There has not been much good news coming out of Washington lately. But here is one nugget: a few weeks ago, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it had finalised plans to introduce a new integrated electronic health-record system.
This marks a big leap forward for the VA, which has hitherto kept its records in a fragmented manner. For the first time, it will be integrating its systems with those of the Department of Defence. This will ensure that, instead of sitting in limbo for months, records will be transferred as soon as servicemen and women leave the military.
“For almost two decades, Congress has been imploring the Department of Veterans Affairs not only to deliver on our promise to veterans, but also to innovate and modernise,” declared Jeff Dunham, a Republican congressman from California, writing in The Washington Examiner recently. “Now under new leadership, following years of frustration, corruption, scandal and abuse, the VA is taking the initiative to deliver the care and services that our veterans [need].”