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Media Advisories

HVAC To Examine VHA’s Ability To Recruit, Retain High-Quality Employees

On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, at 2:00 p.m. the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing entitled, “Healthy Hiring: Enabling VA to Recruit and Retain Quality Providers.” This hearing will examine the ability of the Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to recruit and retain high quality clinical and administrative employees.

The following event is open to the press:

WHO: Subcommittee on Health

WHAT: “Healthy Hiring: Enabling VA to Recruit and Retain Quality Providers”

WHEN: 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 22, 2017

WHERE: 334 Cannon House Office Building

Background:

In 2016, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report which found that, “[VHA’s] limited human resources capacity combined with weak internal control practices has undermined VHA’s [Human Resources] operations and its ability to improve the delivery of health care services to veterans.”

During this hearing, the subcommittee will discuss actions needed to address deficiencies within VHA’s overly bureaucratic and lengthy hiring processes that hinder VA’s ability to recruit and retain high-quality employees, as well as evaluate how staffing needs at the local level are identified and communicated, how recruitment and retention in high-need areas are prioritized and addressed, and whether significant increases in the total number of VHA employees over the last decade have improved the delivery of services to veteran patients.

The subcommittee will also examine the impact of the recent federal hiring freeze on VHA’s workforce, as well as recent media reports alleging that the $2.5 billion dollars that Congress provided to increase hiring of clinical personnel across the VA healthcare system did not result in increased hiring.
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