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VETERANS AFFAIRS UPDATE, continued

VA Plans to Contract Out All Compensation and Pension Medical Exams from page 15

On the other hand, an assessment of the process may lead first in the nation), the VA National Center for Patient
a skeptical observer to conclude this could be a diversion Safety, the investigation initiatives of the VA OIG (which
of funds from the public to the private sector for perceived completed 165 reports in the last 12 months), the GAO,
political advantage, or an extension of the camel’s nose and the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees.
further under the tent flap of gradual privatization of the
entire VHA. The latter endeavor will of course be inimical The author is a service-connected disabled veteran, has
to the veteran patient population, as they will be cast into undergone eight separate C&P examinations, and has per-
a for-profit care system absent the contemporary formal formed fee-basis C&P exams on a part-time basis over a
VHA structure for quality monitoring and guaranteed 12-year period. He also has professional experience in VHA,
continuation of their covered benefits. There is no over- having served as Associate Deputy Chief Medical Director
sight in the civilian sector comparable to those of the VHA (ADCMD) for Clinical Programs and Chief, Office of Patient
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (the Care Services for 8 ½ years, from 1996 through 2004.

VA Announces Initial

Plans for COVID-19

Vaccine Distribution

Dec. 10, 2020, Washington
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today
announced a preliminary plan for distributing COVID-
19 vaccinations it will implement once the Food and
Drug Administration issues an emergency use authoriza-
tion for a vaccine.

VA has worked in close coordination with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Operation
Warp Speed to plan for COVID-19 vaccination of VA
staff and Veterans.

VA will first provide vaccinations to front-line VA health
care workers and Veterans residing in long-term care units
in 37 of its medical centers across the country.

The centers, listed below, were chosen for their ability to BETHESDA, Md. (Dec. 14, 2020) U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class
vaccinate large numbers of people and store the vaccines Nicholas Mariott signs for the COVID-19 vaccine shipment
at extremely cold temperatures. from the Kalamazoo laboratory in Michigan to be
administered as part of Operation Warp Speed at Walter
Reed National Military Medical Center. (U.S. Navy photo by
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kurtis A. Hatcher)

16 The Mariner • 2020 WINTER Edition • Volume 63 • Issue 3