VA is preparing to publicly release a report containing recommendations to invest in the most significant redesign of the VA health care system since the World War II era. The recommendations aim to realign and modernize VA health care facilities to improve Veteran health care access and outcomes.

On March 1, VA announced its intention of adding nine rare respiratory cancers to the list of presumed service-connected disabilities in relation to exposure to toxic chemicals in the air, water, or soil for Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations.

Women’s History Month: VA celebrates women on the front lines… active duty, Veteran, or VA employee, VA is proud to honor them.

Volunteers and VA leaders, including the VA Secretary, have joined the Compassionate Contact Corps to call Veterans during Salute Week.

VA and the Veterans Day National Committee are currently accepting submissions for the 2022 Veterans Day poster contest.

VA provided 270% more mental health visits to former service members with an other-than-honorable discharge in fiscal year 2021 compared to FY20.

Study finds that Veterans who were rushed by ambulance to a VA hospital, versus a non-VA hospital, had lower mortality rates.

On Feb. 16, 2022, VA Secretary Denis McDonough held a press conference at VA Central Office in Washington, D.C., which was streamed live to VA employees. The event covered updates to how VA is handling the omicron wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, VBA’s progress on the claims backlog, NCA’s handling of uninterrupted memorial services, VHA’s mission to meet timely appointments and care authorizations, and the secretary’s work with the Congress to invest in VA employees.

In late 2017, VA began a multi-year effort to revise and update the VASRD, or VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The VASRD’s 15 body systems had seen periodic rating criteria updates, but this continuing effort reflects the first comprehensive review since 1945.

Today, VA announced its eighth update: respiratory, auditory, and mental disorders body systems.

Exposure to contaminants or environmental hazards poses a major health concern for Veterans of all eras. If you served in Iraq, Afghanistan or other areas and believe you were exposed to hazardous materials – including particulate matter, burn pits and others – disability compensation and other VA benefits for related illnesses or conditions may be available for you.

This afternoon, Secretary Denis McDonough delivered remarks regarding his Human Infrastructure plan at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina.

Results of 2021 PIT Count, the annual effort to estimate the number of Americans, including Veterans, without permanent housing.