About Us
Office of VA/DoW Health Affairs
Overview
The Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Office of VA/DoW Health Affairs (OHA) serves as VHA’s lead in coordinating and facilitating collaboration activities with the Military Health System (MHS). The MHS, operating within the Department of Defense (DoW) and led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (OASD(HA)), includes the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Joint Staff Surgeon, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU), Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs), and the medical departments of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.
OHA coordinates and provides policy guidance for programs as they relate to activities of the congressionally mandated VA/DoW Health Executive Committee (HEC) on behalf of the Under Secretary for Health (USH) who serves as the VA HEC co-chair. OHA provides national-level policy guidance and oversight for sharing of health care resources between VA and DoW and manages the VA/DoW Joint Incentive Fund (JIF), which improves access to health care, enhances quality and continuity of care, and drives cost avoidance for VA and DoW. OHA provides enterprise-level guidance on DoW TRICARE with embedded VA staff at the TRICARE Health Plan Office to manage VA/DoW relationships, promote VA/DoW sharing, and serve as the primary VA point of contact for TRICARE issues.
OHA provides leadership and oversight to the Federal Recovery Consultant Office (FRCO), formerly known as the Federal Recovery Coordination Program (FRCP), which provides enterprise-level longitudinal consultation services and assistance to VA and DoW Lead Coordinators (LCs), Care Management Teams (CMTs), and select Servicemembers, Veterans (SM/V), and their families. OHA manages the Army War College Fellowship program for VA by providing a unique experience via exposure and access to a broad range of interagency health care programs that encourage strategic and critical thinking.
Functions and Activities
VA/DoW Coordination Office
- Coordinates VA/DoW Health Executive Committee (HEC) activities and supports the flow of information to the VA/DoW Joint Executive Committee (JEC).
- Coordinates HEC efforts with the three Business Lines (BLs), 20+ Work Groups (WGs)/Integrated Product Teams (IPTs), and the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (JALFHCC) Advisory Board to improve mutual processes, eliminate redundancies, and streamline joint efforts between the MHS and VHA.
- Provides HEC input to the VA/DoW JEC Joint Strategic Plan (JSP), VA/DoW Joint Operating Plan (JOP), and the Annual Joint Report to Congress; monitors all HEC and JEC initiatives until completion.
- Collaborates with senior medical leadership within the Reserves and National Guard to educate them on VHA programs, build and maintain professional relationships, and serve as a problem-solving resource when issues arise.
- Serves as VHA’s primary liaison for AMSUS, The Society of Federal Health Professionals, annual conference.
VA/DoW Medical Sharing Office (MSO)
- Collaborates, facilitates, and sustains effective partnerships and mutually supportive relationships on matters related to joint health care initiatives and activities between VHA, MHS, and the TRICARE Health Plan.
- Provides national-level policy guidance and oversight for sharing health care resources between VHA and MHS.
- Provides national-level policy guidance and oversight for the VA/DoW Health Care Sharing Incentive Fund (aka Joint Incentive Fund or JIF) Program.
- Provides guidance on DoW TRICARE with embedded VA TRICARE Liaisons who promote DoW/VHA sharing; serves as point of contact for regional TRICARE issues supporting VHA’s transition efforts for Veterans and Servicemembers; and enhances VA/DoW bi-directional communications through monthly training for VA Medical Center (VAMC) and Veterans Integrated Services Network (VISN) staff on TRICARE referrals, authorizations, and billing processes.
- Provides senior-level leadership and direction for the support and accomplishment of all healthcare related VHA/DoW JSP goals, objectives, strategies/milestones, and performance measures encompassing the use of health care resource sharing agreements.
Federal Recovery Consultant Office (FRCO)
- Provides enterprise-level consultation and navigation to VA and DoW Lead Coordinator (LCs) and Care Management Teams (CMTs), providing clinical and non-clinical assistance and advice regarding DoW, VA, other Federal agencies, community, and other resources available to support the Servicemember, Veterans (SM/V), and the family or caregiver.
- Provides policy direction, administrative and operational support for ten (10) Federal Recovery Consultants (FRCs) located at key locations: strategic military treatment facilities (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, San Antonio Military Medical Center, and Naval Medical Center San Diego); headquarters for the military’s wounded warrior programs (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, and US Special Operations Command); and select VHA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (Tampa and Richmond).
- Provides guidance and high intensity-management to a small subset of the SM/V population while providing a channel of communication for field level staff to assist VISN and VHA Central Office leadership, as well as assigned military headquarters leadership in identifying, validating, and implementing proposed improvements for care and benefits coordination and processes.
Authorities
38 U.S. Code § 8111
38 U.S. Code § 320
Contact: VHA 10BVA-DoW Health Affairs VHA10BVA-DoDHealthAffairsAction@va.gov
