President-elect Donald Trump wants to tap private-sector physicians to provide medical care to veterans through a public-private partnership, Military Times reported Wednesday. Leo Shane III writes the public-private option is part of Trump’s plan to revamp veteran healthcare before he selects the next secretary of veterans affairs. Trump discussed future …
Read More »20 Veterans Groups Ask Trump to Retain Bob McDonald as VA Secretary
The heads of 20 veterans organizations have asked President-elect Donald Trump to keep Bob McDonald as Department of Veterans Affairs’ secretary, Stars and Stripes reported Wednesday. Nikki Wentling writes the groups said in a Dec. 14 letter to Trump the veterans community “cannot afford to start over” on VA reform efforts such …
Read More »Bob McDonald Expects Next VA Secretary to Build on His Work
Bob McDonald, outgoing secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, has said he expects the next VA chief to build on his current work at the department, Military Times reported Monday. Leo Shane III writes President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to revamp the way VA operates in an effort to …
Read More »VA Adds 15 Sites to Innovators Network Program; Bob McDonald Comments
The Department of Veterans Affairs‘ center for innovation will expand its Innovators Network program with the addition of fourteen new VA medical center innovation sites as well as a national cemetery innovation site. VA said Tuesday the selected sites were selected from a pool of 44 innovation sites based on …
Read More »Bob McDonald, Sloan Gibson: VA Works to Transform Veterans Care System
Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald and Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson have highlighted VA’s ongoing efforts to transform its healthcare system during a meeting with the Commission on Care in Washington, The Christian Science Monitor reported Tuesday. Ben Thompson writes the MacDonald and Gibson told the commission that 90 percent of veterans who responded to …
Read More »Military Times: Obama’s FY 2017 Budget Plan Includes 9% Funding Boost for VA
The Department of Veterans Affairs would get more than $177.6 billion in total funds under President Barack Obama’s $4.1 trillion budget request for fiscal 2017, Military Times reported Tuesday. Leo Shane III writes the figure represents an increase of almost 9 percent from the finalized budget of $163 billion for …
Read More »Bob McDonald: VA Eyes Improved Customer Service by End of 2016
Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald has said his goal for 2016 is to bolster the department’s customer service as his office continues to work on reform efforts, Military Times reported Thursday. Leo Shane III writes that McDonald told the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the MyVA restructuring plan aims to simplify the …
Read More »Bob McDonald: VA Pilots Innovators Network to Drive Service Delivery to Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched the VA Innovators Network to provide a platform for its employees to collaborate on the development, test and evaluation of best practices in service delivery. Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald wrote in a blog entry posted Nov. 16 that the network aims to help the department …
Read More »VA Rolls Out Online Tool for Veterans’ Benefits; Mark Farrell Comments
The Department of Veterans Affairs has introduced an online portal that seeks to help veterans access information and apply for education and disability benefits, Fedscoop reported Wednesday. Billy Mitchell writes VA unveiled the beta version of Vets.gov on Veterans Day with a search tool for benefits facilities and a comparison …
Read More »Robert McDonald: VA Moves to Implement Centralized Vet E-Records System
Robert McDonald, secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, has said VA will develop a new information technology system for agency personnel to centralize management of customer veterans’ records, Federal News Radio reported Friday. “We are going to go to one data backbone, with one list of addresses, that like good customer …
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