This morning medical communications company Spok announced that it inked a deal with Standard Communications to expand its Spok Care Connect messaging service to more VA healthcare systems. 

Spok's system specifically ensures secure messaging within the hospital system. It allows providers to send secure text messages, set preferences and encrypt paging. It can also assist in physician and nurse scheduling and set clinical alerts and notifications, according to the company’s webpage. The pair said that the system can also help track patients in real time, which could cut down on patients wandering around the care facility. 

Why it matters

The two companies said that this move is a way to update and modernize messaging modalities in VA hospitals. 

“Improving the patient experience for our veterans is a top priority. Not only do efficient communications improve patient safety, but care teams are also able to spend more meaningful time with patients,” Hemant Goel, president of Spok, said in a statement. 

What's the trend

The VA has been diving deeper into the digital health space. Most recently the department was rumored to be in talks with Apple about the creation of a portable EHR specifically for veterans, the Wall Street Journal first reported. 

The VA has also been expanding its telemedicine efforts. In May the VA finalized telehealth rules to let providers practice across state lines. 

On the record 

“We are proud to partner with Spok to make it easier for doctors, nurses, and other care team members to provide exceptional care to our veterans,” Tom Michie, EVP of sales at SCI, said in a statement. “VA hospitals are excited about leveraging a true platform solution they can scale and build upon for years to come.”