We are always on the lookout for ways to improve our services to provide Veterans and their families with the best possible VA care. Our Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) is no different – they are on a mission to transform how technology enables a better Veteran experience.

The transformation began with the announcement of Secretary Bob McDonald’s MyVA initiative and the arrival of Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and Chief Information Officer LaVerne H. Council. A renewed focus was placed on programs and projects that deliver direct value to Veterans. Since then, OI&T has launched new functions, overhauled cumbersome processes, mitigated more than 21 million cyber vulnerabilities, and refocused on “doing” over “documenting” — all to improve the Veteran experience.

OI&T released its Midyear Transformation Review earlier this month, a comprehensive report and corresponding public webpage that tells the story of the office’s transformation efforts. The release corresponds to the one year anniversary of the MyVA Integrated Plan and Overview, illustrating how MyVA is creating real change throughout VA.

Here’s an excerpt from the report’s welcome letter, written by Council:

LaVerne Council“We have a truly inspiring mission: caring for those who have ‘borne the battle,’ as well as their families and their survivors. Though that mission is what initially brought me to VA, I knew VA was at a critical point in its story. We needed to do better on behalf of our Veterans. We needed a lasting approach to improvement. Our Veterans deserve it.

“I am pleased to report that we have met our early benchmarks and have even exceeded our initial goals. This could not have been accomplished without the hard work of our dedicated team members, 58 percent of whom are Veterans themselves. Even as we celebrate our collective success, we are looking to the future. True transformation takes time that is measured in years, not months. As we relentlessly pursue excellence here at OI&T, our motivation is to serve those who have served us. Our utmost priority is to deliver the highest quality of care and services for Veterans and their families.”

Visit the webpage here: http://www.oit.va.gov/transformation/.


About the author:  This article was submitted by VA’s Office of Information and Technology.

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2 Comments

  1. James E Badura August 16, 2016 at 07:40

    I don’t see the V A getting better , 6 times trying to get my eye glass lens RIGHT. This has been going for 6 months now. Went to a outside provider , 2 weeks latter had my glasses . Still waiting for the VA. Special foot wear , boots with orthodics still waiting 4 months now because of there screw ups. I have been getting these boots for over 20 years now, and now they don’t know how to order thm ?? I am 100% disabled . The problem is the VA

  2. Robert Sloan August 12, 2016 at 15:52

    Why is eBenifits limited to US addresses only? To sign up for eBenifits the user MUST use a US state from the drop down list. This does NOT work for those living overseas. Please, please fix this. The VA must come to terms that there is a world outside the United States. Please Office of Information and Technology (OI&T) fix this limitation to service your clients.

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