Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS) partners with Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs and participating providers to enable health information sharing for Servicemembers and Veterans
SPOKANE, Wash., June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS), one of the nation's most recognized health information networks, announced that the Spokane Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) pilot is now enabling the secure exchange of electronic health information using the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN) Exchange, improving the portability of health information to Veterans and active duty Servicemembers in the Spokane, WA area.
"The Spokane pilot is one more step taken to deliver a Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record for our Nation's Veterans and Servicemembers," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "This collaboration will enhance our ability to continue providing Veterans with high-quality medical care."
Since many of America's Veterans and active duty Servicemembers receive a portion of their health care outside of Department of Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense facilities, interoperability between federal agencies and the private sector is essential to provide the best care for Veterans, Service members, and their dependents.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology is helping to define the Nationwide Health Information Network standards, services and policies that enable the secure and private exchange of health information over the Internet. "It is exciting to see this expansion of the VLER program in Spokane with the support of INHS, knowing that it will improve the quality and efficiency of the healthcare our military receives," said Dr. Farzad Mostashari, National Coordinator for Health IT.
"We are honored to work with Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense and health providers, building on the success of other VLER pilots, to offer our community's active duty Servicemembers and Veterans an even more efficient health information delivery system," said Tom Fritz, CEO of INHS. "We look forward to future initiatives as our nation works to improve the quality and efficiency of the health care system."
The Spokane pilot went live on March 25. Veterans interested in more information about the pilot program can visit www.INHS.org/VLER or by calling 1-877-771-VLER (8537). For more information on INHS, please visit www.INHS.org.
SOURCE Inland Northwest Health Services (INHS)