Veterans Health Administration: Actions Needed to Better Recruit and Retain Clinical and Administrative Staff
Abstract
Why GAO Did This Study: VHAs ability to attract, hire, and retain top talent is critical to its mission to provide quality and timely care for our nations veterans. GAOs prior work has found that VHA faces long-standing, systemic human capital challenges that limit its ability to improve delivery of health care services to veterans. This statement is based on GAO reports issued between September 2015 and December 2016 and discusses (1) the difficulties VHA is facing in recruiting and retaining staff for key clinical positions; and (2) VHAs capacity to perform key HR functions essential to addressing these difficulties. To conduct these studies, GAO reviewed VHA policies, directives, and other documents; analyzed VHA data; applied relevant federal internal control standards; and interviewed VA and VHA officials and staff in headquarters offices, as well as in eight VHA medical centers across the country. What GAO Recommends: GAO previously made three recommendations to VA aimed at improving oversight of nurse recruitment and retention initiatives and seven recommendations directed at strengthening VHAs HR capacity. VA concurred with GAOs recommendations and is taking steps to implement them. GAO will monitor VAs progress.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 22, 2017
- Accession Number
- AD1030344
Entities
People
- Robert Goldenkoff
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office