1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Enhanced Veteran Healthcare Act of 2017 . 2. Covered agreements and contracts for mutually beneficial coordination, use, or exchange of health-care resources Section 8153 of title 38, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting , including pursuant to paragraph (4) before the period at the end; (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (4) In carrying out paragraph (1), in order to carry out more effectively the primary function of the Veterans Health Administration and notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Secretary shall seek to enter into covered agreements and contracts for the mutually beneficial coordination, use, or exchange of use of covered health-care resources of the Department with eligible academic affiliates with the goal of improving the access to, and quality of, the hospital care and medical services furnished by the Department. ; and (C) in paragraph (3)(A), by adding at the end the following new sentence: In the case of a covered agreement or contract under paragraph (4) for the coordination, use, or exchange of a clinical service, the use of medical equipment or space, research, the construction or lease of clinical space, the use of any full-time equivalent employee of the Department or a contractor of the Department or the use of any full-time equivalent employee jointly hired by the Department and an eligible academic affiliate, the Secretary shall make arrangements for the acquisition of the resource by using procedures other than competitive procedures.