The modernization of Veterans Administration medical records looks to have an immediate impact in the Twin Cities starting next year.
VA Deputy Secretary Paul Lawrence tells Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News about what people will notice right away.
"The big change will be in our doctors," he says. "They'll spend less time looking for stuff and more time talking to our veterans about care. So ideally they'll spend much more time saying, 'wow, I had an extended conversation with my doctor because all the information was right there.' And he or she really was locked on what I needed help with."
Lawrence says the updated system provides an unbroken medical history that transitions seamlessly from active-duty service through VA care and private-sector community providers.
"Ideally what they'll see is the doctors spending much more time with them, not heading the screens," adds Lawrence. "And they'll see it's easier to order prescriptions and send a message to your provider. But by and large, it pretty much should be seamless."
Following a nearly two-year pause that ended in early 2026, the VA restarted deployments and aims to roll out the system to roughly 170 sites nationwide by 2031, with 26 additional deployments slated through 2027.
Lawrence says Minneapolis will have their records updated next May, leading to more one-on-one interaction with physicians and better overall care.
The platform aims to create a single, seamless medical record so clinicians can access a Veteran's complete history across active duty (Department of Defense), VA facilities, and participating community care providers without repeating tests or re-explaining medical backgrounds.
“This funding allows Minneapolis VA Medical Center to continue modernizing and improving, so our facility remains safe, efficient, and equipped to provide high-quality care for Veterans within our healthcare system. said Pat Kelly, Minneapolis VA Health Care System Director.
The project, originally valued around $10 billion, has seen estimates and contract ceilings swell significantly, with independent or congressional watchdogs projecting total investments running into tens of billions.
