JOURNALISM AND COMMENTARY
The Best Health System to React to COVID-19
By: Suzanne Gordon & Jasper Craven • The Veterans Health Administration has a big role to play in the COVID-19 pandemic. But have repeated attempts to privatize the agency hindered its ability to respond? Read full article more from VHPI’s Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven at The American Prospect.
Firearm Storage as a Suicide Prevention Tactic for Veterans
On February 28, the San Francisco VA Health Care System will join with the Greater San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) for a one-day conference on ‘Advances in Safe Storage of Firearms and Preventive Strategies for Veterans at Risk for Suicide.’
Looking Ahead to Veterans’ Health Care in 2020
Veterans’ health care is unique to American health care: it is the largest and only publicly-funded, fully integrated health care system in the country.
Privatization Rot
Anyone who thinks the privatization of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) will work out well for veterans should read the latest article in the New York Times on the privatization of military housing.
The Continuing Bid to Privatize Veterans’ Care
By: Suzanne Gordon & Jasper Craven • How a suicide prevention bill became another way to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Assumptions behind outsourcing veterans to community providers
As the current VA leadership uses the MISSION Act of 2018 to increase the outsourcing of more and more veteran care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to the private sector, more and more psychologists and other mental health providers insist that they are willing, eager, and prepared to do their bit for veterans.
VHPI’s Conversation with Dr. David Shulkin, Part II
Former VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin joined VHPI Executive Director Brett W. Copeland and VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon for a discussion about his new book It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Serve your Country: Our Broken Government and the Plight of Veterans.
VHPI’s Conversation with Dr. David Shulkin
Former VA Secretary Dr. David Shulkin joined VHPI Executive Director Brett W. Copeland and VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon for a discussion about his new book It Shouldn’t Be This Hard to Serve your Country: Our Broken Government and the Plight of Veterans.
The Rural Health Crisis Hits Veterans Hard
Sixty million Americans,19.3% of the population, live in rural areas – including millions of veterans. Many veterans who are lucky enough to be eligible to get care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) complain of having to drive hours to get care.
Nine Questions Veterans Need to Ask Before They’re Referred to VA Community Care
The VA MISSION Act has officially rolled out and VA staff have begun to refer veterans to private sector providers in the Community Care Network.
D-Day for the VHA?
By: Suzanne Gordon • High risks potentially await veterans as the VA MISSION Act is launched. It’s likely that high cost awaits American taxpayers, too.
What's Special about a VA Facility
Starting June 6, the VA MISSION Act will refer many veterans out to the new Community Care Network. One of the main Wilkie / Stone talking points about this change is ‘convenience’ and the idea that more veterans will be cared for more quickly (a claim unlikely to occur given that the VA overall has the same or better wait times than the private sector).
VA Care for All
By: Suzanne Gordon • Gordon spoke to KFPA radio about her new book and how the VA provides the best model for national healthcare.