JOURNALISM AND COMMENTARY
A VA Critic Becomes Virginia’s New Veterans Affairs Chief
By: Suzanne Gordon, in The Washington Monthly • VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon examines the work and writing of Daniel Gade, a powerful veterans' official with a deep disdain for the veterans' safety net.
Veterans Lack Quality Information for Community Care
By: Russell Lemle, Senior Policy Analyst, in The Federal Practitioner • VHPI Policy Analyst Russell Lemle interrogates the many issues veterans face when seeking high-quality care in the private sector.
Trump’s VA Legacy: Human Capital Mismanagement
By: Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analyst, in The American Prospect • VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon investigates a dysfunctional Trump-era reform that's making it impossible to hire key VA staff amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
VHPI’s New Year’s Resolutions
In the spirit of the New Year, the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute offers a clear and simple set of policy resolutions to Congress, the Biden Administration and Veterans Affairs (VA) leadership.
It's Clearer Than Ever VHA Must Remain the Primary Provider of Veteran Care
By: Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle, Senior Policy Analysts, in The Hill • VHPI Policy Analysts Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle push for fundamental reforms of the VA's highly flawed quality and access standards for private care.
A Retired VA Clinician Raises Concerns over VA Outsourcing
As a former VA psychiatrist who conducted a significant amount of psychotherapy in my practice, I am very concerned about the current lack of adequate standards for mental health providers participating in the department's Community Care program.
A Major Newspaper Gets It Wrong
Last week, USAToday ran a feature by reporter Jill Castellano that spotlighted issues around the VA MISSION Act, which is supposed to assure that veterans have easier access to care – outside the VA when clinically necessary.
Broken Promises: Veterans Healthcare is Being Replaced by the Private Sector
By: Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle, Senior Policy Analysts, in The Hill • VHPI Policy Analysts Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle dig into and analyze concerning new data around the proliferation of private care appointments for VA patients.
A Fresh Look at Veterans, Toxic Exposures, and Access to VA Care and Benefits
On October 1, VA Secretary Denis McDonough was interviewed by Jon Stewart, who had just launched his Apple TV show, “The Problem with Jon Stewart.”
Sanders’ Dental Dilemma
Senator Bernie Sanders recently introduced two pieces of overlapping legislation that would positively boost the federal safety net for American veterans in need of dental work.
The VA Is Ripe for Right-Wing Attacks. Here’s How Biden Can Stop Them.
By: Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven, Policy Analysts, in The Washington Monthly • VHPI Policy Analysts Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven offer a vigorous proposal on the best move to re-invigorate the VA: nominate a permanent Undersecretary of Health
VA Firearm Policy Got It Half Right
By: Russell Lemle, Senior Policy Analyst, in The Federal Practitioner • VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Russell Lemle offers a mixed analysis on the VA's firearm policy and examines the power of messages co-signed by credible partners.
VHA Caregivers Provide Privatization Reality Check
By: Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analyst, in The American Prospect • VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon examines two new distressing surveys by VA clinicians offering urgent warnings about the department's dysfunctional community care program.
Private Sector Watch: Unvaccinated Healthcare Workers
Due to deliberate misinformation, the concept of vaccine mandates has become strangely divisive in America, a country that successfully spearheaded the eradication of polio from Earth.
Selnick Peddling Falsehoods to Push Passage of New Legislation
Darin Selnick is at it again. Selnick, a VA privatizer with close ties to the Trump and Koch worlds, has recently helped launch a new anti-VA group called Veterans 4 American First Institute (V4AF).
A September 11 Reckoning: Calculating the Full Cost of War
By: Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analyst, in The American Prospect • VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon reports on the mounting healthcare costs of the ongoing Forever Wars which, while rarely discussed, will end up being the single largest expenditure in the War on Terror.
A New Report Lays Out The Ideal Future of Mental Healthcare
Over many years as a clinical psychologist inside the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, I was always thinking about how America could better deliver mental health care.
Legislation Assuring Automatic VA Enrollment is Vital
By: Russell Lemle and Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analysts, in The Hill • VHPI Senior Policy Analysts Russell Lemle and Suzanne Gordon report on the urgent need to pass EVEST Act, which would greatly open the door to veteran patients.