Over 20 years of successful experience with electronic health records makes the Veterans' Health Administration a great model for the public sphere, according to an attendee at Sunday's "Veteran-centric Care: Putting the Power of Technology and Patient Care at the Core" session at HIMSS09.

"Why reinvent the wheel when (the VA) has done some fantastic work," said Sean M. Lynch, MD, OB/GYN for Ashley Women's Center in Gastonia, N.C.

The VHA is a major contributor to the nation's healthcare system as the largest federal healthcare organization. Its use of the EHR and personal health record and other innovative technologies such as telehealth provides quality care to the nation's veterans, where the VA hopes to follow its members from first military enlistment into the VA system.

"Our mission is to provide the best care to the nations' veterans," said Madhulika Agarwal, MD, chief Patient Care Services Officer, Office of Patient Care Services, Veterans Health Administration.

With a budget of about $42 billion, the VA has 7.8 million enrollees and 727,000 of those participate in MyHealtheVet, an online PHR service available to veterans and their families and that is compatible with the VA's EHR.

Also, nationally, 94 percent of all VA prescriptions are submitted by computerized physician order entry (CPOE). The VA is considered the benchmark for CPOE.

A few key process changes the VA have implemented to help improve its system include: Universal primary care, moving from inpatient to outpatient care, and full implementation of EHR.

Five future goals given for the VHA's EHR during the educational session include:

1. Patient centric record
2. Seamless transition with the Department of Defense
3. Patient participation in care
4. Coordination and management of care - emergency room, ICU, homecare/telehealth
5. The ability to get care from any provider, anywhere.