Jon Tester

VA looks to overhaul pay, ‘antiquated’ hiring processes in major veteran care bill

The Honoring Our PACT Act would expand disability compensation and health care benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service.

Veterans Affairs

Union representing DoD civilians has big objection to next year’s budget proposal

Defense

(Spokane VA Medical Center Photo)

VA hired 59,000 employees this fiscal year, but still struggles with workforce shortages

Veterans Affairs

(Spokane VA Medical Center Photo)

Congress fears VA is ‘moving on’ amid persistent EHR challenges, low employee morale at initial go-live site

Veterans Affairs

Amelia Brust/Federal News Network

Senate appropriators want to add $24B to defense budget in bill

Congress

(AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

FILE- A health care worker fills a syringe with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, Thursday, July 22, 2021, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The number of Americans getting a COVID-19 vaccine has been rising in recent days as virus cases once again surge and officials raise dire warnings about the consequences of remaining unvaccinated. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)

VA mandates COVID-19 vaccine for health care workers

Veterans Affairs

‘Missteps were ours,’ VA’s McDonough says of initial EHR rollout

Veterans Affairs

Few VA employees easily navigating new EHR after training, months of use, auditors say

Veterans Affairs

VA makes the case for another record funding request in 2022

Veterans Affairs

Air Force faces first test from Congress in divesting from legacy systems

Air Force

VA accountability office says it’s improved, but whistleblowers aren’t so sure

Veterans Affairs

Disability claims backlog will get worse before it gets better, VA warns

The Veterans Benefits Administration said it can recover its disability claims backlog relatively quickly, but Congress is concerned the agency is relying…

Veterans Affairs

Bipartisan group of senators ask VA to rank and prioritize unfunded IT projects

A new bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to produce a single list of all ongoing IT projects at the agency, as well as a prioritized…

Veterans Affairs

Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient Alford Washington, Sr., receives a Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from nurse Alanna Williams at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System's gymnasium in New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2020. Washington was part of the Pathfinder Unit in Vietnam where he survived a plane crash that killed 7 people in Oct. 28, 1967. He said he had no concerns receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. (Sophia Germer/The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

Senators seek bigger role, more doses for VA in vaccine distribution efforts

Veterans Affairs

The Veterans Health Administration also said it will not require the COVID-19 vaccine as a requirement of employment at the department. VHA has vaccinated 73% of its workforce and 90% of its clinical staff.