CJCS Public Affairs Office News for Friday, May 6, 2011.  Thanks to Mr. Richard Osial. 

 

COMBAT & OPERATIONAL STRESS/PTS/TBI

 

·         VA Research Develops Brain Scan To Detect TBI: (KPBS-NPR, SDGO) --- Huang said his slow wave imaging technique can identify changes in the brain of people who have suffered traumatic brain injuries 90 percent of the time. He hopes to use the technique to help track whether treatments are working. http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/may/05/va-research-develops-brain-scan-detect-tbi/

 

·         The brain's amazing potential for recovery: (CNN) --- Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is making a remarkable recovery after a gunshot wound to the brain, doctors say. Her case shows off the brain's capability to restore some functions after substantial injury, a phenomenon called "plasticity" that is helped by rehabilitation.  "It's still a relatively new concept," said Dr. Sanjay Gupta, neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent. "The brain was once thought to be completely immutable" or not capable of change, after childhood.  http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/05/05/brain.plasticity.giffords/index.html

 

·         Military Spouses Handle Challenges At Home: (TALK THE NATION-NPR) --- At the best of times, a military marriage usually means relocation every couple of years or so, which can mean giving up a career of your own. And for almost 10 years now, military spouses face the flipside of long and repeated deployments, loneliness and constant dread.  Too often, military spouses suddenly find themselves recast as the primary breadwinner and, in many cases, as a caregiver and as an advocate, as well. http://www.npr.org/2011/05/05/136025545/military-spouses-handle-challenges-at-home

 

·         A Mother's Day salute: Moms Who Serve: (USA TODAY) --- When we think about our armed forces and the sacrifices they make, we probably don't think about this: 72,682 are mothers.   http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20110506/HOME02/105080308/A-Mother-s-Day-salute-Moms-Who-Serve?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFrontpage

 

WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE/TREATMENT

 

·         First nurse nominated as Army surgeon general: (NEXTGOV) --- Maj. Gen. Patricia Horoho would become the first nurse and the first woman to serve as the Army Surgeon General if the Senate confirms her nomination and simultaneous promotion to lieutenant general, which were announced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Tuesday. http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/0511/050511BB1.htm

 

·         Aeromedical Evacuation Saves Lives in Afghanistan: (DOD NEWS) --- An aeromedical evacuation capacity unrivaled anywhere in the world is saving the lives of wounded warriors in Afghanistan, said the officer here who oversees the effort at the combat theater’s busiest aeromedical evacuation point. http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=63844

 

WOUNDED WARRIOR & FAMILY SUPPORT

 

·         Coffee Shop Offers Support To Veterans: (WISC-TV, MADISON, WI) --- On a busy street in Milwaukee's lower east side sits a small, gray house. It's inconspicuous in many ways, but what's happening inside is nothing short of lifesaving for veterans. Bob Curry, a Vietnam War vet, is the man behind Dryhootch -- a coffee house for veterans to gather, talk and share their problems. http://www.channel3000.com/health/27794728/detail.html

 

·         Marine Wounded in Iraq Gets New Wheelchair-Accessible Home -- for Free: (FOX NEWS) --- Members of the United States Army 1st Brigade 2nd Armored Division of Fort Bliss and United States Marine Corps students – who claim to be military branch rivals -- joined forces to help build a new wheelchair-accessible home for disabled veteran Cpl. Daniel Gasca and his family. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/05/05/disabled-marine-gets-greatest-gift-376836015/

 

WOUNDED WARRIOR RECOVERY

 

·         Wounded soldier returns to Iraq: (IDAHO MT EXPRESS, SUN VALLEY) --- Iraq War veteran and Hailey resident Steven Cornford returned two weeks ago to the scene of an intense battle in 2007 in Iraq where he fought bravely, at great risk to his own life, to defend a mortally wounded senior officer and defeat an enemy position. Cornford, who was 18 at the time of the battle, was awarded a Silver Star for "exceptionally valorous conduct." His goal in returning to Iraq was to confront memories that led to his struggles with post- traumatic-stress disorder. "It went pretty well," said Cornford after returning to Hailey on Tuesday. "I was able to let some things go." http://www.mtexpress.com/index2.php?ID=2005136528

 

·         Army sergeant won't give in to brain injuries: (THE CALIFORNIAN, SDGO) --- Almost from the day he signed his enlistment papers, Sgt. 1st Class Landon Ranker has committed himself to serving his country and the United States Army.  It hasn't always gone the way he wanted. A series of near-death encounters, including three while on deployment to the Middle East, have left him with traumatic brain injuries. But he vows that his condition will not bring him down ---- not by a long shot. http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/menifee/article_a19687de-5373-5874-ad5a-ea3bd33d0b83.html

 

·         Soldier injured in Fort Hood shooting continues rehab, recovery at WTB: (ARMY NEWS) --- While Cooke had lived through the traumatic event, he still had a long road to recovery. It was one he tackled as soon as he could. He's been active in physical therapy and conditioning, and has been attending counseling sessions to deal with the mental scars of the shooting.  http://www.army.mil/-news/2011/05/04/55931-soldier-injured-in-fort-hood-shooting-continues-rehab-recovery-at-wtb/

 

OPINION/COMMENTARY

 

·         Today (and every day), thank a military spouse: (MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OR) --- A friend of mine is counting down the days until her husband's next deployment. He's been to Iraq and back three times, coming home safely, but never quite the same. None of them are undefined combat changes everyone. http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110506/OPINION/105060321/-1/NEWSMAP

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From: VA Media Relations

Sent:   Friday, May 06, 2011 1:32 PM

 

Subj:   VA-DoD Collaboration Guidebook Now Available

 

 (May 6, 2011) - Researchers from the Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) have produced a new 56-page guidebook to spur more collaboration between the agencies on clinical health research.  The VA-DoD Collaboration Guidebook for Healthcare Research, online at www.research.va.gov/va-dod , is filled with practical tips and information for researchers. It covers topics such as identifying collaborators, submitting research proposals, and understanding the rules for data security and human-subjects protection in each agency.

 

According to VA Chief Research and Development Officer Dr. Joel Kupersmith, the guidebook is a key step in ongoing efforts over the past two decades to increase VA-DoD collaboration, particularly in health care.  Other initiatives have focused, for example, on sharing electronic medical records or building joint health care facilities.

 

"Collaboration is one of three guiding principles for the VA-DoD Joint Strategic Plan for 2009 - 2011," said Kupersmith.

 

"This new guidebook will make it easier for talented, innovative investigators from both agencies to work together on projects that advance the health and well-being of active duty personnel and Veterans."

 

To date, researchers from VA and DoD have worked jointly on initiatives focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, burn injuries, amputation and prosthetics, sensory loss, infectious disease, and many other issues.  One prominent example of a joint effort is the high-tech DEKA prosthetic arm, developed through funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and now being field tested with Veterans at several VA sites.

 

The new guidebook, funded by VA's Health Services Research and Development Service, was created by six lead authors from VA and DoD and more than a dozen advisors and reviewers representing the two agencies.

 

Topics covered include techniques for finding collaborators with common research interests and goals; administrative and funding mechanisms in VA and DoD; types of formal agreements for collaborative projects; suggestions for developing and submitting proposals; and examples of both successful and unsuccessful research collaborations.

 

The guidebook also contains links to additional resources, and a comprehensive list of acronyms commonly used by researchers in both agencies, ranging from AAHRPP (Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection) to WRIISC (War Related Illness and Injury Study Center).

  

According to lead author Linda Resnik, a research scientist at the Providence VA Medical Center and associate professor at Brown University, "The guidebook is a living document that will need periodic updating so that it contains the most current and relevant content." She said feedback and suggestions could be sent to

vhaprovadodguidebooks@va.gov

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From:   VA Media Relations

Sent:    Friday, May 06, 2011 1:57 PM

 

Subj:   VA Putting Point-of-Care Research to the test

 

WASHINGTON (May 6, 2011) - A team from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Stanford University is exploring a new approach to clinical trials that experts say will cost less and be easier to translate into practice.

 

A paper just released online in the journal Clinical Trials describes a "point-of-care" study now under way that will involve more than 3,000 Veterans with diabetes.  The trial will compare two methods of treatment like many randomized clinical trials, but the approach embeds research into routine clinical care.  It compares treatments that doctors are already using, and collects data on which treatments work best within the context of real-world, everyday practice.

 

"Point-of-care studies allow us to make randomized comparisons within the health care system, instead of 'extracting' patients and placing them in a special setting and protocol that are not part of everyday care," said Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA's chief research and development  officer.

 

The new approach was developed by a team led by informatics expert Dr. Louis Fiore of the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University; and Stanford University biostatistician Philip Lavori.

 

Key features of the new model include:

 

* Enrollment and randomization of study volunteers occurs during regular care -- within the framework of a patient's visit to their usual health care provider.

 

* Providers draw on data from electronic medical records -- or receive electronic alerts, delivered at the point-of-care -- to determine if a patient is right for a study.

 

* Patients who agree to take part are randomized into one of the study's treatment arms and continue to receive care from their regular providers, with little or no deviation from routine care.

 

According to the Clinical Trials paper, a point-of-care trial shifts away from the asynchronous, distinct and separate environments of research and clinical care, toward a real-time integrated system of research-based care.  The goal of the trial is to deliver the best care to patients while learning from each experience and redefining that care.

 

The pilot study now being conducted in VA compares two methods of administering insulin to hospitalized Veterans.  In the sliding-scale regimen, short-acting insulin is given three to four times a day according to an algorithm that factors in blood sugar levels, planned activities and sugar consumption.  In the weight-based protocol, patients receive longer-acting insulin throughout the day in doses based on their weight.

 

VA's electronic medical records system includes electronic ordering and protocols for both methods, and they are used with equal frequency at the Boston-area VA medical facilities where the study has been taking place.

 

"The idea of embedding research into clinical care has been around for quite a while, but to my knowledge this is the first time that a randomized trial has been fully integrated into a hospital's informatics system," said Fiore. "It demonstrates an effective way to use electronic medical records to improve health care at a local level."

 

He added, "The pilot study has been so successful that we plan on rolling it out to other VA hospitals over the coming months." VA's electronic medical record system -- the nation's largest and most sophisticated -- makes for an ideal environment in which to conduct this type of research.

 

As the study progresses, the health record system is tracking which of the two approaches is associated with the best outcome.  Eventually software in VA's electronic medical records will begin to direct more patients to the treatment that has proven more effective.  The research process will continue until the estimated probability that one treatment is better than the other tops 99 percent.

 

The ideal result is that the evidence gained from the trial is incorporated quickly and inexpensively into everyday practice, overcoming the need for costly and often disruptive large-scale implementation.

 

Fiore's and Lavori's co-authors on the Clinical Trials paper are researchers at the VA Boston Healthcare System's Massachusetts Epidemiology Research and Information Center. Funding for the study came from VA's Cooperative Studies Program and the National Institutes of Health.

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From:  Kevin Secor at VA HQ
Sent:   Thursday, May 05, 2011 10:04 PM

The Million Veteran Program: VA’s Genomics Game-Changer Launches Nationwide

WASHINGTON (May 5, 2011) – An unprecedented Veterans Affairs (VA) research program that promises to advance the sophisticated science of genomics goes national today.

 

“It is my honor,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, “to join with so many fellow Veterans in keeping VA at the leading edge of genomics research.  This innovative research program will support VA’s mission to provide Veterans and their families with the care they have earned.”     

 

Dr. Robert A. Petzel, VA’s Under Secretary for Health said, “The Veterans Affairs Research and Development Program has launched the Million Veteran Program, or MVPundefinedan important partnership between VA and Veterans to learn more about how genes affect health, and thus, transform health care for Veterans and for all Americans.”

 

The Million Veteran Program is a trailblazing VA effort to consolidate genetic, military exposure, health, and lifestyle information together in one single database.  The database will be used only by authorized researchers with VA, other federal health agencies, and academic institutions within the U.S.undefinedin a secure mannerundefinedto conduct health and wellness studies to determine which genetic variations are associated with particular health issues.  By identifying gene-health connections, the program could consequentially advance disease screening, diagnosis, and prognosis and point the way toward more effective, personalized therapies.

 

Launched in January at a single VA medical center, MVP is expanding to achieve the goal of national participation by Veterans receiving VA care over the next 5 to 7 years.  Among those participating are VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki, Deputy Secretary W. Scott Gould, and Chief of Staff John R. Gingrich.

 

Patient safety and information security are the top priorities in MVP and all VA research initiatives.  To protect Veterans’ confidentiality, blood samples containing genetic material and health information collected for MVP will be stored in a secure manner and labeled with a barcode instead of personal information.  The researchers who are approved to access samples and data will not receive the name, address, social security number or date of birth of participating Veterans. Importantly, the data will not move to the researchers, but rather researchers will come to the dataundefinedthrough the VA GenISIS computing environmentundefinedto increase security.

 

The program has been developed in close coordination with the VA Genomic Medicine Program Advisory Committeeundefinedcomprised of private and public health, scientific, legal experts in the field of genetics and Veteran representativesundefinedwhich advises the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and partners such as Veterans Service Organizations, the Department of Defense, and the National Institutes of Health.

 

VA is superbly positioned to conduct complex genomics research thanks to its large, diverse, and altruistic patient population and other unrivaled assets.  “We have a research establishment that is embedded in an integrated health care system with a state-of-the-art electronic health record, fully equipped genomic laboratories with the latest in technology, and top-caliber investigatorsundefinedmost of whom also provide direct patient care,” said Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA’s chief research and development officer. “The merger of these distinct attributesundefinedwith the Veteran as a partnerundefinedmake VA uniquely able to conduct this ground breaking genomic research.”

 

By enabling researchers to analyze and compare the DNA and other genetic materials of a population of Veterans potentially a million-strong, MVP represents a powerful tool in genetics research.  For more information about MVPundefinedincluding the stringent safeguards in place to protect the privacy and confidentiality of those Veterans who take partundefinedvisit www.research.va.gov/MVP.

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From: VA Media Relations
Sent:  Friday, May 06, 2011 3:00 PM
 

Subj:  VA Names New Industry Innovation Competition Winners

Pilot Projects Advance Opportunities for Veteran Entrepreneurs, Deploy Health IT for Veterans

WASHINGTON (May 6, 2011) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the second round of awards from the agency's Industry Innovation Competition to six commercial and non-profit organizations.  Five projects will provide new tools for Veteran entrepreneurs, reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions and streamline clinical coordination in VA hospitals.

"Continuously evaluating new solutions drives VA's transformation and helps us deliver better care with responsible cost containment," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Shinseki.  "These innovative projects will support Veterans starting a small business, and increase the use of new technology to deliver health care services Veterans have earned."

The new projects are funded by the VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2) and designed to improve access, quality of care and Veteran satisfaction while reducing costs.

"VAi2 gives the Department the ability to find new solutions for some of our toughest challenges, and this next round is a promising expansion," said VAi2 Director Jonah Czerwinski.

An award to Veteran Entrepreneurial Transfer, Inc., of Milwaukee, is to launch a business incubator assisting Veterans who choose to start a new business. The incubator will offer business mentors and provide access to office space and other resources that help prepare Veterans for the challenges of launching and growing a successful new business.

The award to Halfaker and Associates, of Arlington, Va., is to produce a virtual, online business accelerator designed to assist Veterans starting new businesses.  The project will provide a collection of online tools and resources, combined with business coaches for hands-on mentoring.  The pilot project will take place in Roanoke, Va., and Philadelphia.

The award made to Magpie Healthcare, headquartered in Westminster, Colo., gives VA clinicians in Portland, Ore., a quick, easy, secure way to connect to on-call clinical staff automatically and to activate patient care teams faster.  The pilot will assess the impact of new technology on efficiency and collaboration in VA hospitals.

Through an award to DSS, Inc. of Juno Beach, Fla., and TheraDoc of Salt Lake City, a pilot at five VA medical centers in Texas, Missouri and Illinois will use clinical and laboratory data in real time to identify patients at risk of adverse drug reactions and reduce medical complications.

 VAi2made another award in the area of adverse drug effects to the Southwest Research Institute, a not-for-profit group based in San Antonio.  The project will enable clinicians at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center to integrate clinical and laboratory data to predict which patients are at risk of adverse drug reactions.

 VAi2selects, funds and evaluates new ideas from VA employees, academia and the private sector.  The Industry Innovation Competition is the third VAi2 competition VA has launched and the first to involve the private sector.  The next round of awards will be announced in a few weeks.

The awards announced today result from the 2010 Industry Innovation Competition.   In February, VAi2 launched the 2011 Industry Innovation Competition.  Information is available at www.va.gov/VAi2

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Wayne M. Gatewood, Jr. USMC (Ret)