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Posts Tagged ‘VA healthcare’
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
The efforts the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) have been making toward preventing suicide among soldiers, veterans, and veterans with disabilities may not have been enough. According to an article in The Huffington Post, some of the systems in place to prevent these tragedies are “insufficient” to overcome the reason veterans and soldiers aren’t seeking help.
A recent study discovered an increase in suicides among veterans and soldiers since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have started. There were over 1,800 suicide attempts made in 2009 alone. According to the VA, a veteran will take his own life every 80 minutes. With these numbers, the need for new, widespread, and more effective suicide prevention and treatment programs has become very apparent.
The country may be facing a real danger with the imminent return of so many troops within the next couple of months. It’s feared that, without severe changes, overburdening the VA health care system with the influx of new veterans will result in a rash of new suicides.
The stigma surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is still very real in the military world. That stigma has unfortunately prevented soldiers and veterans from getting the help they need, and has cost lives. Not every VA or DoD prevention program is worthless but if the veterans and soldiers aren’t seeking out help because of the stigma attached to having PTSD, the effectiveness of the program is irrelevant.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: military suicide, VA healthcare, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, August 23rd, 2010
On the morning of August 30, 2005, Richard Kellar believed he was in the best hands as he went to the Denver Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital for a triple-bypass surgery. Kellar came out of surgery, however, with a surgical clamp about the size of a large paper clip left behind his heart. Chief. U.S. District Judge Wiley Y. Daniel is overseeing the federal trial now underway.
Kellar was offered a $100,000 settlement before trial even started. He rejected it, however, because he didn’t feel it was enough money to compensate him given both his medical and financial issues and is now seeking $15 million.
According to Kellar’s testimony, the surgeons knew the surgical clamp was missing at the end of the surgery but failed to notify him it could have been left inside his chest.
The clamp was eventually discovered during an MRI at Sky Ridge Medical Center in 2006. Kellar was told to return to the Denver VA Hospital where he underwent a fluoroscopy to inspect his chest. Examining doctors told Kellar the surgery required to remove the clamp was too risky but it should cause no harm as it was embedded in the muscle. This didn’t ring true as Kellar was experiencing various physical problems he blames on the presence of the clamp:
- Shooting pains in his head and neck; and
- Numbness in his hands.
U.S. Attorneys questioned whether these ailments existed prior to the clamp being left in his chest. This is only one of the issues the Judge must decide and the trial is expected to conclude soon.
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: Denver VA Hospital, medical malpractice lawsuit, Richard Kellar, VA healthcare, VA lawsuit, VA medical facility, VA surgical error
Posted in VA News | No Comments »
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Samuel McCullough scheduled a surgery at the James A. Haley Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in Tampa, FL. Three days prior to the surgery McCullough showed up to the VA hospital suffering from severe pain in his neck and upper back. A doctor prescribed a pain killer and a muscle relaxant. The next day he returned complaining of the pain having worsened. The treating doctor took note of his fever, prescribed another pain killer, and sent him home.
The next day McCullough showed up for his hernia surgery. A few days later, McCullough was rushed to another hospital’s emergency room with a fever and paralysis of his limbs. McCullough was diagnosed with a bacterial infection that caused a spinal abscess. 10 days following the hernia surgery McCullough was a quadriplegic.
Eventually he sued the VA hospital under the claim their failure to discovery and properly diagnose the abscess lead to his paralysis. He further claimed performing the hernia operation made an already bad situation worse.
Unfortunately for McCullough, he waited over 2 years to file his lawsuit after being told his abscess caused his paralysis. Accordingly, the District Court dismissed McCullough’s lawsuit as untimely.
Judge Beverly Martin of the 11th Circuit Federal Appeals Court in Atlanta unenthusiastically agreed with the lower court’s decision. That McCullough missed his filing deadline and allowed the Statute of Limitations to run on his claim is unfortunate but the court had no ability but to affirm the lower court.
Learn more about McCullough’s lawsuit against the VA for their failure to detect a crucial abscess prior to his surgery.
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, VA health care, VA healthcare, VA lawsuit, VA medical malpractice
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
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 »
Wednesday, May 26th, 2010
Over 600 veterans waiting for kidney transplants could receive very good news next month. The Pittsburgh Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital transplant center, along with 3 other locations may very well have a new way to find matching organs for those veterans in need.
Paired kidney exchange is a new and growing practice. Here is how it works: usually people in need of organs go to their family or first to find someone who matches and can donate. If there are no matches, that friend or family donates to a pool of recipients. It is hoped that by doing this it will create a series of new kidneys available for kidney transplants.
William Gunnar, the National Director of Surgery for the Veterans Health Administration is considering allowing the VA to join the practice. Before he makes any decision whether the VA will go forward with the paired kidney exchange, he demands ethical and legal reviews of the practice. His review is expected to be concluded this month. There are 4 VA hospitals performing kidney transplants:
- Pittsburgh;
- Nashville;
- Iowa City; and
- Portland.
There are 194 veterans waiting for kidneys at the Pittsburgh VA hospital alone yet that site only performs approximately 40 transplants every year. Kidney transplants save money as the more transplants are performed, the less money the VA spends on dialysis.
According to a 2007 federal law, paired kidney exchanges does not equate to selling organs. Gunner, however, still wants to receive a legal opinion before giving the green light on letting the VA go ahead with the program. There are many steps between now and allowing the VA to participate in a paired kidney exchange. The quicker the program gets approved, the quicker veterans in need get help.
Learn more about paired kidney exchange and how the VA may get involved.
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: Organ donation, Paired Kidney Exchange, VA healthcare, VA healthcare system
Posted in General, VA News | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, May 25th, 2010
The Richmond Fisher House is located at the Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center and is only one of many homes around the country for the families of veterans requiring significant or long-term medical care. The Fisher House Foundation was developed to aid those family members of veterans receiving medical health care by offering on-site living accommodations in as close to possible home away from home conditions.
Some of the families stay in the Fisher homes for long periods of time, so the accommodations have to be comfortable. The Richmond Fisher House is one of the largest such homes and contains:
- Over 16,000 square feet of living space;
- 21 Bedrooms;
- A dining room;
- A living room;
- A family room; and
- A communal kitchen.
Fisher House plays a vital role in helping families support those veterans undergoing treatment. Many families do not have the funds to pay for extended hotel stays. Fisher House serves more than just a financial role; they bring families together that eventually develop support systems for each other.
Fisher house provides more than just a place to stay, it attempts to provide a home away from home. Supporting family members undergoing medical therapy takes a toll on everyone involved. Staying at Fisher House gives people all the comforts they have at home at no cost:
- Washers and dryers;
- Personal bathrooms;
- Libraries of books and DVDs;
- Linens; and
- Play areas for children including an outdoor playground.
Sitting in a hospital all day can be stressful on both adults and children. Without these amenities, their stays would be much more stressful. There is no way to measure how critical the role Fisher House plays in family members staying in support of their veteran.
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, families of veterans, Fisher House, VA healthcare, VA medical facility
Posted in General, Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Out of the 23 million veterans in the United States, only approximately 8 million take advantage of their owed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. While not every military veteran needs VA services or benefits, many more than 8 million do need them. One big issue in getting help for veterans is making sure veterans know the services are available in the first place.
The last two decades have seen Congressional expanded veteran benefits while at the same time lowering the standards for eligibility. This is crucial. For those veterans enduring undiagnosed service-connected illnesses, it means the difference between continued suffering and treatment. For others it may mean the difference between a level of financial security and a life of wanting.
There are 8 fundamental benefit programs of which every veteran should be aware. While not every veteran will need or qualify for every program, those veterans in need will probably be able to find a program to help them. These 8 programs are:
- Disability compensation;
- War veteran pensions;
- VA Health care;
- In-home care;
- Assisted living;
- Prescription drug plans;
- Nursing Home Care; and
- VA-guaranteed mortgages.
This country has an obligation to take care of our veterans. The VA offers many programs to help veterans in many aspects of their lives. In order to take advantage of these programs, however, veterans must know the programs exist in the first place.
Learn more about 8 essential programs of which every veteran should be aware.
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, mental health treatment, VA Benefits, VA healthcare, veteran programs, Veterans' Resources
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Those Mercer County, New Jersey veterans and their spouses dealing with terminal illnesses will now receive help. The Hamilton Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 41 subsidized a new Samaritan Vets Helping Vets program (SVHV) with a $150,000 grant. Every year 40 veterans die in Mercer County. The goal of the SVHV program is to help as many veterans spend their last moments in their homes, near their loved ones.
This is just the latest example of what seems to be a rapidly expanding and very positive trend: veterans helping veterans. The DAV’s $150,000 grant will be spent evenly over 5 years. It will be used to fill in the gaps in the hospice care not covered by the veteran’s insurance.
Essentially, the grant will pay for extra hours of hospice care on top of what is already being provided by the VA or the veteran’s insurance. All DAV Chapter 41 veterans and their spouses will be provided with not only in-home care, but support and respite for that care.
The Samaritan Hospice will offer standard hospice services to those veterans in need. The hospice workers are certified home health aides and will provide aid in:
- Bathing;
- Dressing;
- Assistance with feeding;
- Light housekeeping;
- Meal preparation;
- Respite for caregivers; and
- Emotional support for caregivers.
The only person that truly understands the needs of a veteran is another veteran. When veterans reach out to help other veterans, then, it makes it that much more satisfying when the help provided is so worthwhile. Providing care for veterans in the last minutes of their lives is very personal and very appreciated.
Learn more about local hospice care helps veterans and supplements their insurance.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, VA healthcare, Veteran Hospice
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Benefits | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, April 7th, 2010
Norristown, PA is welcoming a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility. The facility treats veterans suffering from physical, emotional, and psychological trauma while deployed overseas. The facility has a 4 person staff charged with managing programs focusing not only on veterans but on their families as well. After all, it is not only the veteran that suffers.
VA counseling programs are available to any soldier who has spent one day in either a combat or conflict zone; the solider must have been in a hostile, overseas country. Qualifying conflicts include:
- World War II;
- Korea;
- Vietnam;
- Lebanon;
- Grenada;
- Somalia;
- Bosnia;
- Iraq;
- Afghanistan;
- The global war on terrorism; and
- American Merchant Marines engaged in ocean-going service between Dec.7, 1941, and Dec. 31, 1946.
The medical center offers counseling in many different areas. The primary goal of the clinic, however, is to treat veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), of which a vast amount of their patients suffer. PTSD very often causes soldiers to experience incapacitating symptoms. Because of how the veterans are affected, families are eligible to participate in therapy as well.
While the news is filled with stories of returning soldiers suffering from PTSD, statistically, there were more Vietnam Veterans suffering from PTSD than suffer in our current two wars. It is a good thing, then, this clinic treats veterans from every generation.
Learn more about this new facility focusing on veteran trauma such as PTSD.
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: Mental Health Counseling, mental health treatment, PTSD, VA healthcare, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Friday, March 5th, 2010
The Veterans Health Administration published a study in 2009 which found half of U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan return dependent on tobacco. Tobacco use has become a quiet, ominous, and very expensive threat to military personnel.
There are numerous reasons soldiers use to justify their smoking. Some of the more common are:
- Smoking is the only social activity soldiers are allowed during the day;
- The high-risk and high-stress situations of every day combat serve as triggers; and
- Serving multiple deployments – for the soldiers smoking on deployment, it is unreasonable to be expected to quit for the couple months they are home between rotations.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must institute smoking cessation programs. The strong culture of tobacco use in the military is evidenced by the $1.6 billion the Department of Defense (DoD) spends every year on:
- Tobacco-related medical care; and
- Lost productivity.
Despite soldiers’ claims to the contrary, tobacco is not a stress reliever. Rather, tobacco is a vehicle to dire consequences. In the military, especially among troops stationed in combat arenas, possible consequences from smoking don’t seem so bad when you’re on the receiving end of enemy fire. The vast majority of combat soldiers are young and still of the mindset that they will deal with any smoking consequences once they get older.
The Army and the Marine Corps contain the highest population of smokers and unsurprisingly, they are the two branches in the military deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan for the most amount of time. Soldiers that have experienced combat are twice as likely to use tobacco as soldiers that have not.
Learn more about the military’s effort to stamp out tobacco use among soldiers.
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: Smoking cessation, VA healthcare, veteran tobacco use
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War | No Comments »
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