“At the end of last month, President Trump dismissed VA Secretary David Shulkin, MD, following weeks of speculation that he would do just that. In Shulkin’s place, Trump nominated his personal White House physician, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson, a physician who’s never managed a large healthcare organization…”
“This VA leadership lull provides an opportunity for reflection. Specifically, it’s worth asking whether Cerner is the right path for the VA to take. While the decision may seem like a no-brainer to some, the VA’s situation is unique and arguably calls for a singular approach to both existing organizational issues and a major healthcare IT decision.”
“Specific to the Cerner decision, what should the new VA secretary consider?”
“How the current VA staff feels about VistA. Medscape EHR reports from both 2014 and 2016 listed VistA as the top-ranked records system. Interestingly, the lowest ranked system in the same survey was AHLTA, the DoD system currently being replaced…”
“The way the original Cerner deal came together. Yes, the legal challenges to Cerner’s sole-source contract with the VA were dismissed, but resentment will still linger. If I’m a long-serving VA clinician, a decision that didn’t really even consider VistA looks questionable…”
“The future of healthcare IT. The stickler for healthcare IT moving forward is…” Read the full article here.
Source: Why the VA should reconsider decision to replace VistA – By Irv Lichtenwald, April 27, 2018. Health Data Management.
