The Defense Department has finished implementing the Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application, says William Winkenwerder Jr., the top Pentagon health official. The AHLTA is the DOD’s electronic health records system, providing a repository with information on all beneficiaries that will be accessible worldwide for military health care providers. The Pentagon plans to share AHLTA with the VA, replacing its Vista system, which Winkenwerder says “doesn’t have the capability to move the information around the world like AHLTA.” When both departments are using the same system, he said that “medical information can move seamlessly from the battlefield to any medical facility in the world.” After DOD and VA announced Jan. 24 a record sharing agreement, Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, promptly fired off a letter asking for particulars. He is not impressed with the speed of this conversion, among other things.
Top Lawmakers Want 15 Percent Pay Raise for Enlisted Troops
April 19, 2024
A new law introduced by Congress would raise the pay rate 15 percent for junior enlisted troops and seek improvements on a range of quality of life issues, such as pay and compensation, child care, housing, health care access, and military spouse employment.