Filner Says “Hallelujah” to President Obama’s Plans to Develop Joint Electronic Medical Records Between VA and Pentagon

“A Matter of Life and Death”

Washington, D.C. – House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA) released the following response to President Obama’s press conference on veterans’ health care:   

“After decades of much talk and little action, today the President reinforced his strong commitment to solve the issues that confront veterans during their transition from military service to civilian life.  President Obama ordered the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to work together to define and build a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic record that will ultimately contain administrative and medical information from the day an individual enters military service throughout their military career, and into the veteran phase of life. 

Transmission of electronic medical records between the Pentagon and VA is critical for the continuum of care of our wounded warriors and today’s announcement represents a quantum leap forward to modernizing how health care is administered and benefits are granted.  This information sharing is a matter of life and death for our veterans.

“I join the President in his desire for a 21st Century VA – and it begins with providing a timely and predictable flow of funding.  I applaud President Obama’s commitment to a strong budget in order to provide the medical care our veterans are owed and deliver the benefits our veterans have earned.  President Obama has proven that veterans are a top priority by requesting a record veterans’ budget, and I am confident that under the leadership of VA Secretary Shinseki, we will restore and revitalize the services provided to veterans.”