Office of Academic Affiliations
Impact of the VACAA (Choice Act) on Training at VA
As one of four statutory missions, VA conducts an education and training program for health professions students and physician residents to enhance the quality of care provided to Veteran patients within VHA. In accordance with this mission, "To educate for VA and the Nation", VA accomplishes education and training efforts through coordinated programs and activities in partnership with affiliated U.S. academic institutions.
Currently, VA provides training for over 40,000 individual physician residents annually. The Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA) (Link this to actual legislation) authorizes the addition of 1,500 new positions over five years., The VA GME expansion, in accordance with the VACAA statute focus on two sets of priorities:
Specialty Priorities
- Primary care
- Mental health
- Other specialties the secretary determines appropriate, such as critically needed specialties
Location priorities
- Sites with little or no GME
- Communities with high concentrations of Veterans
- Sites with provider shortages
VACAA improves health care access for Veterans by training more physicians in the areas and specialties where they are most needed and enables VA to train more of the Nation’s future doctors.
Since President Obama signed VACAA in August 2014, VA has added hundreds of new physician resident positions across the country, many in the needed areas of primary care and mental health.
VACAA allows VA to grow a key component of our recruitment pipeline. Over 60% of physician residents live within 100 miles of their final residency program and are almost twice as likely to want to work for VA after having had VA training. In fact, 60% of current VA physicians received at least part of their training with VA.
Cover Memo - GME Enhancement Physician Resident Positions
RFP - GME Enhancement Physician Resident Positions
RFP - Educational Infrastructure Support for GME Enhancement
For More Information:
- Call OAA’s VA GME Helpline at 1-202-461-9490
- Email the VA GME Helpline
