Committed to Showing Results at the VA

So I think, in a qualitative sense, we are seeing some positive signals but also recognizing that the scale of changes we’re talking about will take some time. But we will continue to see qualitative differences and, I think, real, tangible differences in the care that veterans get as the months proceed from here. I remain very optimistic about the future of this system and the size of the opportunity that we have.

Our laserlike focus for this coming year is access and exceptional veteran experience. You know, navigating health care can be pretty challenging. I know this because I’m from a very, very large extended family; and nobody else is in health or medicine, so I get regular reports. And whether you’re enrolled in our system or get your care elsewhere, it is not always easy.

But we have the incredible privilege of serving people who essentially wrote a blank check on our behalf when they agreed to serve the country. And so access is not something that, for the most part, is monitored closely in the private sector. It is certainly not publicly reported. We are making a very, very strong commitment, not just to improving, but to being able to show people the results.