[{"innerBlocks":[],"name":"core\/freeform","postId":988,"blockType":{"name":"core\/freeform","keywords":[],"attributes":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"providesContext":[],"usesContext":[],"selectors":[],"supports":{"className":false,"customClassName":false,"reusable":false},"styles":[],"variations":[],"apiVersion":3,"title":"Classic","description":"Use the classic WordPress editor.","category":"text"},"originalContent":"While the Department of Veterans Affairs says it is on track to implement improvements to community care by June 6 as required by the MISSION Act, the agency is still struggling with software challenges.

The MISSION Act, signed into law in 2018, aims to consolidate the VA\u2019s community care programs into a new, streamlined and more efficient Veterans Community Care Program.

However, according to Richard Stone, MD, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, the software transition for the Veterans Community Care Program is proving to be daunting.

\u201cThis is as complex a legislation as you could possibly have,\u201d Stone told a Senate committee earlier this month. \u201cThe automated systems to run community care require 11 different software systems\u201410 of which we\u2019ve got in the field today.\u201d

Since passage of the legislation last year, Stone said the VHA\u2019s Office of Community Care has been working with the VA\u2019s Office of Information and Technology to develop new tools\u2014such as a decision support tool to aid VA staff in making community care eligibility determinations\u2014as well as supporting enhancements to existing tools that will ensure that the capabilities necessary to implement the MISSION Act will be in place by the June 6 deadline.

The decision support tool, which is the eleventh system required for the implementation, brings the other 10 systems \u201call together\u201d and serves as the linchpin, according to Stone.

However, last month, Pro Publica<\/i> obtained and published an independent review<\/a> by the U.S. Digital Service, which found that \u201cthe intended workflow and audience for the decision support tool is flawed and could significantly disrupt VA physicians\u2019 ability to see patients.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Senators call for more oversight of $16B VA EHR modernization<\/a>

\u201cSome (of the systems for the Veterans Community Care Program) were fielded as far back as last fall, some we\u2019re fielding as we speak,\u201d acknowledged Stone in his testimony. \u201cAre we going to get it all right? No. Are we going to deliver care on June 6? Yes.\u201d

The MISSION Act was supposed to make community care work better for veterans by giving them more options, making appointment scheduling easier, as well as improving care coordination between VA and community providers.

Although the VA says it is doing everything possible to meet the June 6 deadline, Stone acknowledged that initially the agency\u2019s new Veterans Community Care Program might not run as efficiently as it should and that there may be increasing wait times as a result of these difficulties.

\u201cWe will get better every day,\u201d concluded Stone. \u201cI\u2019m not going to sit before you and say we\u2019re going to have everything right on June 6. There will be something that doesn\u2019t go in the right direction, and we\u2019ve got to get corrected.\u201d

Adding to the VA\u2019s potential problems is that under the Veterans Community Care Program, the agency is planning to have medical facilities\u2014not third-party administrators\u2014generally be responsible for scheduling veterans\u2019 appointments with community providers.

\u201cVA awarded contracts for administering the VCCP in three of six regions on Dec. 28, 2018,\u201d said Sharon Silas, the Government Accountability Office\u2019s acting healthcare director, during her testimony before the Senate committee. \u201cAs of April 3, VA had not yet awarded contracts for the remaining three regions.\u201d

In a separate House hearing held earlier this month on the VA\u2019s implementation of the community care program, House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) called the MISSION Act a \u201cbig mandate\u201d that the agency must get right.

\u201cIf the technology experts say that VA should cease development on the decision support tool and for VA to rethink its approach to implementation, we want to understand those recommendations and what VA is doing about them,\u201d said Takano. \u201cIf a veteran-centric vision is not guiding this implementation, then we need to figure out what needs to change.\u201d

Phil Roe, MD (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, also expressed his concerns about the Veterans Community Care Program.

\u201cI believe in taking the time to get things right\u2014not just getting them in a hurry,\u201d added Roe. \u201cI would rather VA postpone implementation of this program than to rush to implementation in name only and have veterans pay the price for it.\u201d

Nonetheless, Stone tried to reassure the House committee that \u201conce it goes live, the decision support tool will improve efficiency for VA providers, making referrals by helping to simplify decisions about community care eligibility.\u201d He added that the agency plans to develop, test and deploy the tool by June 6.

\u201cIn the event that any technical challenges occur, VA will be able to make eligibility decisions using existing and enhanced methods and tools,\u201d Stone concluded. \u201cVeteran care will not be disrupted.\u201d","saveContent":"While the Department of Veterans Affairs says it is on track to implement improvements to community care by June 6 as required by the MISSION Act, the agency is still struggling with software challenges.

The MISSION Act, signed into law in 2018, aims to consolidate the VA\u2019s community care programs into a new, streamlined and more efficient Veterans Community Care Program.

However, according to Richard Stone, MD, executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, the software transition for the Veterans Community Care Program is proving to be daunting.

\u201cThis is as complex a legislation as you could possibly have,\u201d Stone told a Senate committee earlier this month. \u201cThe automated systems to run community care require 11 different software systems\u201410 of which we\u2019ve got in the field today.\u201d

Since passage of the legislation last year, Stone said the VHA\u2019s Office of Community Care has been working with the VA\u2019s Office of Information and Technology to develop new tools\u2014such as a decision support tool to aid VA staff in making community care eligibility determinations\u2014as well as supporting enhancements to existing tools that will ensure that the capabilities necessary to implement the MISSION Act will be in place by the June 6 deadline.

The decision support tool, which is the eleventh system required for the implementation, brings the other 10 systems \u201call together\u201d and serves as the linchpin, according to Stone.

However, last month, Pro Publica<\/i> obtained and published an independent review<\/a> by the U.S. Digital Service, which found that \u201cthe intended workflow and audience for the decision support tool is flawed and could significantly disrupt VA physicians\u2019 ability to see patients.\u201d

Also See<\/b>: Senators call for more oversight of $16B VA EHR modernization<\/a>

\u201cSome (of the systems for the Veterans Community Care Program) were fielded as far back as last fall, some we\u2019re fielding as we speak,\u201d acknowledged Stone in his testimony. \u201cAre we going to get it all right? No. Are we going to deliver care on June 6? Yes.\u201d

The MISSION Act was supposed to make community care work better for veterans by giving them more options, making appointment scheduling easier, as well as improving care coordination between VA and community providers.

Although the VA says it is doing everything possible to meet the June 6 deadline, Stone acknowledged that initially the agency\u2019s new Veterans Community Care Program might not run as efficiently as it should and that there may be increasing wait times as a result of these difficulties.

\u201cWe will get better every day,\u201d concluded Stone. \u201cI\u2019m not going to sit before you and say we\u2019re going to have everything right on June 6. There will be something that doesn\u2019t go in the right direction, and we\u2019ve got to get corrected.\u201d

Adding to the VA\u2019s potential problems is that under the Veterans Community Care Program, the agency is planning to have medical facilities\u2014not third-party administrators\u2014generally be responsible for scheduling veterans\u2019 appointments with community providers.

\u201cVA awarded contracts for administering the VCCP in three of six regions on Dec. 28, 2018,\u201d said Sharon Silas, the Government Accountability Office\u2019s acting healthcare director, during her testimony before the Senate committee. \u201cAs of April 3, VA had not yet awarded contracts for the remaining three regions.\u201d

In a separate House hearing held earlier this month on the VA\u2019s implementation of the community care program, House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs Chairman Mark Takano (D-Calif.) called the MISSION Act a \u201cbig mandate\u201d that the agency must get right.

\u201cIf the technology experts say that VA should cease development on the decision support tool and for VA to rethink its approach to implementation, we want to understand those recommendations and what VA is doing about them,\u201d said Takano. \u201cIf a veteran-centric vision is not guiding this implementation, then we need to figure out what needs to change.\u201d

Phil Roe, MD (R-Tenn.), ranking member of the House Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee, also expressed his concerns about the Veterans Community Care Program.

\u201cI believe in taking the time to get things right\u2014not just getting them in a hurry,\u201d added Roe. \u201cI would rather VA postpone implementation of this program than to rush to implementation in name only and have veterans pay the price for it.\u201d

Nonetheless, Stone tried to reassure the House committee that \u201conce it goes live, the decision support tool will improve efficiency for VA providers, making referrals by helping to simplify decisions about community care eligibility.\u201d He added that the agency plans to develop, test and deploy the tool by June 6.

\u201cIn the event that any technical challenges occur, VA will be able to make eligibility decisions using existing and enhanced methods and tools,\u201d Stone concluded. \u201cVeteran care will not be disrupted.\u201d","order":0,"get_parent":{},"attributes":[],"attributesType":{"content":{"type":"string","source":"raw"},"lock":{"type":"object"}},"dynamicContent":""}]

Community care deadline looms as VA grapples with software issues

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