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GAO-05-387R 1 (2005-03-23)

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       Accountability * Integrity * Reliability
United States Government Accountability Office
Washington, DC 20548


         March 23, 2005

         The Honorable Steve Buyer
         Chairman
         The Honorable Lane Evans
         Ranking Democratic Member
         Committee on Veterans' Affairs
         House of Representatives

         The Honorable Christopher H. Smith
         House of Representatives

         Subject: Veterans Health Care: VA's Medical Support Role in Emergency
                  Preparedness

         Since the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the Department of Veterans Affairs
         (VA) has increased its efforts to plan for and respond to national emergencies,
         including acts of terrorism and natural disasters. Additionally, in August 2004, the
         Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security
         announced that military and VA medical facilities were potential terrorist targets. In
         light of military casualties from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and continued
         threats of terrorist incidents, you asked us to review VA's medical support role in
         emergency preparedness.

         Specifically, we agreed to provide information on the following questions: (1) What is
         VA's role in providing medical support within the U.S. to military personnel in
         wartime and during national emergencies? (2) What actions has VA taken to improve
         its internal emergency preparedness to ensure that it is ready to maintain continuity
         of operations and provision of medical services to veterans? (3) What is VA's role in
         participating in emergency medical response measures with other federal, state, and
         local agencies?

         To answer these questions, we reviewed the laws that establish VA's emergency
         preparedness responsibilities, VA policies and procedures relating to emergency
         preparedness, and our past reports on VA's medical support role in emergency
         preparedness. In addition, we observed a VA crisis response team meeting and a
         continuity of operations exercise. We also interviewed officials responsible for VA's
         emergency preparedness programs. Our work was performed from September 2004
         through February 2005 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing
         standards.


GAO-05-387R VA Emergency Preparedness

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