Noteboom The Law Firm

VHA to Implement Advanced Technology in Effort to Streamline Operations

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a specific division-Veterans Health Administration (VHA)-that is responsible for managing the health care the VA provides.

The VHA is responsible for 152 hospitals and more than "1,000 other points of care," which include:

• 965 outpatient clinics;
• 133 community living centers;
• 96 rehabilitation treatment centers; and
• 278 walk-in readjustment counseling centers.

The VHA is attempting to implement a real-time location system (RTLS), which operates on radio frequency identification (RFID) and is used to identify and locate medical equipment. The system is set to be rolled out to every VA medical center across the country next year.

The undertaking itself is very ambitious and is part of a larger VA initiative. That initiative includes more than 10 developed plans, all designed to improve VA provided health care. RTLS is only one of those planned improvements, which all focus on turning VA care into a system of health care which is team-based and "veteran-centric."

The VHA network has 21 separate Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISNs) divisions. The VHA plans on using only one RTLS platform to cover all divisions so all divisions can communicate with each other despite likely having multiple providers. 

The VA is bringing in people from hospitals who have already deployed RTLS systems so as to make their integration even smoother. Other hospitals using this technology have saved millions of dollars in both expenditures and time saved searching for equipment.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.