Modernization

VA Wants a Veteran-Owned Business to Upgrade Wichita Facility’s IT Ahead of Health Records Rollout

The deployment of Veterans Affairs’ new electronic health record program has been on hold while the agency deals with COVID-19 but the agency wants to get Wichita’s infrastructure ready to roll.

Modernization

VA Wants to Automate Digitization of its 5-Mile-High Electronic Health Record Backlog

Veterans Affairs is looking to robotic process automation to help digitize its backlog and integrate with the new electronic health record platform.

Digital Government

NIH Unveils Centralized Resource for COVID-19 Patient Data

Insiders hope it will “serve as the foundation for addressing future public health emergencies.”

Digital Government

Watchdog: VA Needs To Include More Specialists in Electronic Health Record Decisions

A new audit found Veterans Affairs’ EHR Councils were set up well and are doing good work, but need better outreach and communication to reach key stakeholders.

Digital Government

Protect Patient Data During COVID-19 Outbreak, Federal Agencies Warn

The Defense Department, FBI and other agencies offer steps on how care facilities can secure personal health information.

Modernization

IG: VA Knew Infrastructure Upgrades Wouldn’t Meet Timeline For March Health Records Rollout

Severe staffing shortages, infighting and lack of comprehensive planning for infrastructure improvements would have handicapped the multibillion-dollar project, the inspector general said.

Modernization

VA and DOD Now Default to Sharing Patient Data with Private-Sector Providers

The joint electronic health records management office launched an information exchange program to make it easier to share patient data with thousands of “community partners.”

Digital Government

Lawmakers Push CDC for New Demographic Data on Coronavirus Patients

A group of 17 lawmakers asked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to collect sex, race, ethnicity and other information to spot potential inequities in health care. 

Modernization

VA Delays Major IT Programs to Focus on COVID-19

The initial rollout of the new electronic health records system will be pushed out—again—as well as pilots for the new scheduling system. A third, integral effort remains on track.

Modernization

New Federal Rules Will Pave the Way for Electronic Health Records on Smartphones

Officials said it’s part of a push to give Americans more control over their personal data. 

Modernization

First Instance of VA’s New Electronic Health Record System Now Scheduled For July

VA officials said the initial deployment was delayed after clinicians asked to be trained on a full system instead of a minimum viable product.

Modernization

IGs Announce Plan to Probe Joint DOD, VA Electronic Health Records Programs

The two inspector general offices are teaming up to determine whether the commercial EHR programs are meeting the main goal of interoperability.

Digital Government

Indian Health Service CIO Gets Ready to Update One of Government’s Oldest Systems

As chief information officer of the Indian Health Service, Mitchell Thornbrugh will play a critical role as the agency updates from a system that first debuted in 1969.

Modernization

VA’s Electronic Health Records System Won’t Make Its First Go-Live Deadline

Training was supposed to start this week ahead of deployment in March, but Veterans Affairs officials said that timeline has been pushed out.

Emerging Tech

The VA’s First Chief Innovation Officer Aims to Speed Up the Delivery of Cost-Saving Services

Michael Akinyele’s mission is to find ways to innovate health care delivery and scale it across the enterprise.

Cybersecurity

German Researchers Accessed Service Members’ Sensitive Medical Data—and One Lawmaker Wants Answers

Sen. Mark Warner wants to know what the Defense Health Agency is doing to secure “a significant number” of medical images.

Modernization

Defense Officials Tout Smoother Electronic Health Records Rollout

The second deployment of MHS Genesis went “much, much smoother” than the first, as officials take lessons from both rollouts to 25 more bases this summer.