HR 3234 RFS
‘‘(iv) any other areas that the Secretary 
determines appropriate to improve the under-
performing medical center; and 
‘‘(B) an employee of the Office of the Inspector 
General of the Department. 
‘‘(5) To the extent practicable, each rapid deployment 
team shall include process improvement subject matter ex-
perts from the Veterans Experience Office of the Depart-
ment. 
‘‘(6) The Secretary shall determine the duration of 
the deployment of a rapid deployment team under para-
graph (1). 
‘‘(c) INVESTIGATIONS AND WHISTLEBLOWER PRO-
TECTIONS.—(1) The Inspector General of the Department 
shall prioritize investigations relating to underperforming 
medical centers. 
‘‘(2) The Office of Accountability Review shall 
prioritize investigations of whistleblower retaliation relat-
ing to underperforming medical centers. 
‘‘(d) QUARTERLY REPORTS.—On a quarterly basis, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that in-
cludes, with respect to the quarter covered by the report— 
‘‘(1) each identification of an underperforming 
medical center made by the Secretary; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Feb 10, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3234.RFS
H3234
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 3234 RFS
‘‘(2) the actions taken by the Secretary and 
rapid deployment teams with respect to improving 
underperforming medical centers; and 
‘‘(3) an update on any progress made by each 
underperforming medical center, including whether 
the underperforming medical center is carrying out 
the 
remediation 
plan 
pursuant 
to 
subsection 
(b)(3)(A). 
‘‘(e) RELATIONSHIP TO QUALITY ASSURANCE AND 
NATIONAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT OFFICER.—The re-
quirements of this section are in addition to any require-
ments under sections 7311 and 7311A of this title. 
‘‘(f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) The term ‘underperforming medical center’ 
means a medical center of the Department that the 
Secretary determines is underperforming under sub-
section (a)(2). 
‘‘(2) The term ‘key health metrics’ means the 
following: 
‘‘(A) The Strategic Analytics Improvement 
and Learning (commonly referred to as ‘SAIL’) 
data used by the Department (or such suc-
cessor data metric). 
‘‘(B) An evaluation system established by 
the Secretary based on the total data described 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Feb 10, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3234.RFS
H3234
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 3234 RFS
in subparagraph (A) to determine whether the 
performance of a medical center is satisfactory 
or underperforming and requires remediation 
pursuant to this section.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 73 of such title is 
amended by adding after the item relating to section 
7311A the following new item: 
‘‘7311B. Evaluation and improvement of medical centers’’. 
(b) INITIAL KEY HEALTH METRICS PUBLICATION.— 
The Secretary shall publish the initial key health metrics 
under section 7311B(a)(1) of title 38, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a)(1), by not later than 90 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(c) INITIAL IDENTIFICATION
OF
AN UNDERPER-
FORMING MEDICAL CENTER.—The Secretary shall make 
the initial identifications under section 7311B(a)(2) of 
title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection 
(a)(1), by not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 3. STANDARDIZED TRAINING FOR NURSES. 
(a) TRAINING.—The Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall seek to enter into partnerships with recognized 
schools of nursing to provide undergraduate nursing stu-
dents enrolled in such schools with standardized training 
with respect to the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Feb 10, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3234.RFS
H3234
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS
HR 3234 RFS
(1) The culture of the military and veterans. 
(2) Post-traumatic stress disorder. 
(3) Traumatic brain injury. 
(4) Amputation and assistive devices. 
(5) Environmental, chemical, and toxic expo-
sure. 
(6) Substance use disorders. 
(7) Military sexual trauma. 
(8) Suicide. 
(9) Homelessness. 
(10) Serious illness at the end of life. 
(11) Benefits, services, and resources for vet-
erans that are administered by the Federal Govern-
ment. 
(b) DEVELOPMENT.—In developing the training 
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with ap-
propriate accrediting bodies, schools of nursing, and in-
dustry leaders. 
Passed the House of Representatives February 9, 
2016. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Feb 10, 2016
Jkt 059200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H3234.RFS
H3234
asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with BILLS