United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2005-03-02 monographic deposited born digital 78 p. GA 1.13:GAO-05-160 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160 P0b002ee18039c01f f:d05160 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160 GAO-05-160 Cost effectiveness analysis Federal property management Health care facilities Health care planning Health care services Veterans Veterans benefits Veterans hospitals Health care programs Patient care services Financial management Program evaluation Program goals or objectives VA Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Initiative Other Written Product A18636 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates one of the nation's largest health care systems. In 1999, GAO reported on VA's aged, obsolete capital assets, noting that better management of these assets could significantly reduce VA's operating costs. GAO further noted that VA could reinvest the savings to enhance veterans' health care services. In response, VA initiated its Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) process. Through CARES, VA identified what health care services it should provide and in which locations through 2022. The CARES process included assessing alternative ways to align inpatient services by closing or adding services at existing VA medical facilities or establishing new facilities. In May 2004, VA published its CARES decisions, but did not provide a national comprehensive summary of all its decisions about the alignment of inpatient services. GAO was asked to provide additional information about the inpatient service assessments and decisions made by VA. To provide a national, comprehensive summary, GAO summarized the locations where VA (1) identified a need to evaluate alternative ways to align inpatient health care service to improve quality, efficiency, or access and (2) made decisions to realign inpatient services or leave inpatient services as aligned, or deferred decisions pending further study. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160.pdf GAO-05-160 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-05-160 Other Written Product GAO-05-160; VA Health Care: Important Steps Taken to Enhance Veterans' Care by Aligning Inpatient Services with Projected Needs; Cost effectiveness analysis Federal property management Health care facilities Health care planning Health care services Veterans Veterans benefits Veterans hospitals Health care programs Patient care services Financial management Program evaluation Program goals or objectives VA Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services Initiative Volume 117 Page 2042 117 Stat. 2042 Public Law 108-170