Rep. Tom Barrett, Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, recently visited two Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers in Michigan as part of an oversight trip ahead of the rollout of a new Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) system. Barrett toured the Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw and the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit to assess preparations for the upcoming implementation at four facilities in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula: Saginaw, Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Battle Creek.
During his visit, Barrett met with VA leadership, doctors, and nurses to discuss steps being taken to ensure a smooth transition to the new system. In a statement made during his time in Michigan, Barrett said: “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 aims to create a unified electronic health record system shared by both the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of War. This digital platform is designed so that health records follow service members from active duty through retirement under VA care…