Welcome to Standing Ready Episode 4 “Battlefields of Bureaucracy” An insightful discussion with Acting Undersecretary of Health, Dr. Richard Stone on the 75th Anniversary of the Veterans Health Administration. In 1946 when VHA was founded, the VA was facing serious challenges with providing health care for 16 million new Veterans. Today, 75 years later, the VA faces an entirely different health care challenge associated with responding to the COVID 19 pandemic. Dr. Stone reflects how has history inspired and challenged him, recalling VA’s first medical director Dr. Hawley and the challenges he faced in dealing with bureaucracy in order to ensure the best possible health care for Veterans. We also dig into what the future holds for VHA and Dr. Stone shares some of the exciting initiatives and innovations VHA is working towards.