Schneller points out that the VA has an especially difficult role in making sure the right treatments and facilities are available, in a timely manner, for veterans. Unlike hospitals, which can somewhat predict how many patients and what types of ailments they’ll have during certain times of year, the military often has to deploy to unexpected places and conditions with very little notice. The result is the VA needing to manage readiness under conditions of extreme uncertainty.
“Sometimes there’s only so much they can do to plan, so they’re always looking for the best practices to utilize for our veterans,” says Schneller. “They’re also dealing with shifting demographics, as more vets are females and/or younger than in the past few decades, so medical needs change. The VA appears to be handling these challenges with outstanding clinical results.”
Natalia Wilson, also co-director of the Health Sector Supply Chain Research Consortium, notes that the VA is the largest integrated health care system in the United States. VA hospitals are often affiliated with academic institutions and are well-respected for their clinical training opportunities and research. Joining the consortium also brings an academic focus to VA supply chain management and allows the private-sector members of the consortium to be exposed to models successfully utilized in VA hospitals.
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