The pandemic highlighted the "urgent" need to modernize the Department of Veterans' Affairs' healthcare supply chain, the Government Accountability Office stated in a report released June 15.
The GAO report was conducted in accordance with congressional direction as part of the CARES Act to monitor funds allocated for pandemic response. The VA received $19.6 billion in March 2020 and $17 billion in March 2021 for its COVID-19 response effort
The GAO found that "long-standing problems" with the VA's "antiquated inventory management system" exacerbated the VA's supply chain challenges.
The VA had earmarked more than $4 billion for COVID-19 related products — such as ventilators — and services — such as information technology to support telework — as of May 2021, the GAO found.
The report said the VA has several initiatives underway to modernize its supply chain, including:
- Replacing its antiquated inventory management system with a newer one from the Defense Department
- Establishing central sources for critical medical supplies
- Seeking to participate in a Defense Department program for emergency access to critical supplies
The GAO in March recommended that the VA develop a comprehensive supply chain management strategy that outlines how its various supply chain initiatives relate to each other, and the VA concurred.
Read the full report here.