VA to track vets from enlistment to grave

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VA to track vets from enlistment to grave

Seeking to enable a single, lifetime electronic health record, the Veterans Affairs Department adopted a 10-digit identifier to be used from enlistment to death.

Federal News Network Staff

August 12, 2010 10:52 am

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wfedstaff | June 3, 2015 12:38 pm

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The Veterans Affairs Department is moving forward with modernizing its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture – or VISTA – records system. Seeking to enable a single, lifetime electronic health record, the Veterans Affairs Department adopted a 10-digit identifier to be used from enlistment to death. VA’s CIO, Roger Baker, tells reporters the identifier will support data exchange between VA and the Defense Department, NextGov reports. The 2004 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 called for creation of a standard identifier for federal employees and contractors. In 2009, President Obama announced a the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record project for service members. Federal News Radio’s Scott Carr spoke with Baker about what’s next. This story is part of Federal News Radio’s daily DoD Report. For more defense news, click here.