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The challenges of vaccinating veterans in rural areas — which the VA considers anything outside an urban population center — and “highly rural” areas — defined as having fewer than 10% of the workforce commuting to an urban hub and with a population no greater than 2,500 — extend beyond geography.
To vaccinate veterans, health care workers must cross mountains, plains and tundra By Patricia Kime Kaiser Health News A Learjet 31 took off before daybreak from Helena Regional Airport in Montana, carrying six Veterans Affairs medical providers and 250 doses of historic cargo cradled in a plug-in cooler designed to minimize breakage. Even in a state where 80-mph speed limits are normal, ground transportation across long distances is risky for the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine, which must be used within 12 hours of thawing. The group’s destination was Havre, 30 miles from the Canadian b...
By Adam Mazmanian The Government Accountability Office wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to postpone new installations of the Cerner electronic health record while the agency irons out the most serious system problems. The recommendations are included in a report released Feb. 11. GAO notes that the initial go-live of the electronic health record in Spokane, Wash., took place last October with most of the most serious problems closed or temporarily solved with workarounds. VA officials then reported that the launch was a success. However, the report states, new problems -- known ins...
McDonough's Nomination for VA Secretary Advances Then White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough delivers remarks at a farewell ceremony for outgoing Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter at the Pentagon, Dec. 2, 2013. (Dept. of Defense/Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton) 2 Feb 2021 Former White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough is one step closer to leading the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee unanimously approved his nomination, sending it to the full Senate for a vote. Senate leaders have not announced when they plan to bring the nom...
By NIKKI WENTLING | STARS AND STRIPES Published: February 2, 2021 WASHINGTON – The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee voted Tuesday to advance the nomination of Denis McDonough as the next secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. The committee voted for McDonough unanimously, paving the way for his confirmation. The nomination next goes to the Senate floor. It was uncertain Tuesday when the vote would take place. “Though there is a great political divide in this nation, veterans across the country and members on both sides of the aisle are united by a very basic expectation: ...