A panel convened by the National Academy of Public Administration has said care and benefits for veterans can be improved if Department of Veterans Affairs management, organization, coordination and business practices are transformed with a focus on improving outcomes for veterans rather than striving to improve operations.
It issued a report calling on the department to reorient services to focus on the veteran, including putting in place a "no wrong door" policy to ensure veterans are given appropriate and accurate guidance regardless of what point of contact they make with the department.
Other recommendations include putting in place integrated call centers equipped to provide timely and correct responses to veteran inquires, user-friendly websites, and customer service orientation for VA personnel.
The report also recommends establishing a congressionally chartered, permanent, expert advisory board to monitor and implement the above, and developing performance metrics to track that implementation.