VA/DoD Coordination Office
Key Functions
- Health Executive Committee (HEC) coordination
- VHA’s Military Liaison
- AMSUS - the Society of Federal Health Professionals (formerly the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States) Coordination
Overview
The VA/DoD Coordination Office has three primary areas of focus: VA/DoD Health Executive Committee (HEC) coordination, VHA military liaison to the Reserves and National Guard and AMSUS coordination.
The VA/DoD Coordination Office, in collaboration with the Department of Defense; Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Health Affair’s DoD/VA Program Office (DVPO), coordinate HEC activities and support the flow of information to the VA/DoD Joint Executive Committee (JEC). Staff coordinates HEC efforts with the Business Lines (BLs) and their subordinate subgroups, including the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (JALFHCC) Advisory Board. The HEC is organized into four BLs. In coordination with the 27 subordinate subgroups, the BLs strive to improve business practices, deliver high-quality, cost-effective service to VA and DoD beneficiaries, and optimize resource utilization. Overall, the goal is to eliminate redundancies and streamline joint efforts between the Military Healthcare System (MHS) and VHA.
The military liaison staff serves to facilitate, support, and enhance effective collaboration on matters related to military health care initiatives and activities. The liaisons collaborate, share current VHA information, and problem solve with senior medical leadership within the Active, Reserves, and National Guard components as needed.
Serve as VHA’s primary liaison for the Annual AMSUS meeting.
Functions and Activities
HEC Coordination
- Provide HEC input to the VA/DoD Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) and Joint Operating Plan (JOP), which establishes JEC priorities, objectives, and milestones.
- Monitor JEC priorities and submit quarterly updates to the JEC staff.
- Work closely with the JEC to ensure VA/DoD strategic plans and actions are accomplished in a collaborative effort.
- Coordinate all HEC-related matters, to include all HEC meeting functions.
- Develop HEC agenda based on JEC deliverables, co-chair interests, emerging issues, and BL or WG requests; and coordinate any HEC agenda presentations or information papers.
- Review and analyze all HEC presentations and information papers to assure VHA and Department concerns are addressed, conflicts are resolved, and documents appropriately prepared for senior leaders.
- Prepare Office of Health Affairs (OHA) leadership and VHA senior leadership for meetings by providing comprehensive, point-focused pre-briefs.
- Track assignments from HEC co-chairs, as well as ongoing issues among the HEC BLs and throughout VHA.
- Review and update the HEC, BL, and subgroup charters as required. Attend BL and subgroup meetings for awareness. Problem-solve and resolve issues, as needed.
- Communicate, coordinate, and facilitate the work of HEC BLs and subgroups, including HEC presentations, identification of annual priorities, JSP objectives, and submissions for the JEC Annual Report to Congress.
- Support BL and subgroup initiatives by providing cross-Departmental and enterprise assistance, breaking down barriers, and orchestrating collaboration between all JEC sub-committees.
VHA Military Liaison
- Collaborate with DoD medical leadership to provide education on VHA programs, build and maintain professional relationships, and serve as a resource when issues arise.
- Partner with and provide VBA and VHA education to the National Guard Transition Assistance Advisors (TAAs). The TAA’s are contracted through the National Guard but assist all Reserve Service members, Retirees, and their families in resolving issues, providing assistance, and educating on local and federal resources.
- Liaison with DoD’s Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP) Office by providing monthly calendars of YRRP events to the VHA Transition and Care Management Teams at VAMCs and VISNs so they can plan attendance and enroll Service members in VA care. The YRRP is a DoD-wide effort to promote the well-being of National Guard and Reserve members, their families, and communities, by connecting them with resources throughout the deployment cycle, to include pre- and post-deployment.
AMSUS
- Coordinates all aspects of the yearlong planning process for the AMSUS annual meeting. This includes award submission and selection, presentations, marketing, and internal messaging.
- For annual meeting and general membership information visit here: AMSUS 2025
Who can I contact for more information on the Health Executive Committee?
Contact the VA/DoD Coordination Office at: VHA10B-DoDCoordination@va.gov
