Notice2023-17309
Announcement of Public Listening Sessions To Inform VA's Standards of Practice
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 14, 2023
Issuing agencies
Veterans Affairs Department
Abstract
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing a series of five virtual listening sessions for stakeholders to provide input on known state variances for health care occupations. National standards of practice are a standardized set of services that all health care professionals in a given occupation can perform in VA facilities with the proper education, training and skill. To learn more about VA's national standards of practice visit https://www.va.gov/ standardsofpractice/.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 155 (Monday, August 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55124-55125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17309]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Announcement of Public Listening Sessions To Inform VA's
Standards of Practice
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Notice of public listening sessions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is announcing a series
of five virtual listening sessions for stakeholders to provide input on
known state variances for health care occupations. National standards
of practice are a standardized set of services that all health care
professionals in a given occupation can perform in VA facilities with
the proper education, training and skill. To learn more about VA's
national standards of practice visit <a href="https://www.va.gov/standardsofpractice/">https://www.va.gov/standardsofpractice/</a>.
DATES: VA will hold the listening sessions from August through
September 2023. Each session will start at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight
Time (EDT) and adjourn at 4:30 p.m. EDT and focus on a preset list of
occupations grouped by service type. Occupations not listed below have
already had proposed VA national standards of practice shared for
feedback on the Federal Register. Veterans Health Administration (VHA)
subject matter experts will be present during each listening session
and may ask clarifying questions but will not share proposals for
specific occupation's standards of practice nor address the merits of
any comments provided. Individuals can sign up for each session
separately using the links below:
<bullet> Session 1: August 24, 2023--Audiologist, Chiropractor,
Occupational Therapist, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Physical
Therapist, Physical Therapist Assistant, Speech Language Pathologist.
Registration link: <a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rb6f2e33ef859c128990b27f448e5a535">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rb6f2e33ef859c128990b27f448e5a535</a>.
<bullet> Session 2: August 31, 2023--Acupuncturist, Genetic
Counselor, Massage Therapist, Optometrist, Perfusionist, Podiatrist,
Respiratory
[[Page 55125]]
Therapist, Therapeutic Radiologic Technologist. Registration link:
<a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rcc375270e5194da10e13e33c828e80d6">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/rcc375270e5194da10e13e33c828e80d6</a>.
<bullet> Session 3: September 7, 2023--Clinical Pharmacist
Practitioner, Dental Assistant, Dental Hygienist, Dentist, Diagnostic
Radiologic Technologist, Medical Technologist, Nuclear Medicine
Technologist, Pharmacist, Pharmacy Technician, Radiologist Assistant,
Social Worker. Registration link: <a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r8dfdce045aaddcf539d03ff7abea89e6">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r8dfdce045aaddcf539d03ff7abea89e6</a>.
<bullet> Session 4: September 14, 2023--Emergency Medical
Technician/Paramedic, Physician, Physician Assistant. Registration
link: <a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r3229db69aeba55eeca6bffb24c73ca9f">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r3229db69aeba55eeca6bffb24c73ca9f</a>.
<bullet> Session 5: September 21, 2023--Addiction Therapist,
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist, Licensed Practical/Vocational
Nurse, Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor, Marriage and
Family Therapist, Peer Specialist, Psychologist, Registered Nurse,
Rehabilitation Counselor. Registration link: <a href="https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r192362734f6545e574fdb3b428d2fdcf">https://veteransaffairs.webex.com/weblink/register/r192362734f6545e574fdb3b428d2fdcf</a>.
Note: Sessions will be hosted as five individual webinars with
closed captioning available. All sessions will be recorded and
transcribed.
ADDRESSES: All sessions will be held virtually using Webex. Individuals
interested in attending listening sessions, whether to verbally present
a comment or listen in, must register for each session in advance. (See
additional registration information below).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ethan Kalett, Office of Regulations,
Appeals and Policy (10BRAP), Veterans Health Administration, Department
of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, at
202-461-0500. This is not a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 12, 2020, VA published an
interim final rule confirming that VA health care professionals may
practice their health care profession consistent with the scope and
requirements of their VA employment, notwithstanding any State license,
registration, certification or other State requirements that unduly
interfere with their practice. 38 CFR 17.419; 85 FR 71838.
Specifically, this rulemaking confirmed VA's current practice of
allowing VA health care professionals to deliver health care services
in a state other than the health care professional's State of
licensure, registration, certification or other State requirement,
thereby enhancing beneficiaries' access to critical VA health care
services. The rulemaking also confirmed VA's authority to establish
national standards of practice for its health care professionals which
would standardize a health care professional's practice in all VA
medical facilities.
The purpose of these listening sessions is to offer individuals an
opportunity to share their research, input and comments on variance
between State licenses and scopes of practices for health care
occupations, and their recommendations on what should be included in
VA's national standard of practice. Listening sessions exclude
occupations where VA has already requested a formal feedback period for
their proposed VA national standard of practice on the Federal
Register. <a href="https://www.va.gov/STANDARDSOFPRACTICE/federalregister.asp">https://www.va.gov/STANDARDSOFPRACTICE/federalregister.asp</a>.
Registration: Individuals interested in attending must register
with Webex for each listening session. Any individual who wishes to
verbally participate should indicate their intention upon registration
to ensure time is allotted accordingly, however, it is not required to
complete registration. Individuals that indicate interest in presenting
a comment will receive a confirmation message 2 business days prior to
each respective session. If an individual wishes to display materials
during their presentation, they may be submitted to VA the Monday prior
to the session.
Efforts will be made to accommodate all individuals who wish to
offer a verbal comment. However, VA will give priority to those who
registered in advance of each session. The length of time allotted for
individuals to provide verbal comments during the session will be
subject to the number of registrants to ensure ample time is allotted.
To accommodate a large number of attendees, video will be disabled
during the listening session and mics will be muted until a presenter's
allotted time. In the event there is not enough time during the
session, VA will request written submissions.
Note: VA will not share proposals or address feedback received
during listening sessions. Suggestions made through these listening
sessions will be used to improve and inform the content included in
VA's proposed national standards of practice. All VA proposals for
each VA national standard of practice will occur through the Federal
Register, as noted above, to ensure appropriate public notification
and full opportunity for participation. No VA national standard of
practice will be issued in VA policy before VA has provided a
proposal through the Federal Register.
Special Accommodations: Request for any accommodation should be
received by VA no later than 2 weeks before the scheduled listening
session at the address indicated in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
section of this notice.
Signing Authority
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approved and signed
this document on August 7, 2023, and authorized the undersigned to sign
and submit the document to the Office of the Federal Register for
publication electronically as an official document of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
Luvenia Potts,
Regulation Development Coordinator, Office of Regulation Policy &
Management, Office of General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2023-17309 Filed 8-11-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
</pre></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 14, 2023.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.