Roudebush VA hospital in Indianapolis leads U.S. health record system rollout INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The U.S. deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs on Thursday told Circle City Broadcasting that the VA’s new records system will lead to more efficient and convenient service for veterans. Dep uty Secretary Dr. Paul Lawrence visited the Roudebush VA Medical Center to celebrate the rollout of the system. In an exclusive interview with Circle City Broadcasting ahead of the rollout ceremony, he said the new electronic health record system eliminates the need for VA staff to search through multiple databases to access all patient information. He said doctors at every VA facility in the country will be able to access it. He said it will be similar to the setups already in place at civilian hospital systems. “Everything is all right there,” he said. “The information is right on one screen. They no longer have to search multiple systems copying, pasting, hunting. We want our doctors to practice medicine, not search through computers.” Lawrence said the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the system’s implementation. He said the system has been beta-tested at six VA medical centers already. The Roudebush, Fort Wayne and Marion medical centers are among the first group in the nationwide rollout, which will happen in stages over the next five years. The system will go live at those three medical centers this weekend. Lawrence said veterans shouldn’t notice any difference on their end, though their first appointment after the new system is implemented might take a bit longer. “We will ask our providers to talk to our veterans about the medicine they are receiving. Because all the medicines are transferred over but one final check will be, do we have all your medicines correct, and that’s really important for patient safety,” he said. Lawrence said the system will have two layers of security, one built in by its developer, Oracle, and another developed by the VA itself. Eventually, he said the system should reduce the amount of time doctors spend on paperwork, allowing more time to talk with veterans about long-term health and wellness. ...read more read less