VA and Defense Eye DISA Data Centers for Joint Health Record

The Veterans Affairs Department plans to use data centers operated by the Defense Information Systems Agency to store its electronic health records as part of a project to develop a joint record for both departments, VA Chief Information Officer Roger Baker disclosed this week.

At an information technology conference on Wednesday run by the TechAmerica industry group, Baker told Nextgov: "Part of the concept of a joint records system is if you're in the same data center, that's a start. If you're in the same data center with the same standards and the same platform ... pretty soon you have the same records."

DISA CIO Henry Sienkiewicz was also supportive. "We're more than comfortable on standing up whatever service the VA really wants us to," he said. "We're completely committed to making sure we have the right infrastructure in place" for the joint health record.