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The number of women using the U.S. veterans health system has tripled since the beginning of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, creating pressure to improve services for a population that has often been overlooked, officials said Thursday. Top VA women’s health officials said at a House Appropriations Committee hearing Thursday that the Department of Veterans Affairs has worked to improve women’s health services in areas ranging from basic gynecological care to advanced care like mental-health treatment associated with military sexual trauma. (Kesling, 3/1)

Veterans Affairs health centers hired and retained physicians, nurses and other clinicians despite their records of alleged misconduct. According to a government watchdog report, some of these clinicians had also lost state licenses to practice. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) in its 102-page report focused on clinicians who were part of the VA's medical staff as of Sept. 30, 2016. The agency took a random sampling of 57 of the 1,664 VA providers with a record in the National Practitioner Data Bank. (Luthi, 3/1)

The Trump administration plans to nominate the acting director of the Veterans Health Administration for the role permanently, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Richard Stone, who currently leads the Department of Veterans Affairs health agency in a temporary capacity, is undergoing the final vetting process before a formal nomination. Stone emerged as the top contender from a shortlist drafted by a search commission in recent weeks. (Clason, 3/1)

John Mayer is launching a foundation focused on improving the health of veterans through scientific research. The Grammy-winning singer on Friday announced The Heart and Armor Foundation, which plans to focus on veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and meeting the emerging needs of women veterans. Though he publicly announced the foundation on Friday, Mayer has been working on the organization since 2012 alongside veterans, scientists and clinicians. (Fekadu, 3/1)

At a Friday news conference at the State House, the new group announced its first research project starting Sunday: an anonymous online survey asking veterans about their use of marijuana and other drugs, and the benefits or negative effects. It’s a starting point for future research that will likely delve deeper into the science behind cannabis’s therapeutic potential for conditions common among veterans, such as pain, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, and depression, said Marion McNabb, CEO of Cannabis Community Care and Research Network. (Martin, 3/2)