Michael Missal

The decision to delay the initial rollout of new electronic health record capabilities at the Department of Veterans Affairs will get a closer look from Congress this week, as the inspectors general at both VA and the Defense Department announced the start of a rare, joint audit of the agencies’ EHR modernization efforts.

Lawmakers said they still couldn’t recommend the Department of Veterans Affairs’ accountability office as a safe space for whistleblowers, despite VA’s assertions that the organization is slowly improving.

To deepen its ability to root out health care fraud, the VA OIG has teamed up with its counterpart at the Justice Department.

The Department of Veterans Affairs acknowledged it could more strategically target successful recruitment and retention incentives to occupations and medical facilities with the greatest workforce needs. But it also pushed Congress to grant the agency more flexibility in setting market pay for VA medical center directors.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is developing new training and policies for both employees and investigators within the agency’s Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection.

VA Inspector General Michael Missal joined Federal Drive with Tom Temin to share what the department found when looking into the status of last year’s improper payments.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said it has the right leadership and contractors in place this time to resolve the department’s longstanding IT issues and prepare for Forever GI bill implementation.

VA Inspector General Michael Missal said despite enthusiasm for the passage of the Forever GI bill, the agency has yet to meet a single deadline.

VA inspector general Michael Missal details the struggle the Veteran Benefits Administration has had implementing provisions of the Forever GI Bill.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not have a clear idea for whether police should investigate alleged misconduct by managers, its inspector general said.