Sec. 102. Independent assessment of the scheduling process for medical appointments for care from Department of Veterans Affairs
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/bill/113/s/2422/pcs/section-102·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veteran Affairs shall enter into a contract with an independent third party to assess the process at each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for scheduling appointments for veterans to receive hospital care, medical services, or other health care from the Department. In carrying out the assessment required by paragraph (1), the independent third party shall do the following:
Review all training materials pertaining to scheduling of appointments at each medical facility of the Department. Assess whether all employees of the Department conducting tasks related to scheduling are properly trained for conducting such tasks. Assess whether changes in the technology or system used in scheduling appointments are necessary to limit access to the system to only those employees that have been properly trained in conducting such tasks. Assess whether health care providers of the Department are making changes to their schedules that hinder the ability of employees conducting such tasks to perform such tasks.
Assess whether the establishment of a centralized call center throughout the Department for scheduling appointments at medical facilities of the Department would improve the process of scheduling such appointments. Assess whether booking templates for each medical facility or clinic of the Department would improve the process of scheduling such appointments. Recommend any actions to be taken by the Department to improve the process for scheduling such appointments, including the following:
Changes in training materials provided to employees of the Department with respect to conducting tasks related to scheduling such appointments. Changes in monitoring and assessment conducted by the Department of wait-times of veterans for such appointments. Changes in the system used to schedule such appointments, including changes to improve how the Department— measures wait-times of veterans for such appointments; monitors the availability of health care providers of the Department; and provides veterans the ability to schedule such appointments.
Such other actions as the independent third party considers appropriate. The independent third party carrying out the assessment required by paragraph
(1)shall complete such assessment not later than 180 days after entering into the contract described in such paragraph. Not later than 90 days after the date on which the independent third party completes the assessment under this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the results of such assessment.