(1)
Not less frequently than once every 10 years, the Secretary shall enter into one or more contracts with a private sector entity or entities described in subsection (d) to conduct an independent assessment of the hospital care, medical services, and other health care furnished by the Department.
(2)
Each assessment required under paragraph (1) shall address each of the following:
(A)
Current and projected demographics and unique health care needs of the patient population served by the Department.
(B)
The accuracy of models and forecasting methods used by the Department to project health care demand, including with respect to veteran demographics, rates of use of health care furnished by the Department, the inflation of health care costs, and such other factors as may be determined relevant by the Secretary.
(C)
The reliability and accuracy of models and forecasting methods used by the Department to project the budgetary needs of the Veterans Health Administration and how such models and forecasting methods inform budgetary trends.
(D)
The authorities and mechanisms under which the Secretary may furnish hospital care, medical services, and other health care at facilities of the Department and non-Department facilities, including through Federal and private sector partners and at joint medical facilities, and the effect of such authorities and mechanisms on eligibility and access to care.
(E)
The organization, workflow processes, and tools used by the Department to support clinical staffing, access to care, effective length-of-stay management and care transitions, positive patient experience, accurate documentation, and subsequent coding of inpatient services.
(F)
The efforts of the Department to recruit and retain staff at levels necessary to carry out the functions of the Veterans Health Administration and the process used by the Department to determine staffing levels necessary for such functions.
(G)
The staffing level at each medical facility of the Department and the productivity of each health care provider at the medical facility, compared with health care industry performance metrics, which may include the following:
(i)
An assessment of the case load of, and number of patients treated by, each health care provider at such medical facility during an average week.
(ii)
An assessment of the time spent by each such health care provider on matters other than the case load of the health care provider, including time spent by the health care provider as follows:
(I)
At a medical facility that is affiliated with the Department.
(II)
Conducting research.
(III)
Training or supervising other health care professionals of the Department.
(iii)
An assessment of the complexity of health care conditions per patient treated by each health care provider at such medical facility during an average week.
(H)
The information technology strategies of the Department with respect to furnishing and managing health care, including an identification of any weaknesses or opportunities with respect to the technology used by the Department, especially those strategies with respect to clinical documentation of hospital care, medical services, and other health care, including any clinical images and associated textual reports, furnished by the Department in facilities of the Department or non-Department facilities.
(I)
Business processes of the Veterans Health Administration, including processes relating to furnishing non-Department health care, insurance identification, third-party revenue collection, and vendor reimbursement, including an identification of mechanisms as follows:
(i)
To avoid the payment of penalties to vendors.
(ii)
To increase the collection of amounts owed to the Department for hospital care, medical services, or other health care provided by the Department for which reimbursement from a third party is authorized and to ensure that such amounts collected are accurate.
(iii)
To increase the collection of any other amounts owed to the Department with respect to hospital care, medical services, or other health care and to ensure that such amounts collected are accurate.
(iv)
To increase the accuracy and timeliness of payments by the Department to vendors and providers.
(v)
To reduce expenditures while improving the quality of care furnished.
(J)
The purchase, distribution, and use of pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices, and health care-related services by the Department, including the following:
(i)
The prices paid for, standardization of, and use by, the Department with respect to the following:
(I)
Pharmaceuticals.
(II)
Medical and surgical supplies.
(III)
Medical devices.
(ii)
The use by the Department of group purchasing arrangements to purchase pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices, and health care-related services.
(iii)
The strategy and systems used by the Department to distribute pharmaceuticals, medical and surgical supplies, medical devices, and health care-related services to Veterans Integrated Service Networks and medical facilities of the Department.
(K)
The competency of Department leadership with respect to culture, accountability, reform readiness, leadership development, physician alignment, employee engagement, succession planning, and performance management.
(L)
The effectiveness of the authorities and programs of the Department to educate and train health personnel pursuant to
section 7302 of this title.
(M)
The conduct of medical and prosthetic research of the Department.
(N)
The provision of assistance by the Department to Federal agencies and personnel involved in responding to a disaster or emergency.
(O)
Such additional matters as may be determined relevant by the Secretary.