“The Department of Veterans Affairs has finished a highly-anticipated strategic review of its massive, 10-year electronic health record modernization program, but it needs more time to digest the results and present a path forward to Congress and the public.”
“VA launched the strategic review back in March after hearing, as Secretary Denis McDonough described them, ‘systemic failures’ and concerns about the EHR rollout from staff at the first go-live site in Spokane, Washington.”
“’We’re very close to finalizing the next steps, including changes to the deployment effort to ensure that we come in on time, on budget and, most importantly, provide the best care for our vets and the best experience for our providers,’ McDonough told reporters Wednesday.”
“McDonough has previewed some of the review’s findings recently in testimony before Congress. VA continues to believe in Cerner’s commercial product, but the department is considering changes to the project’s governance, training and organizational structure.”
“The department also decided it will conduct an enterprise-wide review of physical and IT infrastructure needs for the EHR program, Jon Rychalski, VA’s chief financial officer, said Thursday at a hearing before the House Veterans Affairs Technology Modernization Subcommittee.”
“VA’s inspector general previously found vast inconsistencies in the department’s cost estimates for the physical infrastructure upgrades needed to support the EHR…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA’s EHR strategic review is complete, but path forward isn’t quite ready for primetime – By Nicole Ogrysko, July 1, 2021. Federal News Network.
