Richmond, Va.-based MedVirginia became only the second health information exchange in the nation to begin testing the virtual lifetime electronic record (VLER) earlier this month when it started sharing medical records with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, reports Government Health IT.
The announcement means that the VA and DOD now have access to the medical records of service members who have been treated at various private civilian health systems throughout Virginia. Overall, the effort is part of a push by the Obama administration to create a single system for tracking military members' patient records throughout their lives.
"We are very pleased to partner with the DOD and VA for the betterment of healthcare for Wounded Warriors and Veterans in Hampton Roads and beyond," MedVirginia CEO Michael Matthews said in a statement. "This is an important milestone given how often military personnel and veterans receive some portion of their care in the private sector."
Certain private physicians now also will be able to request information on their military patients. Dr. Maryam Rostami, a doctor with Bon Secours' Eagle Harbor Medical Associates, one of four healthcare centers in the Hampton Roads area with added connectivity to MedVirginia, called the added capabilities "fantastic."
"I treat many veterans and service members," Rostami said, according to a MedVirginia press release. "With a simple query from my desktop I can easily access summary medical records that previously were challenging and time consuming to obtain."
San Diego boasts the only other operational VLER pilot in the nation. Three more are in development, according to Government Health IT, in Spokane, Wash.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and in rural Utah.
To learn more:
- read the Government Health IT article
- here's the MedVirginia press release