Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General in Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 26 June 2017 "Administrative Investigation Advisory - Alleged Misuse of Government-Owned Vehicle, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, Washington, DC"

Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General in Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 26 June 2017 "

Administrative Investigation Advisory - Alleged Misuse of Government-Owned Vehicle, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, Washington, DC"

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (OIG) independently reviews allegations and conducts administrative investigations generally concerning high-ranking senior officials and other high profile matters of interest to Congress and the Department. While these reviews and investigations may result in the issuance of a formal report, they can also lead to the issuance of an administrative advisory to VA senior leadership. Advisories have been issued instead of reports if allegations are substantiated but no recommendations are made or are unsubstantiated during the course of the investigation and there is a need to notify VA leadership of the investigative results. OIG’s intention is to maintain transparency with veterans, Congress, and the public by releasing information related to administrative investigative work completed by OIG.  As other administrative investigation advisories are completed, they will be available on our website if they are not prohibited from public disclosure. You may view and download these administrative investigation advisories by clicking on the link to our webpage at https://www.va.gov/oig/publications/administrative-investigation-advisories.asp.  The individual advisory may also be accessed by selecting the weblink below.  VA OIG Administrative Investigation Advisory – Alleged Misuse of Government-Owned Vehicle, Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, Washington, DC (17-01079-274) Please use either Adobe Acrobat Reader version 11 or equivalent PDF reader software to open and view our reports.  Adobe Acrobat Reader may be obtained free of charge fromAdobe's website.  Those with text-only or adaptive browsers may want to review Adobe’s accessibility guide.  (Our disclaimer for these software products)  Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG). Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) 801 I Street North West Washington, D.C. 20536, United States 800-827-1000

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Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General in Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 26 June 2017 "

Owner Of Computer School Admits $2.8 Million Veterans’ Retraining Assistance Program Education Fraud"

Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) 801 I Street North West Washington, D.C. 20536, United States 800-827-1000

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Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) in Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 26 June 2017 "

Healthcare Inspection – Non-VA Colonoscopy Follow-Up Concerns, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana"

Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG). This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Healthcare Inspection – Non-VA Colonoscopy Follow-Up Concerns, Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System, New Orleans, Louisiana OIG conducted a healthcare inspection to assess allegations regarding the management of follow-up care for patients who had colonoscopies from 2006 through 2012 via Non-VA Care Coordination (NVCC) at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (system), New Orleans, LA. Specific allegations were: System leadership failed to provide appropriate follow-up for approximately 16,000 to 18,000 patients who received colonoscopies through NVCC; System leadership failed to notify patients who had been potentially harmed; System clinicians did not timely receive and review the results of colonoscopies completed for seven patients through NVCC referrals; The System Director had knowledge of the issue and did nothing about it. At the time of our inspection, system managers had completed a review of the patients and taken action. We chose to examine the adequacy of the review conducted by the system. We could not substantiate that then-system leaders failed to provide appropriate follow-up for patients because we determined that system managers did not reliably identify all potentially affected patients. We identified patients who had developed colorectal cancer and were not on the system’s list. We also found that then-system leaders did not take appropriate steps to ensure the validity of case reviews of patients who were identified. We did not substantiate that system managers failed to notify a patient who had suffered harm. A certified letter was sent to the family member. We substantiated that the system did not timely receive results for two of seven identified patients who underwent NVCC colonoscopy procedures. We did not substantiate that the then-System Director had knowledge of the issue and did nothing about it. While developing a more flexible clinical reminder for colorectal cancer screening, then-system leaders discovered delays in scheduling the procedure when recommended. The then-System Director became aware of this and initiated a protected quality review for patients. We recommended that the System Director (1) ensure that all potentially affected patients be reviewed by an external source to ensure those patients received follow-up care and (2) confer with the Office of Chief Counsel about possible institutional disclosure and appropriate action regarding two patients. OIG UPDATE: After our review was completed, the system was able to generate a report reflecting evidence of the system’s 2014 colonoscopy lookback and confirmed that 12,964 patient’s colonoscopy reports were reviewed and clinical reminders were updated to reflect the appropriate return timeframe for procedures performed between September 1, 2005 and December 30, 2013. Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG). Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (OIG) 801 I Street North West Washington, D.C. 20536, United States 800-827-1000

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Military Health System in Washington, D.C., United States for Monday, 26 June 2017 "PTSD treatment confronts the trauma behind the disorder"

PTSD treatment confronts the trauma behind the disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered one of the “signature wounds” of the current conflicts in the Middle East. But many people may not know that there are highly effective treatments for this invisible wound. Scientifically researched and proven methods for treating PTSD work by getting the patient to confront and learn to process the trauma causing their symptoms. The process can start by talking with anyone, like a health care provider, chaplain or even just a friend. (U.S. Army photo) FALLS CHURCH, Va. — Post-traumatic stress disorder is considered one of the “signature wounds” of the current conflicts in the Middle East. But many people may not know that there are highly effective treatments for this invisible wound being deployed at Air Force hospitals and clinics today. It’s normal to feel stressed and anxious after a traumatic event. For patients with PTSD, those feelings don’t go away with time. PTSD can leave its sufferers feeling anxious, exhausted and depressed. They often relive the traumatic event over and over in their mind, and respond by avoiding situations that remind them of the traumatic event, shutting off emotional responses, and by feeling constantly “on edge” or tense, with exaggerated angry outbursts. Scientifically researched and proven methods for treating PTSD work by getting the patient to confront and learn to process the trauma causing their symptoms. The process can start by talking with anyone, like a health care provider, chaplain or even just a friend. “Ultimately, people with PTSD need to speak with a mental health provider,” said Air Force Maj. Joel Foster, the chief of Deployment Mental Health in the Air Force Medical Service, and a licensed psychologist. “We use very specific treatments that have been subjected to scientific scrutiny and research investigation, and we want people with PTSD to get those treatments.” All Air Force mental health providers are trained in evidence-based techniques to treat PTSD. One such technique is called Prolonged Exposure therapy. PE therapy is a protocol based treatment, meaning the provider works through a structured and scripted process with the patient. There are usually eight to twelve sessions, lasting 60 to 90 minutes each. During the therapy sessions, the provider guides the patient through two techniques that help them learn to process their trauma – imaginal exposure and in-vivo exposure. “In imaginal exposure, we expose the patient to thoughts, memories and associations that are linked to the trauma,” said Foster. “They talk in detail about the traumatic event, and we record the discussion. They go from the start to the finish of their traumatic event, and between sessions, they listen to the recording. As the title “prolonged exposure” suggests, we do this over and over for several weeks.” This is intended to habituate the patient to talking and hearing about the traumatic event. Whereas the event was once a source of anxiety and distress, the brain learns to remember it without those severe feelings. The memory is never pleasant, but it is no longer disabling. “Imaginal exposure works the same way we get used to other things in life,” said Foster. “If you live near the subway or an airport, you may not sleep much the first couple of nights. Eventually though, you do get used to it, and you’ll be able to sleep right through it.” In-vivo exposure does the same thing, but in real life. The patient and the provider make a list of situations, locations and other stimuli that remind the patient of the traumatic event, and rank them based on the level of distress. Working together, they come up with a plan for the patient to go to those places and gradually get used the situations. “These ‘homework assignments’ ramp up,” said Foster. “It might start out as going to the grocery store during low hours for 30 minutes, and you do it over and over, until you are gradually spending an hour during busy times.” This treatment basically floods the patient with sensations and experiences that are distressing to them, and builds up their tolerance. While it may initially be an unpleasant experience for some patients, Foster says the results speak for themselves. “It’s a really hard thing to do, since PTSD patients really don’t want to think about things that remind them of their trauma,” said Foster. “But it works. More than 20 years of research and testing have gone into this treatment. We see about an 80 percent reduction in symptoms using this technique, and many service members are able to return to active duty after treatment. “It’s rewarding to see the progress that Airmen make once they get into treatment. We can make a very real positive impact in their lives, and send them back to their families and their duties able to resume their lives,” said Foster. Disclaimer: Re-published content may have been edited for length and clarity. Read original post. Read More ...

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