Digital Government
GI Bill Payments Offered Online
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki <a href=http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1790>announced</a> that starting on Friday veterans who have not yet received their GI bill payments for school tuition and housing will be able to apply online off the <a href=http://www.va.gov/>VA's Web site</a>, which also has further details on the emergency payment program.
Digital Government
The Social Networking Draft Directive
As I <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090929_3750.php?oref=topstory>reported yesterday</a>, a draft of a new Defense Department social network policy that made its way to the Whats HQ in Las Vegas, N.M., will allow troops to Twitter away on Defense networks almost unfettered as long as they follow a few simple rules.
Digital Government
Interagency office put in charge of DoD/VA lifetime e-record project
Some express concern about team's sweeping joint mission, especially in the absence of a permanent director.
Digital Government
Filippi to Run Data Exchange?
I've picked up low to medium strength signals that <a href=http://wid.ndia.org/PDF/9WI3_Filippi_Debra_OSD_BIO.pdf>Debra Filippi</a>, the Defense Department's information sharing executive, has emerged as a likely candidate to run the joint interagency program office in charge of sharing information -- including <a href=http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/09/interoperability_deadline_looms.php>electronic health information</a> -- between the Defense and the Veterans Affairs Department.
Digital Government
Defense to allow troops, family members to use social network sites
Soon-to-be-released memo lifts bans on the use of Facebook, Twitter and other sites, saying the tools provide an information advantage for the military and its allies.
Digital Government
Interoperability Deadline Looms
The Defense and the Veterans Affairs departments are supposed to achieve full interoperability of their electronic health record systems come Wednesday. The meshing of the systems was mandated by the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. I hear the joint Defense/VA interagency program office is working right up to the deadline.
Digital Government
New refueling jets to be fully loaded with high-tech equipment
Air Force's fleet of tankers will provide Internet access, texting, satellite communications and GPS navigation on unclassified and classified networks, including connections for medics' laptops.
Digital Government
VA to issue emergency payments to vets for education benefits
Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki authorized on Friday emergency payments of up to $3,000 to student veterans who have not received a payment this semester under the post-9/11 GI bill.
Digital Government
The Tip of the 9/11 GI Bill Iceberg
Top officials of the Veterans Affairs Department revised the figures they <a href=http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090923_3317.php>put out yesterday</a> on payments it has made to veterans under the post-9/11 GI bill, and said that of today, only 24,186 vets have received checks, or roughly 12 percent of the 200,000 claims it expected to receive by the end of the summer.
Digital Government
A Paging System In a Library?
Remember when libraries were cathedrals of quiet, a bygone era when even a whispered conversation resulted in a stern look from a no-nonsense librarian?
Digital Government
VA says it has processed less than half of GI bill education benefits
With a claims backlog in the thousands, some student vets are concerned tuition and housing payments will arrive too late, forcing them to negotiate to stay in school.
Digital Government
A Warm Farewell to Rob Kolodner
After 31 years of service, Dr. Rob Kolodner, National Health IT coordinator from 2006 until this year -- and before that a 28 year stint at the Veterans Affairs Department capped by a tour as chief health informatics officer in Veterans Health Administration -- retires from the federal nest today.
Digital Government
U.S. lags the world's top adopters of electronic health records systems
Report urges the government to adopt Scandinavian policies to increase use of the systems, but acknowledges the task here will be greater.
Digital Government
Hospital Exec Tapped for VA Health Job?
Well-informed folks have told me that <a href=http://www.ssmhc.com/internet/home/ssmcorp.nsf/46a13372d66f8fe8862569f50053bbaa/777fc0898ff3324a862573cd007b92f4?OpenDocument>William Schoenhard</a>, who until this August served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of St. Louis-based SSN Health Care has the inside track as the new head of the Veterans Health Administration.
Digital Government
Will Schools Go Easy on Vets?
I'm picking up strong signals that the Veterans Affairs Department has started contacting colleges and universities around the country to determine whether or not they will throw veterans off campus if the schools do not receive timely tuition payments as promised under the post-9/11 GI bill.
Digital Government
Meyerriecks Intel Acquisition Director
Dennis Blair, director of national intelligence, <a href=http://www.dni.gov/press_releases/20090917_release.pdf>announced</a> on Thursday that he selected Dawn Meyerriecks, a former AOL executive and former chief technology officer at the Defense Information Systems Agency, as the new deputy director of national intelligence for acquisition and technology.
Digital Government
Ft. Huachuca Does It Manually
Most technologically advanced organizations monitor and log traffic on network servers automatically. That's not the case at the Army's <a href=http://www.huachuca.army.mil/site/Visitor/index.asp>Fort Huachuca</a> in Arizona.
Digital Government
The $75B Intelligence Budget
Talking to reporters yesterday about the new <a href="http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20090915_2113.php">National Intelligence Strategy</a>, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair <a href="http://www.dni.gov/interviews/20090915_interview.pdf">said</a> the strategy would serve as a blueprint for a 200,000 person strong, $75 billion national intelligence enterprise.
Digital Government