Department Of Veterans Affairs: A Case Study

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mission is “to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” (Abraham Lincoln) by assisting and honoring the United States Veterans (VA, 2015).
The strategic planning areas mentioned in the book; the mission; vision; values; grand strategic objectives, specific organization, benchmarks, metrics, targets, goals and others are similar to the VA strategic planning. Because of the unique mission of the VA, some will not be adaptable to the VA plans (Moseley, 2009 p. 16). Before I begin to describe what the strategic planning for the Veteran’s Administration is, I need to illustrate how they are divide. The Department of Veterans affairs is separate in
three main divisions; The Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Veterans Benefits Administration VBA), and National Cemetery Administration (NCA). The VHA major players are the doctors, nurses and the personnel staff that together take care of over five million veterans and their relatives with the best medical care available.
The medical personnel practice all the major specialties in addition to rehabilitative therapy of all kinds, from severe to long term care. In addition to take care of veterans the VHA’s has a distinguished part in educating all types of health care personnel from doctors, nurses and other care professionals. Over half of the doctors that are practicing in the United States obtained some part of their training in the VA numerous facilities (VA Careers, 2015). The VBA – the major functions of the VBA is to give home loan guaranty, education and insurance programs to veterans and their families. The VBA keep 57 regional offices in 50 states, in addition with Puerto Rico and the Philippines. They employed over 13,000 individuals are interpreting the guarantees of the GI Bill into material benefits for Veterans. These dedicated professionals which are comprise of specialists in education, home loans, vocational rehabilitation, insurance, information’s technology and all financial aspects within their reach (VA Careers,
2015). The NCA – will make available a headstone for eligible Veterans buried in any VA national cemeteries. In addition present President Memorial Certificates with the President’s signature to recognize and honor the memory of honorably discharged and departed Veterans. Since 2009 VA has a total of 131 in 39 states and Puerto Rico, and many of these state veteran’s cemeteries and funded by them (VA Careers, 2015). On this paper I am concentrating in the strategic plan for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). VA has three goals and seventeen objectives that deal with their strategic essentials. The Strategic Plan serves as their main standard for planning, budgeting, performance management, and alignment throughout the VHA components. The Core Values are the essential components of how they go about to do their work, it defines who they are, and shape the fundamental beliefs they will go by to do their daily service to Veterans (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018).
• Integrity
• Commitment
• Advocacy
• Respect
• Excellence
Using the first letter from each of the above Core Values VA created I-CARE.

The VHA Mission is, “to honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018).
The VHA Vision: is to remain to be the standard of excellence and value in health care and benefits by delivering excellent amenities and place veterans first. The care will be offered by involved, collective teams in a combined setting that reinforces learning, discovery and nonstop development. It emphasizes in preventive medicine, people’s health and help the country health through education, research and assistance in national emergencies. VHA’s values are the logical supports that are implanted in VHA’s vision. They are personified in their goals, objectives, and every plan carry out (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018).
• Patient Centered
• Team Based
• Data Driven/Evidence Based
• Prevention/Population Health
• Providing Value
• Continuously Improving
VHA Goals and Objectives

a.
VA Health Care Delivery – The physicians and other personnel create a unique health and prevention plan for each veteran
b. Communication – VHA will delivered to patients and health personnel the model and strategy on how they will accomplished this mission. c. Awareness & Understanding – the training and interfacing with patients will be clearly openly outlined and usually comprehended as shown by survey outcomes.
d. Access to Information & Resources – Veterans will have all the information that they need and the support to help them effectively realize their personal health plans.
e. Quality & Equity – all Veterans regardless of their location, beliefs, age race or sexual orientation.
f. Innovation & Improvement – VHA will approach new technologies, experiments and procedures in a safe environment without risks.
g. Collaboration – VHA will find solutions to health problems and work together with communities, and organizations such as the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services, academic affiliates, and other service organizations (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018).
Achieve Measurable Improvements in Health Outcomes
a. Expectations – VHA running potentials will be line up to the VHA strategic
goals.
b. Incentives – will be in for everyone and organizational accomplishment and outcomes in harmony with VHA strategic goals and objectives (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018).
Align Resources to deliver sustained value to veterans
.
a. Support Services – VA and VHA support services will be line up and synchronized in tactics to safeguard quick-thinking replies to VISN/program needs related to health care.
b. Operational Processes – Clinical operations and business practices will be line up to support implementation of the VA model of personalized, proactive, patient-driven health care, eliminating all the unnecessary obstacles to make it work the way that it supposed to be. c. Resources – The Veterans Equitable Resource Allocation (VERA) model will be continuously revised to personalized, patient-driven health care.
d. Agile Footprint – VHA health delivery system will be adapt and line up in harmony with market forecasts, while guaranteeing flexibility for quick policy modifications.
e. Capital Investments – Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) proposals submitted from VHA will be up to date the fiscal budget, every will be incline to better patient care.
f. Information Technology Investments – IT investments will be priority to go in accordance with the needs in VHA
g. Local Flexibility – Flexibility is need to accommodate the different communities in which hospitals and clinics are situated.
h. Leadership – By 2017, the system will be nationally acclaimed as a leader for people’s health improvement strategies, individualized care, and make the most of health results in a cost-effective and sustainable manner (VHA Strategic Plan, 2013 – 2018). In conclusion with all the VA changes in the last decade I believe that my organization is in the right path to resolve all the healthcare issues of the past and to prevent all the inconvenient in the future.