Bill > S1589

This bill, the Improving Quality of Care Within the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2013, mandates that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) establish and maintain an up-to-date policy for reporting any infectious disease diagnosed at a VA facility that is considered "notifiable," meaning it's on a national list or required by state law, ensuring compliance with state and local regulations. To measure the effectiveness of this policy, the VA will develop performance metrics to evaluate how well directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISN), which are regional VA healthcare systems, and individual VA medical centers are following it. Furthermore, the bill requires the Secretary to contract with an independent outside organization to conduct a thorough assessment of the organizational structures within VA medical centers and to develop strategies for improving leadership continuity, known as succession planning, for key positions within both VISNs and medical centers.