The VA National Bed Control System records the levels of operating, unavailable and authorized beds at each VAMC, and it tracks requests for changes in these levels. For changes in operating, unavailable and authorized bed levels, the Director of a Medical Center or his/her authorized delegate enters a bed change request into the Bed Control Database. A Bed Control Database trigger automatically notifies the respective Veterans Integrated Support Network (VISN) director. The VISN director's designated staff reviews the request and either approves, disapproves, or cancels it through the Bed Control Database. If a medical center request is approved by the VISN director, a Bed Control Database trigger notifies staff in the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management (10N) to review and take action, followed by the appropriate VHA Program Office and then the Under Secretary for Health. Once a request has been approved, cancelled, or disapproved by either the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management, VHA Program Office, or the Under Secretary for Health, the medical center director and the appropriate VISN director are automatically notified of the action. The approval process is tracked and visible to the authorized user of the system. When changes are approved, the database updates its bed level information accordingly. Pertinent justification and documents associated with each bed change request are stored in the database.

The Resident Assessment Instrument/Minimum Data Set (RAI/MDS) is a comprehensive assessment and care planning process used by the nursing home industry since 1990 as a requirement for nursing home participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The RAI/MDS provides data for monitoring changes in resident status that are consistent and reliable over time. The VA commitment to quality propelled the implementation of the RAI/MDS in its nursing homes now known as VA Community Living Centers (CLC). In addition to providing consistent clinical information, the RAI/MDS can be used as a measure of both quality and resource utilization, thereby serving as a benchmark for quality and cost data within the VA as well as with community based nursing facilities. Workload based on RAI/MDS can be calculated electronically by the interactions of the elements of the MDS data and grouped into 53 categories referred to as Resource Utilization Groups (RUG-IV). Residents are assessed quarterly. The data is grouped for analysis at the Austin Information Technology Center (AITC). Conversion to electronic data entry and transmission to the AITC was completed system-wide by year-end 2000. In 2010, the Centeres for Medicare and Medicaide Services released a significantly upgraded version, MDS 3.0, to begin to be implemented on October 1, 2011 in VHA CLCs. Training is underway currently. The MDS 3.0 will generate a new set of Quality Indicators and Quality Monitors as well the RUGs will increase to 64 RUGs from the current 53 RUG groups.

This database is part of the National Medical Information System (NMIS). The Patient Treatment File (PTF) contains a record for each inpatient care episode provided under VA auspices in VA and non-VA facilities nationwide. Each episode contains data on admission, diagnosis, procedures, surgical episodes, and disposition (discharge) information and Diagnostic Related Group (DRG). Each transfer is recorded to allocate days of care properly to the service(s) responsible for that care. Recurring and special purpose reports are used for studies on patient movement trends, diagnostic frequency, workload, budget preparation, Diagnostic Related Group (DRG) assignment and accreditation requirements. Reports are available for online access via Roger's Software Development's (RSD) Online Report Viewing. Several large data files are installed on-line at the Austin Information Technology Center for remote access. Selected data can be downloaded to perform end user processing, including report generation. Information is received from a variety of modules in Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture. This batch system is written in Common Business Oriented Language and ALC. Processing is done on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.

The Foreign Medical Program (FMP) is a health care benefits program designed for US Veterans with Veterans Affairs-rated service-connected conditions that are residing or traveling abroad (Canada and Philippines excluded). Under FMP, VA assumes payment responsibility for certain necessary medical services associated with the treatment of these service-connected conditions. The FMP database stores necessary information about Veterans eligible for foreign payment or reimbursement. Included is information about the services used and expenses incurred. FMP shares files with CHAMPVA (Civilian Health and Medical Program of VA) Eligibility & Payment Functions (CVA), and resides on the same server at the Health Administration Center (HAC) at Denver, Colorado. The HAC is a division of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Chief Business Office.