Transforming Veteran Care: The VA’s Patient Experience Revolution

With over nine million veterans enrolled, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is well known for its health care services. However, the VA’s support extends beyond medical care, helping veterans navigate life after military service. The VA has undergone a significant transformation since the establishment of the Veterans Experience Office in 2015, focusing on improving veterans’ experiences through the use of qualitative and quantitative veteran-customer service data.

In this episode, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Assistant Under Secretary for Health at the VA, shares insights on the organization’s evolving approach to health care and the patient experience by discussing:

• The role of the VA and its evolution in approaches to health care; 
• Transformation through leadership and the creation of the Veterans Experience Office; 
• Holistic attitude to health care through the ‘My life, my story’ project; and, 
• Broader applications of VA initiatives in other health care settings 

Guest Bio: 

Dr. Clancy serves as the Assistant Under Secretary for Health (AUSH) for Discovery, Education & Affiliate Networks (DEAN), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), effective July 22, 2018. The Office of the DEAN fosters collaboration and knowledge transfer with facility-based educators, researchers, and clinicians within VA, and between VA and its affiliates. 

Prior to her current position, she served as the Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the second-largest Cabinet department, with a $246 billion budget and over 424,000 employees serving in VA medical centers, clinics, benefit offices, and national cemeteries, overseeing the development and implementation of enterprise-wide policies, programs, activities and special interests. She also served as the VHA Executive in Charge, with the authority to perform the functions and duties of the Under Secretary of Health, directing a health care system with a $68 billion annual budget, overseeing the delivery of care to more than 9 million enrolled Veterans. Previously, she served as the Interim Under Secretary for Health from 2014-2015. Dr. Clancy also served as the VHA AUSH for Organizational Excellence, overseeing VHA’s performance, quality, safety, risk management, systems engineering, auditing, oversight, ethics and accreditation programs, as well as ten years as the Director, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.