Veterans to Be Connected Electronically to Doctors They Choose for Medical Records

No longer will veterans have to carry files of papers to their doctors’ offices. A new program is making that a thing of the past. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched a new partnership to use health information exchange technology to improve the quality of care and delivery of medical treatment to local veterans, especially those returning from recent conflicts.

Western New York has been named one of 13 communities in the U.S. chosen by VA to participate in the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) Health Communities Program. The VLER Health program allows the exchange of information between healthcare systems that are members of a secure Internet network, known as the Nationwide Health Information Network (NwHIN), across the country. Through the VLER Health program, veterans can select parts of their medical records to be shared electronically, safely, and privately with other approved healthcare facilities where they have received treatment.

Participating physicians from VA, private practices and hospitals across Western New York will be able to get access to critical health information for their patients who are veterans through HEALTHeLINK, Western New York's clinical information exchange...