Last week, Representative Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), who serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, visited two Michigan Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers to assess preparations for the upcoming Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) rollout. Barrett met with VA leadership, doctors, and nurses at both the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw and the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit. The new electronic health record system is scheduled to be implemented this spring at four facilities across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula: Saginaw, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Battle Creek.
During his visit, Barrett emphasized the importance of a smooth transition to the new system. “The goal of the VA’s new Electronic Health Record system is to streamline and improve health care for veterans while reducing burdens on the doctors and nurses who provide it. Unfortunately, we know from previous rollouts that a bumpy transition can cause frustrating delays and unacceptable disruptions instead,” said Rep. Barrett. “We can’t let that happen in Michigan’s VA hospitals. I’m grateful to Director Tony Colon and the team at the Saginaw VA for taking this transition seriously and filling me in on the steps they are taking to guarantee a smooth rollout,” Rep. Barrett continued. “I also appreciated hearing directly from Dr. Raghu Matta and the leadership team at the Detroit VA about their preparations to ensure the transition goes smoothly for our veterans. I look forward to our continued partnership before, during, and after the initial rollout. As we approach the go-live date, I’ll continue conducting the necessary oversight to ensure the VA delivers for our veterans.”
The EHRM program is designed to create a unified digital health record system shared by both the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of War, allowing service members’ records to follow them from active duty through retirement when they enter VA care.
Earlier implementations of EHRM at other facilities have faced technical challenges that made accessing up-to-date patient records difficult for providers.
As chairman overseeing technology modernization efforts within veterans’ healthcare services, Barrett has held several hearings with top officials from Veterans Affairs regarding these transitions.
