Post by icemandios on Jul 19, 2018 13:42:32 GMT
Veterans Health Administration shifts leadership
By Tony Abraham
Published July 18, 2018
Dive Brief:
Dive Insight:
Peter O'Rourke, who's sitting in as acting VA secretary while the Senate works to confirm Wilkie's nomination, signaled to reporters during the Stone announcement that decisions will soon be made on leadership positions within VA.
Stone is reported to be on the list of candidates being considered to lead VHA as undersecretary for health. In the time since the position has been vacant, Shulkin has been fired, Trump's first nominee to replace him withdrew under Senate scrutiny and the department's community care programs have been overhauled to extend private sector options for veteran care and shift the department's funding sources via the $5.2 billion MISSION Act.
Yet, some lawmakers remain concerned about funding for veterans health. Earlier this week, the White House issued a letter warning Senate members who want to spend over budget on veterans health, saying the funding sources made available in the MISSION Act should be "more than sufficient."
Adding to VA turmoil over the past year has been the agency's contract with Cerner to implement a new EHR system, replacing VA's 40-year-old VistA system. The contract was first announced in June 2017, but was delayed over issues with interoperability for nearly a year before being finalized in May.
VA has just recently established the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization to help maintain the agency's new Cerner EHR system over the next 10 years. That office will be working closely with whoever is tapped to lead VHA.
By Tony Abraham
Published July 18, 2018
Dive Brief:
Richard Stone, a former Veterans Health Administration executive, has returned to temporarily lead the administration as it continues to search for a permanent undersecretary, according to a report from Military Times.
Stone, who has been working for tech consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, is replacing Carolyn Clancy, who has been shifted to a research and development position within VHA .
Stone is VHA's third temporary administrator since former VA Secretary David Shulkin's promotion from that position in February 2017.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's nominee for VA Secretary, Robert Wilkie, is awaiting confirmation from the Senate.
Dive Insight:
Peter O'Rourke, who's sitting in as acting VA secretary while the Senate works to confirm Wilkie's nomination, signaled to reporters during the Stone announcement that decisions will soon be made on leadership positions within VA.
Stone is reported to be on the list of candidates being considered to lead VHA as undersecretary for health. In the time since the position has been vacant, Shulkin has been fired, Trump's first nominee to replace him withdrew under Senate scrutiny and the department's community care programs have been overhauled to extend private sector options for veteran care and shift the department's funding sources via the $5.2 billion MISSION Act.
Yet, some lawmakers remain concerned about funding for veterans health. Earlier this week, the White House issued a letter warning Senate members who want to spend over budget on veterans health, saying the funding sources made available in the MISSION Act should be "more than sufficient."
Adding to VA turmoil over the past year has been the agency's contract with Cerner to implement a new EHR system, replacing VA's 40-year-old VistA system. The contract was first announced in June 2017, but was delayed over issues with interoperability for nearly a year before being finalized in May.
VA has just recently established the Office of Electronic Health Record Modernization to help maintain the agency's new Cerner EHR system over the next 10 years. That office will be working closely with whoever is tapped to lead VHA.