Chairmen Frelinghuysen and Dent Applaud New Effort on a Joint Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Health Record System

Statement

House Appropriations Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Charlie Dent today applauded an announcement by the White House on a new effort for a joint Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs health record-keeping system.

"This decision has been a long time in coming," Chairman Frelinghuysen said. "I have personally discussed the mismatch between the Department of Defense medical records system and the Veterans Affairs system with the last several secretaries of both departments. To avoid interruptions in care or expensive redundancy, the Appropriations Committee has demanded that the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense use an identical or at least compatible or interoperable network. Today, with his decision, Secretary Shulkin confirmed that the time for action has arrived."

"The implementation of an effective electronic health record system that provides integrated service between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense has been a bipartisan priority and goal for a long time," Chairman Dent said. "My focus is to provide the best care possible for veterans, supported by a modern electronic health record system that best serves their needs as they transition from active to veteran status and protects their personal information in a cost-effective manner. As Secretary Shulkin has noted, a collaborative approach with Congress will be required to further assess this proposal, and I applaud this initial step forward. I look forward to continuing to work with Chairman Frelinghuysen, our colleagues, and the administration to fulfill the Committee's goal of delivering a system that serves our veterans and our service members alike."

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