Helping VA Ensure Access and Quality of Care for the Nation’s Veterans

Case Study - Change Readiness and Management - Continuous Process Improvement - Creative Design - Digital and Business Transformation - Findings Analysis and Insights - Marketing and Communications - Performance Optimization - Policy Analysis, Implementation and Compliance - Program and Project Management - Stakeholder Engagement - Strategy and Transformation - Training and Technical Assistance - Veteran Health

Helping VA Ensure Access and Quality of Care for the Nation’s Veterans

Posted on 03.31.25
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Challenge

IVC needed integrated operational support to drive efficiency and performance

Access to VHA care has grown more complex as demand has risen and access issues have received national attention. Reports from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and other assessments have identified areas for improvement in VA’s scheduling systems and processes. The VA Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (Choice Act) was passed to support more timely, coordinated care at both VA and community facilities. Coordinating access with IVC, other VA program offices and medical centers presents additional challenges.

To lead these efforts, IVC focuses on improving integration across VA facilities, delivering training, defining and implementing business process improvements and developing toolkits and policies. These efforts require integrated operational support, including efficiency consulting and data-informed process optimization.

Solutions

VHA partnered with Aptive HTG to deliver mission-critical operational support grounded in clinical access knowledge, project execution and systems facilitation. Our team supported core access evaluation and improvement initiatives across executive and administrative support, operational messaging, data analysis, clinic practice management and targeted field coordination.

Executive and Administrative Support

Aptive delivered strategic operational guidance to the executive team and collaborated with VHA program offices, Veterans Integrated Services Networks (VISNs) and medical center leadership. We briefed senior officials, supported cross-functional team coordination and provided on-demand support for high-priority projects. Our team managed action tracking, responded to inquiries from VA officials and Congress and prepared briefings and reports for oversight bodies such as the OIG and GAO.

Operational Messaging

Our experts in internal agency coordination and mission-critical information delivery led efforts to ensure consistent, timely communication across VA. We developed content such as fact sheets, talking points, internal briefings, newsletters, web content and templates to support operations. We partnered with multiple program offices to revamp the public Access to Care website, making access data more transparent and easier to understand.

Data Analysis

We helped VHA refine its access metrics to provide a clearer picture of service timeliness and accessibility. Our team led the Access Data Council to identify the most relevant performance indicators across operations, care coordination and Veteran experience. We also worked with the Office of Healthcare Transformation and Healthcare Operations Center to enhance data reporting tools, accountability mechanisms and access-related dashboards.

Clinic Practice Management, Field Support and Special Projects

To help VHA manage supply and demand more efficiently, Aptive developed policies and delivered training and technical guidance related to clinic practice. We focused on appointment scheduling, consult and referral management, e-consult practices, scheduling documentation and online scheduling systems. We supported training for schedulers, clinic profile managers and group practice managers and facilitated SOP development through working groups.

Our team supported operational alignment by helping VISNs and VAMCs adopt these practices through data-driven coaching and site visits. We also managed projects tied to legislative mandates such as the MISSION Act and Megabus Act, including evaluating medical scribe use, defining criteria for underserved facilities and ensuring scheduling compliance.

Aptive also managed high-impact projects requiring coordination across leadership, operations and field teams. These included the Care Optimization in the Emergency Department (CO-ED) initiative focused on value-based care through preventive services and coordination, as well as the implementation of tools like HealthChat and Tele-ED. We assisted the National Emergency Medicine Office with metrics development, Tele-Emergency CARE rollout and coordination related to Oracle Health implementation.

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Results

Operational outcomes: Enhancing efficiency, alignment and information flow

Optimizing the Request Process

VHA previously lacked an efficient system for managing ad hoc requests from oversight bodies. Aptive designed a centralized tracker to consolidate all incoming requests, milestone dates and associated documentation. We also built knowledge management tools to support streamlined archiving and version control. These improvements enhanced visibility, reduced response time and created a sustainable system for request tracking.

Tracking and Coordinating Artifacts

As guidance documents and SOPs increased in volume, VHA needed a system to track and update them consistently. Aptive created a policy catalog and implemented a policy review process to trigger updates and maintain accuracy. These efforts improved delivery speed, communication clarity and consistency across the organization.

Produced a Field-Ready Implementation Guide
In response to increased demand for the Community Embedded Staff Program, Aptive developed a comprehensive implementation guide. The program placed nurses or social workers — either in-person or virtually — at community hospitals to identify Veterans upon arrival and coordinate their care across systems.

Delivered Mission-Critical COMPACT Act Messaging
Aptive HTG and the VHA operations team launched targeted messaging to increase understanding of the COMPACT Act, which provides health care access for Veterans experiencing an emergent suicidal crisis. Communications reached Veterans, families, VAMC staff and external partners. The team also expanded outreach through coordination with mobile medical units and the homeless care team.

Maintained High-Value Coordination with Third-Party Administrators
Aptive sustained operational alignment with VA’s third-party administrators and community providers through a recurring newsletter. The publication featured high-priority topics such as suicide prevention, mental health, opioid safety, whole health and benefits under the PACT and COMPACT Acts. Feedback from partners confirmed its continued utility in supporting aligned care delivery.

Exceeded Delivery Timelines
Throughout Option Year 2, Aptive submitted over half of all required monthly reports ahead of schedule. The team led continuous process improvements to maintain on-time and early deliverables, strengthening overall project execution.

Improved Internal Knowledge Systems
To address gaps in content organization, Aptive designed and deployed a structured communications filing system within SharePoint. This system enhanced access to resources, supported faster document retrieval and established a standardized knowledge management process.