The Department of Veterans

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The Department of Veterans Affairs

• An Overview

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• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRSTo care for him
  who shall have borne the battle and for his
  widow, and his orphan

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• THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS (VA) WAS
  ESTABLISHED MARCH 15, 1989. IT SUCCEEDED THE
  VETERANS ADMINISTRATION AND HAS RESPONSIBILITY
  FOR PROVIDING FEDERAL BENEFITS TO VETERANS AND
  THEIR DEPENDENTS.

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• THE VETERAN POPULATION IS ESTIMATED AT 23.8
  MILLION, AS OF 2008.
• 1,780,000 ARE WOMEN.
• 39.1 OF VETERANS ARE 65 OR OLDER.

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• ALTOGETHER, ALMOST ONE-THIRD OF THE NATIONS
  POPULATION APPROXIMATELY 70 MILLION PERSONS WHO
  ARE VETERANS, DEPENDENTS, OR SURVIVORS OF
  DECEASED VETERANS ARE POTENTIALLY ELIGIBLE FOR
  VA BENEFITS AND SERVICES.

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• VAS FISCAL YEAR 2009 APPROPRIATION IS 95.2
  BILLION WHICH INCLUDES 41.0 BILLION FOR MEDICAL
  PROGRAMS.

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• VA HEALTH CARE

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• VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION MISSION AND VISION

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• MISSION STATEMENT
• THE MISSION OF THE VETERANS HEALTHCARE SYSTEM IS
  TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF AMERICAS VETERANS BY
  PROVIDING PRIMARY CARE, SPECIALIZED CARE, AND
  RELATED MEDICAL AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICES.

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• PATIENTS
• VAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM HAS GROWN TO 172 MEDICAL
  CENTERS, WITH AT LEAST ONE IN EACH OF THE 48
  CONTIGUOUS STATES, PUERTO RICO, AND THE DISTRICT
  OF COLUMBIA.

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• VA OPERATES MORE THAN 800 AMBULATORY CARE AND
  COMMUNITY-BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS 135 NURSING
  HOMES, 43 DOMICILIARIES AND 73 COMPREHENSIVE
  HOME-CARE PROGRAMS.

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• OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, VA HAS RESTRUCTURED
  ITS MEDICAL SYSTEM INTO 22 INTEGRATED NETWORKS.

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• IN FISCAL YEAR 2000, VA WILL TREAT ABOUT 673,000
  PATIENTS IN VA HOSPITALS, 111,000 IN NURSING
  HOMES AND 26,000 IN DOMICILIARIES.
• VAS OUTPATIENT CLINICS WILL REGISTER
  APPROXIMATELY 37.6 MILLION VISITS.

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• MORE THAN 3.6 MILLION PEOPLE WILL RECEIVE CARE IN
  ALL VA HEALTH-CARE FACILITIES THIS YEAR.

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• EDUCATION

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• VA MEDICAL CENTERS ARE AFFILIATED WITH 107
  MEDICAL SCHOOLS, 55 DENTAL SCHOOLS AND MORE THAN
  1,200 OTHER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

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• MORE THAN HALF OF THE PHYSICIANS PRACTICING IN
  THE UNITED STATES HAVE HAD PART OF THEIR
  PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN THE VA HEALTH-CARE
  SYSTEM.

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• EACH YEAR, ABOUT 104,000 HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
  RECEIVE TRAINING IN VA MEDICAL CENTERS.

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• VAS MEDICAL SYSTEM ALSO SERVES AS A BACKUP TO
  THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DURING NATIONAL SECURITY
  CONTINGENCIES, FOR VA INTERNAL EMERGENCIES AND AS
  A FEDERAL SUPPORT ORGANIZATION FOR MAJOR
  CATASTROPHIC DISASTERS.

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• SINCE 1979, VA HAS OPERATED READJUSTMENT
  COUNSELING SERVICE (RCS) VET CENTERS, WHICH
  PROVIDE PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELING FOR WAR-RELATED
  TRAUMA, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, CASE MANAGEMENT AND
  REFERRAL ACTIVITIES, AND SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL
  SERVICES TO VETERANS AND FAMILY MEMBERS.

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• RESEARCH

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• VA HAS BECOME A WORLD LEADER IN SUCH RESEARCH
  AREAS AS AGING, WOMEN VETERANS HEALTH CONCERNS,
  AIDS, AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND
  OTHER MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES..

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• VA RESEARCHERS PLAYED KEY ROLES IN DEVELOPING THE
  CARDIAC PACEMAKER, THE CT SCAN, MAGNETIC SOURCE
  IMAGING AND IN IMPROVING ARTIFICIAL LIMBS.

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• 75 OF VA RESEARCHERS ARE CLINICIANS.

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• VA MILESTONES

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• 193O
• THE VETERANS ADMINISTRATION WAS CREATED BY
  EXECUTIVE ORDER 5398, SIGNED BY PRESIDENT HOOVER
  ON JULY 21, 1930. AT THAT TIME, THERE WERE 54
  HOSPITALS, 4.7 MILLION LIVING VETERANS, AND
  31,600 EMPLOYEES.

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• 1933
• THE BOARD OF VETERANS APPEALS WAS ESTABLISHED.

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• 1944
• ON JUNE 22, PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SIGNED THE
  SERVICEMENS READJUSTMENT ACT OF 1944 OFFERING
  HOME LOAN AND EDUCATION BENEFITS TO AMERICANS.
  BILL WAS PASSED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE 78TH CONGRESS.

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• 1946
• THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE SURGERY WAS
  ESTABLISHED, SUCCEEDED IN 1989 BY THE VETERANS
  HEALTH SERVICES AND RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION,
  RENAMED THE VETERANS HEALTH ADMINISTRATION IN
  1991.

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• 1953
• THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS BENEFITS WAS
  ESTABLISHED, SUCCEEDED IN 1989 BY THE VETERANS
  BENEFITS ADMINISTRATION.

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• 1973
• THE NATIONAL CEMETERY SYSTEM (EXCEPT FOR
  ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY) WAS TRANSFERRED BY
  THE ARMY TO VA.

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• 1988
• LEGISLATION TO ELEVATE VA TO CABINET STATUS WAS
  SIGNED BY PRESIDENT REAGAN.

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• 1989
• ON MARCH 15, VA BECAME THE 14TH DEPARTMENT IN THE
  PRESIDENTS CABINET.

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• DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
• STRATEGIC PLAN HIGHLIGHTS

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• VISION
• THE DEPARTMENT WILL CONTINUE TO HONOR, CARE FOR,
  AND COMPENSATE VETERANS IN RECOGNITION OF THEIR
  SACRIFICES FOR AMERICA.

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• CORE VALUES
• VETERANS HAVE EARNED OUR RESPECT AND ARE OUR
  REASON FOR BEING. OUR COMMON PURPOSE, AND ALL OUR
  EFFORTS ARE DIRECTED TOWARD MEETING THEIR NEEDS.

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• WE ARE COMMITTED TO COMMUNICATING WITH VETERANS,
  EMPLOYEES, AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS IN A TIMELY,
  THOROUGH, ACCURATE, UNDERSTANDABLE, AND
  RESPECTFUL MANNER.

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• WE LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS AND VIEWS OF VETERANS,
  EMPLOYEES, AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS TO BRING
  ABOUT IMPROVEMENTS IN BENEFITS AND SERVICES, AND
  THE CLIMATE IN WHICH THEY ARE PROVIDED.

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• WE VALUE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT BUSINESS
  PROCESSES WHICH CONSISTENTLY PRODUCE POSITIVE
  RESULTS.

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• WE FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT THAT PROMOTES PERSONAL
  AND COPORATE INNOVATION, SHARING AND LEVERAGING
  OF RESOURCES, RISK-TAKING, AND TEAMWORK.

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• WE ARE OPEN TO CHANGE AND FLEXIBLE IN OUR
  ATTITUDES.

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• WE BELIEVE THAT RESPECT, INTEGRITY, TRUST, AND
  FAIRNESS ARE HALLMARKS OF ALL OUR INTERACTIONS.

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• WE VALUE A CULTURE WHERE EVERYONE IS INVOLVED,
  ACCOUNTABLE, RESPECTED, AND APPRECIATED.

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• WE WILL PERFORM AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF
  COMPETENCE ALWAYS, AND TAKE PRIDE IN
  ACCOMPLISHMENT. WE ARE A CAN DO ORGANIZATION.

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• PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

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• THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT BECOME INVOLVED IN A
  MAJOR GLOBAL CONFLICT THAT WOULD PLACE LARGE
  NUMBERS OF TROOPS IN JEOPARDY OR REQUIRE
  SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN TROOP STRENGTH RESULTING
  IN A LARGE UNEXPECTED INCREASE IN CLAIMS FOR
  BENEFITS AND SERVICES.

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• THE ROLE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN AMERICAN
  SOCIETY WILL CONTINUE TO BE EVALUATED AND
  COMPETITION FOR FEDERAL FUNDING WILL BECOME EVEN
  MORE INTENSE THAN IT IS TODAY.

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• THE RECENT BALANCED BUDGET AGREEMENT WILL
  CONSTRAIN RESOURCES AND WILL CONTINUE TO PUT
  PRESSURE ON AGENCIES TO REENGINEER WORK PROCESSES
  TO MAKE THEM MORE EFFICIENT.

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• SCRUTINY OF THE OUTCOMES AND IMPACT OF VA
  PROGRAMS AND DEMANDS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY BY THE
  EXECUTIVE BRANCH, CONGRESS, AND AMERICAN TAXPAYER
  WILL INCREASE.

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• CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS OF ACCURATE, TIMELY AND
  COURTEOUS SERVICE WILL INCREASE.

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• TECHNOLOGY WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE
  CUSTOMER SERVICE AREAS, ACCURACY AND TIMELINESS,
  AND THE DELIVERY OF BENEFITS AND SERVICES.

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• MANAGED CARE WITHIN INTEGRATED DELIVERY SYSTEMS
  WILL BECOME THE MOST COMMON MODE OF HEALTH CARE
  DELIVERY IN THE UNITED STATES.

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• THE AGING VETERAN POPULATION WILL INCREASE DEMAND
  FOR SOME BENEFITS AND SERVICES SUCH AS LONG-TERM
  CARE AND BURIAL SERVICES.

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• HEALTH CARE

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• 59.3 PERCENT OF VETERANS USING THE VA SYSTEM HAVE
  NO PRIVATE OR MEDIGAP INSURANCE AND 21 PERCENT
  HAVE NO HEALTH CARE COVERAGE.

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• 60.5 PERCENT HAVE POOR OR FAIR PERCEIVED HEALTH
  STATUS AND 33 PER CENT ARE UNABLE TO WORK FOR PAY
  OR HAVE LIMITED ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIVING.

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• DURING THE PERIOD 1995 TO 2010 WHEN THE TOTAL
  VETERAN POPULATION WILL DECREASE BY 23 PERCENT,
  IT IS PROJECTED THAT THE NUMBER OF VETERAN USERS
  OF VA HEALTH SERVICES WILL INCREASE BY 17
  PERCENT.

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• End of lecture for September 9th, 2009
• 6th Period
• Questions?