1. Congressional Affairs
VHA Mission
Honor America’s Veterans by
providing exceptional health
care that improves their health
and well-being.
VA Portland
Health Care System
(VAPORHCS)
MOAA
April 2017
Dan Herrigstad
Chief of Public &
Congressional Affairs
Integrity
Commitment
Advocacy
Respect
Excellence
VA attendees:
VBA / Town Hall Co-Host - Chris Marshall, Director, Portland Regional Benefit Office, Veterans Benefits Administration
Representing COS Office – Dr. Curl
Patient Advocates – Sylvia Gawthorne, Kelly Williams
Public Affairs – Dan Herrigstad & Kelli Roesch

2. VA Portland Health Care System
To fulfill President Lincoln's promise
“To care for him who shall have borne
the battle, and for his widow,
and his orphan” by serving
and honoring the men and women
who are America’s Veterans.
VA Mission Statement

3. Guiding Principles… Our Values… Our Mission Our Vision
Honor America’s veterans by providing
exceptional health care that improves
their health and well-being.
Our Vision
To be a patient-centered integrated health care organization for
veterans providing excellent health care, research, and education; an organization where people choose to work; an active
community partner; and a back-up for National emergencies.
Vision VHA will continue to be the benchmark of excellence and value in health care and benefits by providing exemplary services that are both patient centered and evidence based.
This care will be delivered by engaged, collaborative teams in an integrated environment that supports learning, discovery and continuous improvement.
It will emphasize prevention and population health and contribute to the nation's well-being through education, research and service in national emergencies.
Values Integrity - Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage.
Commitment - Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiaries. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA’s mission. Fulfill my individual responsibilities and organizational responsibilities.
Advocacy - Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of Veterans and other beneficiaries.
Respect - Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it.
Excellence - Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
Our Values…
Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, Excellence

4. Organization VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS)
President of the United States
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration
(VBA)
Veterans Health Administration
(VHA)
Veterans Integrated Service Network 20
(VISN 20)
VA Portland Health Care System
(VAPORHCS)
National Cemetery Administration
(NCA)
The VA is a cabinet-level department, reporting to the President of the United States.
The Department of Veterans Affairs consists of three entities: The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is where Veterans receive loans, support for education, and enroll for health benefits; the VA owns 131 cemeteries; And the third entity is us—healthcare.
Healthcare is divided into 21 geographic regions, called Veterans Integrated Service Networks, or VISNs. We, along with seven other medical centers are part of VISN 20 – the Pacific Northwest VISN.

5. 21* Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs)
*VISN 13 & VISN 14 were consolidated into VISN 23
As indicated previously, Portland is part of VISN 20, which also includes Alaska, Washington, and Idaho. If the map were to scale, you would see that VISN 20 covers 1/3 of the land mass of the United States. Many areas are rural and geographically remote, which provides challenges with access and the provision of health care.
VISN 20 has eight VA facilities. Portland and Seattle are the two tertiary referral hospitals.

6. VA Portland Health Care System
FY2016
Visits
(Out-patient) PC
Patients
Assigned
Portland
570,500
3,013
Vancouver
148,700
12,300
Hillsboro
44,700
11,748
Bend
37, 500
6,480
Fairview
33,000
Salem
62,000
7,842
West. Linn
24,000
8,833
CRRC
8,100
800
N. Coast
8,500
2,100
The Dalles
6,200
2,340
Newport
3,200
1,277
Lincoln City
657
143
North Coast CBOC
Vancouver
Division
The Dalles
CBOC
CRRC
Hillsboro CBOC
East CBOC
West Linn CBOC
Portland
Division
Lincoln City CBOC
Salem CBOC
Newport CBOC
The VA Portland Health Care System (VAPORHCS) is two-division, Joint Commission accredited 1A facility that administers care to Veterans throughout Oregon and Southwestern Washington.
In addition to two main divisions located in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington, VAPORHCS operates nine Community Based Outpatient/Outreach Clinics (CBOCs) located in Newport, Lincoln City, Warrenton, Bend, Salem, East and Downtown Portland, West Linn, Hillsboro, and The Dalles. The VAPORHCS catchment area covers more than 30,000 square miles and 26 counties. In addition to these clinics, VAPORHCS also operates a Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC) which serves homeless Veterans in downtown Portland.
Bend CBOC

7. VA Portland Health Care System
Provides full range of primary, emergency, specialty, tertiary, and long-term care
Portland Division includes 167 Medical/Surgical, locked Mental Health, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) beds.
Vancouver Division has a 72-bed Community Living Center, a 35-bed Residential Rehab Treatment Program, and a transitional Transplant Lodging Unit.

8. VA Portland Health Care System
Budget = $750 million
5,000+ employees, residents, fellows interns and volunteers
Approximate numbers = 3,150+FTE, 675 Part time employees (440 Physicians, 1,020 Nurses, 173 Social Workers, 44 Psychologists)
815+ volunteers;
Approximately 31% of employees are Veterans; approximately 145 are currently serving in the National Guard or Reserve forces.
198 academic affiliations
Residents Trained Annually- 631
Students Trained Annually- 964
Nurses Trained Annually- 251
Fellows- 40

9. VA Portland Health Care System National Centers of Excellence
Hosts a $33 million annual research program
150 active research investigators
500+ active protocols
National Centers of Excellence
Mental Illness Research Education
& Clinical Center (MIRECC
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
(AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center
National Research for Rehabilitative
Auditory Research (NCRAR)
Research Enhancement Awards Program
(REAP) in Multiple Sclerosis
Parkinson’s Disease Research Education
& Clinical Center (PADRECC)
Center for the Study of Chronic, Comorbid
Mental & Physical Disorders
Multiple Sclerosis Center for Excellence
NIH – Funded Methamphetamine Research
Center
Hepatitis C Virus Resource Center
Epilepsy Center of Excellence
NIH – Funded Alcohol Research
Patient Safety Center of Inquiry
“500 active protocols” = (a document describing the procedures of a research study).
» NIH-funded Alcohol Research Center
» National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research (NCRAR, an RR&Dfunded
Center of Excellence)
» Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC)
» Parkinson’s Disease Research Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC)
» Multiple Sclerosis Center of Excellence
» Epilepsy Center of Excellence
» NIH-funded Methamphetamine Research Center
» Center to Improve Veterans’ Involvement in Care (CIVIC, an HSR&D-funded
Center of Innovation)
» Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence Based
Practice Center

10. 10 Priorities for SECVA Accountability Legislation
Extend the Choice Deadline Past August
Choice 2.0 Legislation: Eliminate the 40/30 Rule
Infrastructure Improvements and Consolidations
Enhance Foundational Services in VA
VA/DOD/Federal Coordination
EMR Interoperability and Modernization
Breakthrough in Suicide Prevention
Appeals Modernization
Accelerating VBA Performance on Claims
The Blueprint is VHA’s framework to rebuild the Veterans’ trust and become a truly Veteran-centric health system. It sets high expectations for health care innovation and a positive culture of service.
Intent: The four themes and ten essential strategies contained in the Blueprint for Excellence frame a set of activities that simultaneously address improving the performance of VHA healthcare now, developing a positive service culture, transitioning from “sick care” to “health care” in the broadest sense, and developing agile business systems and management processes that are efficient, transparent and accountable.
The Blueprint for Excellence is our organization’s way forward. This plan has ten strategies, the goals of which align with the Road to Veterans Day and VA’s strategic plan by delivering personalized, proactive, and patient driven care.
The Blueprint also describes actions, required by law, in the Veterans Choice Act, in addition to strategies in the VHA Modernization Study, that will lead us to being a more open, innovative, high-performing, and collaborative culture.
the Blueprint was finalized it was discussed with leaders across the Department as well as many of our stakeholders. Their feedback was incorporated into the document, and they will support us as we implement the Blueprint’s ten strategies.
The Blueprint is available externally at Now that this is a public document, supported by the legislative and executive branches and VSOs, I ask you to join me in faithfully implementing the Blueprint. The Blueprint for Excellence is our operational guide for implementing goals set forth in both the VA and VHA Strategic Plans. It’s how we will Honor the Service and Empowering the Health of enrolled Veterans. Visit:

11. Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act (VACAA) of 2014
UPDATE:
The Veteran Choice Program is part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA) signed into law Aug. 7, The Choice Program is a new, temporary benefit (up to 3 years) that allows some Veterans to receive health care in their communities rather than waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.
This Web site has all the information one needs; how to get started, fact sheets, an on-line questionnaire to check your eligibility.
This hotline is exclusively for making sure you are eligible for the Choice Program and setting up a non-VA care appointment.
Want to get started?
Call

12. UDPATE: Veterans Choice Program
Effective of April 19, 2017,
The President signed a law that removes the August 7, 2017 expiration date and allows VA to utilize funding dedicated to the Veterans Choice Program (VCP) until it is exhausted.
No Change to eligibility requirements
****Veteran residence is more than 40 miles from the closest VA health care facility by way of driving distance.
Veteran has been told they will need to wait more than 30 days from the preferred date or the date medically determined by their physician.
Veteran needs to travel by plane or boat to the VA medical facility closest to their home.
Veteran faces a geographic challenge

13. UDPATE: Veterans Choice Program
90,484 cumulative patients have been eligible and offered Choice since the start of the program
41,867 Veterans have elected the Choice Program resulting in 71,943 authorizations and 42,782 appointments
Approx. 46% of those eligible choose Choice
Best estimate of what we know to have outsourced as of March 18, 2017

14. Primary Care Staffing Update
CLINIC
PCP Vacancies
(MD/DO/NP)
PCP Selections
Support Staff Vacancies
(RN, LPN, MSA, HT)
Support Staff Selections
Bend 2 6 3
CRRC
Fairview 1
The Dalles
Hillsboro 5
North Coast
Resident Clinic 4
Women’s Health
Salem
3.5
Lincoln City
Newport
Vancouver 9
West Linn
TOTALS
11.5 39 14
As of April 20, 2017

15. New VA Web Site www.accesstocare.va.gov

16. New VA Web Site www.accesstocare.va.gov

17. Vancouver Primary Care Clinic To open July 2017
VAPORHCS Expansion
Vancouver
Primary Care Clinic
To open July 2017
Parking improvement projects on Vancouver
Campus –
- 46 additional spaces planned at new Primary Care
- 43 additional spaces planned for south access road
(2016 bid was too high,
re-bidding in FY 2017)

18. Chief of Public & Congressional Affairs
Questions and
Dialogue
Dan Herrigstad
Chief of Public & Congressional Affairs