{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-takes-action-unburden-va-doctors-improve-care-oregon", "Greg Walden takes action to unburden VA doctors, improve care for Oregon veterans", "2017-04-19", "2017", "2017-04", "Republican", "House", "OR", "Greg Walden", "W000791", "walden.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Click here or on the image above to view Walden\u2019s remarks on the Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act\nWASHINGTON, D.C. --\u00a0Continuing his efforts to improve the care Oregon\u2019s veterans receive at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Rep. Greg Walden (R-Hood River) introduced legislation to unburden VA doctors, and allow them to see more patients. Walden\u2019s legislation would implement a pilot program for medical scribes at VA facilities, which will help ease administrative burdens that are preventing physicians from devoting their full attention to veterans.\n\u201cThe legislation we\u2019ve introduced is really going to be important for our veterans all across Oregon and America because it frees up doctors to do what they do best: take care of patients,\u201d said Walden. \u201cOur plan will set up a pilot program to bring scribes in to do paperwork and record-keeping in the VA process. One thing we\u2019ve learned is that there aren\u2019t enough providers in the VA process to take timely care of our veterans. This legislation should free up the providers we have to actually see the patients and take care of them with their medical needs, and allow others to do the paperwork. I think it makes a lot of sense for our veterans and for the VA, and I look forward to seeing this legislation moving through the Veterans Affairs Committee.\u201d\nCharles Schmidt, Oregon\u2019s first National Commander of The American Legion, said of Walden\u2019s legislation, \u201cthe VA Medical Scribes Pilot Act of 2017 would greatly assist VA doctors in the course of their duties by providing medical scribes to alleviate their administrative burden.\u00a0 This would enable VA doctors to see more veterans per day and spend more time with each patient.\u00a0 Providing doctors medical scribes would help the VA improve the work environment, reduce physician burnout, and recruit and retain quality physicians. The American Legion wholeheartedly supports this proposed legislation as currently written.\"\nAdditionally,\u00a0Walden has heard from leadership at the VA in White City and\u00a0Bend\u00a0that implementing a scribes program within the VA system is paramount to improving the care Oregon\u2019s veterans receive.\u00a0Studies have shown that the use of medical scribes in the private sector resulted in a 59% increase in the number of patients physicians see per hour.\u00a0The bill is also intended to better recruit and retain talented physicians to serve at VA health centers.\nWalden was joined by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Phil Roe (R-TN) in introducing this legislation.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://walden.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/greg-walden-takes-action-unburden-va-doctors-improve-care-oregon"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0846599470824003, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}