“Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough told lawmakers that he has concerns with the productivity of the department’s project to deliver a modernized electronic health record and that it could end up costing more than anticipated.”
“McDonough’s fears come from the VA’s struggles at a Pacific Northwest VA medical center that was the first across the department to roll out the new EHR. The medical center’s issues lie in how it is delivering care after clinicians and other medical staff are trained on the new cloud-based EHR system, the secretary said during a House hearing last week.”
“McDonough, new to the VA secretary role, recently issued a statement saying he would review the system and its rollout at the Mann-Grandstaff Medical Center in Spokane, Washington…”
“McDonough said he’s also concerned by the department’s rate of spending on the modernization project, the number of people required to deploy the system and the scope of what contractor Cerner is being asked to do on the 10-year, $16 billion contract.”
“The VA’s plan for spending on the EHR is that it will be “front-loaded” and peak this year — but McDonough said he has concerns that…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA secretary worried by productivity issues, rising costs of $16 billion EHR rollout —- By Jackson Barnett, March 29, 2021. FedScoop.
