title: Lessons learned from the Veterans Health Administration.
abstract: Veteran Affairs (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States, treating close to five million patients annually through its 163 hospitals and 15,000 physicians (Kolonder 2003). Comparable in operational size to the province of Ontario, it is an efficient and innovative system for Canadians to learn from. In particular, the VHA is an excellent example of healthcare transformation through the use of information technology (IT).
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D007256:Information Systems; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D017749:Total Quality Management; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs