
Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute

in the news



May 9, 2023

By: Russell Lemle, The Federal Practitioner
Russell Lemle writes about how VA should tweak MISSION Act eligibility standards to recognize telehealth as a valid means of providing health

May 9, 2023

By: Russell Lemle, The Washington Monthly
Russell Lemle writes about how VA must create more transparency around the efficacy of suicide prevention initiatives.

May 3, 2023

By: Brad Dress, The Hill
The Hill spoke with Suzanne Gordon about the potentially devastating cuts to veterans' benefits.

April 17, 2023

By: Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early, The American Prospect
How creeping privatization of health care services for military veterans is not helping patients or their caregivers.

April 6, 2023

By: Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early, The Progressive Magazine
The VA is unprepared for a flood of claims from veterans disabled by toxic exposure.

March 7, 2023

By:Russell Lemle and Katherine McGuire, The Federal Practitioner
Political representatives who want to show up for veterans should do everything in their power to expand – not cut – VA’s ability to authorize working from home.

December 9, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle, The Washington Monthly
As Congress winds down, health organizations are fighting for a bill that will save and reform the alliance between VA researchers and academic medical centers.

October 26, 2022

By: Russell Lemle, Federal Praticioner
Ignore the critics, it’s America’s Warrior Partnership, not VA, whose veteran suicide data and conclusions are faulty

October 20, 2022

By: Russell Lemle and Jasper Craven, Guns & Ammo
Firearm leaders are changing the course of veteran suicide prevention.

September 26, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon and Russell Lemle in The American Prospect
Without passing the VIPER Act, the VA's crown jewel research programs could end entirely.

September 14, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon in The Washington Monthly
Republican rules are encouraging worse and more expensive care through Trump-era regulations. The Department of Veterans Affairs needs to change course.

September 14, 2022
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By: Suzanne Gordon in The Hill
Rather than water down benefits to vets sickened by burn pits, D.C. leaders can secure savings by curtailing expensive and unnecessary care privatization, Gordon argues.

August 10, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven, in The American Prospect
VHPI Policy Analysts dig into the supposed death of the Asset and Infrastructure Review commission, and report on a percolating effort to institute similarly misguided and dangerous closures.

July 8, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon, in The Washington Monthly
VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon writes a postmortem on the AIR commission, and sketches out the next steps for keeping the VA's infrastructure protected for generations to come.

June 6, 2022

By: Suzanne Gordon, in Beyond Chron
VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon plumbs VA data to understand how a proposed infrastructure plan could hobble VA care in California.

March 21, 2022

Biden's VA Secretary Proposes Shutting Down Dozens of Facilities
By: Suzanne Gordon, in The American Prospect
VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon reports on drastic new recommendations to shutter VA medical centers in rural and urban areas and eliminate much inpatient care elsewhere, including needed inpatient psychiatric beds.

March 17, 2022

The VA Needs More Funding, Not More Privatization
By: Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early, in Jacobin
VHPI Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon and Steve Early interrogate President Joe Biden's broken promises to veterans through the Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission. The two clearly show that the commission's work is in direct opposition to Biden's pledge to 'Build Back Better."

December 16, 2021

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.

November 5, 2021

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.

October 27, 2021

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

September 30, 2021

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.

September 9, 2021

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.

August 25, 2021

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.

August 18, 2021

Dems Fight to Make VA Health Care Enrollment Easier for New Veterans
By: Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analyst, in The American Prospect
VHPI Senior Policy Analyst Suzanne Gordon reports on the EVEST Act, which, if passed, would help veterans during their tough transition to civilian life.

April 20, 2021

Biden's Infrastructure Plan Would Finally Fund VA's Hospital Upgrades
By: Russell Lemle and Suzanne Gordon, Senior Policy Analysts, for The Hill
Russell Lemle and Suzanne Gordon, two of VHPI's Senior Policy Analysts, wrote an op-ed in The Hill analyzing how President Biden's infrastructure plans could bolster the VA in key ways.

April 7, 2021

St. Louis Veterans Affairs Expects To Give 80% of Patients COVID-19 Vaccine By Summer
By: St. Louis Public Radio; Source: Suzanne Gordon
VHPI Policy Fellow Suzanne Gordon spoke to St. Louis Public Radio about the impressive work by the Department of Veterans Affairs to coordinate care and administer vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 2021

By: Joan Cook PhD; Source: VHPI analysis
Joan Cook, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, wrote in the Federal Practitioner about VHPI's recent analysis of a groundbreaking study into the "VA advantage."

March 25. 2021

By: Chris Serres; Source: Suzanne Gordon
The Star Tribune spoke with VHPI Policy Fellow Suzanne Gordon in its report on how the VA “has emerged as a success story in the furious race to vaccinate people against the deadly [coronavirus]."

Oct. 15, 2020

By: Dave Philipps; Source: Russell Lemle
The New York Times cited VHPI Policy Analyst Russell Lemle, Ph.D., in its report on how “the gun control debate complicated an effort to encourage frank talk by health professionals about the risks posed by firearms.”

April 14, 2020

Trump’s VA Secretary insisted before Congress that hiring to fill 50,000 vacancies at the Department of Veterans Affairs shouldn’t be a priority. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck.

March 20, 2020

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 more from VHPI’s Suzanne Gordon and Jasper Craven at The American Prospect.

November 27, 2019

How a suicide prevention bill became another way to privatize the Department of Veterans Affairs. Read it at the American Prospect.

September 13, 2019

The VA is actively creating the Community Care Network as part of the VA MISSION Act’s implementation. But why aren’t officials sharing information with Congress? Read it at Washington Monthly.

June 6, 2019

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. Read it at the American Prospect.

April 19, 2019

By: Suzanne Gordon
Gordon spoke to KFPA radio about her new book and how the VA provides the best model for national healthcare.

April 16, 2019

By: Suzanne Gordon
VA officials admitted that the VA MISSION Act would likely ‘stumble’ in its first days of implementation. One veterans’ advocate warned of the problems veterans could face from the private sector. Read it at the American Prospect.

February 1, 2019
By: Suzanne Gordon
Access standards are driving the conversation around the VA MISSION Act’s implementation — not the clinical needs of veteran patients. Read more at the American Prospect.
March 11, 2019

By: Suzanne Gordon
Former leaders of the Concerned Veterans for America seem to be using old talking points to deny privatization efforts at the VA. Read it at the American Prospect.

January 15, 2019

By: Jasper Craven & Suzanne Gordon
The MISSION Act was supposed to fix the problems with an expensive program that outsourced veterans to the private sector. But did it make those mistakes permanent? Read it at the American Prospect.


Unhealthy Skepticism
Major reports in U.S. health care publications say the private sector isn’t prepared to care for veteran patients. Why is Congress moving ahead with its plan anyway?

August 29, 2018

By: Jasper Craven & Suzanne Gordon
“A behind-the-scenes race by private companies, some offering questionable – or at least unproven – treatments for the signature injury of modern war: post-traumatic stress disorder.” Read it at Reveal News from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

March 6, 2018

By: Suzanne Gordon
Major reports in U.S. health care publications say the private sector isn’t prepared to care for veteran patients. Why is Congress moving ahead with its plan anyway?

April 11, 2018

By: Jasper Craven & Suzanne Gordon
Steven A. Cohen has hired lobbyists in D.C. while expanding his network of veteran mental health clinics. Is he ‘greasing the wheels of VHA privatization?’ Read it at The Nation.