Getting to Your Community Care Provider Faster: Inside VA's EPS System

Secretary of Veteran's Affairs Doug Collins speaks with Chris Young a two-time Paralympian in Alpine Skiing on Caserma Ederle on March 6, 2026. Credit: Brandon White

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently announced full deployment of the External Provider Scheduling system across all VA facilities, with plans to expand its reach in 2026. For combat veterans navigating community care, this is a development worth understanding.

The practical impact is real. Under the old model, a single VA employee could book only a handful of community care appointments per day, sometimes requiring days or weeks of back-and-forth calls before a veteran ever saw a provider. EPS gives VA staff direct access to community care scheduling systems, allowing them to book up to 25 appointments per day on the spot.

EPS eliminates the need for multiple calls and faxes – making the patient scheduling process easier – and includes the authorization referral number for your convenience. — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

The External Provider Scheduling system, known as EPS, gives VA schedulers direct access to the appointment calendars of participating community care providers. Instead of a phone chain, a VA employee opens the provider's scheduling system, finds an available slot that fits the veteran's schedule, and books it on the spot. The authorization referral number is included automatically. What previously took multiple calls and days of coordination can now happen in a single session. VA reports that a scheduler using EPS can book up to 25 appointments per day, compared to a handful under the old process.

The system currently connects to more than 150 electronic health records and scheduling platforms, meaning most providers can plug into EPS without overhauling their existing workflows. Providers retain full control of their scheduling availability, designating which blocks VA can access. VA staff handle the veteran-facing side, delivering appointment details directly once the booking is complete.

One important mechanic to understand: EPS is not automatic for providers. Participation is voluntary and requires providers to contact VA's EPS Provider Engagement Team to get set up. Providers who do not enroll continue receiving referrals through the traditional process, but enrollment is free and VA's team handles the integration work. Community care providers interested in participating can reach the EPS Provider Engagement Team at EPSProviderEngagementTeam@va.gov.

As of late 2025, EPS is live at all VA facilities, covering 27,000 providers across 78 medical specialties. VA's stated goal is to expand that provider pool significantly through 2026.

What Veterans can Do

If you are currently receiving care through VA's Community Care program, or if you have been referred to a community provider for specialty care such as sleep medicine, orthopedics, cardiology, neurology, or any other service, there is a simple step you can take right now. Ask your community care provider whether they are enrolled in EPS.

The more providers who enroll, the faster veterans get scheduled. For veterans who have felt stuck in the gap between a VA referral and an actual appointment, this system directly targets that delay. The back-and-forth calls, the faxes, the days of waiting to hear back on availability. . . EPS is built to eliminate exactly that. A referral that once took a week or more to convert into a confirmed appointment can now be booked the same day. Your care has not changed. Getting to it just got significantly easier.