Management Scope
In 2017, the undersecretary for health managed more than 326,000 personnel serving in VHA central offices and providing care in 152 VA medical centers, more than 900 outpatient clinics and 134 community living centers throughout the country.4 The Department of Veterans Affairs’ budget for fiscal 2018 is over $185 billion.
Primary Responsibilities
- Is responsible for the leadership and direction of the VHA, the nation’s largest integrated health care system, which has the mission to:
- Develop, maintain and operate a national health care delivery system for eligible veterans
- Administer a program of education and training for health care personnel
- Conduct health care research
- Provide contingency support for the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Public Health Service during times of war or national emergency
- Assures the delivery of timely, appropriate and cost-effective services to the nation’s veterans receiving care in VA health care facilities or through contractor sharing agreements
- Provides care for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for those who need specialized services such as for spinal cord injury, mental illness, substance abuse and other conditions
- Is responsible for capital assets and a major construction program, and for effectively administering and allocating resources on both a programmatic and geographic basis5
- Communicates VHA’s vision, principles, goals, expectations and outcomes to the Office of the Secretary, other department officials, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, the Government Accountability Office, veterans, veterans service organizations and other federal agencies and stakeholders
- Develops long-range plans and policies that impact VHA’s long-term direction and strategy
- Provides briefings, speeches, congressional testimony and high-level presentations regarding veteran health care programs
- Establishes committees, advisory groups and review bodies, as necessary, to provide information and advice
- Serves as co-chair of the Health Executive Council (HEC) and member of the VA-DOD Joint Executive Council (JEC)
- Coordinates, develops and recommends milestones for the HEC working groups that are reported in the JEC strategic plan and annual report
- Establishes and approves standards for VHA research programs, capital asset planning, and management and health information management
- Promulgates and communicates policies that articulate VHA’s role in national health care reform initiatives
- Provides contingency support for the DOD and Department of Health and Human Services during times of war or national emergency
- Works closely, as needed, with chairmen and members of the Senate and House veterans affairs committees, appropriations committees and armed services committees, as well as the national veterans service organizations (Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion and others); national military service organizations (Military Officers Association of America, Reserve Officers Association and others); state directors and secretaries of veterans affairs; national civic and business organizations and associations; the DOD’s Office of Warrior Care Policy and other related entities; the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs; and the OMB6
- Uses expert leadership and management skills to drive organizational change on health care as well as budget, acquisition, IT and human capital management
Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]Sample:
Agency priority goal 1: Improve veterans experience with VA
Agency priority goal 2: Improve VA's employee experience
Agency priority goal 3: Improve access to health care as experienced by the veteran
Agency priority goal 4: Improve dependency claims processing