II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 450 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program 

to expedite the onboarding process for new medical providers of the 

Department of Veterans Affairs, to reduce the duration of the hiring 

process for such medical providers, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2019 

Mr. GARDNER (for himself and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out 

a pilot program to expedite the onboarding process for 

new medical providers of the Department of Veterans 

Affairs, to reduce the duration of the hiring process 

for such medical providers, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Veterans Improved Ac5 cess and Care Act of 2019’’. 


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•S 450 IS

1 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM ON EXPEDITING THE DEPART2 MENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS PROCESS FOR 

3 ONBOARDING NEW MEDICAL PROVIDERS. 

4 (a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Veterans 

6 Affairs shall carry out a pilot program to assess the 

7 feasibility and advisability of expediting the process 

8 of the Veterans Health Administration for onboard9 ing new medical providers. 

10 (2) GOAL FOR PROGRAM.—Under the pilot pro11 gram, the Secretary shall seek to reduce the length 

12 of time it takes to onboard medical providers to no 

13 more than 60 days. 

14 (b) LOCATIONS.— 

15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall select 

16 not fewer than ten medical facilities of the Depart17 ment of Veterans Affairs at which to carry out the 

18 pilot program. 

19 (2) REGIONAL DIVERSITY.—The medical facili20 ties selected under paragraph (1) shall be located in 

21 regionally diverse areas, as determined by the Sec22 retary. 

23 (3) PRIORITY.—In selecting medical facilities 

24 under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give pri25 ority to medical facilities facing hiring shortages of 

26 licensed independent medical providers. 


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1 (c) ONBOARDING PROCESS DEFINED.—In this sec2 tion, the term ‘‘onboarding process’’ means the process of 

3 bringing on a medical provider applicant after the medical 

4 provider is offered a tentative position, including certifi5 cation of credentialing, background investigation, assess6 ment of health status, and such other actions as are nec7 essary for starting employment. 

8 SEC. 3. STRATEGY TO REDUCE DURATION OF HIRING 

9 PROCESS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AF10 FAIRS FOR LICENSED PROFESSIONAL MED11 ICAL PROVIDERS. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

13 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Vet14 erans Affairs shall submit to Congress a strategy to reduce 

15 the duration of the hiring process of the Department of 

16 Veterans Affairs for licensed professional medical pro17 viders by half. 

18 (b) EXPEDITED CERTIFICATION.—The strategy sub19 mitted under subsection (a) shall describe how the overall 

20 certification of credentials process of the Department for 

21 licensed professional medical providers can be expedited. 

Æ 


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