a sweat lodge 3 times a month to help those veterans battling substance abuse problems.
Sweat lodges are part of American Indian ceremonies and they date back thousands of years. The White City VA offers a sweat lodge to inpatients and is used to help veterans discover their own course for their personal recovery. So far, it seems to be a helpful therapy.
While traditional therapy works on your mind and body, a sweat lodge works on your spirit. This is how an all-encompassing therapy is supposed to be performed: by taking care of the person as a whole. Most combat deployments will rob soldiers of part of their spirit and their trust. Rebuilding those elements is just as important as everything traditional therapy works to rebuild.
The White City sweat lodges have been in existence since 2003 and are carried out by American Indian elders. The ceremony is conducted in 4 stages designed to provide veterans with a sense of respect and honor. The ceremony seeks to give veterans a sense of personal empowerment, which aids in every step of a person’s recovery.
Sweat lodges fill a critical role in the recovery process. Substance abuse takes a hold of the veteran’s entire body. When used in combination with other types of treatment, sweat lodges allow the veteran’s entire body to be treated – a key to ensuring a successful sobriety.
Learn more about how sweat lodges are being used to help substance abuse.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: substance abuse, substance abuse treatment, sweat lodge, VA health care, Veteran therapy, Veterans disability
Posted in General | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has assembled a research team who are working toward identifying certain patterns within symptoms by pouring through millions of VA clinicians’ notes. The hope is that distinguishing patterns will help treat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering from seemingly unexplainable conditions.
That veterans are returning from war suffering from conditions that modern epidemiological science cannot explain is not a new phenomenon. What is new, however, is that researchers working on these conditions are being given access to all the VA’s medical records as opposed to being limited to only those from their home hospital.
Some of the most common symptoms baffling researchers are:
- Gastrointestinal problems;
- Respiratory illness;
- Blood disease; and
- Skin rashes.
The VA is the single largest health care system in the United States and one of the earliest health care organizations to adopt digital record-keeping technology. The Veterans’ Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) allows researchers secure access to VA patient records. Given the VA’s recent history of having seemingly secure information stolen, access on this level is not given lightly.
Researchers are only allowed to work within VINCI’s secure virtual environment behind the firewall so as to prevent theft of the data. The researchers’ first goal is to change all of the physicians’ narratives from the entire VINCI network into data that can be studied and analyzed. This data will generate millions of key words and will then be analyzed to determine if any patterns emerge.
The ultimate goal of this undertaking is to understand how symptoms and causes are linked. Once on that track it may very well be possible to pin point specific origins. The more data researchers are given to analyze the more likely it is an answer can be found.
Learn more about researchers using the VA’s extensive health care records to find a link between causes and symptoms of mysterious conditions plaguing veterans.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, VA healthcare, veteran illnesses, Veterans disability, Veterans Health Care
Posted in General, VA News | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, June 1st, 2010
Veterans returning from deployments face obstacles on many levels. While substance abuse, mental health issues, and medical conditions top the list, many veterans are also struggling with simply finding a job. Fighting against unemployment, veterans are enrolling in college to give them an additional weapon in their personal arsenal.
The Higher Education Coordinating Board’s (HECB) statistics show a significant increase in veterans having enrolled in college since the beginning of the recession. Coupling the sparse availability of civilian jobs with the general inapplicability of military skills to the private sector, enrolling in college seems to be the best way for veteran-soldiers to become more marketable to employers.
Enrolling in college helps veterans, the institutions in which those veterans enroll, and the states’ economies. In the State of Washington in fiscal 2009, Washington veteran-students used $119.5 million in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) money on educational and vocational training. The VA’s statistics report this as being a 25% increase over the previous year in federal education benefits being put into Washington.
Because of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, more veterans are enrolling in college to increase their skill levels and become more employable. Many skilled jobs in such fields as construction have declined. Because of this decline, fewer veterans are enrolling in skills-oriented training such as:
- Apprenticeship programs; and
- On-the-job training programs.
While more veterans enrolling in college is generally considered a good thing, their presence resulted in both public colleges and universities being over-enrolled to the tune of almost 11%. Over-enrolled schools result in:
- Crowded classrooms;
- Greater difficulty registering for classes;
- Fewer teaching assistants; and
- Less lab time available for students.
While there may be some drawbacks to a mass amount of veterans all enrolling in school at once, it’s wonderful that these veterans are able to enroll in college and train for their future.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Post-9/11 GI Bill, VA Benefits, VA educational benefits, veteran-students, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits | 1 Comment »
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