“The Department of Veterans Affairs is delaying a planned initial deployment of its $16 billion electronic health record project by four months but promises added functionality at the go-live date.”
“VA was scheduled to deploy the commercial Cerner electronic health record software on the March 28 at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Wash. Agency head Robert Wilkie announced the delay earlier this month — just a few days after the firing of Jim Byrne, the deputy secretary and the official tasked under law with heading up the project.”
“The VA had planned to begin training staff at the Spokane site the week of Feb. 10 on a system that was estimated to be 75% to 80% complete. That plan changed with the results of testing and, apparently, objections from end users — the VA clinicians expected to use the system. The revised schedule has Cerner going live in Spokane in July 2020, but with closer to 100% functionality.”
“Additionally, multiple VA officials including the project manager John Windom stated that the overall 10-year project plan and the 18-month implementation plan for full functionality at the Spokane site have not been altered.”
“Testifying before the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Wilkie said that two key interfaces for sharing data with community health providers and for supporting veterans who use multiple VA facilities to receive care throughout the year were not ready…”
“At both the appropriations hearing and the House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing, lawmakers drilled in on the $1.1 billion budget request for infrastructure that included in the fiscal year 2021 budget request — an increase of $853 million over 2020.”
“According to multiple officials, the process of reviewing VA facilities revealed just how ill-prepared the agency was to onboard a commercial health care system that requires 1 gigabit internet connectivity…” Read the full article here.
Source: VA health record go-live pushed back to July – By Adam Mazmanian, February 27, 2020. FCW.
