Alaska VA to switch to Federal Electronic Health Record on Oct. 24

The Alaska VA Healthcare System will move from its current health record system to the Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) system on Oct. 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said.

To prepare Veterans, the system began a mass-mailing campaign on Sept. 21, according to the VA. Jennifer Price, acting director of Alaska VA Healthcare System, said letters are being sent by mail to each of the 23,000 Veterans enrolled in the system. She said the letters add to a yearlong multimedia campaign and are meant to reach Veterans in remote areas who may have limited connectivity.

The VA said the Federal EHR will provide a single, standardized lifetime health record that includes records from the Department of War, the U.S. Coast Guard, other federal partners and community providers. According to the department, Veterans leaving the military will not have to transfer their own records, and they may avoid repeat tests and exams because results will already be in the system.

Price said there may be disruptions to services such as prescription refills and appointment scheduling from about 10 days before the Oct. 24 go-live date until about six days afterward. She advised Alaska Veterans to get prescription refills and schedule appointments now.

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Originally published by True News: https://truenews.bagleyenterprises.net/stories/325