VA/DoD Coordination Office
Key Functions
- Health Executive Committee (HEC) coordination
- VHA’s Military Liaison
- AMSUS - the Society of Federal Health Professionals (formerly the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States) Coordination
Overview
The VA/DoD Coordination Office has three primary areas of focus: VA/DoD Health Executive Committee (HEC) coordination, VHA military liaison and AMSUS coordination.
The VA/DoD Coordination Office, in collaboration with the Defense Health Agency (DHA) DoD/VA Program Office (DVPO), coordinate HEC activities and support the flow of information to the VA/DoD Joint Executive Committee (JEC). Staff coordinates HEC efforts with the Business Lines (BLs) and their subordinate subgroups, including the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (JALFHCC) Advisory Board. The HEC is organized into three BLs. In coordination with 20 subordinate subgroups, the BLs strives to improve mutual processes, eliminate redundancies, and streamline joint efforts between the Military Healthcare System (MHS) and VHA.
The military liaison staff serves to facilitate, support, and enhance effective collaboration on matters related to military health care initiatives and activities. The liaisons collaborate, share current VHA information, and problem solve as needed with senior medical leadership within the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine, and Coast Guard.
Serve as VHA’s primary liaison for the Annual AMSUS - the Society of Federal Health Professionals (formerly the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States) meeting and the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Symposium.
Functions and Activities
HEC Coordination
- Provide the HEC input to the VA/DoD Joint Strategic Plan (JSP)/Joint Operating Plan (JOP), which establishes JEC priorities, objectives, and milestones. Monitor JEC priorities and submit completed tracking sheets to the JEC staff prior to quarterly meetings.
- Work closely with the JEC to ensure VA/DoD strategic plans and actions are accomplished in a collaborative effort.
- Coordinate all HEC-related matters, to include all HEC meeting functions.
- Develop the HEC agenda based on JEC deliverables, co-chair interests, emerging issues, and BL or WG requests; and coordinate any HEC agenda presentations or information papers listed on the agenda.
- Review and analyze all HEC presentations and information papers to assure VHA and Department concerns are addressed, conflicts are resolved, and documents are ready for presentation to leadership.
- Prepare Office of Health Affairs (OHA) leadership and VHA senior leadership for meetings by providing comprehensive, point-focused pre-briefs.
- Track assignments from HEC Co-Chairs, as well as ongoing issues.
- Review and update the HEC subgroup charters as required. Attend BL and subgroup meetings for awareness. Problem-solve and resolve issues, as needed.
- Communicate, coordinate, and facilitate the work of HEC BLs and subgroups, including HEC presentations, identification of annual priorities, JSP objectives, and submissions for the JEC Annual Report to Congress.
VHA Military Liaison
- Collaborate with DoD medical leadership to educate them on VHA programs, build and maintain professional relationships, and serve as a problem solving resource when issues arise.
- Partners with and provides VBA and VHA education to the National Guard Transition Assistance Advisors (TAAs). The TAA’s are contracted through the National Guard but assist all Reserve Service members, Retirees, and their families in resolving issues, providing assistance, and educating on local and federal resources.
- Liaison with DoD’s Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) Office by providing monthly calendars of YRRP events to the VHA Transition and Care Management Teams at VAMCs and VISNs so they can plan attendance and enroll SMs in VA care. The YRRP is a DoD-wide effort to promote the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their families, and communities, by connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle, to include pre- and post-deployment.
AMSUS
- Coordinates all aspects of the yearlong planning process for the AMSUS annual meeting. This includes award submission and selection, presentations, marketing and internal messaging.
- For annual meeting and general membership information visit here: AMSUS
Who Can I Contact For More Information?
Contact the VA/DoD Coordination Office at: VHA10B-DoDCoordination@va.gov
