[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 75 (Wednesday, April 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20033-20034]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-9645]


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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records

AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

ACTION: Notice of Amendment to System of Records.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a(e), 
notice is hereby given that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is 
amending the system of records currently entitled ``Veterans, 
Fabricator and Employee Prosthetic Records--VA'' (33VA112) as set forth 
in the Federal Register 40 FR 38095 dated 8/26/75. VA is amending the 
system by revising the System Name and System Number, including 
Purpose, and revising the paragraphs for System Location, Categories of 
Individuals Covered by the System, Categories of Records of the System, 
Authority for Maintenance of the System, and Policies and Practices for 
Storing, Retrieving, Retaining, and Disposing of Records in the System, 
including Storage, Retrievability and Safeguards. These changes reflect 
a transition to a new electronic system. VA is republishing the system 
notice in its entirety.

DATES: Comments on the amendment of this system of records must be 
received no later than May 18, 2001. If no public comment is received, 
the amended system will become effective May 18, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the proposed new system of 
records may be submitted to the Office of Regulations Management (02D), 
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 
20420. Comments will be available for public inspection at the above 
address in the Office of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the 
hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Veterans Health Administration (VHA) 
Privacy Act Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, telephone (727) 320-1839.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this amendment to the system 
of records is to signify enhancements to this system to include 
additional capabilities for further management and clinical analyses. 
VHA is amending System Name and System Number from ``Veterans, 
Fabricator and Employee Prosthetic Records--VA'' (33VA112) to 
``National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD)--VA'' (33VA113).
    The Categories of Individuals Covered by the System has been 
amended to cover a broader group of VA employees and VA beneficiaries. 
The original system captured beneficiaries primarily in receipt of a 
prosthesis or orthosis, and now the system will capture patients in 
receipt of all prosthetic, orthotic, sensory aids, and rehabilitative 
and home medical equipment. The system also captures employees 
responsible for issuing the appliance or purchase order, i.e., 
purchasing agent, clerk, prosthetic representative, and not just the 
orthotist and/or prosthetist. The Categories of Records has been 
amended to reflect the information collected in NPPD. In moving toward 
an electronic system, more data will be kept in NPPD. The NPPD contains 
additional records that allow station, VISN, and national reports on 
cost, average cost, summary of all prosthetic activity, appliance 
usage, responsible purchasing agents, manufacturers utilized, unique 
social security numbers, Health Care Financing Administration Common 
Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes utilized, item-specific data for 
items furnished to veteran beneficiaries, data validation and 
standardization. The Authority to Maintain the System has been updated 
to reflect current statutes.
    The records or information in this system will be used to furnish 
administrative and clinical statistical procurement and prescription 
information, including total cost and summary of activity, including 
equipment usage, data to the VA and other health care providers, both 
Federal and non-Federal, to aid in furthering the improvement of health 
care, research and education. The NPPD will generate data to provide 
ad-hoc reporting for clinical and management departments; provide 
insight into stations' purchasing practices and utilization of 
contracts; improve budget management; conduct reviews of prescribing 
practices/best practices; help to develop consistency in the way that 
service is provided; and help to establish consistent policies and 
procedures.
    Storage has been updated to reflect compact disk usage and removal 
of magnetic tape. Retrievability of the records has been amended since 
information will be retrieved in NPPD by unique patient identification 
number, other than social security number. Safeguards have been amended 
to reflect current security policies. The System Manager has been 
amended to reflect the national office responsible for the records. The 
Notification Procedures and Record Access Procedures have been amended 
to correspond to the new system manager. The Record Source Categories 
have been amended to represent the sources of data for the NPPD.
    The notice of intent to publish and an advance copy of the system 
notice have been sent to the appropriate Congressional committees and 
to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as 
required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(r) (Privacy Act) and guidelines issued by OMB 
(61 FR 6428), February 20, 1996.

    Approved: March 27, 2001.
Anthony J. Principi,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
33VA113

SYSTEM NAME:
    National Prosthetic Patient Database (NPPD)-VA.

SYSTEM LOCATION:
    Records are maintained at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) 
Medical Centers' databases. Extracts are maintained at the Austin 
Automation

[[Page 20034]]

Center (AAC), Austin, Texas, and Hines Information Service Center, 
Hines, Illinois. VA health care facility address locations are listed 
in VA Appendix I of the Biennial Privacy Act Issuances publication.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
    Contracted fabricators of prosthetic and orthotic appliances; 
vendors and manufacturers of durable medical equipment and sensory-
neural aids; medical supply companies; VA beneficiaries; and VA 
employees.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
    VA field facility ordering the orthotic device; Patient 
Identification Number; Health Care Financing Administration Common 
Procedure Coding System (HCPCS); item purchased/issued to patient; 
cost; quantity; type of issue (initial/replace/repair/spare); patient 
eligibility category (service-connected, prisoner of war, aid and 
attendance); responsible VA procurement officer or representative; 
order creation date; order close/delivery date; calculated processing 
days; transaction/purchase order number; type of form used to purchase 
item (VAF 2421, PC2421, VAF 2529, VAF 2914, etc.); and vendor/
contractor name. All other patient information, i.e., name, address, 
telephone number, can be retrieved by prosthetic program officials in 
VA Headquarters by using the unique Patient Identification Number 
assigned to the patient in NPPD.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
    Title 38, United States Code, Section 527.

PURPOSE(S):
    The records or information in this system will be used to furnish 
administrative and clinical statistical procurement and prescription 
information, including total cost and summary of activity, including 
equipment usage, data to the VA and other health care providers, both 
Federal and non-Federal, to aid in furthering the improvement of health 
care, research and education.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES 
OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
    1. In the event that a system of records maintained by this agency 
to carry out its functions indicates a violation or potential violation 
of law, whether civil, criminal or regulatory in nature, and whether 
arising by general statute or particular program statute, or by 
regulation, rule or order issued pursuant thereto, the relevant records 
in the system of records may be referred at VA's initiative, as a 
routine use, to the appropriate agency, whether Federal, State, local 
or foreign, charged with the responsibility of investigating or 
prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing 
the statute, rule, regulation or order issued pursuant thereto. 
However, names and addresses of veterans and their dependents will be 
released only to Federal entities.
    2. To furnish administrative and clinical statistical procurement 
and prescription information, including total cost and summary of 
activity, including equipment usage, data to VA and other health care 
providers, both Federal and non-Federal, to aid in furthering the 
improvement of health care, research and education.
    3. To provide statistical and other information in response to 
legitimate and reasonable requests as approved by appropriate VA 
authorities.
    4. Disclosure may be made to a Congressional office from the record 
of an individual in response to an inquiry from the congressional 
office made at the request of that individual.
    5. Disclosure may be made to National Archives and Records 
Administration (NARA) and General Services Administration (GSA) in 
records management inspections conducted under authority of Title 44 
United States Code.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORING, RETRIEVING, ACCESSING, RETAINING, 
AND DISPOSING OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
STORAGE:
    Compact and magnetic disk.

RETRIEVABILITY:
    Indexed by Patient Identification Number for VA prosthetic 
personnel.

SAFEGUARDS:
    1. Access to VA working and storage areas is restricted to VA 
employees on a ``need to know'' basis. Generally, VA file areas are 
locked after normal duty hours and are protected from outside access by 
the Federal Protective Service. Strict control measures are enforced to 
ensure that disclosure is limited to a ``need to know'' basis. Physical 
access to the AAC is generally restricted to AAC staff, VA Headquarters 
employees, custodial personnel, Federal Protective Service and 
authorized operational personnel through electronic locking devices. 
All other persons gaining access to the computer rooms are escorted.
    2. Access to computer rooms at health care facilities is generally 
limited by appropriate locking devices and restricted to authorized VA 
employees and vendor personnel. ADP peripheral devices are placed in 
secure areas (areas that are locked or have limited access) or are 
otherwise protected. Information in the Veterans Health Information 
System and Technology Architecture (VistA) may be accessed by 
authorized VA employees. Access to file information is controlled at 
two levels; the systems recognize authorized employees by a series of 
individually-unique passwords/codes as a part of each data message, and 
the employees are limited to only that information in the file which is 
needed in the performance of their official duties. Access to 
information stored on automated storage media at other VA locations is 
controlled by individually-unique passwords/codes.

RETENTION AND DISPOSAL:
    Records are retained until special release by the Prosthetic and 
Sensory Aids Service Strategic Healthcare Group, VA Central Office, 810 
Vermont Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20420.

SYSTEM MANAGER(S) AND ADDRESS:
    Chief Consultant, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service Strategic 
Healthcare Group (113), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont 
Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420.

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE:
    Individuals seeking information concerning the existence and 
content of a record pertaining to themselves must submit a written 
request or apply in person to the VA health care facility where they 
received the orthotic/prosthetic device/appliance/equipment. All 
inquiries must reasonably identify the records involved and the 
approximate date that medical care was provided. Inquiries should 
include the individual's full name, and identifying characteristics.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
    Individuals seeking information regarding access to and contesting 
of a VA Prosthetic-related record may write, call, or visit the VA 
facility where medical care was provided.

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
    (See Record Access Procedures above.)

RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
    VistA (79VA19), Patient Medical Records (24VA136), and veterans' 
records.
[FR Doc. 01-9645 Filed 4-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P