Federal bill has provision to help veterans access health care
A federal appropriations bill signed into law last week has a provision aimed at helping veterans access health care, the office of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, announced. According to the release, the bill directs the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to...
Army installations commander says time to scrap 2005 concept that created joint bases
More than a decade after the Pentagon began to consolidate the management of 26 military installations into newly-dubbed “joint bases,” one of the Army’s top installations officials said it is clear that the idea has failed to produce the cost savings promised and...
Ever Wonder How Army Decides What Medical Equipment to Field?
Army clinicians and medics often ask about what the process is for deciding what equipment or supplies end up in a combat medic’s kit or field operating room set. To help explain the process, the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Agency’s Chief of Assemblage...
DARPA wants to ‘slow life to save life’ with program that extends the ‘golden hour’
When troops are wounded, time is precious. That’s why the fast-ticking minutes that follow such an event are called the “golden hour.” Get the right care within the right time and you survive. Wrong care or an evac takes too long — you’re dead. While major...
VA Reforms Removed from Massive Spending Bill
A deal collapsed Wednesday to include multiple Department of Veterans Affairs reforms in a spending bill that Congress formulated to prevent a government shutdown. Earlier this week, the bill was set to contain a measure to overhaul the VA Choice program, which...
MellingMedical Awarded Federal Supply Contract for Pharmaceuticals
MellingMedical, a licensed pharmaceutical wholesale distributor and verified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), was recently awarded a Federal Supply Schedule 65IB Drugs, Pharmaceuticals and Hematology Related Products (Contract Number...
GSA Unveils Plan for Commercial Online Shopping Portal
Following instructions from Congress to create a new online shopping system leveraging existing commercial practices, the General Services Administration (“GSA”), in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”), has released an implementation plan...
Indianapolis VA director: We remain laser-focused
It’s a rare week that Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin’s name isn’t in the national news. But the head of the Indianapolis VA facility said he and his staff aren’t letting news reports get in the way of the care they provide to Indiana’s...
Naval Hospital Jacksonville changes command
Capt. David Collins turned over leadership of Naval Hospital Jacksonville (comprised of a hospital and five branch health clinics) to Capt. Matthew Case during a change of command ceremony at the hospital on March 16. Over 500 staff, family, friends, and guests...
GSA, OMB detail legislative fixes needed to implement e-commerce portals
The General Services Administration said it complied with a Congressional mandate to map out a plan that would let agencies start to buy the products they need via commercially-run, Amazon-like web platforms. But the agency said several changes still need to be made...