Excellence in Government Fellows Program – Class of 2016 Synthesis

Cohort PresentationTeam: Climb & Soar

August 18, 2016

Meet the Team “Suits” Video Why a Project for Incarcerated Veterans? Project Outcomes What we learned/Moving Forward Questions

Agenda

Meet the Team!

Danny Devine, Deputy Director of Policy and Procedures (SES), VBACO

Climb and Soar Executive Sponsor:

https://youtu.be/dKbu5C1tx2w

“Suits: VA Support to Incarcerated Veterans”

Why a Project for Incarcerated Veterans?

How does someone go from this,

To this?

Supports the VA top 12 priorities Help incarcerated Veterans and their families Increase use of Acceptable Clinical Evidence

(ACE) Improve data collection for C&P cancellations for

incarcerated

Why a Project for Incarcerated Veterans?

Acceptable Clinical Evidence is used to consider existing medical evidence in a Veteran’s file to prepare a Disability Benefits Questionnaire (DBQ)

ACE saves both time and money while increasing efficiency

If it doesn’t move, need to be touched or measured, ACE it!

What is ACE?

• Heart conditions• Cancer• Hypertension• Tinnitus• Respiratory

conditions

Examples of ACE:

• Gastrointestinal• Endocrine conditions• Genitourinary• Headaches• Medical opinions

• A button was added to the Capri software system giving the provider the ability to identify the reason for missed appointments.

Project Outcomes:

News Story:

What we Learned from our Group Dynamics: Team was able to adapt to changing internal and external

factors. Team overcame early issues with communication and

maintained good working relationships. Team members played key roles well and provided

expertise when needed. Team members listened well and were very flexible in terms

of managing project requirements and deliverables.

Develop a mechanism to track and trend the ACE process. Organize interviews/develop a survey for incarcerated Veterans. Focus on implementation and educating VA employees to use the

ACE process. Develop a process for VA employees to help each other with ACE

claims. Advocate for a change in the initial disability application to

immediately identify if the Veteran is incarcerated.

Next Steps:

Don’t fret if you aren’t able to come up with a project immediately, think outside the box

Monitor the scope of the project from the beginning communicate with your sponsor often

Be flexible in terms of working with team members Set ground rules and roles for team members early in the process Communicate effectively and often with team members

Moving Forward, wisdom for the next fellows…

Disclaimer: This is the report of a research project conducted by participants in a leadership development program focused on team-building and problem-solving. While the report presents research, conclusions, and recommendations, it is not a sanctioned study that is binding upon Veterans Administration.

Danny Devine, Deputy Director of Policy and Procedures and Executive Sponsor Jessica Blue-Howells, National Coordinator for HCRV Melissa Davies, Health Systems Specialist, Office of the DirectorVirginia Spinni LCSW, HCRV Specialist TennesseeGregory Matlock, M.D.Tracy Raquepaw, MDOC Nancy Fagan, Program Manager-VACO-DMADenise Treesh, HCRV Specialist Michigan

Special Thanks to the following: