As the nation adapted to new working environments and operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies pivoted resources to tackling the detection, treatment and management of the virus. Meanwhile, the Department of Veterans Affairs had a unique role in caring for the veterans it serves as well as supporting civilian hospitals. Faced with urgent priorities in vaccine distribution and further pandemic relief nationwide, federal leaders discuss the digital tools and strategic oversight that are helping government accomplish the next phase of the pandemic response.

The pandemic enabled new horizons for communicating with veterans and supporting the veteran experience through technologies like remote telehealth and setting up vaccine appointments. Agency leaders across the customer experience and IT ecosystem discuss the strategies and progress in these capabilities.

• Dominic Cussatt, Acting Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology and CIO, Veterans Affairs
• Barbara Morton, Deputy Chief Veterans Experience Officer, Veterans Affairs
• Charles Worthington, CTO, Veterans Affairs

Dr. Richard Stone, acting under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration, provides a close look at the progress the Department of Veterans Affairs has made in vaccinating 2 million veterans with at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Stone also discusses how the agency is working with veterans of color to bridge vaccination disparities as the agency pushes forward with its COVID-19 response.

Dr. Stone’s keynote appeared during the March 18 Enhancing Veterans Care virtual event. Hear from other leaders about the technology advancements made during the pandemic that will set up the future of the agency.

Ensuring continuity of care and benefits has been a primary mission in supporting veterans throughout the course of the pandemic. Thomas Murphy, acting under secretary for benefits at the Veterans Benefits Administration, discusses standing up workflows and technologies for increased claims processing, communication strategies, new digital tools and more.