Department of Veterans’ Services Goes Green While Expediting Services to Veterans

BOSTON — Keeping with the Patrick-Murray Administration’s commitment to “going green,” the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services (DVS) has launched its new Web-VSMIS (Veterans Services Management Information System) program to expedite efficient processing of benefit claims. With this system comes new training for the 251 city and town Veterans’ Service Officers (VSOs).

“Our administration continues to improve the quality of service for our brave men and women in a variety of ways,” said Lt. Governor Tim Murray, who also chairs the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Services. “With this new system, we will not only become more environmentally friendly, but we will also reduce costs and improve the delivery of services to our veterans.”

Moving to a web-based veterans’ benefit claims processing system is expected to cut paper use significantly, in compliance with the “waste reduction” goal of Governor Deval Patrick’s Leading by Example Executive Order. In addition to calling on state government to reduce waste, the 2007 Executive Order calls for substantial increases in water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable power use by state agencies.

“We are very excited to have this new system in place to better serve our veterans,” said DVS Secretary Tom Kelley. “We are making every effort to save costs, conserve, and utilize the vast options web-based systems provide. Web-VSMIS will allow all of us to work together more effectively, resulting in more efficient delivery of services to veterans.”

Web-VSMIS is a tool for VSOs, as well as DVS, that will allow for expedited and more efficient processing of claims. The new system will save money, time, and paperwork while also providing better accuracy and communication between the cities and towns and DVS. Both VSOs and DVS staff agree that the new database will result in more efficient services being provided to veterans in the Commonwealth.

“I am thrilled; this is just going to make things easier,” said Karen Greenwood, VSO of Worcester. “This program is going to streamline the whole process, making it easier for veterans to receive their benefits.”

VSOs are tasked with administering Chapter 115 benefits to eligible veterans and families within their communities. After an application for benefits is processed, it is sent to DVS for authorization and reimbursement to the city or town. The new system will allow a VSO to enter the applicant’s information accurately and in a more timely manner. Simply hitting send will allow DVS staff to receive the information almost instantly. DVS makes every effort to see to it that eligible veterans in need of services are receiving them efficiently. Using a web-based system that is faster, while providing more accuracy in calculations, will be in the best interest of not only VSOs and DVS staff, but veterans as well.

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