42982 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 165 / Friday, August 24, 2018 / Notices 

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS 

AFFAIRS 

Announcement for Public Meeting 

Regarding Health Care Standards for 

Quality 

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. 

ACTION: Notice—announcement of 

public meeting. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA) is holding a public meeting 

to seek information from pertinent 

entities relating to establishing 

standards for quality regarding hospital 

care, medical services, and extended 

care services furnished by the 

Department, including through nonDepartment health care providers. 

DATES: VA will hold the public meeting 

on Monday, September 24, 2018, in 

Arlington, VA. The meeting will start at 

10:00 a.m. and conclude on or before 

4:00 p.m. Check-in will begin at 9:00 

a.m. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

the Veterans Health Administration 

National Conference Center at 2011 

Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. 

This facility is accessible to individuals 

with disabilities. 

* In-person attendance will be limited 

to 60 individuals. Advanced registration 

for individuals and groups is strongly 

encouraged (see registration instructions 

below). For listening purposes only 

(phone lines will be muted), the meeting 

will be available via audio which can be 

accessed by dialing 1 (800) 767–1750, 

access code 21398. 

Please submit all written comments 

no later than Tuesday, October 16, 2018, 

by any of the following methods: 

• Federal Rulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the 

online instructions for submitting 

comments. 

• Mail, Hand Delivery, Courier: 

Postmarked no later than October 16, 

2018, to: Director of Regulations 

Management (00REG), Department of 

Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue 

NW, Room 1063B, Washington, DC 

20420. Note: Copies of comments 

received will be available for public 

inspection in the Office of Regulation 

Policy and Management, Room 1063B, 

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 

anappointment. 

• Fax: (202) 273–9026, ATTENTION: 

Director of Regulations Management 

(00REG). All submissions must include 

the agency name and docket number. 

Note that all comments received will be 

posted and can be viewed online 

through the Federal Docket Management 

System at http://www.regulations.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Chris Rossio, Health System Specialist, 

Office of Strategic Integration/Veterans 

Resource Center, 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. 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 nongovernmental entities in establishing 

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 

Department, including through nonDepartment health care providers. This 

public meeting serves as one of the 

means for VA to consult with these 

groups and entities. We note that VA 

has published a request for information 

elsewhere in this issue of the Federal 

Register in order to provide these 

groups and entities an opportunity to 

provide additional information. The 

request for information mentioned 

above can be found in 

www.regulations.gov under the title of 

‘‘Notice of Request for Information 

Regarding Health Care Standards for 

Quality.’’ VA will use the statements 

and testimonials presented at the public 

meeting to help determine the standards 

for quality for health care 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 standards for quality. 

Registration: In-person attendance 

and participation in this meeting is 

limited to 60 individuals. VA has the 

right to refuse registration for in-person 

attendance once the maximum capacity 

of 60 individuals has been reached. 

Individuals interested in attending inperson should request registration by 

emailing Christopher Rossio at 

christopher.rossio@va.gov. A 

confirmation message will be provided 

within 1–2 business days after a request 

has been received, and individuals will 

be notified via email by September 18, 

2018, confirming their attendance inperson. Attendees wanting to offer oral 

comments, testimonies, and/or technical 

remarks should indicate their intentions 

upon registration. 

Individual registration: VA 

encourages individual registrations for 

those not affiliated with or representing 

a group, association, or organization. 

Group registration: Identification of 

the name of the group, association, or 

organization should be indicated in 

your registration request. Due to the 

meeting location’s maximum capacity, 

VA may limit the size of a group’s 

registration to allow receipt of 

comments, testimonies, and/or technical 

remarks from a broad, diverse group of 

stakeholders. Oral comments, 

testimonies, and/or technical remarks 

may be limited from a group, 

association, or organization with more 

than two (2) individuals representing 

the same group, association, or 

organization. Efforts will be made to 

accommodate all attendees who wish to 

attend in-person. However, VA will give 

priority for in-person attendance to 

pertinent Federal, private sector, and 

non-governmental entities who request 

registration before September 12, 2018, 

4:00 p.m. ET, and wish to provide oral 

comments, testimonies, and/or technical 

remarks. Please provide the number and 

names of people your organization 

would like to send in-person, and VA 

will accommodate as space allows; 

organizations should list names in the 

order of importance of their attendance 

to ensure that VA allows admission for 

the right representatives. The length of 

time allotted for attendees to provide 


daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with NOTICES
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