Alarmed by a new report that found gaps in the VA’s follow-up care of suicidal veterans discharged from Veterans Health Administration inpatient mental health facilities, U.S. Sen. Christopher Murphy is asking the VA to “act as quickly as possible” to reduce the risk of suicide. Continue Reading →
Veterans’ Health
Recent stories
Vets At Risk Of Suicide Not Getting Adequate Post-Discharge Care: Report
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Nearly a third of veterans deemed at high risk for suicide don’t receive the recommended follow-up care after they’ve been discharged from Veterans Health Administration inpatient mental health facilities, according to a new report from the VA inspector general. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Dr. Robert Petzel, Maureen Pasko, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, US Department of Veterans Affairs, veteran suicides, Veterans Health Administration, West Haven VA
Shinseki: Hartford VA ‘Top Performer’ In Reducing Backlog On Disability Claims
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After U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki Thursday praised the VA’s Hartford regional office as a top performer in reducing disability claims backlogs, U.S Sen. Richard Blumenthal stood next to him and strongly criticized the entire VA, saying “we owe our veterans better than they are now getting from the VA.”
Filed under: Veterans' Health, backlog of veterans' disability benefits, Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
VA’s Attack On Hepatitis C: Drugs And Groups
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On most Thursdays, a small group of patients assembles at the VA hospital in West Haven because they share a common disease – hepatitis C – and a common treatment — a protocol of new antiviral drugs. West Haven has been one of several veterans’ hospitals nationwide leading efforts to better treat – and hopefully cure — hepatitis C, a virus that is four times more common among veterans than in the general population. Nationally about 4,000 veterans have taken the new antiviral drugs since they went on the market in 2011 costing an estimated $100 million in prescriptions. “People have kind of gulped when they see this [the cost],” said David Ross, the director of the national VA’s HIV, Hepatitis and Public Health Pathogens Program. “But these drugs make a difference.’’
Most of the patients in West Haven are still completing the full year of triple-drug therapy, but early results are promising, VA staff says. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, American Journal of Gastroenterology, Catherine Moore, David Ross, hepatitis C, HIV Hepatitis and Public Health Pathogens Program, Tamar Taddei, U.S. Food And Drug Administration
Veterans Stuck In Seven-Month Backlog On Disability Claims
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Gene Trotman, 59, of Waterbury, has been fighting for so long to get disability benefits from the Veterans Benefits Administration, he now wonders if “maybe they’re waiting for me to die.”
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Allison A. Hickey, Center for Investigative Reporting, Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs, Connecticut Veterans Legal Clinic, Derek Coy, Gene Trotman, Government Accountability Office
Genetic Link To PTSD Could Lead To Vet Drug Treatment
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A recent study that discovered a genetic link to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) could ultimately lead to breakthroughs in treatment or prevention, but advances are at least a decade away because additional research is needed, according to the study’s top researcher. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Joel Gelernter, Mark W. Miller, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Army Suicides In July Set Grim Record
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Thirty-eight soldiers, including 26 on active duty, are believed to have killed themselves in July—the highest monthly tally since the Army began reporting suicides by month in 2009. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Leon E. Panetta, Lloyd J. Austin III, Military Suicides
Conn. Vet Wins Rare VA Appeal; Advocates Hope It Stirs More
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At 55, Stephen Norko says he was at “the lowest point’’ of his life. Homeless, unemployed, and feeling sick, the 17-year Navy veteran couldn’t get medical care at a VA hospital because he had an “other than honorable’’ discharge. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Connecticut Veterans Legal Center, OTH discharge, veteran medical benefits
‘Magic’ Antidepressant May Hold Promise For PTSD
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As recent studies have confirmed ketamine’s effectiveness, researchers are now testing the drug on two conditions that have defied medicinal magic: PTSD and alcohol addiction. Continue Reading →
Filed under: Veterans' Health, Antidepressants, John Krystal, ketalar, Ketamine, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Yale School of Medicine
VA Program Designed To Help Vets And Their Caregivers
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Brianna and Andrew Pavlak go grocery shopping on weeknights when there are fewer shoppers because Andrew, a National Guard veteran, gets nervous in crowds. Continue Reading →