Sure would like to have agenda and minutes of this meeting

[Guest guest]

In from dlnews_sender@...

NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense

No. 067-02

(703)697-5131(media)

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 12, 2002

(703)697-5737(public/industry)

NEW DOD, VA EXECUTIVE, HEALTH BENEFITS COUNCILS MEET

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense

yesterday held the first meetings of the DoD-VA Executive and

Health Benefits Councils.

" Our concern for the well-being of servicemembers extends beyond

just their time on active duty, " said Under Secretary of Defense

S.C. Chu. " These cooperative efforts with the VA will

provide the best possible service through new initiatives and

increased efficiency, to the benefit of servicemembers,

veterans, and the taxpayer. "

Yesterday's meeting is part of a long-term commitment by the two

departments to build a more collaborative relationship. They

were first in a series of quarterly meetings involving the new

DoD-VA Health Executive Council and DoD-VA Benefits Executive

Council. The two panels will work together to improve

coordination between the departments in such areas as health

care services, benefits delivery, information sharing and

capital asset coordination.

" Building upon recent initiatives in inter-department

cooperation, we will look for more opportunities to improve upon

a wide range of services to our veterans and military personnel,

while achieving efficiencies for the taxpayer, " said VA Deputy

Secretary Leo S. Mackay.

The agenda for the first meetings included ways to standardize

billing and reimbursements, joint procurement, computer-based

patient records and coordination of capital investments.

The meetings of the councils come four days after Mackay signed

a landmark agreement with Secretary of the Navy Gordon England

in Chicago to enhance coordination between the Great Lakes Naval

Training Center and the North Chicago VA Medical Center.