VA provides reorganization plan to strengthen and modernize the department

VA announced today specific recommendations in the president’s “Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century Reform Plan and Reorganization Recommendations.”

The plan is the result of President Trump’s Executive Order 13781 – “Executive Order on a Comprehensive Plan for Reorganizing the Executive Branch,” signed March 13, 2017. Specific mentions of VA are on page 57 and 125 on the document.

The executive order directed all federal agencies to submit a plan to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accountability of the executive branch of government.

The proposed recommendations seek to modernize VA by reducing bureaucracy, increasing accountability and improving delivery of services to America’s Veterans and their loved ones.

“Under President Trump, we are embarking on the largest transformation and modernization effort in recent history. As part of this effort, we are tackling head-on issues that have lingered for years,” said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Peter O’Rourke.

The plan outlines five modernization initiatives intended to enable VA to more effectively deliver benefits and services to America’s Veterans. These initiatives include: electronic health record, community care, appeals modernization, financial management business transformation and legacy IT system modernization.

Additionally, the plan calls for the transfer of 11 military and Veterans cemeteries from the Department of the Army to VA’s National Cemetery Administration. The transfer would increase efficiency, limit mission overlap and ensure that these cemeteries are maintained to national shrine standards. VA will develop a proposal for the transfer, continuous care and operation of these 11 sites.