When a Veteran needs to see a specialist, VA staff can now use the External Provider Scheduling (EPS) system to book the appointment directly with a participating provider using Epic. Most of the nation’s Veterans receive some of their care outside the VA, and the connection helps reduce scheduling time by replacing phone calls and faxes with a single booking.
“This work reflects what is possible when healthcare organizations unite around a shared purpose,” said Andrew Beck, system director of business development at Deaconess Health System, an early adopter of EPS. “By aligning organizations around a shared goal and embracing innovative solutions, we have improved access to high-quality specialty care for Veterans while redefining what integrated care delivery can achieve.”
When an organization connects to EPS, VA staff get real-time visibility into their scheduling system, allowing VA staff to book a Veteran’s appointment easily. The connection is open to any provider organization, regardless of which EHR they use. Epic organizations can join through integration with WellHive.
It’s the latest step in years of interoperability work between the VA, the Department of Defense, and the Epic community. In August 2026, organizations using Epic exchanged over 20 million patient records with the VA and Department of Defense. That means a provider treating a Veteran, service member, or military family member can see their full treatment history—and can make more informed care decisions.
Health systems using Epic can also check a patient’s Veteran status with the VA automatically. This helped care teams identify more than 300,000 Veterans in the past year and connect them to the benefits they’ve earned. The capability was created as part of the Veteran Interoperability Pledge (VIP), an initiative to help community providers recognize Veterans and coordinate their care. Most VIP members are organizations using Epic.
At the 2026 Open@Epic conference, VA Deputy Senior Advisor Howard Manuel, J.D. will kick off a panel discussion with Deaconess Health System and WellHive to discuss the benefits of interoperability between the VA and health systems, including EPS. Open@Epic brings together app developers, interoperability experts, and health systems to advance secure data sharing that helps patients live healthier lives.
