Cybersecurity

Veterans’ military skills can help them fill cyber vacancies, State official says

The White House’s national cybersecurity strategy said that greater veteran participation in the U.S. cyber workforce can help enhance critical digital defenses.

Acquisition

Veterans Affairs to again rethink $400M file conversion contract

GovCIO continues to challenge VA's choice of General Dynamics IT and the department has opted to look at the award again.

Modernization

VA puts Oracle Cerner on a short leash in $10B health records contract

The agency extended the contract for its EHR provider by one year, and put performance conditions in place.

Acquisition

Veterans Affairs committee Dems offer bills to streamline VA operations

The two proposals would seek to consolidate business functions at the agency and independently verify and validate IT modernization efforts.

Policy

House Dem pushes back on bill to cancel VA's $20B-plus software refresh

Rep. Mark Takano, now ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, doesn't want to cancel the Electronic Health Records Modernization program without a ready alternative – and VistA doesn't count.

Policy

House lawmakers want VA's $20 billion-plus electronic health record program to improve or else

Senior Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee are backing legislation to end the troubled program to replace the Department of Veterans Affairs' homegrown electronic health record system with commercial software from Oracle-Cerner -- unless the program can hit performance targets and satisfy top hospital officials.

Acquisition

VA cancels future deployments of new supply chain management system

The agency’s decision to transition away from using the Defense Department’s supply chain logistics solution comes after lawmakers and the VA’s Office of Inspector General questioned the system’s value.

Modernization

VA adds 6 months to health record deployment pause

The delay is designed to give the Department of Veterans Affairs and Cerner Oracle more time to iron out serious performance issues in the multibillion dollar software upgrade.

Digital Government

How the VA’s adoption of Login.gov is going

The agency is standing up in-person identity proofing to help veterans who struggle to go through the identity proofing process online because of a lack of connectivity or existing digital credentials.

Digital Government

VA systems vulnerable to cyber intrusions due to lack of effective oversight, report says

The Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General's office said the agency is "leaving its systems vulnerable to compromise by impostors who may gain access to protected information."

Modernization

VA names functional champion to help streamline embattled EHR rollout

The selection of Dr. David Massaro to the senior role fills out the leadership team of the VA office tasked with “processing and resolving patient care concerns” related to the agency's new electronic health record system

Modernization

VA delays go-live of new health record software at Boise medical center

A new third-party cost estimate of the Veterans Affairs health record rollout prepared for Congress suggests that the total cost of the program could exceed $50 billion.

Modernization

Routing gap in VA health software led to patient harm, watchdog says

An oversight report claims a confusing routing process in the new electronic health record system being fielded by the Department of Veterans Affairs contributed to nearly 150 adverse patient events.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers grill VA tech officials over stalled progress on cybersecurity

Top cyber officials with the Department of Veterans Affairs told Congress they are opposed to a bipartisan bill seeking to strengthen the agency’s cybersecurity standards—despite its ongoing failures to meet oversight recommendations.

Modernization

TMF announces first-ever investment in VA to support transition to new sign-in service

GSA's single sign-on shared service, Login.gov, is about to have a major new participating agency thanks in part to the Technology Modernization Fund.

Modernization

VA's latest EHR go-live: 'not flawless, but we're rolling'

Secretary Denis McDonough told House appropriators that the launch of the Department of Veterans Affairs new electronic health record system at a second site is meeting expectations.

Cybersecurity

New cyber bill calls for shadow IT assessment at VA

The bill tasks VA with obtaining an independent cybersecurity review of the agency's most critical systems.

Modernization

VA seeks dashboard to coordinate $21B health record project

The Office of Electronic Health Records Modernization wants a dashboard view of progress across the DOD and VA's interconnected software upgrades.

Modernization

VA delays EHR deployment due to COVID cases

The VA Central Ohio Healthcare System was supposed to receive a new EHR system deployment in March, but COVID spikes overwhelmed the workforce.

People

Vaccination rates tick up slightly among federal employees

The number of vaccinated feds has increased, although there are still thousands of pending exception and extension requests to the mandate.