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FRIDAY -- 04 DECEMBER 2009

VAOIG: VA'S COMPUTER OUTAGES ARE AVOIDABLE AND DANGEROUS -- Substandard maintenance practices and an aging infrastructure contributed to the loss of critical patient care system. Patient care was seriously affected.

HOUSE VETS' COMMITTEE TO PROBE VA'S HOSPITAL FUNDING -- HCVA plans to investigate whether the VA distributes money fairly to its hospitals amid concerns that some are short-changed.

VAOIG: VA PHARMACY INSPECTIONS FIND SUSPECTED DRUG THEFTS -- IG inspected 43 VA pharmacies, and 33 experienced suspected controlled substance "diversion."

VAOIG: AUDIT OF UNDELIVERED ORDERS FINDS SERIOUS PROBLEMS -- Lack of internal controls and miscommunication cost VA's Health Administration hundreds of millions.

VA SCRUBS 15 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS -- "We have a commitment to deliver on cost and on schedule."

VA LAUNCHES SIXTH NATIONAL SURVEY OF VETERANS -- "By hearing directly from Veterans and their family members, we gain valuable information to help us serve them better."

THURSDAY -- 03 DECEMBER 2009

COMMENTARY: MURDER BY PTSD -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland on the Supreme Court's decision that capital cases must consider PTSD from military service.

VAOIG: 8 MORE VA CLINICS FAIL TO MEET STANDARDS -- Community-Based Outpatient Clinics found lacking in 19 key operational areas.

H1N1 FLU VACCINE NOW AT SOME VA FACILITIES -- Veterans should ask their Primary Care Team if the vaccine is now in stock.

VETERANS STRUGGLING AS UNEMPLOYMENT RISES -- "I am the most educated of my three siblings, but I am the one moving back home."

VA PUTS "STAY" ON CLAIMS FOR NEW AGENT ORANGE PRESUMPTIVES -- Regional Offices told to hold, or "stay," claims for ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's and B-cell leukemia related to AO exposure.

WEDNESDAY -- 02 DECEMBER 2009

VA FUNDING RESEARCH ON GENE THERAPY FOR PHANTOM PAIN -- Investigators have found that gene transfer to sensory nerves using a modified herpes simplex virus-based vector effectively reduced pain-related behaviors.

VA AND KAISER PERMANENTE TO TEST HEALTH RECORD SHARING -- "This partnership demonstrates the power of a large-scale EHR that safely connects several care systems."

NEW VA, DoD COMMAND TO ASSIST SPECIAL OPS VETERANS -- The new unit will be able to confirm veterans' service, with data on classified or covert missions, without breaching confidentiality requirements.

SUPREME COURT SAYS CAPITAL CASES MUST CONSIDER WAR TRAUMA -- Lawyers for clients facing the death penalty must present evidence of post-traumatic stress disorder resulting from military service if it is available.

VAOIG'S SEMIANNUAL REPORT TOUTS SUCCESSES -- Identified over $2 billion in monetary benefits, closed 530 investigations, made 286 arrests and work resulted in 511 administrative sanctions.

TUESDAY -- 01 DECEMBER 2009

PLAYING CATCH-UP WITH VA AND VETERANS' NEWS -- A quick look at some of the stories you may have missed while the site was down.

HACKED VA WATCHDOG SITE RETURNS TO WEB -- VA Watchdog dot Org now has a new web hosting company and a faster, more powerful server.

NEWS ITEMS BELOW WERE POSTED BEFORE THE SITE WAS HACKED.

WEEKEND -- 21 & 22 NOVEMBER 2009

FIRED PSYCHIATRIST SAYS MARINES GOT LOUSY CARE -- "How do we help a guy make sense of all that and heal from that when the Marine Corps is saying to get treatment means you're weak?"

WATERTOWN, NY VA CLINIC CONTRACT QUESTIONED BY POL -- Local hospital loses contract to Valor Healthcare whose executives have close ties to the VA.

STUDY: ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS NOT A MONEY-SAVER -- Even the 100 top non-VA hospitals that are the most wired are not seeing any cost savings nor do their electronic medical record systems make the administration of health care more efficient.

CAN THE MILITARY PREDICT PTSD? -- The GI sat inside a trailer, his gaze fixed on a computer that flashed a rhythmic pulse of contrasting images. Electrode wires dangled from his left eye and right pinky finger.

FRIDAY -- 20 NOVEMBER 2009

PATRICK W. DUNNE OUT AS HEAD OF VA'S BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION -- VA announces Dunne's departure early next year as "resignation," but insiders say exit was "requested."

FORMER ARIZONA VETERANS DEPT. CHIEF INDICTED -- Faces eight felony charges, including four counts of conflict of interest, one count of fraudulent schemes and practices, two counts of misuse of public monies, and one count of violation of procurement code.

VA TO STUDY VIETNAM-ERA WOMEN VETERANS -- Comprehensive study of women veterans who served in the military during the Vietnam War will explore the effects of their military service on their mental and physical health.

VA RESEARCH: ERRORS IN SURGICAL PROCEDURES AN ONGOING PROBLEM -- Poor communication causes most mistakes in and out of operating room.

SENATE PASSES CAREGIVER BILL, COBURN AMENDMENT REJECTED -- The Senate unanimously passed legislation that would provide benefits to family members who stay home to care for severely injured veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

GAO: MASSIVE FRAUD IN GOV. CONTRACTS FOR DISABLED VETERANS -- Companies fraudulently collected at least $100 million in federal contracts designated for disabled military veterans who run small businesses.

VETS' WIDOWS FIND STAYING SINGLE CAN COST THEM A BENEFIT -- In an absurd quirk of federal laws on death benefits, military widows and widowers are losing death benefits unless they take another walk down the aisle after age 57.

VAOIG: VA'S BALTIMORE REGIONAL OFFICE IN DISARRAY -- Baltimore VARO fails in 14 of 15 operational areas because of untrained, unsupervised staff. Management acknowledges workload not under control.

THURSDAY -- 19 NOVEMBER 2009

VETERANS Q&A with JIM STRICKLAND, #75 for 2009 -- Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland answers questions from VA Watchdog dot Org readers.

ARMY HELPS PTSD, TBI VETERANS FIND JOBS -- "There is a stigma attached to the invisible wounds, and it's largely borne out of ignorance. There's a fear that somebody will go off the deep end."

SEN. COBURN LIFTS HOLD ON VETERANS' CAREGIVER'S BILL -- Will lift his hold on the bill in exchange for the opportunity to offer an amendment that will address his concerns with the legislation.

NRC CITES PHILLY VA FOR BOTCHED PROSTATE CANCER TREATMENTS -- The Nuclear Regulatory Commission found that VA staff failed to evaluate radiation doses or know when to report a mistake.

SERVICE DOGS FOR VETERANS TRAINED BY CONVICTS -- A program that has inmates training service dogs for veterans and children is meeting with acclaim and continues to grow.

OBAMA TO NAME DR. ROBERT PETZEL TO HEAD VETERANS' HEALTH ADMIN. -- Petzel has had a long career with the VA. He is currently Acting Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health.
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