The Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Austin, posted the below message on the Senior Leaders Forum.
Also another note not mentioned in here is that only 15% of Active Duty IDES cases are being completed to standard (In 295 days). The Armys goal is 60% by end of FY 2012.
There are currently more than twenty-one thousand Soldiers processing through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES). This is approximately six BCTs worth of Soldiers and all of them deserve great medical care and our unwavering support as they transition from military to civilian life. Our Soldiers and Family members and the American public expect nothing less and that is exactly what we will provide them. The need to improve the IDES process is critical not only to our ability to support the current fight, but it is also key to ensuring the future readiness of our Army. How we care for and transition the current generation of wounded, ill and injured Soldiers will have far reaching strategic implications.
Last week, I, along with several other key leaders from the Army Staff, traveled to six different installations (representing both FORSCOM and TRADOC units) to get a clearer appreciation of how we truly are doing with respect to IDES. As you would expect, where leaders are knowledgeable and engaged in the process, we see better performance. It is a non-negotiable fact; leaders must own every part of this process. And, certainly your direct involvement as the senior leaders within your organizations is essential to fixing the kinds of complex problems associated with IDES.
At HQDA, we are committed to creating and fixing policies and systemic issues that can and need to be resolved at our level. For example, we recognize that the IDES process is still too complicated and cumbersome for commanders and Soldiers to understand. Therefore, I have directed the G1 and The Surgeon General to work together to publish an IDES Operational Handbook that will outline the entire IDES process. This guide will clearly define leader responsibilities during each phase of the process. We also recognize that due to the absence of a reliable tracking system, commanders and Soldiers alike lack visibility of where Soldiers are in the process as they transition through the system. As a result, transitioning Soldiers lack the predictability required to effectively plan for their future. To remedy this problem, I’ve directed the G1, The Surgeon General and the G6 to work together to develop an IT solution or “application” that will allow Soldiers, commanders, medical professionals, and Veterans Affairs representatives to effectively track Soldiers as they progress through the IDES process. We also recognize that part of the challenge is the magnitude of the population enrolled in IDES, particularly from our Reserve Components. And so, I have directed The Surgeon General to place additional providers at the Reserve Components Soldier Medical Support Center in Pinellas Park, Florida, on a temporary basis, to help better manage the elevated caseload.
There also are required fixes that will need your personal attention at the installation level and below. Our Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officers (PEBLOs), Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) providers and Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) Adjudicators play central roles in the IDES process. How a Soldier or Family member perceives his or her experience in the IDES process is very much a reflection of the knowledge, skill and abilities of these professionals, as well as the degree to which they communicate with the Soldier. We must ensure this group knows the standards of performance expected of them, is proficient in their tasks, has the necessary resources to do their jobs effectively and are held accountable. The Surgeon General has published standards for all those who play a part in the IDES process. We need your help and oversight to ensure these standards are understood and enforced. As I stated earlier, the proof is evident in the ‘pockets of excellence’ we found at several of the installations we visited last week. Where leaders have established and enforced high standards and are holding individuals accountable for those standards, we are clearly seeing better results. Finally, we also expect commanders to do their part to help us hire and manage resources. For example, there needs to be more than two doctors on hand if a site is handling over 800 cases. Likewise, if we do not have enough PEBLOs, we need to hire more and ensure they are properly trained and held accountable based on the standards established by MEDCOM as well as hiring additional PEBLO Supervisors and a dedicated Installation IDES Director. Each of these individuals will also need to receive additional customer service focused training to strengthen their resolve in treating our Soldiers and Families with dignity and respect.
Some of the fixes that need to be made can be done relatively quickly (within 60 days); meanwhile, others will take longer to institute and start showing measurable results. But, the improvements to various processes, policies and procedures must be made and done in a timely fashion. Oversight is key to ensuring we stay on track and are in sync across the Force. I will continue to conduct monthly VTCs with senior commanders along with senior executives from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The objective of these VTCs is to identify challenges to achieve optimum performance standards; identify resources needed to achieve our performance standards; and share lessons learned and emerging best practices. In fact, at our next IDES VTC scheduled for 15 AUG 12, the ARSTAFF will share some of the emerging best practices we identified during our installation visits last week. As an example, TSG , in partnership with the Army G1 and the VA has recently fielded a new initiative to accept the VA generated conditions as dictated by the VA Compensation and Pension Exam as part of the medical board process vice having our MEB Providers having to re-do the examination. This will streamline the medical board clinical processes and will make the overall process less adversarial for Soldiers.
Finally, we must all do a better job of communicating with our Soldiers and their Families. While we must do what is necessary to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the IDES process, we must always keep sight of the fact that our overriding goal is to ensure we are providing the finest care and support to our people during what is an especially challenging period of transition for them. We must not lose sight of the fact that how we care for today’s Soldiers and Veterans will largely determine how the citizens of our nation view the Army and their willingness to serve in our ranks in the future. I am asking each of you, where appropriate, to personally get involved and help us improve the IDES process at every level. History has shown us repeatedly that when the leaders of our Army are engaged and focused, there is no challenge we cannot resolve successfully. We must do better; we will do better.
Also another note not mentioned in here is that only 15% of Active Duty IDES cases are being completed to standard (In 295 days). The Armys goal is 60% by end of FY 2012.
There are currently more than twenty-one thousand Soldiers processing through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES). This is approximately six BCTs worth of Soldiers and all of them deserve great medical care and our unwavering support as they transition from military to civilian life. Our Soldiers and Family members and the American public expect nothing less and that is exactly what we will provide them. The need to improve the IDES process is critical not only to our ability to support the current fight, but it is also key to ensuring the future readiness of our Army. How we care for and transition the current generation of wounded, ill and injured Soldiers will have far reaching strategic implications.
Last week, I, along with several other key leaders from the Army Staff, traveled to six different installations (representing both FORSCOM and TRADOC units) to get a clearer appreciation of how we truly are doing with respect to IDES. As you would expect, where leaders are knowledgeable and engaged in the process, we see better performance. It is a non-negotiable fact; leaders must own every part of this process. And, certainly your direct involvement as the senior leaders within your organizations is essential to fixing the kinds of complex problems associated with IDES.
At HQDA, we are committed to creating and fixing policies and systemic issues that can and need to be resolved at our level. For example, we recognize that the IDES process is still too complicated and cumbersome for commanders and Soldiers to understand. Therefore, I have directed the G1 and The Surgeon General to work together to publish an IDES Operational Handbook that will outline the entire IDES process. This guide will clearly define leader responsibilities during each phase of the process. We also recognize that due to the absence of a reliable tracking system, commanders and Soldiers alike lack visibility of where Soldiers are in the process as they transition through the system. As a result, transitioning Soldiers lack the predictability required to effectively plan for their future. To remedy this problem, I’ve directed the G1, The Surgeon General and the G6 to work together to develop an IT solution or “application” that will allow Soldiers, commanders, medical professionals, and Veterans Affairs representatives to effectively track Soldiers as they progress through the IDES process. We also recognize that part of the challenge is the magnitude of the population enrolled in IDES, particularly from our Reserve Components. And so, I have directed The Surgeon General to place additional providers at the Reserve Components Soldier Medical Support Center in Pinellas Park, Florida, on a temporary basis, to help better manage the elevated caseload.
There also are required fixes that will need your personal attention at the installation level and below. Our Physical Evaluation Board Liaison Officers (PEBLOs), Medical Evaluation Board (MEB) providers and Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) Adjudicators play central roles in the IDES process. How a Soldier or Family member perceives his or her experience in the IDES process is very much a reflection of the knowledge, skill and abilities of these professionals, as well as the degree to which they communicate with the Soldier. We must ensure this group knows the standards of performance expected of them, is proficient in their tasks, has the necessary resources to do their jobs effectively and are held accountable. The Surgeon General has published standards for all those who play a part in the IDES process. We need your help and oversight to ensure these standards are understood and enforced. As I stated earlier, the proof is evident in the ‘pockets of excellence’ we found at several of the installations we visited last week. Where leaders have established and enforced high standards and are holding individuals accountable for those standards, we are clearly seeing better results. Finally, we also expect commanders to do their part to help us hire and manage resources. For example, there needs to be more than two doctors on hand if a site is handling over 800 cases. Likewise, if we do not have enough PEBLOs, we need to hire more and ensure they are properly trained and held accountable based on the standards established by MEDCOM as well as hiring additional PEBLO Supervisors and a dedicated Installation IDES Director. Each of these individuals will also need to receive additional customer service focused training to strengthen their resolve in treating our Soldiers and Families with dignity and respect.
Some of the fixes that need to be made can be done relatively quickly (within 60 days); meanwhile, others will take longer to institute and start showing measurable results. But, the improvements to various processes, policies and procedures must be made and done in a timely fashion. Oversight is key to ensuring we stay on track and are in sync across the Force. I will continue to conduct monthly VTCs with senior commanders along with senior executives from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The objective of these VTCs is to identify challenges to achieve optimum performance standards; identify resources needed to achieve our performance standards; and share lessons learned and emerging best practices. In fact, at our next IDES VTC scheduled for 15 AUG 12, the ARSTAFF will share some of the emerging best practices we identified during our installation visits last week. As an example, TSG , in partnership with the Army G1 and the VA has recently fielded a new initiative to accept the VA generated conditions as dictated by the VA Compensation and Pension Exam as part of the medical board process vice having our MEB Providers having to re-do the examination. This will streamline the medical board clinical processes and will make the overall process less adversarial for Soldiers.
Finally, we must all do a better job of communicating with our Soldiers and their Families. While we must do what is necessary to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the IDES process, we must always keep sight of the fact that our overriding goal is to ensure we are providing the finest care and support to our people during what is an especially challenging period of transition for them. We must not lose sight of the fact that how we care for today’s Soldiers and Veterans will largely determine how the citizens of our nation view the Army and their willingness to serve in our ranks in the future. I am asking each of you, where appropriate, to personally get involved and help us improve the IDES process at every level. History has shown us repeatedly that when the leaders of our Army are engaged and focused, there is no challenge we cannot resolve successfully. We must do better; we will do better.
