Health Records
VA needs updated cost estimate and rollout schedule for EHR, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said VA is making “incremental improvements” to its new electronic health record system during an operational pause on additional deployments but added that “much more remains to be done.”
VA plans to deploy new EHR at 13 medical facilities in 2026
The department said it will be adding nine sites to its 2026 deployment schedule, although it added that it will announce the specific facilities later this year.
Lawmakers want VA to nail down total EHR modernization cost
Estimates for how much it would cost VA to fully deploy its new electronic health record system have ranged from $16.1 billion to almost $50 billion.
Sources: VA’s new EHR is not accessibility compliant
A VA official told Nextgov/FCW that, at the facilities where VA’s new electronic health record has been deployed, “veterans with disabilities cannot access their own records because the patient portal is inaccessible to them.”
Trump’s VA pick voices support for continued EHR deployment
Former Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., said “there's no reason in the world” why VA cannot successfully deploy its beleaguered Oracle Cerner electronic health record system.
VA plans to restart EHR rollouts in mid-2026, despite viability concerns
VA Secretary Denis McDonough previously told Congress that the department was looking to end its pause on new deployments of the Oracle Cerner software in fiscal year 2025.
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
DOD plans $1.4B sole source extension for Leidos on health care record
MHS Genesis needs about three years to move to the cloud before a sustainment contract for the Defense Department's massive health record system can be put out for bid, officials said.
VA still needs to shore up usability of new EHR system, GAO says
More than one-third of the government watchdog's priority open recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs have to do with improving oversight and management of the new electronic health record system.
VA cautiously optimistic that ‘very positive’ March EHR rollout shows reset is working
VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the department plans to restart deployments of its new health records system in FY25.
VA officials tout EHR rollout at Chicago site amid efforts to address oversight concerns
Although implementation of VA’s EHR system at additional sites remains paused, a critical rollout of the software at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center earlier this month was “the most successful deployment we’ve had,” VA Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal said.
Issues with VA’s new EHR have contributed to patient harms and one death, watchdog says
Three new reports from VA’s Office of Inspector General detail problems with the pharmacy module and scheduling service of the Oracle Cerner EHR system that made it difficult to reschedule medical appointments and effectively track veterans’ prescriptions.
Senate confirms deputy secretary at VA
Tanya Bradsher takes over as the top official tasked with managing the Department of Veterans Affairs’ troubled electronic health record project.
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CMS findings identify barriers to effective healthcare
COMMENTARY | Many of these issues are multifaceted and complex to address, and they would require collaboration between public and private sectors.
VA official expects Oracle Cerner to deliver on $10B EHR contract despite layoffs
While lawmakers and officials expect work to continue as planned, an insider warned that layoffs at Oracle Cerner targeted a clinical team that worked to implement new electronic health record systems.
VA Lacks Goals to Assess Satisfaction With New EHR, Watchdog Finds
The report from the Government Accountability Office found that the absence of such goals has limited the agency’s ability to “objectively measure progress toward improving EHRM users’ satisfaction.”
House Lawmakers Lambast EHR Rollout Over Pharmacy Problems
Both witnesses and lawmakers agreed that the Oracle Cerner EHR system at its current state is not satisfactory—but disagreed over how to fix it.
House Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reform VA’s EHR Program
The bipartisan proposal would require VA to prioritize system improvements at the five medical facilities currently using the new software before deploying it at any additional sites.
VA Pauses Future EHR Deployments Under ‘Larger Program Reset’
The Department of Veterans Affairs said it plans to delay future rollouts of the new EHR system until it is confident that the software “is highly functioning at current sites and ready to deliver for veterans and VA clinicians at future sites.”
House Lawmakers Coalesce Around Bipartisan Fixes to VA’s EHR System
The top Democrat and Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have started bipartisan negotiations to address the Department of Veterans Affairs’ troubled rollout of its new electronic health record system.
‘Human Error’ Exposed Lawmakers’ Personal Info in DC Health Data Breach
The benefit exchange’s director testified before a House Committee on the ongoing investigation into a data breach exposing DC residents’ and lawmakers’ data.
