A Sept. 25th editorial in the Des Moines Register called for the phase-out of the Veterans Affairs' healthcare system. The response in a guest column has given more ammunition, no pun intended, to the side in favor of specialized veterans care.
For the purpose of this discussion, let's set aside the obvious issue of veterans - a minority of the country's population - protecting U.S. citizens by putting themselves in harm's way. As a result of combat and their other duties, the men and women who serve in our armed forces and are harmed experience healthcare issues that are unique to their situation. This requires specialized care.
The editorial highlighted the cost of getting veterans to VA facilities, which are far and few between and spread across the country. While this is a fact, the VA's state-of-the-art EHR system helps make their care more efficient in terms of the appropriate use of healthcares services. The VA's system is far advanced than many of the EHR systems out in the market today. The VA is already experiencing the elimination of duplication of tests, better clinical decision support at the point of care and increased patient safety. Why dismantle their healthcare system, which has this invaluable infrastructure, and bring them to where the rest of the healthcare industry currently is?
The authors of the guest column, David Rehbein, past national commander of the American Legion; Jerry Sebben, state commander of the American Legion of Iowa; and John Derner, state adjutant of the American Legion of Iowa, understand the value of the VA's EHR.
It's time the rest of the general public understand how important its EHR is and how it can get the rest of the country to receive exceptional care in an efficient manner.
Photo by Digital Magic Photography courtesy of Creative Commons license.
