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House subcommittee: scheduling software cuts booking time but remains limited to a fraction of VA sites
Summary
Witnesses told the House Veterans Affairs subcommittee that the External Provider Scheduling (EPS) tool reduces time to book community-care appointments but is active at only a fraction of VA medical centers; witnesses and members flagged provider enrollment, staff readiness, and security integration as remaining barriers to national rollout.
The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization heard testimony May 5 on the Department of Veterans Affairs' External Provider Scheduling program, or EPS, with VA and contractor witnesses saying the technology can shorten appointment scheduling but has been adopted at only a portion of VA medical centers.
"EPS allows VA staff to schedule veterans directly into available Community Care Provider appointment slots through a single user interface," said Dr. Lisa Arfons, acting deputy assistant undersecretary for health for integrated veteran care at the VA. "By providing detailed information on who, where, how, and when care is available, EPS helps veterans make timely and informed decisions about their health care."
The program's potential is already measurable where it is used, witnesses said. VA testimony to the panel said community-care referrals have grown in recent years; Dr. Arfons said that as of March the VA had provided more than 39.6 million community-care referrals to more than 5.4 million…
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