Using the EMR model from Veterans Affairs

Policy discussion: I recently read an article in the Washington Post which states that the Veterans Health Administration operates the largest health-care system in our country and utilizes state-of-the-art records systems. Here's the excerpt:

There was no mention of the Department of Veterans Affairs' successful use of electronic medical records in the May 16 front-page story "The Machinery Behind Health-Care Reform."

The Veterans Health Administration operates the largest health-care system in the country and treats millions of veterans every year, all of whom benefit from the VA's state-of-the-art records system.

The VA's electronic medical records should be a model for care, yet they are rarely mentioned.

Citation: A Medical Records Model From Veterans Affairs, The Washington Post, p. A18 (May 23, 2009) (available in the Regional Edition)