A.                 For Employees:  Work related instruction or other learning experiences that improve performance of current duties; assist employees in maintaining or gaining specialized proficiencies; and/or expand understanding of advances and changes in patient care, technology and health care administration.

B.                 For Patient Related Activities:  Instruction or other learning experiences for veterans, their families and guardians related to improving and maintaining the health of veterans.

A.        All requests for education activities require the approval of the Education Committee.  In their consideration of an activity, project or program, the Education Committee must consider the extent of its value to VA; its furtherance of the VA healthcare mission; its enhancement of the efficacy and efficiency of VA; its promotion of patient health, improvement of patient care, or improvement of employee performance. 

B.         Requests are submitted by using an Education Activity Request.  Accounts may be created for 1) receipt of funding from various donors or sponsors to support general educational needs of a group or individual or 2) for a specific activity.  General educational needs are typically the purchase of books or other training materials or support for attendance at a meeting. 

C.        All deposits must be accompanied by a certification that funds were not derived based on misuse of the person’s VA position.  Purchases may be made without Education Committee approval for every transaction, consistent with the description of the account initially approved by the Education Committee.