The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the awarding of 21 contracts worth up to $22.3 billion for information technology infrastructure improvements, cyber security and operations and network management.
Improvements in Brain Injury Data Collection
The Department of Veteran Affairs Traumatic Brain Injury Registry monitors Veterans who may have a traumatic brain injury in order to provide early medical intervention. March is Brain Injury Awareness Month. Read the full story
VA Partners with PGA to Support PGA HOPE Program for Veterans with Disabilities
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is partnering with PGA REACH, the philanthropic arm of PGA of America, to bring a specialized golf program to disabled Veterans. The program, PGA HOPE – Helping Our Patriots Everywhere – is a therapeutic program to aid in the rehabilitation process for disabled Veterans.
National ‘Access Stand Down’ Successful
– As part of a large-scale and immediate effort to assess the urgent health care needs of Veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs conducted a second ‘Access Stand Down’ February 27. That countrywide, one-day event resulted in VA reviewing the records of more than 80,000 Veterans to get those waiting for urgent care off wait lists. Newly released results of the Access Stand Down show that 93 percent of Veterans waiting for urgent care have been contacted, with many receiving earlier appointments.
Veterans With Incomplete Health Care Applications Receive Year to Enroll
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it will extend the healthcare enrollment application period for one year to approximately 545,000 living Veterans that have pending incomplete enrollment applications.
VA Takes Accountability Actions against Board of Veteran Appeals Personnel
The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced it proposed disciplinary action against three Board of Veterans’ Appeals attorneys, and has filed a Complaint against two Board Veterans Law Judges. Accountability actions against the Board judges have been referred to the Merit Systems Protection Board, which has direct jurisdiction over cases concerning administrative law judges.
VA Improves Timeliness of Provider Payments
To enhance Veterans’ access to care and eliminate delays in Choice provider payment, the Department of Veterans Affairs is eliminating administrative burdens placed on VA community providers. Previously, payments to Choice providers were not allowed until a copy of the Veteran’s medical record was submitted. Now, community providers, under the Choice program, will no longer be required to submit medical records prior to payment being made. To facilitate the change, VA has modified the Choice Program contract, making it easier for Health Net and TriWest to promptly pay providers.
Her Mission Rescuing Phoenix Homeless Veterans
Army Veteran Maria Beltran, one of six outreach coordinators at the Phoenix VA, spends her days trying to get homeless Veterans off the street and into a place they can call home. Read the full story
VA Announces Appointment of Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health
The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced the appointment of Dr. Richard A. Stone to the position of Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health. Dr. Stone will serve as the second-in-command to Dr. David Shulkin, VA’s Under Secretary for Health. Dr. Stone began work today.
VA Statement in Advance of Anticipated Office of Inspector General Release Today of Administrative Reports on Patient Wait Times
We expect OIG to release summaries of all 77 completed investigations, and to complete and report findings on more than 30 other site-specific investigations, over the next few months. Many of the investigations that have looked into potential scheduling irregularities examine a point in time going back to when the Department requested that OIG review the Access Audit findings from early 2014, almost two years ago.