The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making a significant stride toward improving U.S. veterans' access to integrative care, including acupuncture, through the rollout of external provider scheduling (EPS). This new cloud-based tool modernizes VA scheduling and drastically simplifies community care coordination. EPS allows VA schedulers to book approved appointments directly into a community provider's system in real time, which includes referral numbers. This streamlined process reduces the administrative burden on practitioners by eliminating delays from phone calls and faxes. The service is provided at no cost to the provider, integrates with over 150 electronic health record (EHR) systems, and ensures patient record security by not accessing or storing files. Importantly, providers retain full control over the appointment slots shared with the VA. A mandatory requirement for acupuncturists seeking VA credentialing is active NCCAOM board certification, ensuring veterans receive care from providers meeting the highest national standards. The NCCAOM and the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA) are encouraging all qualified providers to explore participation to expand access to safe and effective care for those who have served.
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Acupuncture Today is the only national publication serving licensed acupuncturists and doctors of traditional medicine. It is the most complete resource for news and product information in this profession for 20+ years. AT reaches 30,000+ doctors and students of acupuncture and traditional medicine through our print and online editions each month.