Friday, July 10, 2009

VA Medication Errors Still Placing Veterans at Risk of Overdose


Report: VA putting patients at risk of overdose, By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press Writer


Two years after an overdose fatality at a Los Angeles Veterans Affairs facility, the problems blamed in his death have not been corrected at many of the VA's residential treatment sites according to the VA's inspector general ordered the review as part of legislation passed to fix the problem.

"This report indicates what we and the Bailey family feared," said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs committee.

Veterans Affairs Office Inspector General Report: http://www.va.gov/oig/54/reports/VAOIG-08-00038-152.pdf

Newly Discharged Veterans Unemployment Claims

There were 2,062 initial claims by newly discharged veterans, a decrease of 33 from the preceding week.

For the week ending June 20, newly discharged veterans claiming benefits totaled 28,528, an increase of 164 from the prior week.

source Department of Labor

Details Emerge About Montana-VA Doctor's Firing

The Associated Press, Details Emerge About VA Doctor's Firing, 7/10/2009, 1:04 a.m. EDT

(AP) — FORT HARRISON, Mont. - "A doctor at Fort Harrison's VA Medical Center who is accused of improperly conducting patient exams and altering records to reflect care that was never given was fired based on the findings of an investigation that began last year.

The hospital declined to release the name or specialty of the doctor, who was fired March 13. But a spokeswoman for the center said his patients were told of the findings and were assigned to another practitioner."

VA Letter to Infected Vets Offers to Forgo Co-pay

Seems that other Veteran advocates share our concerns, as we wrote yesterday, The remaining question is all the associated costs caused by the infection and stress related illnesses to the veteran and his family.

AP writer Bill Poovey published in the Miami Herald,
National Organization of Veterans' Advocates President Richard Cohen said the VA pledge of no-cost medical care - included in a letter received Wednesday by a Tennessee congressman - promises nothing "that the VA wouldn't do if these veterans were not subjected to unsanitary devices." He goes on to say "They are not giving them anything there." "The issue down the line in the case of somebody who has contracted hepatitis C or HIV or something else, the question is are they going to make these folks jump through hurdles in order to get" benefits or compensation?

"Somebody who receives negligent medical treatment and ends up with permanent disability is entitled to benefits."