lunes, 12 de diciembre de 2016

VA Deputy Secretary highlights successes, vision to improve care as AMSUS 2016 concludes | Health.mil

VA Deputy Secretary highlights successes, vision to improve care as AMSUS 2016 concludes | Health.mil
Health.mil

VA Deputy Secretary highlights successes, vision to improve care as AMSUS 2016 concludes

Sloan D. Gibson, deputy secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, provides closing remarks to attendees of the AMSUS 2016 Conference Dec. 2, 2016.
Sloan D. Gibson, deputy secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, provides closing remarks to attendees of the AMSUS 2016 Conference Dec. 2, 2016.

DEputy Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) Sloan D. Gibson understands the challenges his department faces. Being the largest health care system in the U.S., the manner in which care is delivered is expected to be the very best. And if that doesn’t happen, scrutiny can be intense.
As the AMSUS 2016 conference came to a close Dec. 2, Gibson talked about how the VA can improve the quality of care, and how he believes health care will be delivered in the future.
“At VA, we know how to deliver great care, and we know how to deliver a great care experience,” said Gibson. “The challenge we have is we don’t have the rigor in our systems and processes that ensure we are delivering that great care and great care experience every single time. We’re too reliant on the passion of the front-line clinicians and support staff in ensuring this happens every time. Even if our success rate in delivering great care is 99.5 percent each month that means about 35,000 times a month we don’t get it right. This presents challenges for us as we’re working to build trust. Because it only takes one of those anecdotal stories where we didn’t deliver that great care experience to undermine the trust veterans, taxpayers and elected representatives have in what we do.”
With the number of veterans who require care expected to double within the next 10 years, Gibson stated the VA is working with organizations such the National Association of State Directors of State Directors of Veterans Affairs (NASDVA) to meet this challenge. Gibson stressed the importance of aligning resources to meet this need. “We’ve got to start having this conversation with the incoming administration and congress now,” he said. “Our veterans want and deserve quality care, and having talks with our lawmakers helps to accomplish this.”
A priority of the VA is to improve access to health care. To accomplish this, Gibson cited four issues he believes must continue to be addressed—increase staffing, provide more space for staff to provide quality care, increase productivity and provide better community care. “In the last couple of years, we have completed more than 25 million medical appointments in the community, compared to 16 million in FY 2014,” said Gibson. This is a vital component today, and it’s going to be such moving forward. We also want to make the delivery of care more seamless for veterans—here’s what he/she needs, here’s their location…how do we best deliver care for that veteran?”
During his tenure, Gibson has seen what he described as a “fragmented, ineffective and inefficient” benefit enrollment system move from more than 100 days to get enrolled to one that now takes minutes. “We’re not quite where we want to be with this, but we’re getting much better,” he said.
Gibson also stressed the importance of the Department of Defense and federal health care agencies to continue to work together in a joint effort to improve the quality of care. “We’ve got to figure out how to break down some of the remaining barriers that keep us from attaining a 100 percent success rate,” he said. “It’s right for DoD, it’s right for VA, our service members, their families and taxpayers.” 

Interagency Task Force on Military and Veterans Mental Health

Report
11/17/2016
This report provides an update on interdepartmental actions during 2015 and 2016 to fulfill the ITF recommendations, and outline continuing efforts to further improve mental health treatment and programs for Veterans, Service members, and their families.
Related Topics:Mental Health CareDoD/VA Sharing Initiatives

New annual report highlights joint DoD/VA/HHS efforts to provide mental health services

Article
11/17/2016
U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Cohen A. Young
The 2016 Annual Report of the Interagency Task Force on Military and Veterans Mental Health addresses several key areas in care, including how to improve the transition from military health care to the VA
Related Topics:Mental Health CareWarrior CareDoD/VA Sharing Initiatives

The future of intensive care: Tele-ICU

Article
11/7/2016
United States Air Force Medical Service Seal
The Mike O’Callaghan Federal Medical Center partners with Veteran Affairs to bring the first Tele-ICU to the Critical Care Unit, improving the quality of patient care
Related Topics:Access to Health CareMilitary Hospitals and ClinicsDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesQuality and Safety of Health CareTechnology

Collaboration between DoD, VA aims to improve initiatives for women's health

Article
11/3/2016
As the number of women in the military, as well as those transitioning to VA care, continues to grow, the DoD and VA are working together to meet health-related needs for female service members. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Angela Lorden)
Health Affairs' Women’s Health working group has come together to address needs and issues affecting the health of women in the military and transitioning into VA care
Related Topics:Women's HealthDoD/VA Sharing Initiatives

Warrior Care VA visit

Photo
11/2/2016
Dr. Linda Spoonster Schwartz, assistant secretary for policy and planning for the Department of Veterans Affairs, addressed the audience during a panel discussion on international and interagency relationships at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, Oct. 27, 2016. (MHS photo)
Dr. Linda Spoonster Schwartz, assistant secretary for policy and planning for the Department of Veterans Affairs, addressed the audience during a panel discussion on international and interagency relationships at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, Oct. 27, 2016. (MHS photo)
Related Topics:DoD/VA Sharing InitiativesWarrior Care

Supporting warrior care through interagency, international relationships

Article
11/2/2016
Dr. Linda Spoonster Schwartz, assistant secretary for policy and planning for the Department of Veterans Affairs, addressed the audience during a panel discussion on international and interagency relationships at James A. Haley Veteran’s Hospital in Tampa, Florida, Oct. 27, 2016. (MHS photo)
The Warrior Care in the 21st Century Symposium concluded with a visit to the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital in Tampa, Florida
Related Topics:DoD/VA Sharing InitiativesWarrior Care

Precision medicine offers individualized health care instead of “one-size-fits-all”

Article
8/23/2016
Dr. Mark Haigney discusses his views on precision medicine to researchers at the MHS Research Symposium on Aug. 17, 2016.
Precision medicine is an innovative approach that may revolutionize the way we improve health and treat diseases.
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Guice: MHS and VA work together to help wounded warriors navigate care system

Article
6/29/2016
Dr. Karen Guice, acting assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, addresses the National Academies of Sciences Forum on Aging, Disability, and Independence in Washington, D.C., June 27, 2016.
Service members are surviving their battlefield injuries better than ever before. During a panel session at the National Academy of Sciences, Dr. Karen Guice, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, explained how a new system is making sure government agencies are in synch when those wounded warriors go for medical treatment.
Related Topics:Warrior CareDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesInteragency Care Coordination Committee

DoDI 6040.46: The Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPE) for the DoD Separation Health Assessment (SHA) Program

Policy
This issuance establishes policy and assigns responsibilities for completion of a SHPE as the principal component of the DoD-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) SHA Program in compliance with Section 1145(a) of Title 10, U.S.C. and the 2013-2015 Joint Executive Committee Joint Strategic Plan.

VLER HIE Initiative: Because having the right information is always important

Article
3/3/2016
Image of the TRICARE logo.
The Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record Health Information Exchange Initiative (VLER HIE) securely connects health and benefit information systems from the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and other federal and private sector partners.
Related Topics:TechnologyTRICARE Health ProgramDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesVirtual Lifetime Electronic Record Health Information Exchange Initiative

DoD, VA kick off interagency effort for coordination of complex care

Article
2/26/2016
Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs seals
The DoD and VA announced an ongoing effort to ease the transition for service members requiring complex care management as they transition from the DoD system of health care to the VA, or within each system
Related Topics:Access to Health CareDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesInteragency Care Coordination Committee

DoD Meets interoperability requirements for Electronic Health Records

Article
11/23/2015
Department of Defense official seal
The Defense Department has met the interoperability requirements for electronic health records as called for in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014
Related Topics:Military Health System Electronic Health RecordDoD and VA Information ExchangeDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesTechnology

'The Power of 1’: A single person can save a life

Article
9/23/2015
At-risk individuals could have anywhere from five to 20 different warning signs. They could be going through relationship, legal, financial, emotional or other problems and could withdraw from socializing with their fellow service members. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration/Airman 1st Class Corey Hook)
DoD, in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs, is promoting the “The Power of 1” campaign during September in observance of Suicide Prevention Month
Related Topics:DoD/VA Sharing InitiativesSuicide Prevention

DTM 14-006: Separation History and Physical Examination (SHPE)

Policy
In accordance with the authority in chapter 58 of Title 10, United States Code (Reference (a)) and DoD Directive (DoDD) 5124.02 (Reference (b)), establishes policy and assigns responsibilities for management of a SHPE Program. The SHPE Program will comply with section 1145(a) of Reference (a) and the 2013-2015 Joint Executive Committee (JEC) Joint Strategic Plan (Reference (c)).

DCOE Annual Report 2014

Report
7/16/2015
Annual Report for the Defense Center of Excellence - 2014
Related Topics:Cognitive Rehabilitation TherapyMental Health CareTraumatic Brain InjuryPosttraumatic Stress DisorderSuicide PreventionDoD/VA Sharing InitiativesDeployment Health

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