Barrett Leads VA Subcommittee Field Hearing In Grand Ledge

Grand Ledge, Mich. - Today, Congressman Tom Barrett (MI-07), chair of the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, led a field hearing at the Grand Ledge Army Aviation Support Facility. The hearing entitled, "Delivering Quality and Modern Healthcare to Michigan's Veterans and Servicemembers," gave Barrett and Ranking Member Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) the opportunity to hear from local providers and key stakeholders about the importance of leveraging the right technology to deliver the best quality health care and benefits to veterans in Michigan and across the country.

Click here or the image above to watch Congressman Barrett's opening remarks.

Below are highlights from Barrett's remarks.

"When servicemembers sign up, when our sons and daughters go to war, they make a commitment to this country with the expectation that we will uphold our promise to them through high-quality VA health care access when they return home. When they walk through the doors at a VA hospital, or call to receive care in their community, that promise shouldn't fall through.

"The VA's piloting of EPS is one of many ways the VA has begun to fix the problem and uphold that commitment. Through EPS, providers agree to share their scheduling grids with the VA and allow VA schedulers to search and sort appointments by distance, drive time, and availability in a matter of minutes.

"With available community care appointments on one screen, a VA scheduler can book the appointment directly with a provider with just one call to a veteran. This allows them to spend less time scheduling each appointment and means schedulers can be more efficient and veterans, like the ones in this room, can get their appointments faster.

"EPS is now active nationwide in all VA medical centers, and I want to thank Secretary Collins for his work on delivering for our nation's veterans in this way. There are roughly 24,000 community care providers currently active in EPS, and that number will need to keep growing if the program is going to reach its full potential. While provider participation is critical, VA must also ensure that the technology is being utilized across the nation.

"Despite EPS's strong results, the prior administration repeatedly put roadblocks in front of the program, directly impacting veterans here in Michigan. In 2024, the Biden administration paused enrollment of community care providers, shut down active EPS sites, and halted nationwide expansion plans, all while citing budget shortfalls that never materialized. The damage went beyond veterans. VA also undermined trust with the community care providers we're trying to recruit to participate in this program who now are going to think twice before partnering with the VA again.

"When I first heard about this, I knew we needed to take action to get the program back on track - for good. That is why I, along with my fellow Midwesterner, Ranking Member Budzinski, introduced the bipartisan H.R. 3482, the Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act. The legislation would codify and expand VA's EPS program by authorizing a nationwide electronic scheduling process that allows VA staff to efficiently schedule appointments for veterans right away.

"This legislation would ensure that no matter who is in the White House, veterans are still able to access the quick appointments they have earned. My commonsense bill passed the House last month unanimously, and I am excited to see it included in the Take Care of America's Veterans Act. This package includes more than 60 other bipartisan bills to modernize, enhance, and reform the delivery of health care and benefits for veterans, and I look forward to President Trump signing this bill into law.

"This great effort will ensure EPS is not just a pilot or a 4-year program only available in certain communities - but rather a permanent capability for the betterment of veterans. VA has a real opportunity to improve veterans' lives with this technology, and I am proud to lead the charge on it."

Background:

Earlier this year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it had fully implemented the new External Provider Scheduling (EPS) system, a single digital interface that enables VA staff to simultaneously view available appointments at VA facilities and participating community care providers - health care providers outside the VA. Barrett's Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act (H.R. 3482) would make this system permanent and continue reducing wait times for veterans.

H.R. 3482 passed the House unanimously on May 19, 2026, and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. It was also included in a sweeping package that the House Veterans' Affairs Committee Majority introduced this week that includes over 60 bipartisan bills.

The seven witnesses that testified at today's hearing include:

• Andrew Gradison, Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health Administration;
• Dr. Mark Hausman, Chief Medical Officer, Veterans Integrated Service Network 10, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
• Zachary Schwartz, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Information and Technology, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• Carol Harris, Director, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, U.S. Government Accountability Office
• Jed Hansen, Co-Chair, Rural Veterans Health Special Interest Group, National Rural Health Association
• Major Michael A. Reeve (Ret.), Director of Veterans Affairs, Shiawassee County
• Ben Frederick, Associate Vice President of Advocacy & Government Relations, Memorial Healthcare