38 U.S.C. § 1706A — Remediation of medical service lines
submitted 8 years ago by Pub. L. 115-182 to r/title-38-VETERANS-BENEFITS · 429 words · no verdicts yet
When a Department medical service line fails the Secretary’s quality standards, the Secretary must send Congress a remediation assessment and plan, identify responsible officials, and report on progress. The Secretary must also publish yearly analyses of remediation actions and costs.
(a) General rule. Within 30 days after determining under section 1703(e)(1) that a Department* medical service line provides hospital, medical, or extended-care services below the Secretary’s quality standards, the Secretary* must send Congress an assessment of the causes and a plan listing specific actions and completion times. The plan may include (1) more permanent or temporary staff, including mobile teams; (2) special hiring incentives, including the Education Debt Reduction Program and recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives; (3) direct-hiring authority; (4) better staff training; (5) better equipment; (6) structural facility changes; and (7) other appropriate actions. (b) Responsible people. The assessment must identify Central Office Veterans Health Administration, facility, and relevant Veterans Integrated Service Network officials responsible for overseeing progress. (c) Interim report. Within 180 days after the assessment, the Secretary must report to Congress on compliance progress and other assistance measures. (d) Annual reports. At least yearly, the Secretary must (1) send Congress an analysis of remediation actions and costs for each service line assessed in the prior year, including progress toward the Secretary’s quality and timeliness standards and other assistance actions, and (2) publish that analysis on the Department website.
Not later than 30 days after determining under section 1703(e)(1) of this title that a medical service line of the Department* is providing hospital care*, medical services*, or extended care services that does not comply with the standards for quality established by the Secretary*, the Secretary shall submit to Congress an assessment of the factors that led the Secretary to make such determination and a plan with specific actions, and the time to complete them, to be taken to comply with such standards for quality, including the following:
Increasing personnel or temporary personnel assistance, including mobile deployment teams.
Special hiring incentives, including the Education Debt Reduction Program under subchapter VII of chapter 76 of this title and recruitment, relocation, and retention incentives.
Utilizing direct hiring authority.
Providing improved training opportunities for staff.
Acquiring improved equipment.
Making structural modifications to the facility used by the medical service line.
Such other actions as the Secretary considers appropriate.
In each assessment submitted under subsection (a) with respect to a medical service line, the Secretary shall identify the individuals at the Central Office of the Veterans Health Administration, the facility used by the medical service line, and the central office of the relevant Veterans Integrated Service Network who are responsible for overseeing the progress of that medical service line in complying with the standards for quality established by the Secretary.
Not later than 180 days after submitting an assessment under subsection (a) with respect to a medical service line, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the progress of that medical service line in complying with the standards for quality established by the Secretary and any other measures the Secretary will take to assist the medical service line in complying with such standards for quality.
Not less frequently than once each year, the Secretary shall—
submit to Congress an analysis of the remediation actions and costs of such actions taken with respect to each medical service line with respect to which the Secretary submitted an assessment and plan under subsection (a) in the preceding year, including an update on the progress of each such medical service line in complying with the standards for quality and timeliness established by the Secretary and any other actions the Secretary is undertaking to assist the medical service line in complying with standards for quality as established by the Secretary; and
publish such analysis on the internet website of the Department.
Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 115–182, title I, § 109(a), June 6, 2018, 132 Stat. 1417; amended Pub. L. 115–251, title II, § 211(a)(6), Sept. 29, 2018, 132 Stat. 3175.)
- 2018Enacted · Pub. L. 115-182 · 132 Stat. 1417
- 2018Amended · Pub. L. 115-251 · 132 Stat. 3175
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 115-182 on 2018-06-06.
all 0 arguments · sorted by: best
no arguments yet — make the first case