DANVILLE – A top federal official visited Danville this week to promote a new health record system for veterans.
Paul R. Lawrence is the second-in-command in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The deputy secretary, who was picked by President Donald Trump in 2025, said his top priority is the rollout of this electronic system. He said the portal veterans will log into is the same, but it will be easier for them and their health care providers to use.
“The veterans do not have to repeat, ‘Don’t you remember, I hurt myself in service?’ We see all that information,” Lawrence said.
“Our providers have the latest technology, so they’re not constantly searching across different records to find things, ordering tests that have already been done.”
Lawrence said the Federal Electronic Health Record system will go live in Danville next March.
He said he expects the national rollout to cost $37 billion and that it has been on schedule so far.
Nearly 29,000 veterans are served by the VA Illiana System in eastern Illinois and western Indiana.
Some workers lost their jobs there last spring during terminations by the Trump administration. They were then reinstated by court order. VA Illiana Health Care System Executive Director Staci Williams said there have not been any cuts to jobs since then.
Lawrence said the Department of Veterans Affairs cut administrative roles, but they are hiring providers. He said he hopes the new electronic system will contribute to that goal.
“We hope this will make us more competitive. Our vision is that one day folks will say, I could have worked at [the] Mayo [Clinic], but I came to the VA because what’s going on there is just so much better,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said he does not anticipate more job cuts.
