Marketing Plan for the Veterans Affairs

Introduction

The United States of Veteran Affairs (VA) was ranked the second largest healthcare system by hospital count by Modern Healthcare's 2010 Hospital Systems Survey. The VA healthcare system has grown from 54 hospitals in 1930 to 153 hospitals today (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015). Its growth was necessary to meet the need of the broader spectrum of medical, surgical and rehabilitation care as well as the growing population of aging veterans (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015).

The Veterans Affairs has a very profound history behind it. Starting in 1636 when the Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony had passed a law which stated that the disabled soldiers would be supported by the people of the colony. Then by 1776 the Continental Congress was able to encourage enlistments by giving a pension to any soldier who was disabled as well as encouraging individual states and communities to provide direct medical and hospital care to be given in order to care for the Veterans in the early days of the Republic. In 1811, the Federal Government developed the first domiciliary, as well as building the first medical facility specifically for Veterans. "As the United Stated entered into World War I in 1917, Congress had passed a new system of Veteran benefits to include programs for disability compensation, insurance for service persons and veterans, and vocation rehabilitation for the disabled" (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012). The years following World War I led to the increasing growth of VA. Today, the VA workforce consists of almost 300,000 employees. It is the second largest agency in the Federal Government and provides care to more than 5.6 million patients (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015).

The mission statement was written as a promise from President Lincoln, "To care for him who shall we have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans" (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012). The five core values define "who we are" and how we care for our Veteran's, their families and other beneficiaries. These core values include integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect and excellence. Along with the Veterans core values they also have core characteristics which define "who the veterans stand up for". This helps guide how the VA will perform their core mission and how they shape their strategy. The core characteristics include trustworthiness, accessible, quality agile, innovative and integrated (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012).

The Service Mix

"Eligibility for most VA benefits is based upon discharge from active military service under other than dishonorable conditions. Active service means full-time service, other than active duty for training, as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, Environmental Science Services Administration or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or its predecessor, the Coast and Geodetic Survey. Generally, men and women Veterans with similar service may be entitled to the same VA benefits" (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2012).

Once eligible, the Veteran will have access to the following:

* Former prisoner of war (FPOW) program

* Move program is a national weight management program.

* Extended care and rehabilitation program is composed of 4 areas: external care is a hospital based transitional care units.

* Mental health.

* Parkinson's disease, research and education.

* Pharmacy.

* Primary care.

* Research.

* Social work.

* Specialty care program.

* Spinal cord injury program.

* Women's health.

* Environmental registries. (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015)

New Product Description

The Strategic Plan Refresh for FY 2011-2015 provides a step by step plan to transform the VA to provide better service to the veterans through the 21st century. The plan is outlined to follow the VA's guiding principles. These principles include:

* People-centric: Veterans and their families are the centerpiece of our mission and of everything we do. Equally essential are the people who are the backbone of the Department - our talented and diverse workforce.

* Results-driven: We will be measured by our accomplishments, not by our promises.

* Forward-looking: We will seek out opportunities for delivering the best services with available resources, continually challenging ourselves to do things smarter and more effectively. (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015)

While following the principles, the VA has set four strategic goals. These goals are set to deliver proper care for the veterans:

* Improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare, benefits, and memorial services while optimizing value.

* Increase Veteran client satisfaction with health, education, training, counseling, financial, and burial benefits and services.

* Raise readiness to provide services and protect people and assets continuously and in time of crisis.

* Improve internal customer satisfaction with management systems and support services to achieve mission performance and make VA and employer of choice by investing in human capital. (Department of Veteran Affairs Strategic Plan Refresh FY 2011-2015)

The VA added three major initiatives to the existing initiatives. The sixteen major initiatives, with the last three being added to the plan are:

* Eliminate Veteran homelessness.

* Enable 21st century benefits delivery and services.

* Automate GI Bill benefits.

* Create Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record by 2012.

* Improve Veterans' mental health.

* Build Veterans Relationship