Electronic Health Record Modernization
VA Indiana Healthcare System and its associated clinics will transition to a new electronic health record (EHR) in 2026 called the Federal EHR. This is the same system that the Department of Defense (DoD) uses, and it will better support service members as they transition from military service to Veteran status.
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.
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 at [site name] 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.