Veterans Affairs chooses 8 for $23B staffing vehicle
Gettyimages.com / Thomas Barwick
By
Ross Wilkers
The need for more people across VA facilities is vast, particularly in the health care field.
The Veterans Affairs Department's lead health care agency has awarded eight companies positions on a potential 10-year, $23 billion contract vehicle with a singular purpose: reducing widespread staffing shortages across VA.
Continuity of on-demand clinical and non-clinical services is a key focus for the Veterans Health Administration, which stood up the Integrated Critical Staffing Program to increase access to care.
Awardees disclosed Wednesday are as follows:
- Arrow Arc
- Aspire-Luke joint venture
- Blue Water Thinking
- North American United Healthcare Services joint venture
- Prometheus Federal Services
- Titan-Auxo
- Veteran First Technologies
- Wellpath Medical
The contract was reserved for service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses. VHA received 13 bids in total and that list is based on Federal Procurement Data System records.
In an audit released during the summer, VA's inspector general reported a 19% year-over-year jump in roles with "severe occupational shortages." Medical officers and nurses were cited as having among the largest shortages at care facilities.
VHA is also using the contract to allow its more normalized recruitment and onboarding processes to continue without gaps in care for veterans, plus provide temporary coverage for ongoing program management and support needs.