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Electronic Health Record Modernization

VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and its community-based outpatient clinics will be transferring to a new electronic health record (EHR). This is a Veteran-centric approach that will better support service members as they transition from military service to Veteran status

Temporary Downtimes: Before and after launch, certain digital tools will experience planned downtimes. Please see below for details on the affected systems, the dates they will be unavailable, and when services will be restored.

  • Secure Messaging:

    Pauses April 4
    Resumes April 13
  • Pharmacy Phone System

    Renewals pause April 6
    Refills pause April 10

    Both services resume April 11


Pharmacy (734) 769-7100, press 1
Scheduling (734) 845-5500

Online Prescription Refills:

Pauses April 7
Resumes April 13

Can still be processed: in-person, mail refill slip, or over the phone.

Reminder Texts & Calls:

Pauses April 6
Resumes June 6

No automated reminders for prescriptions during this period

Patient Advocate(734) 222-7100Pharmacy(734) 769-7100, press 1Community Care(734) 222-8936Scheduling(734) 845-5500VA Health Connect - 24/7 help with pharmacy, scheduling, messaging, and nurse triage833-940-162472 Hour ER Notification - Report any non-VA emergency room visit or hospital admission within 72 hours844-724-7842MyVA411 - one stop phone line to access all VA benefits and services and verify eligibility800-698-2411Urgent Care Locator - Always confirm with the urgent care clinic that they are in-networkva.gov/find-locations/

What's new?

  • VA News: EHRnie the Eagle takes flight to boost EHRM awareness

  • Modernizing Medical Records; Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence Interview with WYSO Public Radio

  • Dr. Neil Evans discusses the Federal EHR deployments with GovCIO

ERM logo with stars, blue and yellow shield, "One Team, One Mission, One Electronic Health Record."

What do Veterans need to know?

You can prepare for the transition to the Federal EHR by ensuring your information, including communications preferences and contact information, is updated in your VA profile at VA.gov. Sign in to your VA profile using your Login.gov or ID.me account to confirm your information is accurate before the Federal EHR launches at your facility.

Legal name changes should be reported to your VA facility alongside a copy of your current photo ID. Learn more at How to change your legal name on file with VA.

If you receive pay from DoD and have changed your legal name, you must also update your information in your DoD personnel record for those changes to appear in DEERS and the Federal EHR. For more information on making DoD updates, visit How do I change my name in my DEERS record?

Learn about other things you can do to prepare for the transition to the Federal EHR.

 

What is an electronic health record?

An electronic health record, or EHR, is a technology health care teams use to store and track patient information. It is a digital version of a patient’s chart and health record. Health care teams, including medical staff and schedulers, access the chart with a computer instead of on paper. EHRs use a secure internet connection to make patient information accessible to any provider who is treating the patient, regardless of the connected facility the patient visits.

What is EHR Modernization?

VA’s legacy EHR system, Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA)/Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), has been used since the 1980s and operates differently at every VA facility. Because of this, CPRS at one facility cannot easily talk to CPRS at another facility, and it also cannot easily talk to the EHR that DoD uses. VA is transitioning each VA medical center from VistA/CPRS to a standardized Federal EHR system that can securely and effectively share information between VA, DoD, other federal agencies, and participating community care providers. Veterans deserve an EHR integrated across all VA and DoD components, which is exactly what VA will deliver with the Federal EHR.

What do Veterans need to know?

Veterans can prepare by ensuring their communications preferences, contact information, and addresses are updated in their VA profile at VA.gov before the Federal EHR launches at their facility. 

If you’re a Veteran, family member, caregiver, or survivor who receives health care or direct benefit payments from VA and have changed your legal name, you must update your information in DoD’s Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).   For more information on making updates, visit How do I Change My Name in My DEERS Record?

Veterans will continue to use the My HealtheVet on VA.gov patient portal. You can manage your VA health care in the same place you manage your other VA benefits and services. No action is needed at this time. Learn more about My HealtheVet on VA.gov.

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