If I were the US Secretary of Veteran Affairs This is what I would do to
turn things completely around and the timetable to do so.
1) Working with others, while still maintaining strong leadership, I would
immediately put in place a new Mission Statement for the VA. This Mission
Statement would be placed in a prominent location in every VA facility in the
nation. The Mission Statement would contain a reference to our very purpose of
existence....to serve all veterans to the highest possible level of promptness,
quality, care, customer service, and follow through. Our human concern for their
care will be paramount. I would make it clear that all employees of the VA
understood and followed this Mission Statement as a condition of
employment.
2) I would ask the President and the US Congress to pass immediate
legislation that would allow me and my designates the ability to fire any
employee of the VA that did not perform and live up to the highest standards of
veteran care.
3) I would assemble a meeting of all regional heads of the VA and let them
know specifically what our new standards are and what will now be expected. At
this meeting I would let them know that any manipulation of records or
performance would result in immediate dismissal and possible criminal
prosecution.
4) I would do away with all internally generated measures of performance
and put in place ONE PRIME MEASURE. That measure would be based upon input
from veterans, themselves. Veterans will be asked on an ongoing basis to
rate the performance of the VA on the following:
a) Promptness of gaining an appointment and ability to receive
responses...customer service.
b) Quality of their medical care and their processing as a patient.
c) Follow through on them as patients.
d) How they were treated, the human care and dignity aspect exhibited by
the VA.
A rating system would then be summarized for each location and region and
kept constantly visible. The veterans will determine performance, not some
bureaucratically generated internal rating system. Where the veterans
ratings of a location are low these will be investigated. Not all problems may
be due to individual performance but due to other factors that need change and
support. Yet individual performance will also be judged based upon veterans
input and corrective action taken.
5) New standards of expectation will be put in place. These standards will
be partially derived from ongoing studies of results from the private and public
sectors concerning medical care, particularly from some of the best performing
hospitals and clinics in the nation. Also such things as the number of patients
typically seen in a day for given specialties as compared to the VA.
6) People, including good VA employees, thrive where there are clear rules
and high standards and when they succeed they are rewarded. To begin with the
pay of all VA employees will be slightly better than the average for their job
description or specialty in the public or private sectors. Based upon veteran
ratings, they will be subject to bonuses. Performance, pay raises, and
promotions will also be tied to veteran ratings.
7) High performing locations and individuals, based upon veteran
ratings, will be celebrated and recognized.
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At the end of 6 months you will see initial progress.
At the end of 1 year you will see notable progress.
At the end of 2 years you will see substantial progress.
At the end of 3 years the VA clinics, hospitals, and patient care will be
recognized as being the best in the world.
All of this CAN be accomplished. This is a guarantee.
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