Ongoing problems with the pharmacy module in VA’s new Oracle electronic health record (EHR) have the potential to lead to medication errors, increasing lawmakers’ concern about plans to expand the new system.
Despite Little Down Time, New Oracle-Cerner EHR Not Popular With Staff
According to VA, at least one aspect of its new Oracle-Cerner electronic health record (EHR) system is showing demonstrable improvement–a reduction in the number of times the system as a whole has been offline and inaccessible.
VA Celebrates 20 Years of Telehealth With Continued Expansion of Services
The VA launched its national telehealth services program in 2003. Twenty years later, it continues to look for new ways to break down barriers to care and expand services available to veterans from the comfort of their homes by tapping into services offered by industry leaders as well as developing internal capabilities.
Five Facilities Where New Cerner EHR Is Live Face Continuing Issues
As VA approaches the 3-year anniversary of the Cerner electronic health record system going live at its first site, the roll-out remains on indefinite hold as the department endeavors to fix problems at the five facilities where the system is active.
VA Relying on Fewer Companies, Broader Contracts to Build IT Infrastructure
Despite an increase in spending on information technology contracts, the number of companies that VA is relying on to build its IT infrastructure is decreasing.
Legislators Worried About Increased Pharmacy Errors With EHR Rollout
While the rollout of VA’s new electronic health record (EHR) has been paused indefinitely as the department works with the developer to address serious flaws in the system, legislators are worried about ongoing issues at the sites where the new EHR has already been introduced.
Legislators Want More Accountability in VA’s New EHR Contract
VA is in the process of renegotiating its agreement with Oracle-Cerner over its new electronic health records (EHR) system, and legislators on both sides of the aisle are concerned that the new contract be more favorable to the VA and hold the EHR manufacturer more accountable for ongoing problems with the system.
VA Ceases All New EHR Activities Until At Least Next Summer
All upcoming deployments of VA’s new electronic healthcare record system will be halted until at least June 2023, the agency announced. This is in response to continuing issues with the system at its pilot site in Spokane, WA, as well as the handful of sites that followed.
Selection of Supply Chain Management Will Be Test of VA’s New Acquisition Framework to Assure Agency Gets Value for Its Money
As VA moves forward with its long-delayed search for a supply chain management system, the department plans to use the process as a de-facto trial of its new acquisitions’ framework–a system designed to ensure the department uses its money effectively when it comes to major projects.
Concerns Raised Again About VA’s Widespread Cybersecurity Deficits
For the past four years, the annual Federal Information Security and Modernization Act (FISMA) audit has warned that the VA has lingering deficiencies across a wide range of cybersecurity areas, from agency wide security management programs to incident reporting and identity management.
VA Pauses Further EHR Expansion Because of Patient Care Issues
The VA has paused any further expansion of its new electronic health record (EHR) in reaction to an early draft of a VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.
Facility Performance Metrics Unavailable With Spokane EHR Rollout
When VA’s new electronic health record (EHR) went live at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in October 2020, the system did not have the metrics in place to allow the hospital to measure how the facility was performing, according to a recent study released by the VA Office of the Inspector General.
Glitches, Legislative Objections Don’t Stop VA Electronic Record Rollout
VA recently launched its new electronic healthcare record system in a third region, despite evidence of problems with previous deployments and strong objections from legislators and oversight groups.
EHR Rollout Increased Patient Error Risks, Made Staff Jobs More Difficult
Due to the sheer number of complaints received about VA’s rollout of its new electronic health record (EHR) at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC, the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) initiated two separate, simultaneous inspections into the EHR process.
Omicron Variant Surge Causes Disruptions in VA, DoD Health Systems
The surge in COVID-19 cases created by the omicron variant has caused no small amount of chaos for federal healthcare agencies, resulting in the postponement of major projects, deployment of emergency medical staff and even the infection and subsequent quarantining of agency leaders.
VA Continues to Struggle With Medical/Surgical Inventory Management
VA’s new inventory management system being piloted at the James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Chicago is failing to meet many of the facility’s needs, according to agency overseers.
Survey: VA EHR Deployment Drove Down Staff Morale at Spokane VAMC
Despite lingering problems with the deployment of its new electronic medical record system at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, VA, officials said the department is still on track to deploy the system in Columbus, OH, early in 2022.
VA Efforts to Secure Its IT System Hampered by Congressional Doubts
For years, VA has struggled to secure its IT systems, with cybersecurity appearing as a persistent weakness in inspectors’ reports.
The department has said it believes that one of the steps toward making progress is addressing the buildup of outdated technology and software, or “technical debt,” that VA has accrued over the decades. VA estimates the total cost of fixing that current debt at $1.3 billion.
VA Commissions Independent Cost Analysis of EHR Modernization Overruns
After underreporting the cost of its Electronic Health Record Modernization (EHRM) project by billions, VA is undertaking an independent cost analysis that is estimated to take as long as 12 months to complete.
Efforts to Gather More Data on Veteran Patients Sparks Controversy
On numerous occasions, VA officials testifying before Congress have, upon being asked, been unable to provide accurate demographics on the department’s patient population, because the information had not been collected or collated.
Legislator: VA Is Using ‘Opaque Slush Fund’ to Fund IT Costs
The VA’s plans to use money left over from another fund to increase its information technology budget has raised concerns among some members of Congress.
OIG Finds That VA’s Computer Systems Remain Vulnerable to Cyberattacks
Although no data was stolen from VA’s computer systems during the 2020’s SolarWinds hack, cybersecurity remains a long-standing material weakness for the VA, agency overseers pointed out.
COVID-19 Pandemic Put Spotlight on VA’s Critical Supply Chain Problems
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored VA’s lack of a comprehensive supply chain management program, and agency officials once again defended their progress before Congress.
Infrastructure Lack Increases Health Risks of Native Americans
The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affected Native Americans, has revealed a critical need for investments in those communities, according to trial advocates and the Indian Health Service (IHS).
VA’s EHR Rollout on Temporary Hold for Strategic Review
VA has put the nationwide rollout of its new electronic health record (EHR) modernization program on pause to conduct an assessment of challenges at the pilot site at the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA.
Study Urges Integration of Co-Morbid Mental Health, Substance Use Treatment
Many mental health programs will not accept patients with active substance use issues. That effectively denies treatment to many veterans who have served in the past 20 years, among whom co-occurring substance use disorders and mental health disorders are particularly common.
VA’s IG: Unrealistic EHR Rollout Could Have Put Patients at Risk
WASHINGTON — The VA Inspector General released two long-awaited reports last month examining problems with the roll-out of VA’s new electronic health record system at its pilot site, the Mann-Grandstaff VAMC in Spokane, WA, and the news was not good.
What Will Be Cost of VA’s Legacy EHR System During Changeover?
WASHINGTON — As VA moves forward with the comprehensive overhaul of its electronic health records system, the department will still need to keep its legacy EHR system functioning well into the next decade. A recent Government Accountability Office report suggests, however, that the costs to do that—already totaling in the billions—may have been underestimated.
Technology Experts Question MISSION Act Electronic Systems
WASHINGTON—VA is working under a tight deadline to implement the community care provisions of the MISSION Act, the new law that goes into effect this summer and revises and codifies access standards for veterans receiving care from non-VA providers. That preparation...
Lack of DoD/VA Decision-Maker Could Hamper EHR Implementation
WASHINGTON—Plans are moving ahead for VA’s 10-year, $16 billion effort to modernize its electronic health record system, but legislators still have questions about the project’s timeline and funding, as well as concerns about the project’s chain of command....