Sec. 201. Treatment of staffing shortage and biannual report on staffing of medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs
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Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than September 30 each year thereafter, the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall determine, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall publish in the Federal Register, the five occupations of health care providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs for which there is the largest staffing shortage throughout the Department. Notwithstanding sections 3304 and 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States Code, the Secretary may, upon a determination by the Inspector General under paragraph
(1)that there is a staffing shortage throughout the Department with respect to a particular occupation of health care provider, recruit and directly appoint highly qualified health care providers to serve as health care providers in that particular occupation for the Department. Section 7612(b)(5) of title 38, United States Code, is amended— in subparagraph (A), by striking and at the end; by redesignating subparagraph
(B)as subparagraph (C); and by inserting after subparagraph
(A)the following new subparagraph (B): shall give priority to applicants pursuing a course of education or training towards a career in an occupation for which the Secretary has, in the most current determination published in the Federal Register pursuant to section 201(a)(1) of the Veterans' Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014 , determined that there is one of the largest staffing shortages throughout the Department with respect to such occupation; and . Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not later than December 31 of each even numbered year thereafter until 2024, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report assessing the staffing of each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Each report submitted under paragraph
(1)shall include the following: The results of a system-wide assessment of all medical facilities of the Department to ensure the following: Appropriate staffing levels for health care providers to meet the goals of the Secretary for timely access to care for veterans. Appropriate staffing levels for support personnel, including clerks. Appropriate sizes for clinical panels. Appropriate numbers of full-time staff, or full-time equivalents, dedicated to direct care of patients. Appropriate physical plant space to meet the capacity needs of the Department in that area. Such other factors as the Secretary considers necessary. A plan for addressing any issues identified in the assessment described in subparagraph (A), including a timeline for addressing such issues. A list of the current wait times and workload levels for the following clinics in each medical facility: Mental health. Primary care. Gastroenterology. Women’s health. Such other clinics as the Secretary considers appropriate. A description of the results of the most current determination of the Inspector General under paragraph
(1)of subsection
(a)and a plan to use direct appointment authority under paragraph
(2)of such subsection to fill staffing shortages, including recommendations for improving the speed at which the credentialing and privileging process can be conducted. The current staffing models of the Department for the following clinics, including recommendations for changes to such models: Mental health. Primary care. Gastroenterology. Women’s health. Such other clinics as the Secretary considers appropriate. A detailed analysis of succession planning at medical facilities of the Department, including the following: The number of positions in medical facilities throughout the Department that are not filled by a permanent employee. The length of time each position described in clause
(i)remained vacant or filled by a temporary or acting employee. A description of any barriers to filling the positions described in clause (i). A plan for filling any positions that are vacant or filled by a temporary or acting employee for more than 180 days. A plan for handling emergency circumstances, such as administrative leave or sudden medical leave for senior officials. The number of health care providers of the Department who have been removed from their positions, have retired, or have left their positions for another reason, disaggregated by provider type, during the two-year period preceding the submittal of the report. Of the health care providers specified in subparagraph
(G)who have been removed from their positions, the following: The number of such health care providers who were reassigned to other positions in the Department. The number of such health care providers who left the Department. The number of such health care providers who left the Department and were subsequently rehired by the Department.