The cards are personalized at each facility with name and other non changing information which is downloaded from the Hospital Information System to the card personalizing devices. The patient picture is taken and the card is produced in about one minute. The card is currently used as an electronically readable identifier to speed patient medical record look-up on the medical information system. VHA s upgrade also consists of installation of multiple capture stations and embossers at over 171 facilities. It is anticipated that the equipment will be used to make 2.5 million cards in the first year of operation.
Future enhancements are a being planned.
The VA is also involved in another smart card demonstration. As Treasury s Financial Agent for the VA projects, NationsBank will operate this program utilizing Visa U.S.A. stored value technology. Stored value cards look very similar to credit cards, but contain an integrated circuit chip that provides more memory than the magnetic strips commonly used on credit cards. Visa Cash, an electronic cash technology, uses the current debit and credit networks to load value onto the chip. Then, the card holder may use the card to make purchases by downloading the value to special readers, thus saving time by eliminating the need to wait for authorization and change.