VA leaders launch search for top benefits, health care leaders

Veterans Affairs leaders on Monday formally launched their seek for candidates to supervise division well being care points and advantages supply, a course of which is predicted to take a number of months.

In contrast to different management positions at VA, which could be nominated by the president primarily based solely on the president’s targets for the posts, candidates for the undersecretary for well being and undersecretary for advantages posts should come from suggestions of commissions that includes neighborhood advocates, trade specialists and former appointees from the division.

VA Secretary Doug Collins mentioned in a press release Monday that VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence will chair each commissions and assist discover leaders who will proceed “implementing a lot of reforms to enhance VA companies for veterans, households, caregivers and survivors.”

The undersecretary for well being submit, held within the Biden administration by Dr. Shereef Elnahal, manages the operation of VA’s 1,300-plus medical care amenities. The Senate-confirmed official additionally handles tips for coaching and training of VA’s well being care professionals and develops contingency well being care plans within the occasion of a nationwide emergency, such because the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presently, Deputy Undersecretary for Well being Steven Lieberman is serving because the division’s performing undersecretary for well being.

The undersecretary for advantages submit, held within the final administration by Joshua Jacobs, oversees supply of advantages for roughly 6 million veterans, in addition to hundreds of thousands extra members of the family, caregivers and survivors. That features incapacity pay, training stipends and the VA residence mortgage program.

Presently, Principal Deputy Underneath Secretary for Advantages Michael Frueh is serving because the performing beneath secretary for advantages.

Filling the well being care submit was problematic for President Donald Trump throughout his first time period in workplace. After elevating Dr. David Shulkin from the function to the VA secretary submit, his first administration was unable to decide on a everlasting candidate for the medical management function, and cycled by means of a collection of non permanent leaders for the complete four-year time period.

In a press release asserting the brand new commissions, VA leaders touted their significance in implementing Trump’s second-term agenda. Among the many “profitable accomplishments and milestones” listed by division leaders had been:

Phasing out gender dysphoria therapy for transgender veterans as a cost-savings moveEnding telework and distant work insurance policies as an effectivity moveEnding range and inclusion packages on the division as a cost-savings moveAccelerating deployment of the brand new digital well being report system, with work set to renew in 2026Processing extra incapacity claims thus far this fiscal 12 months than ever earlier than

The fee work begins amid Collins’ assessment of plans to cut back the division’s workforce by greater than 17% — about 80,000 staff — in coming months.

Division leaders have mentioned the cuts are wanted to make the paperwork extra environment friendly. Critics have mentioned the cuts will severely impression medical care supply and advantages processing.

The fee’s candidate choice course of is predicted to take a number of months, and Senate affirmation may take months extra if a nominee is chosen.

Nonetheless, Trump can even reject the entire potential candidates and order the commissions to restart their work if he’s sad with the outcomes.