Improved management and a new data accounting system have helped Veterans Affairs officials slash month-long wait times for initial doctor visits, according to a statement released by Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho), head of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. A backlog of 18,000 veterans in early 2006 waiting for first time doctor appointments had been chopped down to 4,000 by October. Craig called the 80 percent improvement rate “remarkable.” Committee spokesman Jeff Schrade attributed a lot of the success to “better management,” citing the case of Max Lewis, a new northwest region director, who reduced the number of veterans facing 30-day waits in his region from about 7,000 to fewer than 2,000. VA spokeswoman Laurie Tranter told Daily Report that the sharp decline in wait times was the result of supportive top VA leadership, streamlined appointment procedures, better trained staff, the use of electronic health records, and a department-wide drive to cut down on missed appointments, eliminate unnecessary doctor visits, and maximize appointments kept.
The Air Force’s plans for its portion of joint all-domain command and control have taken a major step forward. The service awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, multiple-award contract worth up to $950 million to 27 companies. The IDIQ deal will give 27 contractors the opportunity to compete for work…