Podcasts about Veterans Health Administration

Send us a textMeasles is making a comeback, and with it comes a heated debate on vaccine mandates, public health, and personal freedom. In this episode of CareTalk, Michael F. Cannon (Director of Health Policy Studies, Cato Institute) joins hosts, David E. Williams and John Driscoll, to debate the challenges of balancing individual rights with public safety, why vaccine mandates can backfire, and how misinformation fuels the controversy. 

This podcast is brought to you by Outcomes Rocket, your exclusive healthcare marketing agency. Learn how to accelerate your growth by going to outcomesrocket.com Early intervention and personalized virtual care can dramatically reduce amputations for high-risk diabetes patients. In this episode, Dr. Jon Bloom, co-founder and CEO of Podimetrics, discusses the devastating impact of diabetic foot complications, which cost over $100 billion annually in the US and lead to high mortality rates. Podimetrics utilizes an FDA-cleared smart mat and a nursing team to monitor patients at home, enabling early detection and intervention to prevent ulcers and amputations. Dr. Bloom emphasizes the importance of addressing mental health and social determinants of health alongside physical ailments. He also notes that Podimetrics works directly with payers like insurance companies and the Veterans Health Administration, showcasing the company's commitment to serving veterans and their families.  Tune in to see how Podimetrics helps patients manage risk and live on their own terms, even with chronic conditions! Resources:  Connect and follow Jon Bloom on LinkedIn. Learn more about Podimetrics on their LinkedIn and website. Fast Track Your Business Growth: Outcomes Rocket is a full service marketing agency focused on helping healthcare organizations like yours maximize your impact and accelerate growth. Learn more at outcomesrocket.com

President Trump says that his Cabinet secretaries are actually supposed to be the ones to make staffing decisions, not Elon Musk and his DOGE entity. Also, we hear from employees at the Veterans Health Administration about how they feel about DOGE emails asking them to spell out what they did last week. Plus, a look at where things stand on the treatment of Long COVID.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

CSREs are conducted after a veteran screens positive for potential suicide risk, as part of the VA's ongoing effort to reduce the number of veterans who die by suicide. In the ongoing effort to reduce the number of veterans who die by suicide, a study identifies key factors that predict whether veterans who received a Comprehensive Suicide Risk Evaluation, the standardized suicide risk assessment implemented nationally in the Veterans Health Administration, will go on to die by their own hands.Additional Resources:Veterans Crisis Line: Accessible by phone by dialing 988 and pressing "1", by text at 838255 and by online chat.U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Suicide PreventionUniversity of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention Extreme Risk Protection Order Information and Implementation ToolkitIf you or someone you know may be considering suicide, or having a mental health or addiction-related crisis, the 988 Lifeline is available for free to anyone, at all times, in both English and Spanish. Call 988 from any phone, text 988 from a mobile device, or visit their live webchat, information on available help, and live help via videophone for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.Episode TranscriptFor more on this story and for others like it, visit the Health Lab website where you can subscribe to our Health Lab newsletters to receive the latest in health research and information to your inbox each week. Health Lab is a part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network, and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can listen to Health Lab wherever you get your podcasts.All Health Lab content including health news, best practices and research insights are for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical guidance. Always seek the advice of a health care provider for questions about your health and treatment options. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

In this conversation, Dr. Ryan Vega, Chief Health Officer for Vantiq, discusses the transformative role of AI in healthcare, the innovative capabilities of the Vantiq platform, and the importance of personalized healthcare solutions. He shares insights on the transition from the Veterans Health Administration to Vantiq, the use cases for their technology, and how generative AI is enhancing clinical decision-making. Dr. Vega emphasizes the need for transparency, safety, and effective orchestration of AI systems in healthcare, as well as the importance of collaboration with systems integrators and startups to drive innovation.In this episode , they discuss: Dr. Vega emphasizes the importance of workflow customization in healthcare.Vantiq's platform allows for low-code, no-code application development.Real-time orchestration of complex healthcare systems is crucial.Generative AI can significantly enhance clinical decision-making.Vantiq focuses on creating transparency and safety in AI workflows.The platform is designed to operate securely within healthcare environments.AI can augment human capabilities in critical care settings. A Little about Dr Ryan Vega: Dr. Ryan Vega serves as the Chief Health Officer for Vantiq and is the former Chief Innovation Officer for the Veterans Health Administration where he led enterprise innovation efforts across the largest integrated health system in the United States.His work has spanned large-scale digital modernization efforts, design and deployment of innovative care and payment models, and early design and development of healthcare software focused on improving health care delivery and experience for patients and providers.Dr. Vega also currently sits as the Physician in Residence for the Digital Medicine Society and holds academic appointments as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Administration at Georgetown University as well as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at George Washington University. He is the recipient of many awards for his work in healthcare innovation and has published numerous articles on the topic.

With cyberthreats on constant rise, Federal Leaders consider what role automation can play in managing cloud involvement and best practices to ensure their commitment to securing the nation's data.   This week on Feds At the Edge, we explore the role of AI, governance, and collaboration in strengthening security and improving capabilities and data security.  Joseph Ronzio, Deputy Chief Health Technology Officer, Veterans Health Administration, talks about the risks of blind patching and the benefits of a hybrid approach—combining automation with manual oversight.   Brian "Stretch" Meyer, Sr. Director of Engineering, Axonius Federal, sheds light on compliance challenges, the importance of visibility and control in cloud security, and the disconnect between regulations and engineering teams.   Tune in now on your favorite podcasting platform for actionable insights on modernizing federal cloud security.      

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

The Trump administration is attempting an attack on federal workers at every agency and is allowing Elon Musk access to sensitive data. Federal workers are organizing and fighting back. In less than two months, one federal worker union, AFGE, has gained over 16,000 new members compared to 7,400 new members in all of 2024. Clearing the FOG speaks with Suzanne Gordon of the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute about what is at stake and what workers are doing to resist efforts to force them out of their jobs. Gordon also explains why the Veterans Health Administration is a model of health care for the country and the work the VA does to benefit everyone. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Contact your legislators to protect and improve social safety net programs:https://bit.ly/MTWCallToActionGet connected with other advocacy organizations:https://bit.ly/MTWAdvocacyNetworkShare Super Adaptables with your friends (email template):https://bit.ly/ShareSuperAdaptablesThe Super Adaptables Podcast is hosted by C4 quadriplegic and Hip Hop musician Corey “Pheez” Lee, and C7 quadriplegic and More Than Walking CEO Jonathan Sigworth. Participate in future podcast discussions by signing up for our newsletter or Zoom events at ⁠https://www.morethanwalking.com/register. Listen as a podcast anywhere by searching for More Than Walking.

Veterans Affairs suicide risk screeners often don't follow the department's own standards. The Veterans Health Administration has yet to establish consistent training or performance standards for screeners. Those are among the findings of a review by the VA office of inspector general. We get details now associate regional director, Amber Singh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Veterans Affairs suicide risk screeners often don't follow the department's own standards. The Veterans Health Administration has yet to establish consistent training or performance standards for screeners. Those are among the findings of a review by the VA office of inspector general. We get details now associate regional director, Amber Singh. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here is our final.  Playing on the drama a bit. In healthcare, every second counts, and Artificial Intelligence is transforming how data is analyzed to save lives. But when critical decisions hinge on AI, ethics, accountability, and trust become non-negotiable.  This week on Feds At the Edge, dive into the complexities for applying AI in healthcare.  Joe Ronzio, Deputy Chief Health Technology Officer for Veterans Health Administration, shares insights on the importance of rigorous human oversight, traceable training data, and recognizing bias in AI systems.   We also tackle the tough questions:  >> How do we secure medical data?  >> What role does encryption and governance play?    Don't miss this compelling conversation.          

On this episode of The ICHE Podcast, we dive into research priorities in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antimicrobial stewardship (AS) with experts Robin Jump, Jennie Kwon, Daniel Livorsi, Lona Mody, and Eli Perencevich. The discussion explores the importance of publishing research agendas to stimulate focused research, guide researchers in prioritizing critical topics, and inform funding decisions. By addressing these goals, the panel aims to align research efforts with pressing clinical challenges, foster innovation, and bridge gaps between research and implementation. The guests also discuss the structured methodologies used to draft these research agendas, detailing how key priorities were identified and refined to address the most urgent needs in the field. The panel reviews three recently published agendas in ICHE: A Call to Action: The SHEA Research Agenda to Combat Healthcare-Associated Infections, Research Agenda for Transmission Prevention within the Veterans Health Administration, 2024–2028, and Research Agenda for Antibiotic Stewardship within the Veterans Health Administration, 2024–2028. Key topics include addressing antimicrobial resistance, improving diagnostic tools, and tackling HAIs in vulnerable populations. The conversation further examines the applicability of findings from VA-specific agendas to non-VA healthcare settings, concluding that many insights are broadly relevant. Listeners will gain a clearer understanding of the research landscape and actionable ways to contribute to advancements in patient safety and healthcare quality. For further details, explore the full articles discussed in this episode at Cambridge.org/ICHE.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM.

Learn more about Level 1 Functional Pelvic Health Practitioner programGet certified in pelvic health from the OT lens hereGrab your free AOTA approved Pelvic Health CEU course here.More about my guest:Kathryn Ellis (she/her) is an international change agent for sex and intimacy conversations in healthcare settings. She is a Doctor of Occupational Therapy and an AASECT Certified Sexuality Counselor. She received the American Occupational Therapy Association Roster of Fellows Distinction in 2024. Kathryn is the founder of continuing education company, the Institute for Sex & Occupational Therapy and developed the first certification program within Occupational Therapy to enhance OTPs preparedness to address sex in all clinical practice settings. Through education and building community, her mission is to dismantle the restrictive norms related to sex that restrict discussions of sex in healthcare settings. She developed the United States' military's first Occupational Therapy Sexuality Clinic at Walter Reed National Military Medical. She continues to educate on veteran sexual health through her work with the United States' Veterans Health Administration and the Ukrainian Olena Pinchuk Foundation.  She is the co-editor of textbook “Sexuality and Intimacy: An Occupational Therapy Approach” and the Amputee Coalition and Veterans Health Administration's workbook “Let's Talk About It: Your Sex and Intimacy Guide.”  Kathryn has a sex therapy private practice based in Delaware.Kathryn's website.Kathryn's AOTA Press textbookAmputee Coalition book____________________________________________________________________________________________Pelvic OTPs United - Lindsey's off-line interactive community for $39 a month! Inside Pelvic OTPs United you'll find:​ Weekly group mentoring calls with Lindsey. She's doing this exclusively inside this community. These aren't your boring old Zoom calls where she is a talking head. We interact, we coach, we learn from each other.​ Highly curated forums. The worst is when you post a question on FB just to have it drowned out with 10 other questions that follow it. So, she's got dedicated forums on different populations, different diagnosis, different topics (including business). Hop it, post your specific question, and get the expert advice you need. More info here. Lindsey would love support you in this quiet corner off social media!

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. 

Join us as we welcome Dr. Jonathan Perlin, President and CEO of The Joint Commission, the world-wide leader in accreditation of healthcare institutions. The session explores and provides a personal journey, as a physician and researcher who served as Under Secretary for Health and CEO of the Veterans Health Administration.  After his work with the VHA, Dr. Perlin later became the President of Clinical Operations and Chief Medical Officer with HCA Healthcare. Dr. Perlin provides valuable insights to early careerists entering the world of a profession that balances health equity, environmental sustainability, learning and performance integration. To learn more about Dr. Jonathan Perlin:  https://www.jointcommission.org/who-we-are/joint-commission-officers-group/jonathan-b-perlin/

Federal senior executives are often well known in their agencies, but toil in obscurity as far as the public's concerned. My next guest is a physician, senior executive and the deputy under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration. Now he's among this year's Senior Executives Association's people of the year. As part of our ongoing series of these S E A'ers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Federal senior executives are often well known in their agencies, but toil in obscurity as far as the public's concerned. My next guest is a physician, senior executive and the deputy under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration. Now he's among this year's Senior Executives Association's people of the year. As part of our ongoing series of these S E A'ers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM. Leah  discusses military sexual trauma (MST) and the resources available through the VA for veterans who have experienced it. She explains MST as encompassing any unwanted sexual activity during military service, including harassment, assault, or coercion, and notes its lasting impact on individuals. Leah highlights VA-provided support, including fact sheets, MST coordinators, and various therapies like cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). She emphasizes the importance of seeking help, acknowledging the challenges of addressing MST within a military culture that often stigmatizes vulnerability. The video also introduces a mobile app and community-based vet center counseling options, urging veterans to take advantage of these resources for their mental and physical well-being.

Have you ever wondered when it might be time to leave your job? Or how to keep repeating the same mistakes at work? Set yourself up for success? Make your voice heard? Create a healthy workplace for your team/employees? This episode is the virtual launch party for the "Millennials' Workbook for Navigating Workplace Politics" where we'll interview the co-authors, get a sneak peek into their framework and process, challenges for writing about these topics, and activities the audience can try right after listening. Have you just graduated from school and are entering the workforce for the first time? Are you a millennial who has a tough time gelling with older generations of coworkers? Are you interested in leveling-up at work, having your voice heard, or moving into a leadership position? In this episode, Dr. Brancu, the host of the Hard Skills talks with her co-authors of the Millennials Workbook for Navigating Workplace Politics about how the workbook can help put into practice the principles outlined in their original guide published in 2021 (Millennials Guide to Workplace Politics). The episode will also be their virtual launch party since the book comes out on this air date! We'll offer a sneak peek into talk what led to writing this workbook, how long it took, hiccups along the way, challenging decision points, and do a brief reading with several activities! Sarah A. Rose is a project manager and consultant with 15 years of experience working for nonprofit organizations aiming to improve quality of life through education and science. Upon entering the workforce, Sarah struggled to reconcile her multiple identities in corporate America. During her tenure at the American Psychological Association, she was offered numerous personal and professional opportunities, one of which is co-authoring this book. Sarah executes her work through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This stems from her multicultural and bilingual upbringing as a German-American in a military family. She graduated with bachelor's degrees in psychology and international studies. Sarah lives in Germany with her twin cats, Berlioz and Toulouse. Dr. Jennifer Wisdom is a licensed clinical psychologist and board-certified organizational psychologist. She is principal of Wisdom Consulting, a Senior Organization Development Psychologist with the Veterans Health Administration's National Center for Organization Development, and an Affiliated Professor at the Oregon Health and Science University. She has published and taught extensively on leadership and public health, including authoring the Millennials' Guides series. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology and a Master's of Public Health in Biostatistics and Epidemiology.***IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR?We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you!***LINKS MENTIONED IN EPISODE:Guest sites: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarsonderhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferpeltwisdom/https://www.leadwithwisdom.com/booksBook series on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNRBP81H?binding=kindle_edition&searchxofy=true&ref_=dbs_s_aps_series_rwt_tkin&qid=1732221877&sr=8-1Our website: www.gotowerscope.com

Dr. Gerry Cox discusses the significance of collaborating with a team of professionals, the courage to pursue new opportunities, strategies for balancing professional and personal responsibilities, and the advantages of working at the VA.  Dr. Gerry Cox is the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Health in the Office of Quality & Patient Safety at the Veterans Health Administration.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said last summer it would need a lot more money this fiscal year than first appropriated, $12 billion more. Well now the Veterans Health Administration has revised that requirement down to about six and a half billion dollars. For why, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman asked VAs Under Secretary for Health, Shareef Elnahal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Department of Veterans Affairs said last summer it would need a lot more money this fiscal year than first appropriated, $12 billion more. Well now the Veterans Health Administration has revised that requirement down to about six and a half billion dollars. For why, Federal News Network's Jory Heckman asked VAs Under Secretary for Health, Shareef Elnahal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM.

The agency has purchased six high-water trucks and extended its telehealth offerings. Learn more at https://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/ 

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM.In this episode, Leah discusses Eosinophilic Esophagitis and Gulf War Veterans.

Dr. Theresa “Terry” Cullen is on a mission to make Pima County, Arizona one of the healthiest counties in the nation. It's a challenging goal, and one that will take dedication and a willingness to fight for what's right. But, Terry is a self-described, life-long pugilist – with an approach to healthcare that goes beyond policies and programs. Everything she does is rooted in her deep belief in accompaniment; that her role is to walk alongside her patients and community offering empathy, dignity and respect. We discuss:Her work as a rural doctor with the Indian Health Service Deploying to West Africa in 2014 for the Ebola crisisWhy the VA and DOD could not agree on electronic health recordsHer commitment to make Pima county one of the healthiest in the nationTerry reminds us that sometimes we need to step back and look at the work we do through a new lens:“My husband's an artist, and he challenges me all the time to look at something and look at the light. Look at the composition. Look at where it is. What's the pattern there? You know, and a lot of medicine is based on pattern, but think of a disruptive pattern. Think of a puzzle where the piece doesn't fit and what do you need to do to make that piece fit? Because if it falls into place, maybe the whole thing will heal.”Relevant LinksDefinition of pugilistResolve to save lives - 717 allianceHealthy Pima Indicators About Our GuestTheresa Cullen is currently the Public Health Director of Pima County, Arizona. She has developed a strategic approach to transformational health status change with a goal of health equity through supporting a learning public health system model based on data and action. She continues to work closely with Tribal, federal, state and local partners to ensure that community needs are integrated into planning with a goal of health justice. Dr. Cullen, RADM (retired) USPHS, began her family medicine clinical career with Indian Health Service (IHS) and worked in leadership positions for 25 years with American Indian/Alaska Native communities with a goal of improving health status through innovation and data informatics. Dr. Cullen worked as the Chief Medical Information Officer for the Veterans Health Administration from 2012-2015 and Associate Director of Global Health Informatics at the Regenstrief Institute. She has been honored with multiple local, state and national awards including the USPHS Distinguished Service Medal, the University of Arizona Medical College Alumni Award, and the AMIA Don Detmer Award for informatics health policy contributions.Source: https://academyhealth.org/about/people/theresa-cullen-md-msStay InformedSign up for The Other 80 Newsletter to receive a monthly update with reflections, news, events, jobs and funding curated for you by Claudia. Click here to sign up.Connect With UsFor more information on The Other 80 please visit our website - www.theother80.com. To connect with our team, please email claudia@theother80.com and

Opioids may be considered for temporary use in patients with severe pain related to selected neuropathic pain conditions and only as part of a multimodal treatment regimen. Close follow-up when initiating or adjusting opioid therapy and frequent reevaluation during long-term opioid therapy is required. In this episode, Allison Weathers, MD, FAAN speaks with Friedhelm Sandbrink, MD, FAAN, an author of the article “Opioids and Cannabinoids in Neurology Practice,” in the Continuum® October 2024 Pain Management in Neurology issue. Dr. Weathers is a Continuum Audio interviewer and the associate chief medical information officer at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Sandbrink is the national program director of Pain Management, Opioid Safety and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs at the Veterans Health Administration, Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland. Additional Resources Read the article: Opioids and Cannabinoids in Neurology Practice Subscribe to Continuum: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media @ContinuumAAN facebook.com/continuumcme Full episode transcript available here Dr Jones: This is Dr Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum, the premier topic-based neurology clinical review and CME journal from the American Academy of Neurology. Thank you for joining us on Continuum Audio, which features conversations with Continuum's guest editors and authors who are the leading experts in their fields. Subscribers to the Continuum Journal can read the full article or listen to verbatim recordings of the article and have access to exclusive interviews not featured on the podcast. Please visit the link in the episode notes for more information on the article, subscribing to the journal and how to get CME. Dr Weathers: I'm Dr Allison Weathers. Today I'm interviewing Dr Friedhelm Sandbrink, who is one of the authors of the article Opioids and Cannabinoids for the Practicing Neurologist from the October 2024 Continuum issue on pain management Neurology. Welcome to the podcast and please introduce yourself to our audience.  Dr Sandbrink: Yeah, hi. So, I'm Friedhelm Sandbrink. I'm a neurologist and pain physician. I work at the Washington DC VA Medical Center, where I lead our intercessory pain management team, and I have a role also in the VA central office for pain management. I'm also associate professor, clinical associate professor at George Washington University and at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda.  Dr Weathers: A lot of expertise, which you obviously brought to this article. And I do want to emphasize before we get started, although the article discusses both opioids and cannabinoids, as I said in the introduction, you worked in specifically on opioids. And so that's the part of the article where we'll focus our conversation today. Of course, I think all of our Continuum Audio topics are really fascinating. I know that some may not resonate as much, especially with our non-neurology listeners as others. Clearly not the case with your articles. I was reading it and preparing for a conversation today. I was really struck by how broadly applicable this topic is, not only to all neurologists but, really, all physicians, and even it should be to all of our listeners. Especially with what happened been going on over the last several years, what's been in the news about the opioid epidemic. And while usually like to start with this question, it feels even more pertinent in your case, what is the most important clinical message of your article? Dr Sandbrink: So, the role of the opioid, the role of opioid therapy, really, for pain care has changed dramatically over the last many years right? I mean, it's we, we still consider opioids like the most potent analgesic medication for treatment of acute pain. The benefit for chronic pain really has changed right I mean, you know, we- the understanding in that regard and they're controversial. So, they're generally not recommended for chronic treatment for neuropathic pain conditions or for headache, but there are probably situations when opioids are still indicated and may be considered especially for temporary use. So, one example is probably the patient who has severe acute post hepatic neuralgia and we know that we use other medications for that, you know, the gabapentinoids and duloxetine and but they may take several days or weeks to work, right? And we have to titrate them up. And when more acute pain relief is needed, the opioid medication may be may be an option for temporary use. But I think what we need to keep in mind is that when we use it, we need to be informed about how to mitigate the risks, right? What, what are our best ways to reduce harms? And we need to also know the regulatory, you know, situation right I mean, what is that that we have to do nowadays to stay within the frameworks, right? And so, one of the main emphasis on this article is really go through what the clinical that the CDC has now established as the standards for opiate therapy when we use opioids I think we all need to know the rules right I mean, we know what to do to mitigate risks. What is expected from us in regard to use it as safely as possible, right? And that's important for the patient. That's also important for us in our practice.  Dr Weathers: I think very important advice. And this seems so obvious, but at the same time, I think it's worth very clearly stating why is it so important for neurology clinicians and again, really all clinicians, to read this article? Dr Sandbrink: Yeah. We need to know the words regarding opiate prescribing right in the clinic. You know, the CDC has now issued their opiate practice guide, the Opiate Therapy Guideline. Really, it's a guideline for pain care in 2022. It's an update from 2016 that made some major changes in that regard. And I think we need to know really where we are nowadays in regard to expectations. I think we need to place the opiate therapy appropriately in our armamentarium regarding the many options that we have for pain care. But then when we use them, we need to know what we need to do to make it safe. Right? So, I'm thinking about the prescription drug monitoring programs and the patient education that's expected. We use in our practice an informed consent process even for patients on chronic pain, When and how to interpret urine drug screens, right? And how to issue, and maybe when to issue a naloxone comedication in order to have a rescue medication in case the patient is in a terrible situation. So, these are just things that have become nowadays standards of care and part of our practice. And we need to be familiar with it and use them as we take care of the patients. And for instance, in regard to opiate medication, we need to know about the specific rules regarding telehealth, prescribing of controlled substances, controlled Substances Act and the Ryan Hate Act that mandates in person evaluations for patients when we prescribe controlled substances. That obviously has been somewhat amended or changed or temporarily put on hold during the COVID crisis. And many states now have started developing their own guidance in regard to what's available and what's possible during telehealth. And we need to be familiar about that also.  Dr Weathers: I think those are such important and thoughtful points. I, I've mentioned it several times on this podcast before. I am a clinical informaticist and this is a topic that really lends itself to the EHR being able to help support. So, a lot of the things that you just mentioned, the consents for patients, the prescribing of naloxone, some of the support, clinical decision support can really be done in the electronic health record to help support providers. However, it's also one of those things where if people don't understand what's behind it, it can become a little bit of a crutch. And so, as I was reading the article, I was really struck by how helpful it is to really have that background. I think people can become very dependent and it becomes almost just doing it all for them and, and they lose the- then you can make this argument about probably a lot of the other clinical decision supports in there, but really understanding the why behind a lot of the support that's there around all of the, the tools that are in there to, to support safe opioid prescribing. I think it's so important for that people have that background that the article provides.  Dr Sandbrink: I think often it feels like you're going through a checklist of things to do right and, and, and you do right. But at the same time, as you said, you need to know why you're doing it right And, and I think it's very important for us to know what the rules are and the expectations in regard to standards of care. So, we also know what is the framework that we have to follow, but where can we make modifications? Where can we individualize based on the patient's need? What is really that that is still within our ability to do and how to modify that? Because in the very end, it really is about good care of the patient. We need to know what we are allowed to do, but we also need to know where the limits are right And I hope that that article provides really some information about that, especially as it outlines what the CDC expects. But then also, I think it gives - hopefully, and this is a message that the CDC also has – it really emphasizes that it's about good communication with the patient, truly informing them and about what are the range of options and the limits that we have, but also at the same time never to abandon the patient. You know, I think this is something that we need to understand. It's not really about us. The rules are there to make the care of the patients safer. The rules are not the primary goal itself. It is still patient care. So, in that regard, we need to make sure to never abandon the patient, even if the patient for instance, may come to us and maybe they took more opiates and prescribed or you know, and they ran out early and figure out what exactly was that drove the patient for that, right? I mean, you know, so that we know maybe it is actually worse than pain. Maybe there was something that happened that caused the patient to have a significant increase of it. You know, I think one of the biggest misconceptions is really also that patients who make sure some misuse of medication, that everybody has opioid abuse disorder, addiction. Common, far too common, right? And I think we've learned over the years how common it is. Clearly pain itself, intractable pain is a very strong driver of behavior. If you're in pain, if a patient is in pain, they are desperate often to seek some kind of relief. And taking extra medication in itself, while it's not at all something that we can endorse and tolerate, obviously in many ways, right, we have to still take it as a possible sign of pain control rather than opiate use disorder in itself. So, we need to be very careful of how to assess such a patient and that we guide them into the right direction in regard to the next.  Dr Weathers: That, again, is very important advice, and thinking about how chronic pain on a very different level than acute pain, right? Understanding how these patients are processing pain in a very different way than patients with acute pain. And again, also, I think a very important point that the pendulum has swung kind of back and forth over the years. You know, that they were in pain was another vital sign and it was make sure you're asking your patient about pain. And then all of a sudden it was, oh, we have to be really careful and people should not, nobody should be on these medications, which you- to your point, led to sudden abandonment. And that's not the point. That's not what we should be doing as providers. I know, though, there's very sensitive and challenging situations when you find out a patient though, perhaps taking more than expected because of chronic pain, but perhaps diversion. How have you handled those challenging cases? Dr Sandbrink: I think diversion needs to be taken obviously very, very seriously. And you know, if a patient is truly diverting medication and there are obviously multiple variations of that, right? I mean, it's like giving it to a family member, for instance. That's one thing. It's on the other hand actually selling it. I think a patient who diverts is such a situation where opioid prescribing has to stop immediately, right? I mean, this is not a patient that we would take off at this point. I mean, so I think it's one of the very, very few occasions where you'd say that you have to just stop it immediately. I think there are other situations really in general, I think the patients who have been on opioids long term, especially in higher doses, I mean the majority of patients are not different. We have to be aware of it. We have to always look out for it. That's part of our risk mitigation. But we also have to make sure that patients on long term opioid therapy, right, that we guide them appropriately. I think the guidance probably in many ways is that we want to make sure whether opioids, the opioid medications still have helps them to achieve their functional goal. Are they truly helpful for the patients in achieving what they aspire to do in regard to their work life, in regard to the family situation. I think a lot of times for patients who have been on opioids long term, it's probably not that it really helps them that much for pain anymore, but they've often made that experience and they try to stop it. Pain gets worse, which is the effect obviously, that that happens with opiates right I mean, the moment you stop them, the opposite of the effect happens right I mean, they become irritable, right? The sleep gets worse, the pain gets worse, right? And it's a temporary phenomenon. And so, when we try to talk to a patient about possibly reducing the medication, I think this is one of the most challenging aspects that we have, that we really look at the patient and try to motivate them to be part of that plan. It's not something that we want to impose on the patient, but rather that we motivate the patient to look towards in the long term, probably more efficient pain care, which is really much more comprehensive pain care using all modalities. And I think one of the things that we learned over the last years is that when we make opiate medication reductions, we have to go very slowly. I think in the past we've talked about a matter of weeks and now the guidance including from the CDC guideline is probably more- closer to 10% per month to reducing it. So, you make reductions that may take many months to a year even, right. And the patient is allowed to help us, guide us how fast we can go. And you're allowed to make pauses if needed for the patient to adjust physiologically to reduction. And we want to go slowly enough that we don't run into an acute withdrawal situation right If you do it very gradually, it's much more manageable for the patient to do that. Then they'll be much more motivated to work with you. But still, it's a challenge right I think that we do. And I think at the very end, it's really providing good patient care that allows us to build that rapport with the patient that they trust us and that they say, Hey, you know, yes, I'm, I'm willing to work with you, doc, to maybe reduce my reliance on the medication, right? So that that I don't end up on this. You know, one of the things that I sometimes do is asking patients when they come to us this first time and there are a lot of opiate medication maybe is like, what's your goal in this regard? Where do you see yourself in, in five or ten years? Are you thinking you will still be on this medication or would you want to come off? And how can we help you then if that's your goal? So, I think this is all part of our important conversation that we have to have in order to motivate the patient.  Dr Weathers: What I heard you say repeatedly through that. And what I really want to emphasize for our listeners is that the therapeutic relationship with that patient that no matter what that scenario, really keeping them and their goals at the focus and really making it a partnership, not a paternalistic relationship, not dictating to them what the plan will be, but really emphasizing shared decision-making. And I think again, that's such a key take home point for our listeners. And also, even going back to my original question about diversion, what really struck me in your response is even though you said yes, then that was one of the few cases or perhaps even the only case where you said, all right, this is where we have to cut it off immediately. It still wasn't abandoning them as a patient, although you said we have to stop the medication. It wasn't about ending that relationship with that patient necessarily, but ending that therapy option. So really critical in how we think about opioids therapy and our relationship overall with patients.  Dr Sandbrink: So, Allison, maybe I can add on, you know, I think the patient with diversion is the one aspect where we have to look at the population as a whole and the opioid that makes it to somebody else, potentially a vulnerable child, right, even you know, who could die from it, right? Another aspect of probably the patients we mentioned them earlier who have opioid use disorder, who maybe take more than prescribed and where we as a neurologist feel often quite uncomfortable dealing with that. And I think that's so important that at that point we don't abandoned the patient, right. I mean, you know, maybe we want to continue, we don't want to continue the opiate medication for the treatment of the pain. But as we diagnose and initially suspect opiate use disorder and have a conversation about it with a patient, we need to guide them to therapy. It's a treatable condition, right? It's an untreated, it's, it's actually rather lethal in many situations, right? So, we have to make sure that we provide an integrated access to the treatment or we have a warm hand off to somebody who will continue that and not abandon the patient in regard to that pain care, as we said earlier also, right? I mean, because that second condition really doesn't obviously I mean in any way that the pain is any better. No, I mean it's a common concurrent situation and we need to make sure that they still have the better pain care possible. Dr Weathers: Again, it's a really key point for our listeners as and as I emphasized at the beginning, regardless of their subspecialty or specialty or even if they're physicians, I hope for everybody listening they can take away something from this. How did you become interested in pain management? I know that this was something that that you became interested in even when still in training. What struck you about this? Dr Sandbrink: So, yeah, so my initial fellowship actually after residence was clinical neurophysiology. So, you know, a lot of the spine and different nerve conditions really was, was, but then when I began practice, clearly longitudinal care, chronic disease management, I think many of us in neurology do that right That, that became an emphasis. And I think building that accord with the patients right and, and, and that having that ability to provide pain care is something that really worked out very well. I think I love teamwork and part of teamwork pain care in in our setting is a collaborative approach right You have other disciplines, physical therapist, psychologist, right? You know, you have intervention and nonintervention provider. I think nowadays we even have integrative modalities available to us. So, I'm working together on a team, trying to optimize it here with many team members that we have with everybody bringing that personal expertise is something that I really cherish. Dr Weathers: I feel like that's such a great example and I feel like a lot of people don't necessarily think about this specialty as one that is, that is collaborative in that way. And it really is. So, I, I think that's a wonderful way to highlight it. I always like to end on a hopeful note. And I know that there hasn't been necessarily a lot of hope or positive news in regards to, to opioid use, opioid therapy in the last several years. But are there developments that give you hope that you're excited about?  Dr Sandbrink: So, you know, I think there are probably two things I would mention. On one hand, I think patients are so much more aware now about the risk of opioids. So that is actually much easier to look and get them motivated about comprehensive pain care. There's much more interest in integrative modalities. Patients nowadays would be much more willing to maybe try acupuncture or mindfulness or yoga or Tai chi. So, I think that's actually a really nice development in that regard. But if I think about opioids specifically, I think the availability of buprenorphine as a medication, it's certainly something we should mention in this interview here, right? I mean, buprenorphine is now increasingly used for pain as well, not just in the higher dosage for opiate use disorder. It really is a good choice for patients who have. pain conditions, chronic pain conditions, severe pain and to require a daily opioid, especially in regard to safety aspect when the patient has medical conditions or mental health conditions that may put them at higher risk and they have to be on an opiate anyway. This is really something that I think has changed our practice. As you know, we don't have to rely on the X waiver anymore. Anybody with a DA license can prescribe buprenorphine. Even for opiate disuse disorder, it really has become something that I think many of us integrate much more into our practice and I want to encourage the listener to really look into that direction.  Dr Weathers: Excellent advice and I'll actually refer our listeners who are subscribers of Continuum to reference, specifically, Table 4 where you dive into the buprenorphine. It's just a fantastic table, as are all the tables. It really goes into detail of the commonly prescribed opioids for pain with the special characteristics and the conversion of morphine equivalent, but especially for this one about how to prescribe the details of us. Again, when I was preparing for this, I said wow. Like for me as a neurohospitalist and thinking about when I'm on service, how to use it, when to use it, I thought it was incredibly useful for that management of patients, especially as a powerful point of care tool. Well, thank you so much for being here with me today for this great conversation.  Dr Sandbrink: Yeah, thank you. That was my pleasure. Dr Weathers: Again, today I've been interviewing Dr Friedhelm Sandbrink, whose article on opioids and cannabinoids for the practicing neurologist, written with Dr Nathaniel Schuster, appears in the most recent issue of Continuum on Pain Management and Neurology. To learn more about the topics of opioids and cannabinoids, be sure to read the full article. And don't forget to listen to Continuum audio episodes from this and other issues. Thank you to our listeners for joining today. Dr Monteith: This is Dr Teshamae Monteith, associate editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use this link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. AAN members, you can get CME for listening to this interview by completing the evaluation at continpub.com/AudioCME. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.

On “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg,” Dani speaks with Dr. Christine Going, Senior Advisor in the Food Security Office at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They discuss the barriers that can prevent veterans from seeking support, what the Veterans Health Administration is doing to help those experiencing hunger, and the innovative partnerships the Office of Food Security is developing to advance their mission. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

Episode: September 2024 Host: Karl Steinberg, MD, HMDC, CMD Guest(s): Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FPCN; Bridget Morse-Karzen, MPH; Paul Katz, MD, CMD (co-editor-in-chief) In This Episode: In this episode, host Karl Steinberg, MD, CMD, and co-editor-in-chief Paul Katz, MD, CMD, discuss three articles from the September issue. First, they talk with Joan Carpenter, PhD, CRNP, ACHPN, FPCN, about lessons learned from the Veterans Health Administration on the correlation between nursing home star ratings and the quality of end-of-life care. Next, they speak with Bridget Morse-Karzen, MPH, the first author of a systematic review paper examining post-acute care trends and disparities after joint replacements in the United States, focusing on data from 1991 to 2018. Finally, Paul Katz, MD, CMD, reviews a retrospective cohort study exploring the role of neighborhood socioeconomic status in institutionalization of home health care patients with and without Alzheimer's disease and related dementias.   Articles Referenced: Nursing Home Star Ratings and End-Of-Life Care Quality: Lessons Learned From the Veterans Health Administration Post-Acute Care Trends and Disparities After Joint Replacements in the United States, 1991–2018: A Systematic Review The Role of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Institutionalization of Home Health Care Patients With and Without Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias Date Recorded: September 24, 2024 Available Credit: The American Board of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (ABPLM) issues CMD credits for select PALTtalk podcast episodes as follows: Claim CMD Credit

Send us a Text Message.What was it like running the country's largest and most extensive health care delivery system during a global pandemic that stressed every government sector? On this episode of the S.O.S. podcast, meet Dr. Richard Stone, a physician, a combat veteran, and former head of the Veterans Health Administration. Starting in December 2019, his team was tasked to perform the near impossible to care for those who served and take on an unprecedented natural disaster response mission that tested every leader and resource available. Learn Dr. Stone's best practices for calm leadership under fire and what he suggests for future pandemic responses. What best practices and lessons learned did he take from this crisis?Dr. Richard Stone served as the Acting Undersecretary for Health at the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), where he directed a health care system with an annual budget of approximately $68 billion, overseeing the delivery of care to more than 9 million enrolled veterans. Dr. Stone chronicled leadership challenges in crisis in his book, Save Every Life You Can: A Reflection on Leadership and Saving Lives During the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in 2022. In the book he discusses the serious organizational and decision-making challenges he faced while leading the nation's largest health care system through the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Stone is retired from the U.S. Army where he served as the Army's Deputy Surgeon General and the Deputy Commanding General of Support for U.S. Army MEDCOM.   With extensive experience in civilian health care, Dr. Stone served multiple non-profit regional health care systems and has owned multiple businesses. Currently a practicing dermatologist, he obtained his training from Wayne State Affiliated programs in Detroit and the VA Health system and is a Board Certified fellow in the American Academy of Dermatology. Book Save Every Life You CanVisit my website: https://thehello.llc/THERESACARPENTERRead my writings on my blog: https://www.theresatapestries.com/Listen to other episodes on my podcast: https://storiesofservice.buzzsprout.comWatch episodes of my podcast:https://www.youtube.com/c/TheresaCarpenter76

As it treats veterans exposed to the hazards of burn pits ... the Veterans Health Administration is also trying to better understand the burn pit phenomenon. That's where the burn pit registry comes in. It's database with information on veterans and their burn pit-related maladies. Joining me with more about the burn pit registry and some recent updates to it … V-A's undersecretary for health, Doctor Shereef Elnahal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As it treats veterans exposed to the hazards of burn pits ... the Veterans Health Administration is also trying to better understand the burn pit phenomenon. That's where the burn pit registry comes in. It's database with information on veterans and their burn pit-related maladies. Joining me with more about the burn pit registry and some recent updates to it … V-A's undersecretary for health, Doctor Shereef Elnahal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the nation's largest integrated health care provider, the Veterans Health Administration prioritizes how technology can address challenges in how it is delivering patient care and securing its infrastructure. Indra Sandal, chief of innovation at VHA in Tampa, Florida, breaks down how more than 300 participants collaborated and addressed challenges in a three-day hackathon. She highlights the takeaways from that hackathon and what it means for veterans. David Rhew, global chief medical officer at Microsoft, also discusses how the organization supported the hackathon and what lessons learned the public-private partnership has for the future of VA health care.

This week Al Montoya, the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) acting under secretary for Health for Support, and Spencer Roberts, executive director for Logistics at VHA, join Off the Shelf for a briefing highlighting the VHA's key strategic priorities. Montoya and Roberts outline VHA's strategic efforts in bringing more veterans to the VA and ensuring those veterans receive best in class benefits, care, and support programs. Montoya shares how The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act has increased veteran enrollment by expanding eligibility for VA healthcare for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post 9/11 erRoga. Roberts discusses VHA's key procurement and logistics developments, including the new MSPV contract vehicle, the focus on supply chain resiliency, and the VHA's recent logistics conference. Montoya also highlights the growing strategic partnership with the Defense Healthcare Agency (DHA) whereby VHA and DHA are sharing resources in markets across the country to deliver care to veterans. Finally, both guests share how, as veterans themselves and customers of the VHA, their personal experiences have helped inform their leadership at the VHA.

This week Al Montoya, the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA's) acting under secretary for Health for Support, and Spencer Roberts, executive director for Logistics at VHA, join Off the Shelf for a briefing highlighting the VHA's key strategic priorities.Montoya and Roberts outline VHA's strategic efforts in bringing more veterans to the VA and ensuring those veterans receive best in class benefits, care, and support programs.Montoya shares how The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act has increased veteran enrollment by expanding eligibility for VA healthcare for veterans with toxic exposures and veterans of the Vietnam era, Gulf War era, and Post 9/11 erRoga.Roberts discusses VHA's key procurement and logistics developments, including the new MSPV contract vehicle, the focus on supply chain resiliency, and the VHA's recent logistics conference.Montoya also highlights the growing strategic partnership with the Defense Healthcare Agency (DHA) whereby VHA and DHA are sharing resources in markets across the country to deliver care to veterans.Finally, both guests share how, as veterans themselves and customers of the VHA, their personal experiences have helped inform their leadership at the VHA. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM.

Welcome to The Veterans Disability Nexus, where we provide unique insights and expertise on medical evidence related to VA-rated disabilities.Leah Bucholz, a US Army Veteran, Physician Assistant, & former Compensation & Pension Examiner shares her knowledge related to Independent Medical Opinions often referred to as “Nexus Letters” in support of your pursuit of VA Disability every Wednesday at 7 AM.

World-renowned tinnitus research scientist Dr. James Henry shares key insights from decades of testing and validating methods for evaluation and management. His work at the Veterans Health Administration has played a pivotal role in identifying tinnitus relief for veterans, which is the number one service-related disability. Listen in as Dr. Henry offers practical tips for anyone suffering from tinnitus and his thoughts on what the future of treatment may hold.   To learn more about Starkey's tinnitus treatment options, go to www.StarkeyPro.com Link to full episode transcript here. 

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 1: Cancel culture comes for photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous V-J Day celebration in Times Square following Japan's surrender on August 14th, 1945—ending World War II. The picture, which is often referred to as “The Kiss,” depicts an American sailor kissing a woman, Greta Zimmer Friedman. Leo Shane of The Military Times writes: “Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough is overruling plans to ban the famous Times Square kiss photo marking the end of World War II from all department health care facilities, a move criticized as political correctness run amok. The ban was announced internally at VA medical facilities late last month in a memo from RimaAnn Nelson, the Veterans Health Administration's top operations official. Employees were instructed to ‘promptly' remove any depictions of the famous photo and replace it with imagery deemed more appropriate.” You can read Shane's full article here: https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2024/03/05/va-reverses-plan-to-ban-iconic-wwii-kiss-photo-from-medical-sites/ In a video posted to social media, U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced she will not seek re-election this year. With Sinema's exit, the general election will now likely feature Ruben Gallego, a Democrat currently serving in Congress, facing-off against Kari Lake, a Republican, to fill Sinema's seat.   A new poll from The New York Times/Sienna College shows that regardless of race, age, or gender more voters believe that former President Donald Trump's policies benefited them than did President Joe Biden's policies—40% to 18%. Perhaps most concerning for Biden, 43% of voters claim Biden's policies actively hurt them personally—only 25% said the same about Trump. You can read the full article, from Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/trump-biden-policies-help-hurt.html According to the cross-tabs portion of a recent New York Times/Sienna Poll, Donald Trump is projected to win the Hispanic vote outright—45% to 43%. Equally surprising, the poll indicates that if the election were held today, Trump would win 20% of the Black vote—he won only 12% in the 2020 presidential election. You can find more information here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/05/us/elections/times-siena-poll-likely-electorate-crosstabs.html While speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Joe Biden was asked if he is concerned by recent polling data suggesting he is trailing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the general election. Biden disagreed with the statement, insisting that most polls have him leading. However, the most notable polls from the last week and a half show: YouGov/CBS News (Trump +4), New York Times/Sienna College (Trump +5), Morning Consult (Trump +2), Morning Consult (Biden +1), Wall Street Journal (Trump +5).

The Rich Zeoli Show- Full Episode (03/05/2024): 3:05pm- Cancel culture comes for photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous V-J Day celebration in Times Square following Japan's surrender on August 14th, 1945—ending World War II. The picture, which is often referred to as “The Kiss,” depicts an American sailor kissing a woman, Greta Zimmer Friedman. Leo Shane of The Military Times writes: “Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough is overruling plans to ban the famous Times Square kiss photo marking the end of World War II from all department health care facilities, a move criticized as political correctness run amok. The ban was announced internally at VA medical facilities late last month in a memo from RimaAnn Nelson, the Veterans Health Administration's top operations official. Employees were instructed to ‘promptly' remove any depictions of the famous photo and replace it with imagery deemed more appropriate.” You can read Shane's full article here: https://www.militarytimes.com/veterans/2024/03/05/va-reverses-plan-to-ban-iconic-wwii-kiss-photo-from-medical-sites/ 3:10pm- In a video posted to social media, U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced she will not seek re-election this year. With Sinema's exit, the general election will now likely feature Ruben Gallego, a Democrat currently serving in Congress, facing-off against Kari Lake, a Republican, to fill Sinema's seat.   3:15pm- A new poll from The New York Times/Sienna College shows that regardless of race, age, or gender more voters believe that former President Donald Trump's policies benefited them than did President Joe Biden's policies—40% to 18%. Perhaps most concerning for Biden, 43% of voters claim Biden's policies actively hurt them personally—only 25% said the same about Trump. You can read the full article, from Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/trump-biden-policies-help-hurt.html 3:40pm- According to the cross-tabs portion of a recent New York Times/Sienna Poll, Donald Trump is projected to win the Hispanic vote outright—45% to 43%. Equally surprising, the poll indicates that if the election were held today, Trump would win 20% of the Black vote—he won only 12% in the 2020 presidential election. You can find more information here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/03/05/us/elections/times-siena-poll-likely-electorate-crosstabs.html 3:50pm- While speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Joe Biden was asked if he is concerned by recent polling data suggesting he is trailing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the general election. Biden disagreed with the statement, insisting that most polls have him leading. However, the most notable polls from the last week and a half show: YouGov/CBS News (Trump +4), New York Times/Sienna College (Trump +5), Morning Consult (Trump +2), Morning Consult (Biden +1), Wall Street Journal (Trump +5). 4:05pm- In a recent segment, ABC's Good Morning America featured Cookie Monster railing against “shrinkflation”—favorably quoting Democrat Senators Bob Casey (PA) and Sherrod Brown (OH). But wasn't it the Democrat party's budget-busting spending policies that created shrinkflation? 4:15pm- While appearing on CBS News' 60 Minutes, former Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz revealed that he “never had one conversation” with President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby was asked about the comments while speaking with Martha MacCallum on Fox News. After awkwardly trying to avoid answering how it was possible Biden hadn't met with border patrol leadership even once in over three-years, Kirby eventually gave up and said he didn't have Biden's schedule in front of him. 4:35pm- Dr. Victoria Coates— Former Deputy National Security Advisor & the Vice President of the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at The Heritage Foundation—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to talk about her recent trip to Japan and Taiwan. How would they react to Chinese aggression in the region, and threats to Taiwan's autonomy specifically?  During the trip, Dr. Coates met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, as well as the President-Elect Lai Ching-te. Earlier today, new obstruction of justice charges were filed against Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)—who has also been accused of conspiring to act as an agent of Egypt. How does Menendez remain on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee given the charges? Dr. Coates explains he has “undermined our national security.” Dr. Coates is the author of “David's Sling: A History of Democracy in Ten Works of Art.” You can find her book here: https://www.amazon.com/Davids-Sling-History-Democracy-Works/dp/1594037213 5:05pm- Social media legend Greg Price—Director of Communications for the State Freedom Caucus Network—joins The Rich Zeoli Show to discuss the retirement of Philadelphia Eagle Jason Kelce, cancel culture coming for a famous World War II V-J Day photo, and Keith Olbermann's all-time hilarious SCOTUS meltdown. You can find Price on social media at @Greg_Price11 on X & TikTok. 5:15pm- At the NFL Draft Combine in Indianapolis, Texas Tech Safety Tyler Owens told the media in attendance that he does not believe in outer space or heliocentrism—the idea that the Earth revolves around the sun. PLUS, the left complains: why aren't there more women in EA Sports College Football 25? 5:20pm- Rich bought an arcade-style Pac-Man game for the house and jokes that he makes his son pay 25-cents every time he uses the machine. 5:40pm- Bad Op-Ed: In his latest New York Times opinion piece, columnist David French writes of Monday's Supreme Court ruling which determined that states could not remove Donald Trump from their ballots: “As of Monday, March 4, 2024, Section 3 of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution is essentially a dead letter, at least as it applies to candidates for federal office.” You can read the full editorial here (if you really want to): https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/opinion/supreme-court-trump-colorado-constitution.html 6:05pm- A new poll from The New York Times/Sienna College shows that regardless of race, age, or gender more voters believe that former President Donald Trump's policies benefited them than did President Joe Biden's policies—40% to 18%. Perhaps most concerning for Biden, 43% of voters claim Biden's policies actively hurt them personally—only 25% said the same about Trump. You can read the full article, from Ruth Igielnik and Camille Baker, here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/04/us/politics/trump-biden-policies-help-hurt.html 6:10pm- While appearing on MSNBC's Morning Joe, University of Maryland Professor Thomas Schaller claimed that white rural voters are “racist, xenophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-gay” and pose a “threat” to the country. 6:20pm- While speaking to the press on Tuesday, President Joe Biden was asked if he is concerned by recent polling data suggesting he is trailing Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the general election. Biden disagreed with the statement, insisting that most polls have him leading. However, the most notable polls from the last week and a half show: YouGov/CBS News (Trump +4), New York Times/Sienna College (Trump +5), Morning Consult (Trump +2), Morning Consult (Biden +1), Wall Street Journal (Trump +5). 6:30pm- Super Tuesday: Tonight, there are 854 Republican delegates—in 15 states and 1 territory—up for grabs. 1,215 delegates are needed in order for a candidate to officially win the party's presidential nomination. Donald Trump currently leads Nikki Haley in the delegate race 273 to 43. 6:40pm- While appearing on Fox News with Maria Bartiromo, Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) implored Senators to listen to the Republican base when selecting its next leader. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) recently announced that he would be stepping down from his leadership position at the end of the term in November. Though, he does not plan to resign from the Senate. McConnell, now 82-years-old, has served in the U.S. Senate for nearly 40-years and has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007. 6:50pm- Last year, social media influencer “Meatball” was arrested for her participation in wide-spread looting in Philadelphia. Dayja “Meatball” Blackwell, who has nearly 500,000 followers on TikTok, was charged with 6 felonies at the time. And she's back in the news!