Metro East Sun

Rep. Tom Barrett, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, addressed the need for improvements in accessing community care through the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) enhanced scheduling technology at a recent oversight hearing. The focus was on ensuring veterans receive timely healthcare services.

Barrett highlighted inefficiencies in the current system where VA staff rely heavily on phone calls to schedule appointments, a process that can take weeks and delay care for veterans. "It’s inefficient—and it’s unsustainable," he stated.

The VA's External Provider Scheduling (EPS) aims to streamline this process by providing direct access to providers' appointment availability. EPS allows schedulers to book appointments with fewer calls, reducing scheduling time significantly—often under four minutes per appointment.

However, EPS is currently active in only about 20% of VA medical centers and involves around 5,000 providers. Barrett emphasized the importance of expanding provider participation and expressed concern over delays caused by administrative decisions during the Biden Administration which paused recruitment and deactivated some sites.

"Despite EPS’s promising results, the Biden Administration repeatedly placed roadblocks in front of the program," Barrett noted. He urged for strong leadership from the Trump administration to expand EPS nationwide and enhance its capabilities.

The subcommittee seeks to ensure that technological advancements like EPS are fully utilized to improve veterans' access to care without unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.