Noteboom The Law Firm

VA Measures The Quality Of Its Own Health Care

February 9, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) measures the quality of the health care it provides every year and then publishes the report. It does this by assembling information from every one of its 153 hospitals. The VA does this for two important reasons:

• To improve the method and quality of how the VA provides health care; and
• To be able to use the information outside the VA system.

The VA is very concerned with being "transparent." This means they are going out of their way to demonstrate to not only their veteran-patients, but the public and Congress, how well they provide health care. Only by putting everything out there in a "report card" type scenario will veterans believe the VA is being honest about the quality of their services. It is critical to the VA that the picture they project of high quality of health care is an accurate one.

Although the information is only reported publically one time a year, the VA collects such information both monthly and quarterly. The VA then uses those numbers to critique and hold accountable those facility directors with the lowest numbers. These numbers are published across the entire VA system so everyone can see which facilities need to improve and in what area they need to improve in. Not surprisingly, nobody wants to see their name or facility listed last, and that fosters a competitive spirit.