VA and Department of War Join TEFCA Health Information Exchange Network Linking Over 2 Billion Records
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on November 5, 2026, that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of War (DOW) have joined TEFCA, the Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement, America's national health information interoperability network.
TEFCA helps patients, healthcare providers, public health authorities, and increasingly federal agencies securely share electronic health information. Since its launch in December 2023, nearly 25,000 organizations have gone live on TEFCA, representing nearly 110,000 unique connections to clinicians, hospitals, clinics, post-acute and long-term care facilities, and public health authorities, and more than 2 billion health records have been exchanged through the network.
VA and DOW are the latest in a series of federal agencies to join TEFCA. The Indian Health Service (IHS), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have all previously joined the network to carry out their missions.
"Many of America's veterans and warfighters receive care in multiple locations, making it critical for their providers to have access to secure, timely health information," said Thomas Keane, MD, MBA, National Coordinator for Health IT. "TEFCA will help ensure their providers can get up-to-date information no matter where they receive care."
"Participating in TEFCA represents a significant step forward in our shared commitment to Service members, Veterans, and their families," said Dr. Leslie Sofocleous, Director of the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) office. "Wherever our beneficiaries seek care - whether at a military treatment facility, a VA medical center, or a participating local hospital - their critical health information will travel securely with them across connected care settings."
James Perkins, Acting Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Medical Digital Solutions at the Department of War, said joining TEFCA helps ensure service members, their families, and veterans receive the best healthcare possible, and keeps the military a medically ready force. (Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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