Just a Little Thing

Because government employees really do find ways to not just save taxpayer dollars, but to do it in ways that makes the system work better and improves people's lives.

Congratulations, Nancy Fichtner on becoming the first-ever winner of the President’s SAVE Award — a contest for Federal employees to come up with the best idea to save taxpayer dollars and make the government perform more effectively and efficiently. Since voting began on Monday, we received 84,670 and your idea was picked from the “final four” as the winner. On Monday, December 21, Nancy will present her idea to President Obama at the White House.

We congratulate Nancy on this accomplishment and also salute the thousands of Federal employees who submitted their ideas as well. Their initiative proves that often the best ideas come not from management, but from those on the frontlines. Over the coming months, we hope to implement many of these excellent ideas as we seek to instill a new sense of responsibility for every tax dollar.

Thank you again for your participation and please stay tuned for more information about the winner’s visit to the White House.

The winning idea:

Nancy Fichtner from Colorado thinks that veterans leaving VA hospitals should be able to take the medicine they’ve been using home with them instead of it being thrown away when they’re discharged.

As is the case in most hospitals all across the country, medicine that is used in the hospital is not given to patients to be brought home; instead, it is thrown out. “Currently the inpatient medications such as ointments, inhalers, eye drops, and other bulk items are being disposed of upon patient discharge.” Nancy proposes ending this waste and finding a way to allow this medicine to be used by those who need it.

See the video and read Nancy Fichtner's description of meeting President Obama here.