For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
|
9 VA medical centers share data on patients
Question: Does the Department of Veterans Affairs use electronic information sharing?
Answer: Nine military medical centers are able to accept data from VA. The data exchanged includes demographic information on patients, outpatients' pharmaceuticals, laboratory and radiology test results and drug and food allergies. Called the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange, the VA-Department of Defense system permits the secure exchange of medical records, avoiding duplicate testing or even surgeries.
Q: Does the VA assist small veteran-owned businesses?
A: VA has a small and disadvantaged business utilization office that helps businesses obtain information. Like other federal offices, VA is required to place a portion of its contracts and purchases with small and disadvantaged businesses. For information, write the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, D.C., 20420-0001; call toll-free at (800) 949-8387 or visit www.va.gov/ osdbu.
The Center for Veterans Enterprise also helps veterans interested in forming or expanding small businesses and works with the Small Business Administration's Veterans Business Development Officers and Small Business Development Centers regarding veterans' business financing, management and technical assistance needs. For information, write the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the above address; call toll-free at (966) 584-2344 or visit the Web site, www.vetbiz.gov.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran, call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049 or visit the VA Web site at
www.va.gov/hawaii or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.