Nancy Tomich, former editor of US Medicine, interviews Tom Munnecke about the history of the Veteran's Administration's Decentralized Hospital Computer Program (DHCP), now called VistA. Mr. Munnecke was one of the original architects of the system, working as a computer specialist for the VA from 1978 to 1986. He talks about the history of the Hardhats, the Underground Railroad, MUMPS, and the kernel architecture underlying the system. He also talks about porting the system to the Department of Defense Composite Health Care System (as an employee of SAIC from 1986 - 2000). Here are more of Munnecke's thoughts about the future of health care informatics. Nancy Tomich was editor of US Medicine Magazine, covering much of the activities of DHCP and CHCS as they were unfolding from 1978-1990. Produced by Tom Munnecke Less