,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bibb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #aa1      
#bjaf,mr4 ,whitehouse introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to provide for partnerships and         
contracts between the ,secretary of     
,veterans ,affairs and eligible academic
 affiliates for the mutually beneficial 
coordination1 use1 or exchange of       
health-care resources1 and for other    
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,enhanced ,veteran  
,healthcare ,act of #bjaf4  #b4         
,partnerships and contracts with        
academic affiliates for mutually        
beneficial coordination1 use1 or        
exchange of health-care resources       
,section #haec7;a7 of title #ch1 ,united
 ,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in   
paragraph 7#a71 by inserting 1 including
 pursuant to paragraph 7#d7 before the  

period at the end2  7#b7 in paragraph   
7#c77;,a7--  7,a7 by striking 7,a7 ,if  
the health-care resource and inserting  
7,a77i7 ,if the health-care resource2   
and  7,b7 by adding at the end the      
following new clause3  7ii7 ,in the case
 of a partnership or contract entered   
into under paragraph 7#d7 for the       
coordination1 use1 or exchange of a     
clinical service1 the use of medical    
equipment or space1 research1 the       
construction or lease of clinical space1
 the use of any full-time equivalent    
employee of the ,department or          
contractor of the ,department1 or the   
use of any full-time equivalent employee
 jointly hired by the ,department and an
 eligible academic affiliate1 the       
,secretary shall make arrangements for  
the acquisition of the resource by using
 procedures other than competitive      
procedures4  2 and  7#c7 by adding at   
the end the following new paragraphs3   
7#d7 ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 in
 order to carry out more effectively the

 primary function of the ,veterans      
,health ,administration and             
notwithstanding any other provision of  
this section1 the ,secretary shall seek 
to enter into partnerships or contracts 
with eligible academic affiliates for   
the mutually beneficial coordination1   
use1 or exchange of use of covered      
health-care resources of the ,department
 with the goal of improving the access  
to1 and quality of1 the hospital care   
and medical services furnished by the   
,department4  7#e7 ,in this subsection3 
7,a7 ,the term covered health-care      
resource means1 with respect to covered 
agreements or contracts1 any clinical   
service1 direct patient care1 space     
7whether leased or constructed7 used for
 clinical services or research1 and     
employees responsible for providing     
direct patient care4  7,b7 ,the term    
eligible academic affiliate means an    
accredited school of allopathic         
medicine1 osteopathic medicine1 or      
dentistry1 a university health sciences 

center1 or a teaching hospital          
affiliated with such a school or center4
  4