051322 — Release of COVID-19 Future State Operational Plan
- Please see the above link for the updated memorandum “Release of COVID-19 Future State Operational Plan.”
- The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) releases the COVID-19 Future State Operational Plan. VHA clinical and operational leaders developed this internal, iterative guidance, which supplies the response framework and protocol for all VHA facilities to proactively navigate transition from pandemic to endemic operations.
- The Future State Operational Plan intends to:
- Empower local leadership to continue providing Veterans with maximum access to safe, timely, high-quality care despite increases or decreases in COVID-19 conditions and evolving variants.
- Re-engage Veterans and staff by enabling practices at sites that incorporate changing external—e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and Safer Federal Workforce Task Force—clinical and operational requirements.
- Local leadership decision-making will be guided by three standardized COVID-19 Health Protection Levels—low, medium, and high—based on CDC’s Community Transmission Levels, recommended by CDC for health care facility use only.
- This plan represents VHA’s transition from pandemic response to endemic planning. As a result, the Moving Forward Guidebook will no longer be updated. Program Office-specific Moving Forward guidance may still be applicable.
- The Future State Planning Team will provide additional instructions on monitoring and reporting COVID-19 Health Protection Levels throughout the week of May 16, 2022.
- VISN and facility leadership shall:
- Report facility COVID-19 Health Protection Level status beginning on Monday, May 23, 2022. The Department of Veterans Affairs will make available a way for facilities and clinics to easily update their websites using the Drupal Content Management System.
- Review and begin to use the slotted (locally customizable) materials found in the Future State Communications folder to communicate this change at their facilities and clinics. The first communication should be the Facility Director message (template in the Communications folder) to be released on Monday, May 16, 2022. This timing will be in sync with other national messaging.
- The latest version of the COVID-19 Future State Operational Plan will always be accessible at the following hyperlink: COVID-19 Future State Operational Plan.
- Questions may be submitted to VHAFutureStatePlanningProjectTeam@va.gov.