Defense, Veterans Affairs to kick off health care demo projects
A partnership between the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments, aimed at improving health care delivery for veterans and military service members, moved forward Thursday with the selection of eight medical sites the two agencies will use for demonstration projects over the next four years.
Mandated by the fiscal 2003 Defense Authorization Act, the two departments will use the demonstration projects at the eight medical facilities to improve in three areas: budget and financial management, staffing, and medical information and information technology systems. The eight sites were selected from a list of hospitals that applied to participate in the demonstration projects, which are slated to run through fiscal 2007.
"These demonstration projects reflect the determination and desire by those in both the military and VA health care systems to improve the delivery of care for our beneficiaries," said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs.
The Defense Department spends about $20 billion a year on the medical needs of some 6.2 million troops, family members and retirees. And the Veterans Affairs Department spends about $25 billion a year caring for 4 million former service members, primarily the poor and the disabled. The demonstration projects build on a partnership the two departments embarked on two years ago to improve health care delivery, while saving money and eliminating duplicative efforts.
"The demonstrations are part of our joint strategic planning initiative designed to enhance the quality, efficiency and effectiveness for the delivery of benefits and services to veterans, service members, military retirees and their families," Winkenwerder said.
The sites chosen for the budget and financial management demonstrations are Tripler Army Medical Center and the VA Pacific Islands Health Care System in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Air Force 3rd Medical Group and the Alaska VA Health Care System in Anchorage, Alaska.
The staffing and assignment demonstrations will be at Madigan Army Medical Center and the Puget Sound VA Health Care System in the Seattle-Tacoma, Wash., area; Eisenhower Army Medical Center and the Augusta VA Health Care System in Augusta, Ga., and Langley Air Force Base 1st Medical Group and the Hampton VA Medical Center in Hampton, Va.
Three locations will serve as medical information and information technology systems demonstration sites: Madigan Army Medical Center and the Puget Sound VA Health Care System in the Seattle-Tacoma area; William Beaumont Army Medical Center and the El Paso VA Health Care System in El Paso, Texas, and Air Force Wilford Hall, Brooke Army Medical Centers and the South Texas VA Health Care System in San Antonio, Texas.