Women in leadership at VA recognized for their impact on Veterans’ lives

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today 13 VA employees received the 2020 G2Xchange Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award.

They are recognized for guiding, mentoring and driving their industry through impactful leadership.

These women are integral to the successes in all facets of the many programs and operations benefitting the health and wellbeing of America’s Veterans.

They have been and will continue to be a force in effectively communicating and implementing VA’s mission while at the helm in their positions.

“VA supports women and women Veterans serving at all levels in the department,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilke. “Women employees at VA are positively impacting the care and services Veterans receive each day in such areas as benefits, customer experience, health, innovation, technology and small business.”

Under the leadership of women at VA these are among some of the notable achievements that have been realized:

Benefits – The Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) gives Veterans choice, clarity and control of their appeals and claims. The AMA is the first major reform to the VA appeals system in at least three decades.

Recognizing a gap in service regarding Board of Veterans’ Appeals (BVA) hearings, the Board’s collaboration across the enterprise leveraged existing technologies to create virtual tele-hearings. This led to President Trump signing the Virtual Tele-Hearing Modernization Act — making virtual tele-hearings a permanent option for Veterans.

Customer Service – The Veterans Experience Office (VEO) understands the journey of Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, and VEO staff recognizes the specialized needs and experiences of these customers when they interact with VA in person, by phone or online. VEO has the ability to translate those insights into tangible tools and products to empower employees at all levels to deliver the best customer experiences possible.

Health – The MISSION Act is a permanent program allowing Veterans to get their health care in the community. Women VA leaders played a prominent role ensuring best practices were shared on how VA had to adjust to implement the new law. They created training protocols to make sure VA staff were ready to help deliver this new health benefit to Veterans.

The President’s Roadmap to Empower Veterans and End a National Tragedy of Suicide (PREVENTS) highlights suicide prevention training with specific sessions on PTSD and how-to tailor decisions for a Veteran or family member who may be grieving. A main program developed under PREVENTS is the REACH campaign which strives to reduce Veteran suicide.

Innovation – Innovations in 3D printing across VA have led to advancements in surgery, prosthetics and the treatment of chronic illnesses. 3D printing enables VA’s medical providers to customize and tailor solutions specifically meeting individual patient needs, putting the Veteran at the center of their treatment plan. VA is the first integrated health care system in the country to establish a national 3D Printing network allowing its health care staff to share ideas, resources and best practices to deliver quality care to patients throughout its enterprise. In March, VA activated its 3D printing network to test 3D designs of medical equipment used by the nation’s health care providers to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messaging – VA’s national media relations team ensures the focus of all messaging clearly reflects how the department’s programs and operations benefit and definitively impact the lives of the Veterans it serves. When preparing items for publication as news releases, internal and external stories, event campaigns, communications plans and opinion-editorials — the team ensures they are Veteran centric — aligned with the core of the department’s motto.

Technology – VA’s information technology and digital modernization project has resulted in successful service-delivery to 12 million Veterans and family members who depend on VA for health care and benefits. During the COVID-19 pandemic — timely, clear, strategic communication and providing additional equipment to those serving Veterans, their families and their caregivers — has resulted in the seamless transition of more than 300,000 VA workers and contractors to remote telework status so they can continue working on behalf of Veterans regardless of location.

The creation of a Cyber Training Academy keeps VA employees apprised of the latest technology for protecting Veterans’ private and sensitive information.

VA telehealth technologies make it easier for Veterans to connect with their VA care team. VA Telehealth Services is transforming how Veterans access care, whether from their home, a clinic or the hospital — enabling them to access care when and where they need it.

Strategic partnering with the Department of Defense on the enterprise-wide adoption of the Defense Medical Logistics Standard Support application and the Defense Logistics Agency’s Medical Surgical Prime Vendor program is modernizing VA’s supply chain and enables the department’s contracting and logistician workforce to acquire products for the clinicians who care for Veterans’ health and well-being.

VA’s enterprise integration has been instrumental in developing the electronic health record modernization, along with financial management and business transformation.

Small Business – To improve Women-Owned Small Businesses participation and procurement opportunities, the Women Veteran-Owned Small Business Initiatives, a new program and first of its kind in the federal government was established in support of women Veteran entrepreneurs in the federal and commercial marketplace. The initiative enables access to economic and procurement learning opportunities, offers chances to increase business sustainability and hosts events throughout the year preparing women Veteran business owners to become procurement ready.

Women Veterans – The Center for Women Veterans has successfully built upon its partnerships particularly the creation of #BringWomenVeteransHome2VA aimed at reaching the most remote women Veterans. It has helped them learn about and connect with VA services such as Telehealth, the Women Veterans Call Center and Veterans Crisis Hotline, and how to enroll in VA to get assistance on Military Sexual Trauma care.

As VA works to improve the care and services for all Veterans, the VA women receiving the 2020 G2Xchange Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award highlights the importance of their leading the way in the workplace and demonstrating what women, VA women and women Veterans can and do bring to the work arena.

To see the entire list of winners click here.