Veterans Affairs
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 grants researchers 90-day reprieve from layoffs, but their futures remain uncertain
A department spokesperson said the temporary extensions “will ensure continuity of all research efforts while VA conducts a comprehensive assessment of ongoing research initiatives to evaluate their impact on Veteran health care.”
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.
GOP lawmaker calls for VA to ‘guarantee’ only underperformers are targeted in workforce layoffs
Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., sent a letter to VA Secretary Doug Collins asking him to review the department’s workforce reduction process and consider reinstating laid-off personnel.
Veterans Affairs loses cybersecurity migration project lead after DOGE layoffs
Another project co-lead is among the 21 legacy USDS staffers who chose to leave civil service this week rather than work with DOGE.
Veterans Affairs axes another 1,400 probationary employees
The agency has now laid off 2,400 employees since Feb. 13.
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.
Senate Dems call on VA secretary to protect veteran data from DOGE
Lawmakers asked VA Secretary Doug Collins “to deny and sever” DOGE’s access to department systems that include information about veterans.
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.”
VA wants hiring freeze exemptions for 300,000 roles
The acting Veterans Affairs secretary said in a Jan. 21 memo that the requested exemptions cover positions critical to the delivery of health care services.
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 accounts for majority of all agencies’ safety- and rights-impacting AI
Of the 1,757 total AI use cases reported by federal agencies last year, 227 of them were listed as safety- or rights-impacting. VA accounted for 145 of those identified use cases.
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.
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Government spending bill would also codify VA’s customer experience office
The continuing resolution to keep the government funded through March 14 would, in part, formalize a VA office that gathers feedback to improve veteran services.
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.”
VA proposes funding telehealth access points at non-VA facilities
The VA is looking to expand access to virtual healthcare consults by funding the creation of such access points at non-VA facilities in rural or medically underserved areas.
VA announces creation of new AI testing ground with FDA
VA Undersecretary for Health Shereef Elnahal told Nextgov/FCW that the testing environment is “a check in the process” to ensure that AI tools comply with federal guidance on the use of emerging tech.
VA is updating its AI suicide risk model to reach more women
The department is looking to add military sexual trauma and intimate partner violence as risk factors for suicide in its predictive model for identifying veterans at high risk of self-harm.
Inside VA’s drive to offer rideshare services to vets
Since its launch in January 2022, the Veterans Health Administration’s rideshare program for veterans in need of medical-related transportation has provided more than 438,000 rides.
VA officials say they can finish the digital GI Bill platform without more delays, cost overruns
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said the Department of Veterans Affairs is “batting zero” when it comes to finishing major IT modernization projects on time and within budget.
VA offers veterans nationwide access to emergency telehealth care
The department said the new tele-emergency care resource will allow veterans to connect with clinical triage nurses for timely medical evaluations.
