Apr 15, 2026
WASHINGTON – The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) commends the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for resuming deployment of its Federal Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, with new implementations now live across multiple VA medical centers in Michigan.
Announced in an April 13 VA news release, the Federal EHR system officially went live April 11 at VA facilities in Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Detroit and Saginaw, marking a critical step forward in modernizing veterans’ health care delivery.
“The VFW has long supported the modernization of VA’s health record systems because veterans deserve a seamless, integrated and accessible health care experience,” said VFW National Commander Carol Whitmore. “This rollout represents meaningful progress toward that goal, and we are encouraged to see VA taking a deliberate, improved approach after addressing earlier challenges.”
According to VA, the Federal EHR system aims to create a unified, interoperable record between the Department of Defense, VA and private-sector providers. Developed through a partnership with Oracle Health, this modernization is expected to reduce redundant testing, improve care coordination and allow clinicians to spend more time with patients instead of navigating outdated systems.
The VFW has consistently advocated for the deployment of a modern electronic health record system that ensures continuity of care for service members transitioning to veteran status and throughout their lifetime. While the organization previously raised concerns about early implementation issues, it has remained steadfast in its belief that a properly executed system is essential to delivering 21st-century care.
The VFW was most critical of VA’s past outreach efforts to veterans in affected communities, which stifled past roll-out efforts where veterans did not know what to expect from the transition or how the initiative would benefit them in the long term. VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence, who is responsible for the rollout, took this concern seriously and worked to personally oversee the outreach efforts leading up to the recent rollout.
The VFW Department of Michigan also leaned forward to support the outreach effort, hosting multiple outreach events over the last few months at VFW Posts in the state where Lawrence, other VA leaders and Oracle Health met directly with Michigan’s veterans. These events culminated the night before last week’s rollout when VA Deputy Secretary Lawrence sat with Michigan veterans at VFW Post 6691, Fraser, Michigan, and discussed the benefits to be expected by veterans from full implementation of the Federal EHR.
The organization is also helping facilitate feedback from veterans to both VA and Oracle to ensure the system is responsive to the needs of the veteran community.
“Our role is to be the voice of the veteran,” said VFW Department of Michigan State Commander Reinold Yahnka. “The VFW Department of Michigan is proud to stand alongside VA and its partners to make sure this rollout works for those it is intended to serve. That means educating veterans, identifying issues early and ensuring accountability every step of the way.”
The Michigan deployment is the first of 13 planned Federal EHR implementations in 2026, part of an accelerated schedule to bring a single, unified health record system to VA facilities nationwide. The VFW looks forward to playing a consistent role in VA and Oracle’s proactive outreach to ensure a smooth transition to best serve veterans.