...W.G. (BILL) HEFNER VA MEDICAL CENTER SALISBURY, NORTH CAROLINA __________________________________________________________ MEDICAL CENTER MEMORANDUM 138-8 NOVEMBER 27, 2004 COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN ____________________________________________________ 1. PURPOSE: To provide resources for the continuation of patient care during a variety of emergencies that may disrupt operations at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center, Salisbury, NC, the Winston-Salem OPC, the Charlotte CBOC and all other associated clinics. The plan describes how the medical center will establish and maintain a program to ensure effective response to disasters or emergencies affecting the environment of care. The plan addresses four phases of emergency management activities: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. 2. MISSION: To improve the health of the served veteran population by providing primary care, specialty care, extended care and related social support services through an integrated healthcare delivery system. Consistent with this mission, the Executive Committee for the Governing Body (ECGB), Integrated Risk Management Committee and the Environment of Care Committee have been established to provide ongoing support for the Emergency Management Program. 3. FUNDAMENTALS: a. This plan addresses the four phases of emergency management activities: mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. In each of these four phases the...
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...v. * * THE UNITED STATES, * * Defendant. Summary Judgment; Contract Interpretation; FAR; Specifications and Drawings for Construction Clause; Detail in Drawing Held Part of Contract; Additional Compensation Denied __________ Gina M. Vitiello and Seth Price, Atlanta, Georgia, for plaintiff. Erin E. Powell, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., with whom was Assistant Attorney General David W. Ogden, for defendant. ___________ OPINION __________ ALLEGRA, Judge: The basic issue in this case is whether the contract in question, to construct an addition to a Veteran=s Administration medical facility, required the installation of channel bracing in stud walls with door openings. If it did not, then plaintiff is entitled to additional compensation for ultimately having to install those braces; if the contract did so provide, then plaintiff is entitled to no compensation. After careful consideration of the briefs filed and the oral argument, and for the reasons discussed below, the court concludes that the contract required the channel bracing and, therefore, GRANTS defendant=s motion for summary judgment. I. Statement of Facts On or about September 30, 1993, the Department of Veterans Affairs (AVA@) entered into Contract No. V101DC0086 with Centex Construction Company, Inc. (ACentex@ or Aplaintiff@) to construct a clinical addition and Spinal Chord Injury Center (ASCI Center@) at the VA Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. Section 1.45 of this contract...
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...Veterans Affairs (VA)? • Yes • No [end survey] [END SURVEY SCREEN] We appreciate your response. We are seeking to understand the opinions of veterans who receive health care through the VA. Thank you for your time. [Display] THANK YOU FOR AGREEING TO TAKE THIS SURVEY. THE SURVEY IS BEING DONE BY THE GENETICS AND PUBLIC POLICY CENTER AT JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY. FUNDING FOR THE SURVEY COMES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA). THE PURPOSE OF THE SURVEY IS TO COLLECT OPINIONS FROM VETERANS WHO GET HEALTH CARE THROUGH THE VA ABOUT A RESEARCH PROJECT BEING CONSIDERED BY THE VA. All of the answers you provide in this survey will be kept confidential. No identifying information will be provided to the Genetics and Public Policy Center or the VA. The survey data will be reported in a summary fashion only and will not identify any individual person. This survey will take about 20 minutes to complete. [Display] THE GENOMIC MEDICINE PROGRAM Many diseases result from a mix of genetics, environment, and lifestyle. To figure out how genes, environment, and lifestyle interact to cause disease, a large number of people need to be studied. The VA would like to do this kind of research and is considering a project called the Genomic Medicine Program. This program would involve developing a database of blood samples, genetic information, and medical information of veterans who get health care through the VA. This database would be used by VA researchers...
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...Abstract It is very obvious that the government has stepped up to the plate to start what could be a very successful venture. But, at this point continued intervention is needed. It is recognized that there are still technical issues related to functionality and interoperability. The problems appear to be due to sociological, cultural, and financial problems. But, in the end most would agree that the issues are related to managerial more than technological problems. Experience and research implemented by those with failures have identified the most important concerns being,” what constitutes success and what is failure?” Their question is what contributes to making successful or unsuccessful systems? How do these companies use their system failures to enhance learning opportunities for continued company improvement? How should they study this success or failure? The determination was related at workshops directed by the AMIA to enhance opportunities for future successes, with a research agenda and recommendations. The AMIA was convicted to take a leadership role and come up with practical projects that would likely succeed in a health care setting. Introduction In February 2009 Congress appropriated $20 billion for health information technology as a part of the President’s stimulus package. Then the United State joined with other countries to benefit from healthcare technology. Because of the changes made to Medicare and private insurance...
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...in Support of High-Growth Businesses 1. Executive Summary. Every year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers develop dozens of new health care-related technologies and other inventions that benefit VA’s patients, other Veterans, and all Americans. VA’s Technology Transfer Program (TTP) translates the results of VA employees’ discoveries into practice. The program educates VA inventors on their rights and obligations; evaluates inventions; obtains patents; and helps commercialize new products. VA’s program is different from other Federal technology transfer programs, because it is highly decentralized. More than 100 VA medical centers (VAMC) conduct research, and all are Federal Laboratories. In addition, 124 VAMCs have formal affiliations with academic institutions and hospitals, and many full- and part-time VA employees also have academic appointments or are employed at an affiliated academic institution or hospital. Because of these arrangements, most VA inventions are jointly owned by VA and its academic affiliates, making technology transfer a collaborative effort. In order to fulfill the goals of the President’s Memorandum dated October 28, 2011, requiring all Federal departments and agencies to accelerate technology transfer and support private sector commercialization, VA has developed a series of new initiatives. Among these initiatives are: increasing the number and quality of Invention Disclosures (ID) VA receives; streamlining the process of determining...
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...Comparative Summary The health care industry in the United States is big business in proportion to gross domestic product (GDP). Americans spend approximately two trillion dollars on health related expenditures (Baker, & Baker, 2013). The industry is expected to experience positive growth over the next two decades (Baker, & Baker, 2013). Coupled with this growth is the pressing need to control costs. This is especially so in government funded reimbursement programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare (Gapenski, (2008). As the American population ages, the demand for increasingly efficient health care organizations is essential to a positive outcome for the industry. Health care is one of the world’s most complex undertakings, there are innumerable processes at every level. For-profit Financial Environment For-profit organizations must make a return on investments and services rendered. They must meet their obligations and must satisfy private investors and shareholders (Finkler, & Ward, 2006). With a return on investment being one of the top priorities, motivation can be fostered to provide high efficiency with a superior product. In this case, a superior service. Mountain Star Healthcare Mountain Star facilities are owned and operated by the larger parent company Hospital Corporation of America (HCA). This private company began trading shares in the stock exchange in 2011 (Hospital Corporation of America, 2013). Their goal is to approach service expansions with the patient put...
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...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper analyzes the cost/benefit of long-term care of Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the constraints the Department of Veterans Affairs faces in trying to meet the needs of these Soldiers. This paper uses data collected from government sources like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Benefit Administration. The conclusions of the analysis are that: (a) The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is already overwhelmed by the number of patients it currently sees and the addition of these new Veteran’s seeking care will put a severe strain on the resources that are currently available; (b) The Veterans Benefit Association (VBA) is in need of restructuring to be able to handle the influx on claims it is currently experiencing. As it stands now the current wait time is up to 90 days before a Veteran will receive their disability rating and that time can increase with these additional claims; and (c) Providing medical care and disability compensation benefits to the Soldiers returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan can cost anywhere from $400 - $900 billion depending on the type of care required, how quickly they file their claims, and the growth rate of those benefits. The recommendations that need to be considered include: increasing the staff as well as the budget for Veterans Medical Centers especially those that specialize in mental health treatment; restructure the claims process and increase...
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...* Skip to section navigation * Skip to page content OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS. EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS. Site-wide navigation * About * Support RAND * Newsroom * Events * RESEARCH * LATEST INSIGHTS * POLICY EXPERTS * CAPABILITIES * GRADUATE SCHOOL * 中文(简体) * Sign In ------------------------------------------------- Top of Form Bottom of Form RAND > Published Research > Research Briefs > RB-9336 > Invisible Wounds Mental Health and Cognitive Care Needs of America’s Returning Veterans RESEARCHHIGHLIGHTS View the print-friendly version: PDF (0.2 MB) Key findings: * Approximately 18.5 percent of U.S. servicemembers who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq currently have post-traumatic stress disorder or depression; and 19.5 percent report experiencing a traumatic brain injury during deployment. * Roughly half of those who need treatment for these conditions seek it, but only slightly more than half who receive treatment get minimally adequate care. * Improving access to high-quality care(i.e., treatment supported by scientific evidence) can be cost-effective and improve recovery rates. | Since October 2001, approximately 1.64 million U.S. troops have deployed to support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many have been exposed for prolonged periods to combat-related stress or traumatic events. Safeguarding the mental health of these servicemembers and veterans is an important part of ensuring the future readiness...
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...Rehabilitation Plan -Darling Red Introduction: The current rehabilitation plan is based on a 26 year old biracial female, who is married to a member of the armed forces. She is also a military veteran that went through a medical board that resulted in early separation after seven years in the Army. Our client suffers from PTSD as result of her unit being attacked while on deployment. She suffers from depression secondary to back pain and thyroid disease. Currently she and husband are struggling financially; she lives with her in-laws while her husband is on deployment. Client unable to manage personal finances and presently not employed. Program Development of Informational Needs Physical factors: Extent of Disability 1. How does the disability handicap employment potential? 2. Is the disability progressive or stable? 3. Can person’s functioning in activities of daily living be improved? 4. Is the disability stable enough to initiate rehabilitation programming? Psychosocial Factors 1. To what degree has the client adjusted to the handicapping aspects of the disability? a. Does the person use “disability” as an excuse for failure? b. Are any of physical symptoms psychologically based? c. Does the client have the emotional stability to engage in a vocational rehabilitation program at the present time? In the near future? Family and Friends 1. What positive or negative role will the individual’s family and friends play in the rehabilitation process...
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...E P I DE M IC: R E SP ON DI NG T O A M ER ICA’ S PR E S CR I P T ION DRUG A BUSE CR I SI S 2 011 Background Prescription drug abuse is the Nation’s fastest-growing drug problem. While there has been a marked decrease in the use of some illegal drugs like cocaine, data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) show that nearly one-third of people aged 12 and over who used drugs for the first time in 2009 began by using a prescription drug non-medically.1 The same survey found that over 70 percent of people who abused prescription pain relievers got them from friends or relatives, while approximately 5 percent got them from a drug dealer or from the Internet.2 Additionally, the latest Monitoring the Future study—the Nation’s largest survey of drug use among young people—showed that prescription drugs are the second most-abused category of drugs after marijuana.3 In our military, illicit drug use increased from 5 percent to 12 percent among active duty service members over a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, primarily attributed to prescription drug abuse.4 Although a number of classes of prescription drugs are currently being abused, this action plan primarily focuses on the growing and often deadly problem of prescription opioid abuse. The number of prescrip tions filled for opioid pain relievers—some of the most powerful medications available—has increased dramatically in recent years. From 1997 to 2007, the milligram per person use of prescription...
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...to approximately 10 minutes per presenter. Each scholar is required to prepare appropriate slides and/or handout materials to accompany his or her presentation. If you print handouts of slides, you may print 6 slides per page in pure black and white to save toner and paper. Collectively, the presentations are a “Tax Update”. Each year, professional accounting associations offer tax updates for their members. The update is usually prepared and presented by a fellow member of the association. When the year being summarized contains major tax legislation, the annual tax update is primarily a review of the new law. When a year passes without major legislation, tax updates draw material from other tax news (i.e. new regulations, rulings and/or cases). We will model our update after the second style; that is, no student will be asked to prepare an update of the tax legislation that just passed. Each student will be assigned a period of time to cover in the update. Each student’s task is to review tax news for that period of time and prepare a10 minute presentation on a topic or topics that the student found interesting in the tax news. We will split the tax news into periods of time by using Federal Taxes Weekly Alert Newsletters (available in RIA Checkpoint) as the basis for selecting topics. For example: Ganon may be assigned to base her update on Federal Taxes Weekly Alert Newsletter, 01/13/2011 - Volume 57, No. 2. You may find this newsletter by using the Newsstand feature in RIA...
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...Reporting System, and VHA Administrative Records Ira R. Katz, MD, PhD, John F. McCarthy, PhD, Rosalinda V. Ignacio, MS, and Janet Kemp, RN, PhD Since the start of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, there has been increasing interest in suicide among American military veterans. This reflects a number of important issues. First, veterans constitute a sizeable population that has been identified as being at increased risk for suicide by some1,2 but not all,3 research studies. Second, there is increasing evidence that suicide may be a consequence of the stresses related to the experience of deployment and combat.4 Third, there have been concerns about the extent to which the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, has addressed the needs of veterans, especially those who have returned from service in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Since the start of OEF and OIF, there have been a number of reports on rates and risk factors for death from suicide among all American veterans, independent of whether they have received VHA health care services,1---3,5---9 as well as a greater number of reports on those who utilize VHA services,10---22 and on mixed samples.23 Currently, the literature is not clear as to whether rates in veterans as a whole are higher than those for other Americans after controlling for demographic variables. However, there is evidence for increased...
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...Dean Lynch Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 2. REPORT DATE December 2009 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Anthrax Vaccine as a Component of the Strategic National Stockpile: A Dilemma for Homeland Security 6. AUTHOR(S) Thomas L. Rempfer 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) Naval Postgraduate School Monterey, CA 93943-5000 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) N/A 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author...
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...Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Federal Health Information Technology Strategic Plan 2011 – 2015 Table of Contents Introduction Federal Health IT Vision and Mission Federal Health IT Principles Goal I: Achieve Adoption and Information Exchange through Meaningful Use of Health IT Goal II: Improve Care, Improve Population Health, and Reduce Health Care Costs through the Use of Health IT Goal III: Inspire Confidence and Trust in Health IT Goal IV: Empower Individuals with Health IT to Improve their Health and the Health Care System Appendix A: Performance Measures Appendix B: Programs, Initiatives, and Federal Engagement Appendix C: HIT Standards and HIT Policy Committees Information Flow Appendix E: Statutes and Regulations Appendix F: Goals, Objectives, and Strategies Appendix G: Acronyms ONC Acknowledgements Notes 3 6 7 8 21 28 36 49 51 65 67 70 74 77 77 78 Goal V: Achieve Rapid Learning and Technological Advancement 43 Federal Health IT Strategic Plan 3 Introduction he technologies collectively known as health information technology (health IT) share a common attribute: they enable the secure collection and exchange of vast amounts of health data about individuals. The collection and movement of this data will power the health care of the future. Health IT has the potential to empower individuals and increase transparency; enhance the ability to study care delivery and payment systems; and ultimately achieve...
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...seems like a viable choice to understand why this organization is important to the health care community. To understand why it is important to have the Joint Commission in the health care system is as simple as reading rules in a classroom on the first day. By understanding its history, the services it offers, and they serve can bring a brief glimpse into what The Joint Commission is about. The Joint Commission: Brief History The history starts with the American College of Surgeons (ACS), founded in 1913 and had developed the Minimum Standard for Hospitals manual and improved standard care within 30 years. With the help of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Canadian Medical Association (CMA), they joined ACS as corporate members to form the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals (JCAH) in 1951 (Joint Commission History, 2012) . Its sole purpose is to provide voluntary accreditation. The Joint Commission is administered by a 32-member Board of Commissioners that includes physicians, nurses, educators, employers, administrators, and others to bring an assorted array of experience in public policies, health care, and business whom the corporate members appoint. By 1987, JCAH changed the name to Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization (JCAHO) to show their expansion of activities. Twenty years later, JCAHO shortened its name to “The Joint Commission” to refresh...
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