House Appropriations Committee lawmakers grilled senior Pentagon officials Wednesday for their inability to implement veterans medical record reforms, The Washington Examiner reported.
The lawmakers castigated the officials for an ongoing inability for DOD and VA personnel to digitally share medical records, among other medical records system reforms that remain unfulfilled.
“In the meantime, we’ve got young veterans dying, going blind, suffering interminable illness because of bureaucratic crap,” Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said.
Rogers said one of his constituents, an injured Iraq War veteran, lost sight in both of his eyes due to the flawed medical records system.
Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan addressed the problem during the hearing, acknowledging there remains a degree of interoperability between DOD’s and VA’s medical record systems when it comes to basic biographical data.
“We recognize that we owe to our servicemen and women to take care of them,” Shanahan said. “I mean, you have that commitment from me.”
Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) said the delays have “incensed and infuriated” many on the committee.
Army photo by Sgt. Micah Merrill
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