Veterans Accountability

The acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs (SECVA) is currently Peter O'Rourke. Mr. O'Rourke serves as the interim SECVA following the departure of David Shulkin in early 2018. David Shulkin left the VA amidst an ethics violation, which will be expanded upon in the Leadership Challenges and Issues section. The Veterans Benefits Administration and its subordinate offices provide benefits and associated services to veterans or their surviving family members (Veterans Affairs, 2018). The Veterans Health Administration and its subordinate offices provide health care for the nation's veterans (Veterans Affairs, 2018). The National Cemetary Administration and its subordinate offices provide burial and memorial benefits and cemetery management to the nation's veterans (Veterans Affairs, 2018). This paper will focus mainly on the VA secretary's office and the Veterans Health

H.R. 1247/S.297, the Improving Veterans Access to Quality Care Act of 2015 (would allow NP’s full practice authority within the VHA system)

In 1930, President Theodore Roosevelt instituted the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for the purpose of providing for those who served in the military and their dependants. Because the VA is dedicated to providing care to those who have made a sacrifice for our country, it is often held to a higher standard than other healthcare providers, however, many have criticized the VA for failing the veterans by being financially wasteful, ethically unsound, and inefficient in providing health care. As of late, the VA has been seen in a negative light due to an influx of scandals, and many have began questioning who should responsible for fixing the issues that haunt the VA. The VA cannot be allowed to continuously fail these

An assortment of complex issues has weakened the VA’s ability to deliver on its promise “to care for him who shall have borne the battle” (VA, 2015).

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a government-run military veteran benefit system that provides essential financial and medical assistance to veterans and their families that are located all over the world. (www.va.gov) As the country and the military’s needs change, the VA needs to continue to evolve and grow. With this thought in mind, it is necessary to understand how the department is coping with the many different challenges that they are currently facing to effectively address the current issues and policy pitfalls. The most critical issues presently facing the VA, is the concern over long increasing wait-times and backlogs for services, which have emerged since 9/11 and are primarily the result of the growing

When examining how specifically the system has been failing over the years, one simply only has to note the number of veterans actually receiving care. For example, several records show that many veterans were being subjected to waits exceeding the thirty day maximum described by the VA policy (Williams). These long waits would mean the difference between recovery and agony and even life and death for some cases. The problem with these extended wait times has actually become so bad that in May of 2011, a federal appeals court ruled that the VA had actually violated the rights of veterans by subjecting them to long waits when dealing with mental disorders (“Preface”). Other occurrences showed that the program’s handling of the mental impacts of war were often insufficient and not preemptive or proactive enough. For instance, the VA has had a tumultuous history of dealing with mental disorders such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with veterans throughout the years. One commonly noted instance was the 2013 report indicating that only 53 percent of veterans with a primary diagnosis of PTSD received the minimum care plan (Associated Press). Even as these illnesses have been more closely studied, many veterans continue to experience improper forms of

Policy: The Veterans Choice Program (HR 3230) which is to streamline healthcare for veterans by speeding up processing time, hiring more workers, and eliminating the scanning of medical records before appointments. It was signed into law as of 7 Aug 2014 (Haverly, 2017). Yet, problems still plague the VA.

In the United States, Veteran’s health care at an economical rate is a continuous debate. It is warranted that the health care should improve at a constant rate to uphold the health needs of veterans, new and old. Government has the veterans association (VA) and with all the help it has available for veterans there are still times when that care is not enough. There are so many individuals that are without health care because of one reason for another and it leaves many injured and hurt veterans without the care they need and deserve. Better access to health for veterans, men and women is important since many new problems such as PTSD have become better understood and need more focus and to be better

Prior to this assignment student veterans were a portion of the student population that I had no prior experience or knowledge of interacting with outside the scope of my history of higher education course reviewing the components of the GI Bill. The assignment allowed me to get an in depth historical analysis of the GI Bill and how it effected student equity in higher education from its establishment. I have come to understand the services students veterans possess but as well as some of the limitations they face being advocates for themselves in order to receive their benefits. In revolving around the topic of student equity, my team’s research found a wealth of knowledge from higher education scholars who see the need of the GI Bill in further providing student equity to student veterans. Scholars saw the important qualities that the GI Bill possess and advocated for further services in assisting student veterans and their families in not only understanding their medical benefits but also create a supportive community on campus. The overall goal of researching the GI Bill and by doing so includes student veterans is that the bill provides equitable support to returning students that have served, support for dependents of those who serve(d), and the growing student population student veterans are becoming through the new GI Bill.

Current funding for veteran healthcare care is low and insufficient because of the large number of veterans, who are being discharged from the military as the country transitions to a democratic President. According to Dr. Rachel Nardin in her article about veteran healthcare, “Soldiers get excellent acute care when injured on active duty, but as revelations of poor conditions for soldiers receiving ongoing outpatient care at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center highlighted, service members often have trouble getting the care they need once active duty ends” (Nardin 1)

With the world's largest volunteer fighting force in its service, America has long been a nation that kneels in bowed reverence to the service of our military men and women. National monuments stand as enduring testaments to the sacrifices made by ordinary citizens when political action dictates that war must be waged, and holidays commemorate the fallen who laid their lives down in defense of their homeland. Nonetheless, the storm clouds of crisis have begun to gather as the nation winds down its operations in two disparate fields of battle, with a decade of continuous warfare finally ending in Iraq and de-escalation occurring rapidly in Afghanistan. The devastating effects of a prolonged economic recession have crippled many segments of the federal government, but the crucial programs and departments associated with providing healthcare services to active military members and veterans have become severely overburdened by the extraordinary influx of soldiers returning from the Middle East as casualties of war. From amputees coping with the loss of one or more limb after an improvised explosive device attack, to veterans of so-called "stop-loss" deployment schedules who suffer from the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the thousands of soldiers with injuries and illnesses attributed to their service, America has positioned itself precariously on the precipice of domestic disaster the likes of which have

The government has authorized veterans to utilize private medical care in the past. After World War I, there were so many veterans in need of medical attention that private institutions were enlisted to help. However, as Jessica Adler points out, “Complaints about privately administered care were so rife, and it was so difficult to oversee and manage the

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) was put under a microscope during the summer of 2014 after the public learned that dozens of veterans died while awaiting medical care in multiple veterans’ hospitals (Andrews, 2014a). After beginning an investigation, it was discovered that veterans were forced to wait exorbitant amounts of time in order to see doctors, specialists, have tests run, and receive other kinds of medical care (Andrews, 2014b). President Barack Obama and Congress took quick action to investigate the claims and provide new legislation to remedy the newfound, but long lasting problems.

The findings are likely to present challenges for President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, which has made improving care for veterans a priority. Continuing delays in care could bolster the case of agency critics, who say the government alone cannot meet the medical needs of all veterans, who should be able to turn to private doctors when they want.

The men and women who have served our country are integral in our mission to build better businesses, and as our clients prosper, so do they. But this opportunity is not common to some of their peers, which is why we commit a share of our profits to organizations that help veterans who need support, transition from military service to a happy and stable civilian life.