Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2018 / Notices 42983 

oral comments, testimonies, and/or 

technical remarks during the meeting 

may be subject to the number of inperson attendees, and to ensure ample 

time is allotted to those registered 

attendees. There will be no opportunity 

for audio-visual presentations during 

the meeting. Written comments will be 

accepted from those attending in-person 

(see above instructions for submitting 

written comments). 

Audio (for listening purposes only): 

Limited to the first 200 participants, on 

a first-come, first-served basis. 

Advanced registration is not required. 

Audio attendees will not be allowed to 

offer oral comments, testimonies, and/or 

technical remarks as the phone line will 

be muted. Written comments will be 

accepted from those participating via 

audio (see above instructions for 

submitting written comments). 

Note: VA will conduct the public 

meeting informally, and technical rules 

of evidence will not apply. VA will 

arrange for a written transcript of the 

meeting and keep the official record 

open for 15 days after the meeting to 

allow submission of supplemental 

information. You may make 

arrangements for copies of the transcript 

directly with the reporter, and the 

transcript will also be posted in the 

docket of the rule as part of the official 

record when the rule is published. 

Should it be necessary to cancel the 

meeting due to inclement weather or 

other emergencies, VA will take 

available measures to notify registered 

participants. 

Agenda 

09:00–10:00 Arrival/Check-In 

10:00–12:00 Morning Public Meeting 

Session 

12:00–13:00 Lunch Break (Note: Meals 

will not be provided by VA.) 

13:00–16:00 Afternoon Public Meeting 

Session 

16:00 Adjourn 

Public Meeting Topics 

Pursuant to section 1703C(a)(3)–(4) of 

title 38, U.S.C., as added by section 

104(a) of Public Law 115–182, (the VA 

MISSION Act), VA requests information 

that will assist in developing the 

standards for quality required by the VA 

MISSION Act. This includes datasets 

that include, at a minimum, elements 

relating to timely care, effective care, 

safety (including, at a minimum, 

complications, readmissions, and 

deaths), and efficiency. 

Specifically, VA requests information 

related to the below: 

1. What standards for quality do 

public or private providers or health 

systems currently use? How do public 

or private providers or health systems 

measure performance against these 

standards for quality (i.e., what data sets 

and measures are employed)? How are 

those standards and measures used to 

make decisions regarding patient 

referrals to specific public or private 

providers? 

2. How does the health system 

communicate standards for quality to 

their stakeholders? 

3. How are data on quality standards 

obtained or collected from public or 

private providers and health systems? 

4. Does the public or private provider 

or health system publicly report 

performance on those quality standards, 

including comparisons of quality 

measures, and in what manner? 

5. How does the public or private 

provider or health system respond to 

findings when quality standards are not 

being met? 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary, Department 

of Veterans Affairs, approved this 

document on August 21, 2018, for 

publication. 

Dated: August 21, 2018. 

Michael Shores, 

Director, Regulation Policy & Management, 

Office of the Secretary, Department of 

Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18439 Filed 8–23–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Notice of Request for Information 

Regarding Health Care Standards for 

Quality 

AGENCY: Office of Reporting, Analytics, 

Performance, Improvement, and 

Deployment (RAPID), Veterans Health 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice; request for information. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) is requesting information to 

assist in establishing health care 

standards for quality regarding hospital 

care, medical services, and extended 

care services furnished by the 

Department, including through nonDepartment health care providers. 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

VA on or before September 24, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments may be 

submitted through http://

www.regulations.gov; by mail or hand 

delivery to the Director, Office of 

Regulation Policy and Management 

(00REG), Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Room 1063B, Washington, DC 20420; or 

by fax to (202) 273–9026. Comments 

should indicate that they are submitted 

in response to ‘‘Notice of Request for 

Information Regarding Health Care 

Standards for Quality.’’ Copies of 

comments received will be available for 

public inspection in the Office of 

Regulation Policy and Management 

(00REG), Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Room 1063B, Washington, DC 20420, 

between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 

p.m., Monday through Friday (except 

Federal holidays). Please call (202) 461– 

4902 (this is not a toll-free number) for 

an appointment. During the comment 

period, comments may also be viewed 

online through the Federal Docket 

Management System at 

www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Rossio, Health System Specialist, 

Office of Strategic Integration | Veterans 

Engineering Resource Center 

(OSI|VERC), Veterans Health 

Administration, Department of Veterans 

Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, 

Washington, DC 20420, (858) 245–9493. 

This is not a toll-free number. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The John 

S. McCain III, Daniel K. Akaka, and 

Samuel R. Johnson VA Maintaining 

Internal Systems and Strengthening 

Integrated Outside Networks Act of 

2018, Public Law 115–182, (the VA 

MISSION Act) created a new 1703C in 

title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.), 

that contains requirements for VA to 

facilitate the establishment and use of 

standards for quality. In establishing 

standards for quality, VA is required to 

consider existing health quality 

measures that are applied to public and 

privately sponsored health care systems 

with the purpose of providing covered 

Veterans relevant comparative 

information to make informed decisions 

regarding their health care. VA requests 

information from the public regarding 

the development of these standards for 

quality, including but not limited to 

information on the use of standards for 

quality and the use and availability of 

comparative information to assist 

consumers in making informed 

decisions regarding their health care. 

Responses to this notice will support 

industry research and VA’s 

development of standards for quality 

regarding care furnished by the 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
42984 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2018 / Notices 

Department, including through nonDepartment health care providers. 

Section 1703C(a)(4) specifically 

requires VA to consult with all pertinent 

Federal entities (including the 

Department of Defense, the Department 

of Health and Human Services, and the 

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid 

Services), entities in the private sector, 

and other non-governmental entities in 

establishing standards for quality. We 

note that VA will also hold a public 

meeting on Monday, September 24, 

2018, to provide these groups and 

entities an opportunity to provide 

additional information. The meeting 

notice is published elsewhere in this 

issue of the Federal Register and can 

also be found in www.regulations.gov 

under the title ‘‘Announcement for 

Public Meeting Regarding Health Care 

Standards for Quality’’. VA will use the 

comments it receives to help determine 

the health care standards for quality in 

compliance with the VA MISSION Act. 

VA will then submit a report, no later 

than March 3, 2019, as required by 

section 1703C(a)(5)(A), detailing the 

standards for quality to the appropriate 

committees of Congress. 

In order to submit a report to Congress 

detailing the standards for quality by 

March 3, 2019, VA must expedite this 

consultation, which will be 

foundational to the process of 

determining the health care standards 

for quality. Hence, this notice and 

request for information has a comment 

period of 30 days. VA believes that 30 

days is sufficient to provide comments, 

as the groups and entities with expertise 

in standards for quality will likely have 

the information readily available or can 

quickly compile and submit such 

information. 

This notice is a request for 

information only. Commenters are 

encouraged to provide complete but 

concise responses to the questions 

outlined below. VA may choose to 

contact individual commenters, and 

such communications would serve to 

further clarify their written comments. 

Request for Information 

VA requests information that will 

assist in developing the standards for 

quality required by the VA MISSION 

Act. This includes datasets that include, 

at a minimum, elements relating to 

timely care, effective care, safety 

(including, at a minimum, 

complications, readmissions, and 

deaths), and efficiency. 

Specifically, VA requests information 

related to the following: 

1. What standards for quality do 

public or private providers or health 

systems currently use? How do public 

or private providers or health systems 

measure performance against these 

standards for quality (i.e., what data sets 

and measures are employed)? How are 

those standards and measures used to 

make decisions regarding patient 

referrals to specific public or private 

providers? 

2. How does the health system 

communicate standards for quality to 

their stakeholders? 

3. How are data on quality standards 

obtained or collected from public or 

private providers and health systems? 

4. Does the public or private provider 

or health system publicly report 

performance on those quality standards, 

including comparisons of quality 

measures, and in what manner? 

5. How does the public or private 

provider or health system respond to 

findings when quality standards are not 

being met? 

Signing Authority 

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or 

designee, approved this document and 

authorized the undersigned to sign and 

submit the document to the Office of the 

Federal Register for publication 

electronically as an official document of 

the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Robert L. Wilkie, Secretary, Department 

of Veterans Affairs, approved this 

document on August 21, 2018, for 

publication. 

Dated: August 21, 2018. 

Michael Shores, 

Director, Regulation Policy & Management, 

Office of the Secretary, Department of 

Veterans Affairs. 

[FR Doc. 2018–18440 Filed 8–23–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8320–01–P 


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