veterans


The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is trying to do for the public what the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) did for veterans by building on the VA’s popular “Blue Button” application, allowing patients to get their medical records electronically on their mobile devices.

The “Blue Button” mashup challenge will be designed to bring “health information to the masses,” said Farzad Mostashari, MD, the national health information technology coordinator. It will allow anyone whose doctor keeps computerized records to get those records on mobile devices like phones, tablets and laptops. Keep reading →

The Department of Veterans Affairs has unleashed myriad technology tools and new management processes to cut a backlog of disability claims and speed benefits delivery that could be a roadmap for every federal agency transitioning to paperless systems.

With the help of smart technology and online self-service access, 1.67 million veterans have registered for the secure VA-Department of Defense web portal, a 400 percent increase in just one year, the Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday. Keep reading →


This is one in a series of profiles on the 2012 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalists. The awards, presented by the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, recognize outstanding federal employees whose important, behind-the-scenes work is advancing the health, safety and well-being of Americans and are among the most prestigious honors given to civil servants. This profile features a finalist for the Career Achievement Medal, Patricia Hayes, chief consultant, Chief Consultant, Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.

After more than two decades as an outspoken advocate for improving health care for female veterans, Patricia Hayes is now leading an ambitious Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to make the male-dominated medical system more responsive to the growing number of women who have served in the military. Keep reading →


As chief technology officer at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Peter Levin is responsible for the cybersecurity of the largest medical system in the United States and the second largest federal agency.

His job involves helping to facilitate and secure the flow of personal health information among the VA employees at hundreds of hospitals, clinics and offices nationwide, and making that information available electronically to the 21.9 million veterans and their families who depend on the VA for their medical care. Medical professionals and veterans are increasingly seeking to access that information via mobile devices, which raises new concerns about privacy. Keep reading →


Rock star Jon Bon Jovi joined forces with the Department of Veterans Affairs Monday in challenging software developers to create mobile apps that can help homeless vets connect with services they need in real time and nearby.

Bon Jovi, who runs a community kitchen in New Jersey among his many philanthropic endeavors, is partnering with the federal government to launch an innovative idea that challenges private entrepreneurs to create a mobile apps to help a needy population. Keep reading →


NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — More veterans are coming back from war and getting back to work in the civilian job force, thanks to efforts by both employers and the government, as well as the improving economy.

The jobless rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans has fallen to 7.6%, well below the overall U.S. unemployment rate of 8.3%, and nearly five percentage points below the 12.5% rate for veterans a year ago. Keep reading →


The Department of Veterans Affairs is swiftly moving ahead developing secure mobile tools for its workforce as Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel is calling for broader adoption of mobile technology in the federal government.

Stephen W. Warren, the principal deputy assistant secretary for Information and Technology and CIO Roger Baker’s deputy, said Thursday there are a variety of mobile pilot projects underway to better use mobile technology to deliver services to veterans. Keep reading →


This is one in a series of articles highlighting Breaking Gov’s best stories of the past year. As we reflected on our 2011 coverage of innovation, technology and management amongst the federal agencies and workforce, this was among the stories that stood out as delivering key insight into the top issues facing today’s government community.

Breaking Gov produced a three-part series examining government services addressing key challenges among military veterans amid high unemployment, a woeful economic outlook and an anticipated influx of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few years. Keep reading →


This is the second of a three-part series examining government services addressing key challenges among military veterans amid high unemployment, a woeful economic outlook and an anticipated influx of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan in the next few years.

When Nick Colgin came back from treating gunshot wounded soldiers and civilians in Afghanistan, he set out to find a job doing what he had done well enough to save lives in the war-torn country. Keep reading →


During almost 30 years of public service, Dr. Lawrence Deyton has worked for three major government organizations, and at each stop along the way has made a huge difference in improving public health and the lives of Americans.

A first-rate researcher, clinician and administrative leader, Deyton has played an influential role at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in fighting AIDS, at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) tackling life-threatening infections such as HIV and hepatitis C, and at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking to reduce smoking and limit its damaging health effects. Keep reading →

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