The Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers (MACVSO) recently awarded the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) and MNIT the "2023 Outstanding Service, Assistance and Cooperation Award" for the Veterans Application Tracking System (VATS).

This award is given annually at the MACVSO fall conference banquet to an individual or an organization that provides outstanding service, assistance and cooperation to the body of the MACVSO in the pursuit of the best benefits and services that enhance the quality of life for Minnesota’s Veterans. Congrats to the team for being recognized for their hard work in serving our Veterans!

“This system has allowed CVSOs the ability to better serve our Veterans, helping to fast-track claims to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by an average of three weeks,” said Marty Howes, MACVSO Past President. “Well done, MDVA; thank you for continuing to lead the way for Minnesota’s Veterans!”

Working quietly behind the scenes, MDVA’s leadership team pondered how to help their staff receive claims from CVSOs more efficiently. Operating like a covert Special Operations Team was a select group of subject matter experts in claims, education and technology who developed and fielded a new system for claims workers on each end of the process. The team worked tirelessly for more than three years, from chalkboard diagrams to a fully functional portal to upload digital claims. This system has also been instrumental for Veterans who have applied for the /mdva/resources/familyassistance/911-service-bonus.jspPost 9/11 Service Bonus.

“This system has streamlined the process, proving its success year-over-year with multiple awards and recognitions,” said Ron Quade, MDVA Director of Veteran Services. “I am proud of the team who works day-in and day-out to continue to serve our Veterans and their families. In an ever-changing world of technology, MDVA strives to remain the leader and pave the way for the Veterans we serve and care for. We are forever grateful for our partnership with MNIT on developing this state-of-the-art system.”

This was the fifth award the VATS solution has received. Read more about the VATS system here.

Photo from left to right: MDVA Claims and Field Operations Employees: Ron Quade, Jon Albert, John Ecker and Jeff Burth.