§ 1704 — Preventive Health Services: Annual Report

Not later than October 31 each year, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on preventive health services. Each such report shall include the following: (1) A description of the programs and activities of the Department with respect to preventive health services during the preceding fiscal year, including a description of the following: (A) The programs conducted by the Department— (i) to educate veterans with respect to health promotion and disease prevention; (ii) to provide veterans with preventive health screenings and other clinical services, with such description setting forth the types of resources used by the Department to conduct such screenings and services and the number of veterans reached by such screenings and services; and (iii) to provide veterans each immunization on the recommended adult immunization schedule at the time such immunization is indicated on that schedule. (B) The means by which the Secretary addressed the specific preventive health services needs of particular groups of veterans (including veterans with service-connected disabilities, elderly veterans, low-income veterans, women veterans, institutionalized veterans, and veterans who are at risk for mental illness). (C) The manner in which the provision of such services was coordinated with the activities of the Medical and Prosthetic Research Service of the Department and the National Center for Preventive Health. (D) The manner in which the provision of such services was integrated into training programs of the Department, including initial and continuing medical training of medical students, residents, and Department staff. (E) The manner in which the Department participated in cooperative preventive health efforts with other governmental and private entities (including State and local health promotion offices and not-for-profit organizations). (F) The specific research carried out by the Department with respect to the long-term relationships among screening activities, treatment, and morbidity and mortality outcomes. (G) The cost effectiveness of such programs and activities, including an explanation of the means by which the costs and benefits (including the quality of life of veterans who participate in such programs and activities) of such programs and activities are measured. (2) A specific description of research activities on preventive health services carried out during that period using employees, funds, equipment, office space, or other support services of the Department, with such description setting forth— (A) the source of funds for those activities; (B) the articles or publications (including the authors of the articles and publications) in which those activities are described; (C) the Federal, State, or local governmental entity or private entity, if any, with which such activities were carried out; and (D) the clinical, research, or staff education projects for which funding applications were submitted (including the source of the funds applied for) and upon which a decision is pending or was denied. (3) An accounting of the expenditure of funds during that period by the National Center for Preventive Health under section 7318 of this title.