VA is implementing the new Federal electronic health record (EHR) system to store and track patient medical information. This effort is known as VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM). The Federal EHR is now in use at six VA medical centers (VAMCs) and their 25 associated clinics and serves more than 275,000 Veterans. The department expects to resume pre-deployment activities at future sites in fiscal year 2025.
Creating a seamless health care experience
The new, common Federal EHR will provide a single, accurate, lifetime health record for Veterans and include their health records from the Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), and other federal partners. For Veterans, this will result in improved standardization of health care delivery, patient care quality, and safety. The modernized EHR also supports a more coordinated experience for VA staff and clinicians as they care for Veterans and will improve interoperability with the rest of the American health care system.
Connecting with community care providers
The Federal EHR connects with over 90% of U.S. hospitals and more than 100,000 participating provider organizations through the joint Health Information Exchange (HIE), including the CareQuality platform. Launched in partnership with DoD and the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) office in April 2020, the joint HIE allows providers to quickly and securely access patient data from participating community partners and health systems. These partners also now have their own single point of entry for accessing patient records from VA, DoD, USCG, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) when needed.
By the numbers
VA first launched the Federal EHR at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center and its associated clinics in Spokane, Washington, and the West Consolidated Patient Account Center in Las Vegas in October 2020. VA then deployed in 2022 at facilities in Walla Walla, Washington; Columbus, Ohio; and Roseburg and White City, Oregon. In March 2024, the Federal EHR was deployed at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, a complex level 1 joint VA and DoD facility in North Chicago, Illinois. The below statistics show the number of VA sites and end users who are currently using the Federal EHR to care for Veterans.
