US Codex
Bill
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To establish in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs the Office of Health Care Quality.

H.R. 3951 · 114th Congress · Nov 5, 2015 · Lineage

A BILL

Section 1 Establishment of Office of Health Care Quality in Veterans Health Administration

(a)
In general— Subchapter I of chapter 73 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“7310. Office of Health Care Quality

“(a) Establishment—There is in the Veterans Health Administration an Office of Health Care Quality (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Office”). The Office shall oversee the implementation and dissemination across all medical facilities of the Department of best practices, quality improvements, corrective actions, and Inspector General recommendations.

“(b) Director

“(1) The head of the Office shall be a Director, who shall report directly to the Under Secretary for Health (without delegation).

“(2) Any person appointed as Director shall be—

“(A) an established expert in the field of health care quality, administration of medical facilities, or similar fields; and

“(B) qualified to carry out the duties of the Office based on demonstrated experience and expertise.

“(c) Functions—The functions of the Office are as follows:

“(1) To develop and maintain a system to provide notice to all medical facilities of the Department of any applicable best practices, quality improvements, corrective actions, and Inspector General recommendations.

“(2) To monitor the compliance of such medical facilities with such best practices, quality improvements, corrective actions, and Inspector General recommendations.

“(d) Resources—The Secretary shall ensure that the Director has sufficient resources to carry out the responsibilities of the Director in a timely manner.

“(e) Report—The Director shall submit to Congress an annual report on the progress of the medical facilities of the Department in implementing applicable best practices, quality improvements, corrective actions, and Inspector General recommendations.”

(b)
Clerical amendment— The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7309 the following new item:
(c)
Deadline for implementation— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Health Care Quality, as established under section 7310 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall develop an initial system for proving the notice required under such section 7310.