Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Steps Up Efforts To Screen And Treat Veterans For Hepatitis C
KQED: In The Battle Against Hepatitis C, The VA Takes The Lead
The VA has implemented an aggressive effort to screen and treat all veterans under their care for the virus. Hepatitis C experts and advocates have praised the VA for its proactive approach, and say it should be a model for other government health programs, and even private insurers. (Klivans, 9/2!)
KQED: This Vietnam Paratrooper Was Exposed To Agent Orange – Today He Lives With Parkinson’s
The effects of Agent Orange can take years to show up. While scientists still don’t know the exact mechanisms of how it acts, exposure has been implicated in the progression of several diseases, including a number of cancers, Parkinson’s, heart disease and diabetes, which Buckley also has. (Arcuni, 9/21)
Kansas City Star: VA Medical Center In Kansas City Focus Of Wrongful Death Suit Alleging Allergic Reaction
An 84-year-old patient developed pustular lesions on his face and died after a Veterans Affairs hospital in Kansas City treated him with a drug he was allergic to, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday. The suit filed in federal court by Kansas City lawyer Leland Dempsey alleges that staff at the VA Medical Center on Linwood Boulevard caused Mark Beemer’s death last year by giving him Ceftriaxone, and the death could easily have been prevented. (Marso, 9/21)
