Shared Training

1. The Health Executive Council (HEC) VHA/DoD Continuing Education and In-Service Training Workgroup History and AccomplishmentsCAPT Jaime Luke, NC, USNDoD Co-Chair for HEC WorkgroupSeptember 23, 2009

2. Shared Training FY 04-Congress encourages increase in sharing between VA & DoD FY 05-A VHA/DOD shared training pilot project was launched by the VHA Employee Education System (EES) FY 06-The shared training partnership between VHA/DoD was formalized with establishment of the Health Executive Council (HEC) VHA/DoD Cont Ed & Training Work Group (WG) FY 06-Membership of HEC WG composed of equal number of VA & DoD voting members, Co-Chaired by CAPT Jane Mead, NC, USN and the VHA Chief Learning Officer, SES, Dean Joy Hunter Today, the HEC WG is Co-chaired by CAPT Jaime Luke, NC, USN and Louise Van Diepen, SES,VHA Deputy Chief Learning Officer

3. Shared Training VHA/DoD Shared Training Plan • PURPOSE: Establish a robust shared training partnership between the VHA & DoD • GOAL: Maximize access to quality in-service training and continuing education for VHA/DoD staff, utilizing a minimum of additional resources. • PLAN: Plan is iterative and when feasible, utilizes existing resourcesand technology and procedures to provide robust shared training that contributes to a successful partnership.

4. Shared Training In the HEC WG’s first full year of operation in FY 06: • Developed a strategic shared training plan • Wrote $7.5M in funded grants to support shared training • Developed a report which assessed the distributed learning architecture in VHA & DoD • Implemented a satellite shared training program • Started sharing existing web-based training • Started co-development of training programs • Started efforts to identify “Communities of Practice” in support of the shared training venture

5. Shared Training DoD and VHA Shared Training Outcomes to date: • FY 04-Shared 80 programs with cost avoidance of $1.2M • FY 05-Shared 120 programs with cost avoidance of $2.4M • FY 06-Shared 254 programs with cost avoidance of $6M • FY 07-Shared 254 programs with cost avoidance of $7.5M • FY 08-Shared 396 programs with cost avoidance of $15M • FY 09-To date (Q3), Shared 269 programs with cost avoidance of $12M • **Cost Avoidance Definition**

6. Shared Training Current initiatives: • Managing the collaborative development of 100 hours of Pharmacy Tech web-based training ( $4M JIF grant) • Managing the acquisition and deployment of 40 hours of compliance training ($3.9M JIF grant) • Managing initiative to make training available to VHA through its “Interagency Shared Training Consortia” (VHA, IHS, CDC, HRSA, HHS, FEMA, EPA, DHS, FBP and USPHS) and available to DoD at no cost • Managing an initiative to implement a strategy to reduce the overlap in mandatory/required training for VHA & DoD staff who serve in both agencies • Managing a virtual “Grand Rounds” program to share high value clinical training with staff in VHA & DoD

7. Shared Training Current initiatives: • Conducting a pilot project to develop a standard operational and architectural format for the vetting of shared training within DoD (Army, Air Force, Navy) • Developing a strategy for joint acquisition of training resources from the private sector • Collaboration in the development of “Content on Demand” capability in TMA’s MHS Learn • Enhancing the VHA/DOD Facility Based Educators “Community of Practice” • Managing the development of a three-part Continuing Education and inservice curriculum for the North Chicago Federal Health Care Center (FHCC)

8. Shared Training FY 2010 Initiatives • A pilot project to refine a strategy for acquiring, vetting and deploying shared training programs from VHA to DoD (3 Services) via Interservice Training Office (ITO) in San Antonio, TX • Conduct a pilot project on the use of the VHA & DoD LMSs as a device for accurately quantifying the number of VHA & DOD personnel who participate in training  • Design, develop and deploy a three part in-service and continuing education training program for VHA DoD  staff at the North Chicago Integrated healthcare Facility (FHCC)

9. Shared Training FY 2010 Initiatives • Conduct a pilot project to refine a strategy for reducing the unnecessary overlap in mandatory training for VHA & DoD personnel who serve in both agencies   • Increase the number of web-based programs shared between VHA & DOD • Facilitate the increase in the number of continuing education and inservice training programs shared between VHA and DoD, which DoD learners can “Access on Demand” • Commence the modification of the three-part inservice and continuing education training program designed for the FHCC so that it can be deployed to selected VHA/DoD Joint Venture sites

10. Shared Training FY 2010 Initiatives • Establish an e-Newsletter and/or other communication methods on a quarterly basis   • Implement a strategy to increase the number of persons participating in the VA/DoD Facility Based Educators “Community of Practice” • Increase the clinical training curriculum offerings available to VHA & DoD staff in the form of a distance learning modality based virtual “Grand Rounds” program on MHS Learn • Commence developing a valid and reliable strategy for assessing the volume of shared training deployed at the facility level

11. Shared Training – Lessons Learned Lesson learned: • The effect of the VHA/DoD partnership is to enhance shared training modalities, resulting in more & better training being delivered in a more convenient and cost effective manner to staff • The number of shared training programs and the cost avoidance generated by them increases, as the shared training partnership evolves and matures • The collaboration of the partners results in efficiencies of scale allowing them to undertake training ventures beyond their reach individually