Legislation introduced by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) to improve care for Oregon veterans was signed into law on Wednesday.
President Trump today signed the VA MISSION Act, a legislative package that includes the VA Medical Scribe Pilot Act, a bill co-authored by Walden to help unburden VA doctors by bringing medical scribes into the VA system, which will allow them to see more patients in a timely manner.
“This legislation will help improve the care for veterans all across Oregon and America because it frees up doctors to do what they do best: take care of patients,” said Walden. “One thing I’ve learned traveling throughout Oregon and talking to veterans and VA officials is that there aren’t enough providers in the VA system to take timely care of our veterans. Research in the private sector has shown that allowing scribes to handle electronic health records allows the doctor to see more patients in a timely manner, and this bill will help bring that success to our veterans at the VA. I applaud President Trump for signing this commonsense plan into law, and look forward to working alongside the Administration to ensure the successful implementation of this program on the ground in Oregon and across the country.”
Medical scribes help relieve physicians of administrative burdens such as paperwork and record keeping, which helps doctors focus their attention on caring for patients. Studies have shown that the use of medical scribes in the private sector resulted in a 59% increase in the number of patients physicians see per hour.
