WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi today announced more than 60 reforms to the department's nearly $6 billion-a-year contracting operations that will improve efficiency and extend VA's buying power for its health care system.
Principi's announcement was based on the final report of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Procurement Reform Task Force, which recommended improvements in the department's complex system for purchasing everything from X-ray equipment to bandages.
"We owe these improvements to the six million veterans who have enrolled with VA for health care," said Principi. "We have an obligation to buy goods and services that affect veterans without waste and with the least amount of bureaucratic overhead. In fact, VA can lead the health care industry by changing its purchasing practices."
Although 2001 purchases were worth $5.8 billion, multi-year contracts on the books are worth more than $10 billion. The 1,000 multi-year contracts currently in effect cover pharmaceuticals, medical, dental and surgical supplies, medications, equipment and laboratory items not only for the health care needs of veterans but also medical purchases for several other government agencies.
VA administers some contracts for the Department of Defense (DoD), the Coast Guard, the Public Health Service, the Indian Health Service and the Bureau of Prisons. Under these health care multi-year contracts last year alone, VA spent over $3 billion and other government agencies spent $1.1 billion.
VA has the second largest number of purchases in the federal government after DoD – more than two million in 2000 -- even though it ranks sixth in procurement spending.
Standardizing items that are purchased most often will leverage VA's purchasing power, say VA officials. For example, VA buys surgical stents, used to keep arteries from collapsing, from 38 different vendors at a cost of $20 million last year.
The task force members examined the overall structure of VA's acquisition system, including staffing and oversight functions. They reviewed documents prepared by the Office of Inspector General and other sources and conducted more than 100 interviews with people familiar with VA's acquisition program.
The reforms adopted will enable VA to achieve five goals: (1) leverage purchasing power of VA; (2) standardize equipment and supplies; (3) obtain and improve comprehensive procurement information; (4) enhance organizational effectiveness; and(5) ensure a sufficient and talented acquisition workforce.
To achieve these goals, Principi committed VA to many actions, including:
VA's health care networks will be required to purchase through a prescribed hierarchy of nationally negotiated contracts in order to expand VA's purchasing power.
Use of federal purchase cards will be better controlled to increase overall card use.
VA will pursue more opportunities for joint purchasing with DoD.
VA will identify additional commodities to standardize and enforce compliance with their use.
To measure success, VA must be able to track what is purchased. For reliable data, medical facilities will use their inventory control programs. Also, VA will advocate for government-wide use of Universal Product Numbers to improve inventory management.
A board will oversee procurement in VA's health care activities, headed by a chief logistics officer reporting directly to the deputy under secretary for health. A new Business Oversight Board, chaired by the Deputy Secretary, will coordinate the work of the new health care acquisition board and other existing oversight groups.
VA will develop a plan to improve the training, recruitment and retention of its acquisition work force.
The task force was chaired by Dr. Robert Wiebe of Mare Island, Calif., who directs the VA Sierra Pacific Network that coordinates VA health care services in central and northern California, northern Nevada, Hawaii, the PacificIslands and the Philippines. VA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Management Mark Catlett was the vice chair. Eleven other task force members represented headquarters and VA field organizations, including medical and administrative professions.
More information and a copy of the task force's final report are available on the VA Web siteat www.va.gov/prtf/
