DoD, VA Make Progress in Care for Wounded

The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments have made significant inroads toward forging a joint plan to care for wounded service members, the Government Accountability Office stated in a July 8 report to Congress. The two agencies are doing a better job of routing wounded veterans to the evaluation and care they need, as well as determining if they can resume their military careers or need transition services, according to the GAO report. But more work is needed to resolve issues like timely resolution of cases, and standardization of terminology. For instance, DoD and VA still must agree on a definition of “mental health.” The report noted that the DoD and VA Joint Executive Council is still working on these issues.