Veterans Affairs News 
Top News
- OMB reworking financial systems to focus on outcomes, not inputs
- Lew taps government retiree pension fund to avoid default
- OMB taps VanRoekel to lead management team
- PHOTOS: Meet the 2013 Service to America Medal Finalists
- Hagel: Accountability breakdown was leading factor in sexual assaults
- Former IRS commissioner faces questions about Tea Party
- SBA starting new lending program for veterans
- New Apple devices cleared to join DoD IT networks
- Army prioritizes access to data in fight over intelligence IT system
- DoD upends slow approval process for mobile devices
- Senior execs' bonuses under fire at agencies
- Gould moves the needle on many of VA's toughest challenges
- Tuesday federal headlines - May 21, 2013
Veteran strives to be 'part of something' in federal workforce
Andrew Goodrich, a ranger with the National Park Service, shares his story of being an injured Iraq War veteran finding a new home as a federal employee. He describes some of the challenges he faced and the accommodations his employers provided to to help him achieve success in the workplace.
Website, job fair help veterans secure employment
Veterans can use the VA for Vets to gain career advice and get help on how to find a job. The website is also sponsoring a Jan. 18 veterans-only job fair at the Washington Convention Center.
First lady: More research on veterans medical care
First lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday told military members and veterans that more medical schools are teaming up to boost training and research on brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.
VA expands Facebook presence to every medical center
Every individual VA hospital now has its own page as part of the department's expanding social media presence. Brandon Friedman, VA's director of online communications, joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss the new, personalized social media initiative.
Stretch goals require new way of doing business
Bob Behn, a lecturer at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, chairs the executive education program. He joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss going for the big goals. He cited efforts by the VA and HUD to end veterans' homelessness as an example.
Will 2012 be the year agencies focus on succession planning?
Pressure is growing on agencies to draft formal succession plans. There's good reason to believe more feds retired in late 2011 than in recent years, although the final count is not yet out.
HUD, VA collaboration succeeds in finding vets homes
President Barack Obama has promised to end homelessness among veterans within three years. He's made it a high-priority goal, challenging agencies to meet it without additional resources or laws. Officials say they're on track thanks to a unique collaboration between two agencies and dozens of local partners is focusing on the toughest cases.
VA: Happy feds saved $200 million in turnover costs
The Department of Veterans Affairs avoided $200 million in turnover costs by investing in online training resources for employees, Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration John Sepulveda told Federal News Radio. He also explained how the VA plans to make veterans 40 percent of its workforce, weather the retirement tsunami and continue to be a federal leader on human capital issues in a wide-ranging interview.
Officials cite drop in homelessness among veterans
Homelessness among the nation's veterans declined by about 12 percent during a one-year period ending January 2011, the Obama administration says.
VA initiative revives doctor's house call with modern twist
Jonah Czerwinski, the director of the Va's Innovation Initiative and a senior adviser to the Veterans Affairs secretary joined In Depth with Francis Rose to discuss a pilot program giving veterans access to virtual doctor's visits.
Lawmakers want audit of wait times for veterans
Lawmakers want an inspector general investigation to see how long veterans must wait for mental health treatment.
'Moneyball' strategy works for feds?
Agencies have tons of data but don't always use it wisely. A new report examines how a few agencies are analyzing statistics to reach their goals. The Partnership for Public Service and IBM suggest in their report agencies try the 2002 Oakland A's approach to using statistics to build a winning team.
VA, House lawmakers spar over veteran-owned contracting program
The department must decide by Dec. 15 whether or not it will follow GAO's recommendations after losing a bid protest decision. VA tries to explain why service-disabled veteran owned firms do not receive the highest priority for all contracts. Lawmakers express frustration over the agency's explanation.
Sharing medical information safely and securely
Host John Gilroy is joined by CNSI Senior Vice President Shaliesh Patel. They will discuss the challenges in helping citizens get more involved in their own healthcare.
November 29, 2011(Encore presentation December 20, 2011)
VA delivering 9 out of 10 IT projects on time
In the Department of Veterans Affairs, it took two years and a big culture change to raise the rate of on-time deliveries of IT projects from below 30 percent to just shy of 90 percent. But according to VA's CIO, those changes amount to his department giving itself its own budget increase.
VA offers new buyouts, early outs
The buyouts and early retirements apply to billing and collection jobs in 11 regional health care networks. They are part of VA's initiative to consolidate accounting activities.
Protecting the mobile environment
Host John Gilroy is joined by AirPatrol Corporation CTO Tom Kellermann. They will discuss how to control data leakage from mobile devices.
November 22, 2011
Obama signs bipartisan bill to help jobless vets, repeals contractor tax withholding
President Barack Obama will sign into law Monday legislation giving tax breaks to companies that hire unemployed veterans.
New strategy gives agencies a "springboard" for increasing diversity
Agencies have four months to develop diversity and inclusion plans under a broad, brief governmentwide strategy released Thursday. Proponents say, by making the President's Management Council responsible for progress, the strategy will succeed where past measures have failed.
Indian Health Service facing data deadline
Acting CIO Howard Hays said the agency is taking advantage of the work VA is doing to update its systems. Indian Health Services borrows heavily from VA's VistA electronic health records system.
November 17, 2011(Encore presentation December 29, 2011)
