Department of Veterans Affairs
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The congressionally-appointed VA Commission on Care suggested a major overhaul to the Veterans Health Administration. According to the commission's draft report, due to Congress by the end of the month, VHA employees should have their own personnel system.
June 09, 2016 -
The Veterans Affairs Department officially fired three more senior leaders at the Phoenix VA Health Care System, the hospital where reports of wait time manipulation first started two years ago. Two of the three VA executives can appeal their removals to the Merit Systems Protection Board.
June 08, 2016 -
Jason Gray comes over to the Education Department from the Transportation Department to replace Danny Harris as the CIO. State Department CIO Steve Taylor is expected to move to a new position in the coming month as well.
June 06, 2016 -
The Justice Department says a specific provision in the Veterans Choice Act, which ultimately renders that the disciplinary decision from administration MSPB judge is final for certain senior executives, violates a clause in the Constitution. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says Justice will continue to uphold vast majority of the Choice Act.
June 03, 2016 -
The acquisition shop at the Veterans Affairs Department released 10 guiding principles to better buy products and services. While vendors are relatively optimistic about the VA's new approach, they're concerned whether contracting officers in the field are embracing those principles.
June 02, 2016 -
One congressman and the Veterans Affairs Department's number two both suggested the VA doesn't need another policy or rule to help the agency turn around years of mismanagement and a "culture of fear" at some medical centers.
May 31, 2016 -
The Senate is still debating whether it should overhaul current programs at the Veterans Affairs Department that give veterans access to private health care or revise certain pieces of it. At the same time, the VA said it's close on finalizing a new appeals process, but the committee is concerned the VA's plan does little to address the current backlog of 450,000 unresolved claims.
May 25, 2016 -
VA Secretary Bob McDonald said his department is different enough from other federal agencies that a separate personnel system is appropriate for VA senior executives. McDonald also said the department is working on new performance standards to measure veterans' satisfaction with VA medical facilities and the time it takes to receive an appointment.
May 23, 2016 -
On a quest for more innovative technology, more agencies are opening up satellite offices in Silicon Valley. But some start-ups and venture capitalists say working with the federal government is a hard sell, because the procurement process takes too long and presents too many unknowns.
May 18, 2016 -
At nearly 400 pages, the Veterans First Act, which the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee introduced last week, covers everything from veterans homelessness to more flexible work hours for VA doctors and nurses. But VA's senior executives are still the main target of the legislation.
May 04, 2016 -
Gina Farrisee, assistant secretary for human resources and administration at the VA, will become the department's new deputy chief of staff. Meghan Flanz, deputy general counsel for legal operations and accountability at the VA, will take Farrisee's place as the assistant HR secretary, a VA spokesperson confirmed.
May 02, 2016 -
A new site from the Labor Department will point veterans to the right resources they need to find a job or start their own business when they re-enter civilian life. The new Veterans.gov collects information from a variety of sources and easily organizes it in one place, said Terry Gerton, deputy assistant secretary for policy within the Labor Department's Veterans' Employment and Training Service.
May 02, 2016 -
Steve Grewal joined the General Services Administration as its new deputy chief information officer after spending the last four years at the Education Department.
May 02, 2016 -
The Veterans First Act is a bipartisan omnibus bill that addresses problems within the Veterans Affairs Department. Everything from accountability to whistleblower protections is included in the package, along with major changes to the health care program for veterans, educational benefits and help for survivors.
April 28, 2016 -
For the second time this year, the Office of Special Counsel said the Veterans Affairs Inspector General isn't properly addressing three cases of whistleblower allegations. OSC Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner voiced similar concerns about two other cases to President Barack Obama in February.
April 27, 2016